Waite Bellamy
Bellamy with the Florida A&M Rattlers during the 1962–63 season
Personal information
BornBradenton, Florida, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High schoolLincoln (Palmetto, Florida)
CollegeFlorida A&M (1959–1963)
NBA draft1963: 4th round, 33rd overall pick
Selected by the St. Louis Hawks
Playing career1963–1971
PositionGuard
Career history
1963–1971Wilmington / Delaware Blue Bombers
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Waite Bellamy is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for the Florida A&M Rattlers and was a draft selection of the St. Louis Hawks in the 1963 NBA draft. Bellamy spent his entire professional career with the Wilmington / Delaware Blue Bombers of the Eastern Professional Basketball League where he won two championships. He was named as the league's Most Valuable Player in 1970. Bellamy worked as a teacher and basketball coach at high schools in Florida after his playing retirement.

High school career

Bellamy attended Lincoln High School in Palmetto, Florida.[1] He averaged 25 points as a senior while his team finished the season with a 30–5 record and advanced to the state tournament.[1] Bellamy also served as captain of the football team and president of the school's student body.[1] He graduated in 1959.[1]

College career

Bellamy drives past Nat Filmore of Bethune–Cookman during the 1962–63 season

Bellamy did not receive any scholarships from major Southern colleges as they did not offer them to black players at the time.[1] He went to Florida A&M University where the coaches gave him an offer of playing for the Rattlers in either football or basketball: he chose the latter.[2] Bellamy tallied 1,600 points and was a three-time All-SIAC selection from 1961 to 1963.[3] He set the Rattlers' single-game scoring record when he totalled 53 points against the Bethune–Cookman Wildcats.[3]

Bellamy was inducted into the Florida A&M Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987.[4] His number 25 jersey was retired by the Rattlers and hangs in the Al Lawson Center.[3]

Professional career

Bellamy was selected by the St. Louis Hawks in the 4th round of the 1963 NBA draft but did not make the team.[1] He instead joined the Wilmington Blue Bombers of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) where he played for eight years.[1] Bellamy was awarded as the EPBL Most Valuable Player in 1970 and earned three selections to the All-EPBL team.[5] He won two championships with the Blue Bombers in 1966 and 1967.[2] He led the league in scoring during the 1969–70 season with 838 points per game.[6] Bellamy earned invitations to NBA training camps with the Philadelphia 76ers, Baltimore Bullets and New York Knicks during his EPBL career.[1]

Post-playing career

Bellamy worked as a teacher and basketball coach in the Sarasota County school system for three decades.[2][3]

Bellamy was inducted in the National Negro High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches Court of Legends in 2016.[2][1]

On March 24, 2023, Bellamy and his surviving Blue Bombers teammates were honored by Delaware Blue Coats during the halftime of an NBA G League game.[7] Bellamy was presented with his 1970 EBL MVP trophy for the first time while he received chants of "MVP" from the crowd.[8]

Personal life

Bellamy has two sons who played basketball at Sarasota High School.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fernandes, Doug (December 17, 2016). "Former Lincoln High hoop star Waite Bellamy an official "Legend"". Herald-Tribune. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dell, Alan (July 12, 2016). "Waite Bellamy transformed himself from football standout to basketball great". Bradenton Herald. Archived from the original on July 16, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Sharrock, Rory (February 23, 2019). "FAMU retires basketball jerseys of Waite Bellamy, Cathy Robinson". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Waite Bellamy". Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Waite Bellamy minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  6. ↑ "1969-70 Eastern Professional Basketball League Leaders". Stats Crew. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  7. ↑ Tresolini, Kevin (March 25, 2023). "Before heading to NBA G League playoffs, Delaware Blue Coats will honor previous champs". Delaware News Journal. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Fernandes, Doug (March 26, 2023). "Ex-Lincoln High and FAMU basketball legend Waite Bellamy honored as EBL star". Herald-Tribune. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
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