Retired NBA Canucks

NORM BAKER

One of the strongest players to come out of B.C., Norm Baker became the youngest player, at age 16, on a Senior National Championship team when his team, the Victoria Dominoes, won the Canadian Basketball Championship in 1939. He won two more championships with Victoria in 1942 and 1946, and won the 1943 championship with the Patricia Bay Royal Canadian Air Force Club Gremlins, scoring a record 38 points in one game.

Norm turned professional in 1946 and played on a number of American teams including the Chicago Stags (1946), Boston Celtics (1949), and Boston Whirlwinds (1950-53). He also played for the Vancouver Hornets from 1947 to 1948, scoring an impressive 1962 points in 70 games. In 1948 he played in the Professional World Championships with Portland and was the only non-American on the team.

Former Harlem Globetrotter Manager Abe Saperstein once described him as, one of the greatest natural basketball players I have ever seen.

After his stellar basketball career, Norm worked as a police officer, and coached basketball and lacrosse in Saanich.

LARS HANSEN

Lars began his career as a standout player in B.C. High School Basketball. He was named MVP of the "AAA" High School Boys tournament in 1971-1972 and he won the Vic Andrews Award as the B.C. High School Athlete of the Year in 1972.

Lars attended the University of Washington where he lettered all four years with the Huskies. During his time at U of W he received the Bob Wurster Award as the team's most improved player and the Hec Edmonson Trophy as the team's most inspirational player. In 1976 he played in the NABC East-West All-Star game in Oklahoma and was named to the NCAA PAC 8 All Conference Team. In the same year he played on the Canadian Mens Basketball team at the Montreal Olympics.

Lars was drafted 39th overall by the Chicago Bulls, becoming the first player from B.C. to appear in the modern-day NBA. He played briefly on a number of teams before joining the Seattle Supersonics in 1978. Seattle went on to win the 1978-79 NBA Championships.

After his NBA career, Lars played European basketball in Italy and Spain. In 1981 he was named Player of the Year and scoring champion of the FIBA First Division Spanish League.

Most recently, in 1998, Lars was a member of the team that won the bronze medal at the World Masters Championships in Portland, Oregon.

Basketball British Columbia

Bob Houbregs

Enshrined:
Born:
Height:
Weight:

As a player on May 5, 1987
March 12, 1932 in Vancouver, BC, Canada
6-foot-8
225 pounds

High School:

Queen Anne (WA) High School (1945-49)

College:

University of Washington (1949-53)

College Playing Highlights:

Three-year letter winner
NCAA Player of the Year (1953) by Helms Athletic Foundation
All-American (1953)
All-District (1952)
Led University of Washington to three Pacific Coast Conference titles
Led Washington to a 30-3 record, and the school's only final Four appearance (1953)
Hold numerous records at Washington, including career scoring (1,774, 19.5 ppg), single season scoring in 1953 (25.6 ppg)
Owns Washington single-game scoring highs, 49 points vs. Idaho (1953), 45 points vs. Seattle (1953) and 42 points vs. Louisiana State (1953)
Held records for most field goals made and attempted for a game, season and career
Scored 30 or more points nine times in his career
Led the PCC in scoring three straight seasons
Finished his career third in rebounding (971, 10.7 ppg)
Grabbed 22 rebounds vs. Utah (1953)
Three-time All-PCC selection
Averaged 34.8 ppg in NCAA Tournament play
Known for his deadly hook shot
Enshrined in Husky Hall of Fame (1979)

Pro:

NBA Milwaukee Hawks (1953)
NBA Baltimore Bullets (1954)
NBA Baltimore Bullets (1954)
NBA Boston Celtics (1955)
NBA Fort Wayne Pistons (1955-57)
NBA Detroit Pistons (1957-58)

Pro Playing Highlights:

Number one draft choice of Milwaukee Hawks (1953)
Averaged 9.3 ppg in five pro seasons
Fourth in NBA field goal percentage in 1957 with Fort Wayne (43 percent)

Bio:

Bob Houbregs, a hook shot specialist, is one of only two players in the University of
Washington's history named a consensus All-America. While playing for the Huskies, this pure shooter led Washington to three PCC titles, a school record 30-3 mark and Washington's only NCAA Final Four appearance in 1953. While averaging a school record 25.6 ppg in 1953 (he scored a career high and school record 49 points that season), Houbregs was selected the NCAA Player-of-the-Year and an All-America by AP, UPI, Converse, Helm's Athletic Foundation and Colliers. An All-Pacific Coast Conference selection for three years, Houbregs was named to the 1953 NCAA All-Tournament team and remained Washington's all-time leading scorer (1,774 points) until 1988. In 1953, Houbregs was selected by the Milwaukee Hawks in the NBA's first round. He played five seasons with the Hawks, Baltimore Bullets, Boston Celtics, Fort Wayne Pistons and Detroit Pistons. In 1979, Houbregs became the first basketball player elected into Washington's Sports Hall of Fame.