One-time Seymour hoops coach passes away
12/16/20 11:40 PM
When Bob Lochmueller played in the NBA the law of the jungle ruled more than the casual blowing of the referee’s whistle.
The National Basketball Association of the 1950s played the same game as the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers do now, but there were twists. More elbows were thrown, for one. More punches, too. And fans in some cities were just as likely to poke a visiting player with the sharp end of an umbrella as give them a hello cheer.
No place was rougher than Syracuse, one of just eight cities in a league that had not yet gained a firm foundation on the American sporting landscape. The Nationals, who became the Philadelphia 76ers, were the brief affiliation of Lochmueller before he spent four years coaching the Seymour High boys basketball team.