Nat Hickey
Hickey with the Original Celtics, c. 1941 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 30, 1902 |
| Died | September 16, 1979 (aged 77) Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Hoboken (Hoboken, New Jersey) |
| Playing career | 1921–1948 |
| Position | Guard / forward |
| Number | 11 |
| Coaching career | 1944–1951 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1921–1922 | Hoboken St. Joseph's |
| 1922–1923 | Eddie Holly's Majors |
| 1922–1923 | New York Crescents |
| 1923–1925 | Eddie Holly's Majors |
| 1925–1929 | Cleveland Rosenblums |
| 1929–1931 | Chicago Bruins |
| 1931–1934 | Original Celtics |
| 1934–1935 | Boston Trojans |
| 1935–1942 | Original Celtics |
| 1944–1945 | Pittsburgh Raiders |
| 1945–1946 | Indianapolis Kautskys |
| 1946–1948 | Buffalo Bisons / Tri-Cities Blackhawks |
| 1948 | Providence Steamrollers |
Coaching | |
| 1944–1945 | Pittsburgh Raiders |
| 1945–1946 | Indianapolis Kautskys |
| 1946–1948 | Buffalo Bisons / Tri-Cities Blackhawks |
| 1948 | Providence Steamrollers (interim HC) |
| 1950–1951 | Johnstown Clippers |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Nicholas J. "Nat" Hickey (born Nicola Zarnecić; January 30, 1902 – September 16, 1979) was a Croatian American professional basketball coach/player and baseball player. He turned to coaching basketball after his retirement from playing full-time in 1942 but occasionally activated himself as a player for the teams he was coaching. In 1948, Hickey played two games with the Providence Steamrollers at the age of 45 while serving as the team's head coach in the Basketball Association of America (BAA). As the precursor to the National Basketball Association (NBA), his appearances in the BAA make him the oldest player in NBA history.