Stanley “Whitey” Von Nieda, a centenarian and former NBA player, passed away at the age of 101. The league confirmed the news of his passing on Friday. In 2022, Von Nieda was honored by the National Basketball Retired Players Association for being the first former player to reach the age of 100.
In a recent interview clip released by the league, Von Nieda reminisced about his time playing in the NBA and expressed his love for the game. He shared that he had great memories of his basketball career and that he was proud to be a part of it.
Before joining the NBA, Von Nieda played for the Lancaster Red Roses in the Eastern Basketball League while still a student at Penn State University. He caught the attention of the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, who signed him in 1948 for $2,000. The Blackhawks were part of the National Basketball League at the time, which later merged with the Basketball Association of America to form the NBA.
Von Nieda played one season in the NBA, suiting up for the Blackhawks and the Baltimore Bullets. He scored 14 points in the first official post-merger game and ended the season with averages of 5.3 points and 2.4 assists. Unfortunately, his professional career came to an end due to an eye injury.
Following his time in the NBA, Von Nieda became the head coach at Elizabethtown College and led the team for three seasons. He later pursued other professions, including advertising sales, playing semi-pro basketball, working as a bartender for over 60 years, and writing a trivia column for a local paper, The Ephrata Review.
