An ABA pioneer and Lakers alumnus, Zelmo Beaty was posthumously recognized for his playing career on Sept. 9, 2016, when he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
At 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds, Beaty may have been undersized at the center spot, but he was one of the most successful players in basketball at the time, earning five All-Star honors in both the NBA and ABA.
Drafted third overall in 1962 out Prairie View A&M, Beaty made an immediate impact for the St. Louis Hawks, which earned him an All-Rookie selection.
After seven year with the Hawks, including the last in Atlanta, “Big Z” decided to cross over to the ABA and sat the 1969-70 season due to league rules at the time.