Jack Nichols

Jack Edward Nichols (April 9, 1926 – December 24, 1992) was an American professional basketball player. A 6'7" power forward, he played college basketball for the Washington Huskies and the USC Trojans. During his collegiate career he was named an all-conference player in five different seasons, twice with USC and three times at Washington, the only player ever to achieve this. In 1948 he set the Pacific Coast Conference single-game scoring record with 39 points against Idaho, along with the single-season scoring record, was named a Helms Foundation All-American, and led the Huskies to the 1948 NCAA tournament by beating Cal in a three-game series.

Nichols played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association (1948–1951; 1952–1958) as a member of the Washington Capitols, Tri-Cities Blackhawks, Milwaukee Hawks, and Boston Celtics. He scored 5,245 points over his career and contributed to the Celtics' 1957 NBA championship team, coached by his former Washington Capitols coach, Red Auerbach. During his last three years with the Celtics, he attended Tufts Dental School full-time, earning his doctor of dentistry in 1958. Upon his retirement from professional basketball, Nichols served as the team dentist.