Kenny Sears

Kenneth Robert Sears (1933–2017) was a 6-foot-9 forward who played eight NBA seasons with the New York Knicks and San Francisco Warriors after being selected in the first round of the 1955 draft. A product of Santa Clara University, where he was twice named West Coast Conference player of the year, Sears became the first basketball player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated, in December 1954. He averaged 13.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game over his career, was named an NBA All-Star in 1958 and 1959, and led the league in field goal percentage in consecutive seasons (1959, 1960).