Category
Athlete
Sport
Basketball
Hometown
Saint John
Year Inducted
1972
athlete
Norman "Rip" Seely (D)
HONOURED MEMBER
Biography
He has been called "Canada's unchallenged king of the court" by the press, and "the greatest player in the country, barring none" by the opposition. At the age of fourteen he outdid all of the nineteen year olds, and at fifteen he led all scorers in junior competitions. At sixteen he was the class of the seniors and, as a mature returning veteran from World War II, he led the Saint John Basketball Club to new heights of achievement and new attendance records in Provincial, Maritime, National and International play. In 1948 he found himself the centre of an Olympic controversy as this "greatest of them all" basketball star was left off the team on a minor technicality. New Brunswick has not seen the likes of "Rip" Seely before or since; and thousands of fans who flocked to see him play everywhere in Canada and New England will never forget this fantastically talented performer. Enrolled in the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame, June 3, 1972.
Quick Facts
Played with the Saint John basketball teams at Junior, Intermediate and Senior levels from 1938 to 1951 (except for military service during World War II)
Played on eight Maritime championship teams during his career
Leading scorer on all teams on which he played, and the leading gate attraction for basketball wherever he played
Received a Special Merit Award from Basketball New Brunswick in 1987
Inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in 1971 and 1999 (Saint John Basketball Club)