Hank Beenders

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox basketball biography Henry Gerald Beenders (June 2, 1916 – October 27, 2003)<ref name=pbe>Template:Cite web</ref> was a Dutch-American professional basketball player.

Early life

Beenders was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, and migrated to the United States at age eight. He lived in Brooklyn, New York, and Scotch Plains, New Jersey, before moving to Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, in the late 1960s.<ref>"Former Philadelphia Warriors player Hank Beenders dies at 87", Burlington County Times, October 27, 2003.</ref> He attended North Plainfield High School in North Plainfield, New Jersey.<ref name=BRef>Hank Beenders, Basketball-Reference.com. Accessed September 22, 2007.</ref>

Playing career

Beenders played the center position on the 1941 NIT champion Long Island University team, and was team captain during the 1941–42 season under Hall of Fame coach Clair Bee.<ref name=ESPN>"Beenders played in NBA forerunner", ESPN Classic, October 27, 2003. Accessed July 15, 2007.</ref> He served with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Beenders was one of the first international basketball players in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which became the National Basketball Association (NBA). Beenders averaged 12.3 points in his rookie season with Providence, which was 13th best in the league that season.<ref name=BRef/> He played for Providence the following season until he was sold to the Philadelphia Warriors on January 15, 1948.<ref name=BRef /> On May 1, 1948, Beenders was traded to the Boston Celtics with Chick Halbert for Ed Sadowski.<ref name=BRef />

Later life

After ending his basketball career, Beenders worked as an international sales representative for a clothing exporting company in New York City for 35 years. He was 87 when he died at the Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, New Jersey.<ref name=ESPN/>

BAA career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	FG%	Field-goal percentage
FT%	Free-throw percentage	APG	Assists per game
PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	FG%	FT%	APG	PPG
1946–47	Providence	58	.262	.704	.6	12.3
1947–48	Providence	21	.265	.638	.3	6.8
1947–48	Philadelphia	24	.333	.583	.3	2.5
1948–49	Boston	8	.214	.778	.4	2.4
Career		111	.265	.687	.5	8.4

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	FG%	FT%	APG	PPG
1948	Philadelphia	12	.229	.538	.3	1.9
Career		12	.229	.538	.3	1.9