Players

Richard Triptow

Year Inducted: 1989

Category: Players

Schools / Organizations:
(Chicago) Lane Tech High School
DePaul University
NBL/NBA

Biography: Dick Triptow was an all-city player for Lane Tech in 1940 when it won third place at the University of Chicago  Tournament. Triptow was a regular guard for three seasons for Ray Meyer at DePaul and was a teammate of George Mikan. The Blue Demons were an NCAA regional runner-up and in Triptow’s senior year finished second in the NIT at St. John’s. Triptow was the DePaul captain as a senior. In 1947, Triptow was a member of Chicago’s first professional basketball champions, the Chicago Gears of the National Basketball League when they defeated the Rochester Royals in four of seven games. In 1948, Triptow played for the Tri-City Blackhawks. Triptow then played with the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, the forerunners of the Detroit Pistons. The NBA brochure of 1949 says Triptow may be one of the Pistons named most on the All-Star dream teams.  Dick Triptow died on February 20, 2015 at the age of 92.