Rothman, Les

Lester Rothman

A sharp-shooting forward at LIU (Long Island University) in the mid-1940s, Rothman was one of the top scorers in the New York City area during his college career. He later played professionally in the ABL (American Basketball League) and the NBL (National Basketball League).

Birth and Death Dates:
unknown

Career Highlights:
In the early and mid-1940s, LIU was a basketball powerhouse coached by Hall of Famer Clair Bee. Although the Blackbirds lost many players to the armed services during World War II, they remained a tough team during Rothman's career. In 1944, they finished the regular season with a record of 12-3. Rothman, a starting forward, was the team's second-leading scorer with 135 points (13th in the New York Metropolitan area).

The following season, Rothman retained his starting position with the Blackbirds and helped lead the team to a 15-5 overall record. During the year, he scored a game-high 14 points in a 43-33 victory over Oklahoma and eight points in a 58-15 demolishing of Gallaudet. Following the season, Les was named All-Metropolitan honorable mention.

After graduating, Rothman played professionally in two leagues, the ABL (located in the East) and the NBL (located primarily in the Midwest). In 1945-46, he played 17 games with the Paterson Crescents, who finished 13-21 and last in the league - Rothman scored 140 during the season for a 8.2 points per game average. The following year, Rothman played in 11 games for Paterson and averaged five points per game. During the season, however, he left the ABL and moved to the NBL, where he appeared in one game for the Chicago Gears before moving to the Syracuse Nationals of the same league. He appeared in 13 games for the Nationals and scored 63 points as the Nats finished with a record of 21-23.

Origin:
New York

Career Dates:
Rothman played forward at LIU in 1944-1945. He then played professionally in the ABL and the NBL with the Chicago American Gears and the Syracuse Nationals in 1946-47.

Physical description:
6'1"

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