Tom Boerwinkle

John Boerwinkle, an engineer for an oil refinery, was a native of Cleveland and the son of Dutch immigrants who had come to the United States in 1890.

He attended high school at Millersburg Military Institute, a now-defunct prep school in Millersburg, Kentucky, later known as Forest Hill Military Academy.

Thomas F. Boerwinkle (August 23, 1945 – March 26, 2013) was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) center who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bulls.

Tom Boerwinkle was born in Independence, Ohio, one of three children of John and Katherine Boerwinkle.

Boerwinkle played for the University of Tennessee and helped the team win the 1967 Southeastern Conference championship.

The next year, he was named a Helms Foundation first-team all-American.

In his junior and senior seasons, he averaged a double-double each season—10.2 points and 12.2 rebounds his junior season and 11.3 points and 15.2 rebounds his senior season.

Boerwinkle was drafted as the fourth pick of the 1968 NBA draft and played with the Bulls until 1978.

Although largely unappreciated during his playing days, Boerwinkle was a very efficient player, using his brawny seven-foot frame to grab rebounds and set picks while teammates like Jerry Sloan, Chet Walker and Bob Love did most of the scoring.

In addition, Boerwinkle contributed with his passing skills, averaging 3.2 assists per game during his career.

Acting as a distribution hub from the center position, he helped set a precedent for future passing big men such as two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić.

On January 8, 1970, Boerwinkle set a Bulls record by grabbing 37 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns.

He retired with career totals of 4,596 points, 5,745 rebounds, and 2,007 assists.

Boerwinkle also had five triple doubles in his career.

Boerwinkle later served as a radio color analyst for the Bulls.

He was a longtime co-owner of the Olympic Oil Co. in Stickney, Illinois.

Boerwinkle died on March 26, 2013, in Willowbrook, Illinois, after struggling with myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of leukemia.

Upon his death, longtime Bulls teammate Bob Love said, "He was a great teammate with a heart of gold. And I always tell people: Half of my baskets came from him. He's one of the best-passing big men of all-time."

Hall of Fame center and Bulls teammate Artis Gilmore said, "He understood his role extremely well. He had a very big body and he absorbed a lot of space. With those behind-the-back and over-the-head passes, he was very good. He understood the game and he played intelligent basketball."

He was survived by his wife of 41 years, Linda, son Jeff and daughter Gretchen.

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