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{{Image|Donald Boven at Western Michigan University.JPG|right|160px|A young Don Boven while a students at Western Michigan University.}}
'''Donald E. Boven''' (born March 6, 1925, in Kalamazoo, Michigan), known as '''Don Boven''', is a retired [[[[United States of America|American]]]] [[basketball]] player and coach. He stood 6'4" (1.93 m), weighed 210 pounds (95 kg), and played most of his career as a small forward.<ref name='Basketball-reference'> {{cite web|url=http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bovendo01.html |title=Don Boven Statistics - Basketball-Reference.com |accessdate=2008-01-14 |last= |first= |date=2000-2008 |publisher=Sports Reference, LLC }}</ref>

==Personal life==
Boven was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1925. He was the second of four sons born to Thomas Boven and Jessie Knapper. His parents were immigrants from the [[Netherlands]], having come from the province of Groningen.<ref name='Apple Pie'>{{cite book | last = Boven| first = John Henry |title=Boven Dutch Apple Pie: The Story of Boven Emigration to the United States. |publisher=The Gregath Publishing Company |location=Wyandotte, Oklahoma |year=1995 |page=61 |isbn=8-183-47874-0 |oclc= |doi=}}</ref> Boven attended Kalamazoo Central High School and graduated in 1943.<ref name='Basketball-reference'/> After the completion of his basketball career, Boven married Charlotte Kniese on 25 April 1953 and the couple had three children.<ref name='Apple Pie'/> Boven now lives in Mattawan, Michigan.<ref name='Reunion'>{{cite news|title=Iowa's NBA Team |url=http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061210/SPORTS14/612100353/1003/SPORTS&lead=1 |publisher=[[The Des Moines Register]] |date=[[2006-12-10]] |page=14 }}</ref>

==Basketball career==
===Western Michigan===
After completing high school, Boven began attending Western Michigan University and playing basketball in 1946.<ref name='Databasebasketball'> {{cite web|url=http://www.databasebasketball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BOVENDO01 |title=Don Boven Past Stats, Playoff Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards |accessdate=2008-01-15 |last= |first= |date=2002-2006 |publisher=databaseSports.com }}</ref> At Western Michigan, Boven set the career scoring record with 1099 points between 1946 and 1949, though this record has since been broken.<ref name='Western Program68'>{{cite book | author=None Given  |title=Western Michigan Bronco's Basketball Program 2006-2007 |publisher=[[Western Michigan University]] |location=Kalamazoo, Michigan |year=2006 |page=68 |isbn= |oclc= |doi=}}</ref> Boven also remains among the top ten for free throws made and free throws attempted.<ref name='Western Program68'/> As a junior, Boven was named a second team All-American and in 1949, the senior was named a first team All-American.<ref name='Western Program74'>{{cite book | author=None Given  |title=Western Michigan Bronco's Basketball Program 2006-2007 |publisher=[[Western Michigan University]] |location=Kalamazoo, Michigan |year=2006 |page=74 |isbn= |oclc= |doi=}}</ref> After completing college, Boven was selected by the Indianapolis Olympians in the 6th round of the 1949 BAA Draft.<ref name='1949 Draft'> {{cite web|url=http://big.chez-alice.fr/webuns/draft/1949.htm |title=Marge |accessdate=2008-01-15 |last= |first= |date=2007 |publisher=Association for Professional Basketball Research }}</ref>

===Professional career===
{{Image|Don Boven on Waterloo Hawks Program.JPG|right|200px|Don Boven shown on the lower right cover of the Waterloo Hawks' 1949-1950 program.}}
Boven began his career playing for the Waterloo Hawks in 1949. The team finished fifth in the NBA Western Division with a 19-43 record.<ref name='Basketball-reference Waterloo'> {{cite web|url=http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/WAT/1950.html |title=1949-50 Waterloo Hawks Statistics - Basketball-Reference.com |accessdate=2008-01-15 |last= |first= |date=2000-2008 |publisher=Sports Reference, LLC }}</ref> Boven averaged about 10 points and two assists per game and was in the top 20 in the league making 37% of his field goals.<ref name='Basketball-reference'/><ref name='Hickok'> {{cite web|url=http://www.hickoksports.com/history/nba194950.shtml |title=HickokSports.com - History - NBA 1949-50 Season |accessdate=2008-01-16 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date=17 December 2007 |publisher=HickokSports.com }}</ref> The following season, the Waterloo franchise left the NBA to join the original National Professional Basketball League during its only season in existence. Boven led the entire league in scoring with 781 points. He was also named a member of the league's all-star team. More than half of the league's teams folded over the course of the year and no championship game was played. Boven's Hawks and the Sheboygan Redskins made claims to being the champions, but the league was dissolved before the matter could be resolved. Waterloo finished the season with the most wins of any team behind Boven's scoring, but Sheboygan defeated the Hawks in 8 of their fifteen meetings.<ref name='APBR'> {{cite web|url=http://apbr.org/npbl.html |title=History of the National Professional Basketball League |accessdate=2008-01-16 |last=Meyer |first=Roger |coauthors=Steven Brainerd |date=None Given |publisher=Association for Professional Basketball Research }}</ref>

When the Waterloo franchise folded along with the NPBL, Boven was signed with the Milwaukee Hawks for one season. This team finished fifth in the NBA's western division<ref name='Basketball-reference Milwaukee'> {{cite web|url=http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MLH/1952.html |title=1951-52 Milwaukee Hawks Statistics - Basketball-Reference.com |accessdate=2008-01-15 |last= |first= |date=2000-2008 |publisher=Sports Reference, LLC }}</ref> and Boven put up numbers similar to his first year in the NBA. One lasting distinction came during that season. Boven was tied for third most personal fouls in the NBA behind George Mikan and Vern Mikkelsen.<ref name='Basketball-reference Fouls'> {{cite web|url=http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1952_leaders.html |title=1951-52 NBA Expanded Leaders - Basketball-Reference.com |accessdate=2008-01-15 |last= |first= |date=2000-2008 |publisher=Sports Reference, LLC }}</ref> He also set a league record by fouling out of six consecutive games that season. Though this record was nearly broken in 1982<ref name='Sun Sentinel'> {{cite web|url=http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_basketball_heat/2007/12/index.html |title=Miami Heat | Sun-Sentinel Blogs  |accessdate=2008-01-15 |last= |first= |date=26 December 2007 |publisher=[[Miami Sun-Sentinel]] }}</ref> and skirted by Shaquille O'Neal in 2007, it still stands as of 2008.<ref name='Tribune'> {{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-26pb1dec26,1,4787326.story?ctrack=1&cset=true |title=Bryant, Bynum lift Lakers; Blazers win 11th straight -- chicagotribune.com |accessdate=2008-01-15 |last= |first= |date= December 26, 2007 |publisher=[[Chicago Tribune]] }}</ref>

For the 1952-53 season, Boven was traded to the Fort Wayne Pistons by way of the Baltimore Bullets. Though his stats were slightly lower than his previous seasons,<ref name='Basketball-reference'/> the Pistons made it to the playoffs after finishing with a record of 36-33. Boven and the Pistons competed in the Western Division semifinals, beating the Rochester Royals two games to one. The Pistons then lost to George Mikan and the eventual NBA champion Minneapolis Lakers in the western division finals.<ref name='Basketball-reference Fort Wayne'> {{cite web|url=http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/FTW/1953.html |title=1952-53 Fort Wayne Pistons Statistics - Basketball-Reference.com |accessdate=2008-01-15 |last= |first= |date=2000-2008 |publisher=Sports Reference, LLC }}</ref> This was Boven's last season in the NBA and he finished his professional career with averages of 10.2 points, 2.0 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game.<ref name='Basketball-reference'/><ref name='APBR'> {{cite web|url=http://apbr.org/npbl.html |title=History of the National Professional Basketball League |accessdate=2008-01-16 |last=Meyer |first=Roger |coauthors=Steven Brainerd |date=None Given |publisher=Association for Professional Basketball Research }}</ref>

===Coaching===
After retiring from professional basketball, Boven began coaching at his alma mater in the 1958-59 season. Boven's first season was not very successful and the Broncos went 2-20. In 1959-60 Boven put together the first of two winning seasons (12-11). The other came in 1961-62 when the team went 13-11. Boven coached at Western Michigan until 1966 ending his coaching career with a record of 75-112 (.401).<ref name='Western Program73'>{{cite book | author=None Given  |title=Western Michigan Bronco's Basketball Program 2006-2007 |publisher=[[Western Michigan University]] |location=Kalamazoo, Michigan |year=2006 |page=73 |isbn= |oclc= |doi=}}</ref> Boven remains involved in basketball, having played in reunion games with the Waterloo Hawks as late as 2004<ref name='Reunion'/> and as a member of the National Basketball Retired Players Association.<ref name='NBRPA'> {{cite web|url=https://www.nbrpa.com/memberlist/index.aspx |title=Legends of Basketball - Member&nbsp;Listing |accessdate=2008-01-16 |last= |first= |date=2000-2008 |publisher=National Basketball Retired Players Association }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bovendo01.html Don Boven Statistics] at Basketball-Reference.com

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[[Category:Basketball biographies]]