{{Short description|American basketball player (1944–2018)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} :''This is an article about the basketball player. For the physicist, see Erwin Wilhelm Müller.'' {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Erwin Mueller | image = | width = | caption = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 8 | weight_lb = 230 | birth_date = {{birth date|1944|3|12}} | birth_place = Livermore, California, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2018|6|7|1944|3|12}} | death_place = North Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | high_school = Livermore (Livermore, California) | college = San Francisco (1963–1966) | draft_year = 1966 | draft_round = 2 | draft_pick = 20 | draft_team = Chicago Bulls | career_start = 1966 | career_end = 1973 | career_number = 14, 34, 6, 24, 51, 35 | career_position = Power forward / center | years1 = {{nbay|1966|start}}–{{nbay|1967|end}} | team1 = Chicago Bulls | years2 = {{nbay|1967|end}} | team2 = Los Angeles Lakers | years3 = {{nbay|1968|full=y}} | team3 = Chicago Bulls | years4 = 1969 | team4 = Seattle SuperSonics | years5 = {{nbay|1969|start}}–{{nbay|1972|start}} | team5 = Detroit Pistons | years6 = 1972–1973 | team6 = Virginia Squires | years7 = 1973 | team7 = Memphis Tams | highlights = * NBA All-Rookie First Team ({{nbay|1966|end}}) * 2× First-team All-WCAC (1965, 1966) |stats_league=NBA and ABA | stat1label = Points | stat1value = 3,287 (7.4 ppg) | stat2label = Rebounds | stat2value = 2,100 (4.7 rpg) | stat3label = Assists | stat3value = 881 (2.0 apg) }}
'''Erwin Louis Mueller''' (March 12, 1944 – June 7, 2018)<ref name=":0">{{cite news |title=Obituary|url=http://www.independentnews.com/obituaries/erwin-louis-mueller/article_d408785e-74c0-11e8-bddf-1bbd3e46bb52.html|work=Independentnews.com|date=June 21, 2018|access-date=August 3, 2018}}</ref> was an American basketball player. A {{height|ft=6|in=8}} power forward/center, he attended the University of San Francisco where he was All–Conference and was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round (10th pick overall) of the 1966 NBA draft.
== Early life == Mueller was born on March 12, 1944, in Livermore, California. He attended Livermore High School, where he excelled on the basketball team under coach Leon "Lee" Williford.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Erwin Mueller (1980) - Hall of Fame |url=https://usfdons.com/honors/hall-of-fame/erwin-mueller/53 |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=University of San Francisco Athletics |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2005-01-11 |title=Coach ‘Lee’ Williford left mark on Livermore sports |url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2005/01/11/coach-lee-williford-left-mark-on-livermore-sports/ |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=East Bay Times |language=en-US}}</ref> He led the team to two Diablo Valley Athletic League (DVAL) championships and Tournament of Champion (TOC) berths in 1960-61 and 1961-62. As a junior, he was DVAL scoring champion, and was named to the All-TOC team for averaging nearly 20 points a game.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Faraudo |first=Jeff |date=November 3, 1972 |title=Erwin Mueller: pro cage veteran |work=The Pioneer (Dublin, California) |pages=17}}</ref>
== College basketball == Mueller played college basketball at the University of San Francisco (1963—66), at both center and forward. His nickname, "Mr. Inside", came from his defensive prowess in protecting the basket at the rim. He was selected All-Coast, All-Conference and was an All-American. During his senior year, Mueller averaged 18.4 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game. Over his three years at San Francisco, he averaged 12.1 points per game on a 50.2 field goal percentage, and 8.5 rebounds per game.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Erwin Mueller College Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/erwin-mueller-1.html |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>
As a junior, his 24–5 USF team was in the 1965 NCAA tournament, winning the first game of the Western Regionals before losing to eventual national champion UCLA, 101–93.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=1965 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records {{!}} NCAA.com |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-05-14/1965-ncaa-tournament-bracket-scores-stats-records |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=www.ncaa.com |language=en}}</ref> As a senior, the team participated in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), and Mueller was named to the All-NIT Team. He was also selected by coaches to the All-Coast Team and was selected to the All-WCAC team that year.<ref name=":3" />
== Professional basketball == Mueller was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the 1966 NBA draft (20th overall).<ref>{{Cite web |title=1966 NBA Draft |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1966.html |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> It was the expansion Bulls' first college draft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chicago Bulls Draft Picks |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/draft.html |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> During his first season, Mueller averaged 26.7 minutes, 12.7 points, and 6.2 rebounds per game with the Bulls.<ref name=":2" /> He earned NBA All-Rookie Team honors, along with Dave Bing, Lou Hudson, Jack Marin, and Cazzie Russell.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Year-by-year NBA All-Rookie Teams |url=https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-rookie-teams |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=NBA.com |language=en}}</ref>
He was traded midway through his second season to the Los Angeles Lakers for Jim Barnes and a draft choice on January 9, 1968.<ref name=":2" /> After playing 39 games for the Lakers in 1968, Mueller would return to the Bulls for the start of the 1968–69 season by way of another trade between the Lakers and the Bulls, exchanging Keith Erickson for Mueller on September 23, 1968.<ref name=":2" /> However, his tenure in Chicago would not last through the season. On January 31, 1969, Mueller was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics for a draft choice and cash.<ref name=":2" /> He averaged only 7.5 points per game in 1967-68, and 4.8 points per game in 1968-69.<ref name=":2" />
He played all or part of four more years in the NBA, chiefly with the Detroit Pistons. His best season during this time came in 1969-70 with the Pistons, when he averaged 10.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in 74 games.<ref name=":2" /> In his seven-season (1966–1973) NBA career, he scored 3,248 total points, averaging 7.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.<ref name=":2" /> He spent part of the 1972–73 and 1973–74 seasons in the rival American Basketball Association as a member of the Virginia Squires and Memphis Tams, playing in only 20 games over those two seasons.<ref name=":2" />
== Post basketball == Mueller worked as a draftsman developing irrigation systems after retiring from basketball.<ref name=":1" />
== Death == Mueller died on June 7, 2018, in North Las Vegas. He was survived by Karen Mueller, after 40 years of marriage; four children and six grandchildren.<ref name=":0" />
==Career statistics== {{NBA player statistics legend}}
===NBA/ABA=== Source<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mueller01.html|title=Erwin Mueller NBA/ABA stats|website=Basketball Reference|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|accessdate=20 May 2024}}</ref>
====Regular season==== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;" |- ! Year ! Team ! GP ! MPG ! FG% ! 3P% ! FT% ! RPG ! APG ! STL ! BLK ! PPG |- | align="left" | {{nbay|1966}} | align="left" | Chicago | '''80''' || 26.7 || .441 || || .658 || 6.2 || 1.6 || || || '''12.7''' |- | align="left" | {{nbay|1967}} | align="left" | Chicago | 35 || 23.3 || .387 || || .561 || 4.8 || 2.2 || || || 6.5 |- | align="left" | {{nbay|1967|nolink=y}} | align="left" | L.A. Lakers | 39 || 24.9 || '''.520''' || || .592 || 5.7 || 2.0 || || || 8.3 |- | align="left" | {{nbay|1968}} | align="left" | Chicago | 52 || 16.8 || .335 || || .511 || 3.7 || 2.4 || || || 3.8 |- | align="left" | {{nbay|1968|nolink=y}} | align="left" | Seattle | 26 || 18.6 || .431 || || .597 || 4.0 || 2.4 || || || 7.0 |- | align="left" | {{nbay|1969}} | align="left" | Seattle | 4 || 17.3 || .406 || || .444 || 3.5 || 1.5 || || || 7.5 |- | align="left" | {{nbay|1969|nolink=y}} | align="left" | Detroit | 74 || '''30.9''' || .467 || || '''.728''' || '''6.3''' || '''2.7''' || || || 10.3 |- | align="left" | {{nbay|1970}} | align="left" | Detroit | 52 || 23.5 || .408 || || .556 || 4.3 || 2.2 || || || 6.0 |- | align="left" | {{nbay|1971}} | align="left" | Detroit | 42 || 14.4 || .345 || || .581 || 3.5 || 1.4 || || || 4.3 |- | align="left" | {{nbay|1972}} | align="left" | Detroit | 21 || 3.8 || .290 || || .714 || .7 || .3 || || || 1.1 |- | align="left" | {{abay|1972}} | align="left" | Virginia (ABA) | 17 || 12.1 || .321 || {{sort|-|—}} || .300 || 2.8 || 1.5 || || || 2.2 |- | align="left" | {{abay|1973}} | align="left" | Memphis (ABA) | 3 || 6.6 || .000 || {{sort|-|—}} || .400 || 1.0 || .7 || .0 || .0 || .7 |- |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career (NBA) | 425 || 22.4 || .429 || || .627 || 4.8 || 2.0 || || || 7.6 |- |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career (ABA) | 20 || 11.2 || .298 || {{sort|-|—}} || .333 || 2.5 || 1.4 || .0 || .0 || 2.0 |- |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career (overall) | 445 || 21.9 || .426 || {{sort|-|—}} || .623 || 4.7 || 2.0 || .0 || .0 || 7.4 {{s-end}}
====Playoffs==== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;" |- ! Year ! Team ! GP ! MPG ! FG% ! 3P% ! FT% ! RPG ! APG ! PPG |- | align="left" | 1967 | align="left" | Chicago | 3 || '''28.0''' || .308 || || .714 || '''4.7''' || '''3.0''' || '''8.7''' |- | align="left" | 1968 | align="left" | L.A. Lakers | '''14''' || 17.9 || '''.339''' || || .357 || 3.9 || 1.3 || 3.2 |- | align="left" | 1973 | align="left" | Virginia (ABA) | 5 || 22.4 || .278 || '''1.000''' || '''.857''' || 3.8 || '''3.0''' || 3.4 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career (NBA) | 17 || 19.6 || .329 || || .536 || 4.0 || 1.6 || 4.2 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career (overall) | 22 || 20.3 || .320 || 1.000 || .600 || 4.0 || 1.9 || 4.0 {{s-end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mueller01.html Career statistics]
{{1966 NBA draft}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mueller, Erwin}} Category:1944 births Category:2018 deaths Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:American men's basketball players Category:Basketball players from Alameda County, California Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Chicago Bulls draft picks Category:Chicago Bulls players Category:Detroit Pistons players Category:Los Angeles Lakers players Category:Memphis Tams players Category:Power forwards Category:San Francisco Dons men's basketball players Category:Seattle SuperSonics players Category:Sportspeople from Livermore, California Category:Virginia Squires players