{{Short description|American basketball player (1919–1993)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Tony Kappen | image = | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 10 | weight_lb = 165 | birth_date = {{birth date|1919|4|13}} | birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1993|12|18|1914|4|13}} | death_place = | high_school = Forest Hills<br />(Queens, New York) | career_start = | career_end = | career_number = 5 | career_position = Guard | years1 = 1936–1937 | team1 = Jersey Reds | years2 = 1938–1939 | team2 = Brooklyn Visitation | years3 = 1939–1940 | team3 = Baltimore Clippers | years4 = 1940–1942 | team4 = New York Jewels | years5 = 1945–1946 | team5 = New York Gothams | years6 = 1946 | team6 = Boston Celtics | years7 = 1946–1947 | team7 = Pittsburgh Ironmen | years8 = 1948–1949 | team8 = Troy Celtics | highlights = }} '''Anthony George Kappen''' (April 13, 1919 – December 18, 1993) was an American professional basketball player.
A 5'10" guard who did not attend college and had previously attended Forest Hills High School in Queens, Kappen played for the Boston Celtics and the Pittsburgh Ironmen during the 1946–47 BAA season. He averaged 6.5 points per game during the season on 23.8% shooting. Kappen and Celtics teammate Connie Simmons were the first players in the BAA (later known as the NBA) who did not have any college experience.<ref>[https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kappeto01.html Tony Kappen]. basketball-reference. Retrieved on January 12, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0765788.html High school players to enter NBA]. Retrieved on January 12, 2009.</ref> Kappen had previously played in the American Basketball League<ref>Michael Weinreb. "[http://www.dailypress.com/topic/nyc-telfair0505-1,0,6416695,full.story Telfair's quantum leap of faith]". ''The Daily Press''. May 5, 2004. Retrieved on January 12, 2009.</ref> for the New York Gothams and Brooklyn Gothams.<ref>[http://www.apbr.org/ablstats3853.html American Basketball League Statistics]. APBR.org. Retrieved on January 12, 2009.</ref>
Celtics PR director Howie McHugh said that Kappen "was one of the few guys [on the 1946–47 Celtics] who were serious about playing". However, Kappen was traded midseason to the Pittsburgh Ironmen for Moe Becker, who had become available after a falling-out with his coach.<ref>Charley Rosen. ''The First Tip-Off''. McGraw-Hill, 2008. 87-88.</ref>
==BAA career statistics== {| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 90%; white-space: nowrap;" |- ! colspan="6" style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid #aaa;"| Legend |- | style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"| GP | Games played | style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"| FG% | style="padding-right: 8px" | Field-goal percentage |- | style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"| FT% | Free-throw percentage | style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"| APG | Assists per game |- | style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"| PPG | Points per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" | '''Bold''' | Career high |- |} ===Regular season=== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;" |- ! Year ! Team ! GP ! FG% ! FT% ! APG ! PPG |- |style="text-align:left;"| 1946–47 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 18 || '''.275''' || .632 || .3 || 4.1 |- |style="text-align:left;"| 1946–47 | style="text-align:left;"| Pittsburgh | '''41''' || .231 || '''.856''' || '''.5''' || '''7.6''' |- |style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 59 || .238 || .795 || .5 || 6.5 |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{basketballstats|bbr=k/kappeto01}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kappen, Tony}} Category:1919 births Category:1993 deaths Category:American Basketball League (1925–1955) players Category:American men's basketball players Category:Boston Celtics players Category:Forest Hills High School (New York) alumni Category:Guards (basketball) Category:Pittsburgh Ironmen players