Joan Crawford (basketball)

Joan Audrey Crawford ( born August 22, 1937 in Fort Smith, Arkansas ) is a retired American basketball player. As a player on the position of the center she was 14 years in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU ) is active, where she won ten league titles with the team of the Nashville Business College. With the women's national team of the United States Crawford won several international titles, including the World Basketball Championship in 1957. For her performance career she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997.

Childhood and youth

Crawford is the second oldest of five children and began to be interested in basketball when she was in fifth grade. A brother taught her the basics of the game. In her first year of high school Crawford has been appointed to the school team of the graduating class. Overall, they lost with their team in four seasons, only a single game.

Their sporting success allowed Crawford a scholarship at Clarendon Junior College and helped her on a personal level, to overcome shyness, which was due to a congenital speech impediment.

Career

After a successful completion at Clarendon Junior College and the award as All-American Crawford was offered another scholarship. The Wayland Baptist University was at that time a stronghold in basketball, but Crawford declined the offer from the university to instead join the amateur team of the Nashville Business Colleges. In each of the ten seasons, the team won the league title, Crawford was named to the All- American. In addition, she was selected in each season between 1962 and 1964 to the most valuable player of the AAU finals.

Characteristic of Crawford's play was exceptional rebound strength, good passing game as well as their use of the hook throw.

Twice represented Joan Crawford the United States in the Women's Basketball Tournament at the Pan American Games. In 1959 the team won gold and Crawford was charged with 11.4 points per game second-best basket huntress the selection. 1963 succeeded, the renewed gold - profit, with Crawford this time with 16.3 points per game was the best basket Slayer and most valuable player of the tournament .. but her biggest international success celebrated in 1957, by winning the Women's World Championships.

Crawford since 1999, also a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.