Connie Dierking
A durable and versatile big man who carved out an eleven-year professional career during basketball's formative modern era.
1936–2013 (age 77)·American basketball player·Birthday: October 2·The Silent Generation
Biography
Connie Dierking emerged from the University of Cincinnati as a territorial pick in the 1958 NBA draft, landing with the Syracuse Nationals. At 6'9", he possessed a reliable shooting touch and a workmanlike approach to the game, qualities that ensured his longevity in a league that was rapidly evolving. He wasn't a flashy star but a consistent contributor, playing for the Nationals, Cincinnati Royals, Philadelphia 76ers, and New York Knicks over his decade-long journey. Dierking's career spanned a pivotal time, from the tail end of the shot-clock era's pioneers to the dawn of the league's major expansion and television boom. He retired in 1971, a testament to the value of steady, professional competence, having shared courts with legends from Dolph Schayes to Walt Frazier.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Connie was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Connie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Connie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2013Died at 77
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Played 11 seasons in the NBA from 1958 to 1971 for four different franchises.
- Averaged a double-double in the 1961-62 season with the Cincinnati Royals, posting 12.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
- Appeared in the NBA playoffs with three different teams: the Syracuse Nationals, Philadelphia 76ers, and New York Knicks.
Did You Know?
He was selected as a territorial pick by the Syracuse Nationals, a now-defunct draft rule that allowed teams to claim local college stars.
Dierking and fellow NBA player Wayne Embry were teammates at the University of Cincinnati.
After basketball, he worked in the insurance industry for many years.
“You set a hard pick, you get open, you take the shot they give you.”
