Ed Conlin
A tough, defensive stalwart for the New York Knicks whose blue-collar play defined an era of gritty basketball.
1933–2012 (age 79)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: September 2·The Silent Generation
Biography
Ed Conlin's story is one of New York City basketball through and through. Born in the Bronx in 1933, he starred at Fordham University before being drafted by his hometown New York Knicks in 1955. In an era before flashy highlights, Conlin carved out a seven-year NBA career as the kind of player coaches loved and opponents hated. He was a physical, intelligent forward known for tenacious defense, smart passing, and a reliable mid-range shot. His best years were with the Knicks, where he averaged a double-double, embodying the hard-nosed style of the franchise in the late 1950s. After his playing days, he transitioned seamlessly into coaching, leading teams at the collegiate level and serving as a scout, remaining a lifer in the game he shaped with effort and IQ rather than sheer athletic spectacle.
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.
Ed was born in 1933, 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 Ed Was Born
The biggest hits of 1933
#1 Movie
King Kong
Best Picture
Cavalcade
Ed's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1933Born
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1938Started school
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1946Became a teenager
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Could drive
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
1951Could vote
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Turned 21
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
1963Turned 30
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 40
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 50
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 60
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 70
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2012Died at 79
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
Key Achievements
- Averaged a career-high 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for the New York Knicks during the 1958-59 season.
- Played seven seasons in the NBA for the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, and Syracuse Nationals.
- Had his number 14 jersey retired by Fordham University, where he was a two-time All-American.
Did You Know?
He was selected as the 4th overall pick in the 1955 NBA draft by the New York Knicks.
He served as the head basketball coach at his alma mater, Fordham University, from 1970 to 1975.
He was inducted into the Fordham University Athletic Hall of Fame.
“You don't need the ball to control the game.”
