Hall of Fame Professional Basketball Player. For three seasons (1955 to 1958), he played at the forward and guard positions in the National Basketball Association with the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals. After attending Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he played collegiate basketball at St. Francis College (Pennsylvania). While with the Red Flash, he was a key contributor to St. Francis' reaching the 1955 NIT Semifinals. Stokes distinguished himself during that tournament as recipient of the MVP honors. Selected by Rochester as the 2nd overall pick during the 1955 NBA Draft, he captured Rookie of the Year honors (1955- 1956) as he yielded 1,125 points. The following season (1956-1957), he set a league record with 1,256 total rebounds. In 202 regular season games, he compiled 3.315 points with 3,492 total rebounds while achieving All-Star status each of his three years. His career was tragically cut short, when he sustained a severe head injury during a game on March 12, 1958. Stokes suffered a long-term effects the remainder of his life and succumbed from a heart attack on April 6, 1970. He was inducted posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.
Hall of Fame Professional Basketball Player. For three seasons (1955 to 1958), he played at the forward and guard positions in the National Basketball Association with the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals. After attending Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he played collegiate basketball at St. Francis College (Pennsylvania). While with the Red Flash, he was a key contributor to St. Francis' reaching the 1955 NIT Semifinals. Stokes distinguished himself during that tournament as recipient of the MVP honors. Selected by Rochester as the 2nd overall pick during the 1955 NBA Draft, he captured Rookie of the Year honors (1955- 1956) as he yielded 1,125 points. The following season (1956-1957), he set a league record with 1,256 total rebounds. In 202 regular season games, he compiled 3.315 points with 3,492 total rebounds while achieving All-Star status each of his three years. His career was tragically cut short, when he sustained a severe head injury during a game on March 12, 1958. Stokes suffered a long-term effects the remainder of his life and succumbed from a heart attack on April 6, 1970. He was inducted posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.
Bio by: C.S.
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