Figures who came to play in MLB and NBA

Baseball is popular for the rigors of its 162-game schedule, which runs through much of the year. But football and basketball practice takes its toll on the body, too. Each sport requires a particular resistance and durability. That makes the select group of athletes who practiced both disciplines truly extraordinary.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL) have coexisted for nearly a century and they are less than 70 men those who have played in both. An even more select group (12) have played in both MLB and the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Here is a list of the players who played in MLB and in the NBA:

Danny Ainge
Ainge is the most recognized modern athlete for playing in both MLB and NBA, defending the Blue Jays middle between 1979 and 1981, before winning multiple championships with the Celtics. Ainge became the second player in NBA history to hit 900 3s. He went on to serve as the Celtics general manager and president of basketball operations until his retirement last June.

Frank baumholtz
Baumholtz averaged 14 points per game with the Cleveland Rebels in the Basketball Association of America (the predecessor of the NBA) in 1946-1947. He finished fifth for the Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 (won by Jackie Robinson) after hitting 182 hits for the Reds.

Gene Conley
Conley won many titles, capturing three in the NBA with the Celtics between 1959 and 1961, after lifting the World Series trophy in 1957 as a pitcher with the Braves.

Chuck connors
Connors is best known for his acting work from 1958-1963, but he also helped the Rochester Royals win the NBL championship in 1946, before continuing with the Celtics in the newly formed BAA. Connors then left Boston to join the Dodgers, making his debut for Brooklyn in 1949. He was also selected by the Bears in the NFL Draft, but never saw action in football.

Dave DeBusschere
DeBusschere was the defensive heart of the Knicks championships in 1970 and 1973 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983. He also pitched with the White Sox from 1962-1963.

Dick groat
Groat was the National League MVP in 1960, in a season in which he hit .325 for the Pirate champions. He also shone in college basketball and saw action on the court with the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1952.

Steve Hamilton
Hamilton spent 12 seasons in the majors as a reliever and finished his career with a 3.05 ERA, being part of the Yankees World Series champions in 1963 and 1964. He spent two years with the Minneapolis Lakers between 1958 and 1960.

Mark Hendrickson
He played 114 games for the 76ers, Kings, Nets and Cavaliers between 1996 and 2000. The lanky southpaw would eventually shift his attention to the diamond, serving as a reliever for 10 seasons.

Cotton nash
He shone in college basketball before playing for the San Francisco Lakers and Warriors during the 1964-1965 season. He was seen two years later in the majors, where he played 13 games for the White Sox and Twins.

Ron Reed
Reed is the most recognized baseball player on the list, having been called up to the All-Star Games in 1968 and playing 19 seasons in the Big Top. The right-hander finished with a 146-140 record and a 3.46 ERA. He also played for the Pistons between 1965-1967; at the same time as his arrival in the majors.

Dick ricketts
The first pick in the NBA Draft in 1955 played three seasons with the Hawks and Royals. Then, he signed as a pitcher with the Cardinals in 1955, participating in 12 games in the majors.

Howie schultz
He defended the starting line-up for the Dodgers, Flis and Reds between 1943-1948. He then played in the NBA with the Anderson Packers, Fort Wayne Pistons and the Minneapolis Lakers, with whom he won a title in 1951-1952.

No. 23 made it to baseball
The most famous change from basketball to baseball belongs to Michael Jeffrey Jordan. After winning three rings in a row in the NBA with the Bulls, Jordan retired from basketball in October 1993 and signed a minor league deal with the White Sox in February. He defended the Double-A Birmingham and Scottsdale grasslands in the Arizona Fall League, but never achieved the same success as on the court. The baseball strike prompted Jordan’s return to the Bulls in 1995, where he cemented his legacy as perhaps the best ever, with three more titles in a row.

Others who could do it
• Three members of the Hall of Fame; Lou Brock, Bob Gibson and Fergie Jenkins once played with the Harlem Globetrotters.
• Hall of Famer Dave Winfield was drafted by both the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA and the Utah Stars in the ABA; but he didn’t play with any of them.
• Another immortal; Tony Gwynn, was drafted by the San Diego Clippers and the Padres on the same day, June 10, 1981.