Ralph O'Brien
Ralph E. "Buckshot" O'Brien (April 8, 1928 – August 22, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. A 5-foot-9 point guard from Butler University, he played in the NBA from 1951 to 1953 for the Indianapolis Olympians and the Baltimore Bullets, averaging 7.1 points per game.
Born in Henshaw, Kentucky, O'Brien grew up in Indianapolis and attended George Washington High School. At Butler University (1946–1950), he earned four straight First-team All-MAC honors from 1947 to 1950. He was drafted in 1950 in the 6th round (68th overall) by the Olympians.
In his NBA career, he totaled 848 points, 192 rebounds, and 180 assists, wearing numbers 6 and 20. He passed away at age 90 in Clearwater Beach, Florida. He was the last Butler player to appear in an NBA game for more than 50 years until Gordon Hayward joined the league in 2010.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:04 (CET).