Larry Siegfried set SHS basketball records that still stand. From the moment he stepped on the court as a freshman, he demonstrated a skill level that would help carry him and his teams to numerous successes.
Larry led SHS to Northern Ohio League titles, and he was named Ohio co-player of the year-in 1957. Then, at Ohio State University, in an era when freshmen weren’t eligible for varsity play, he was a starting guard for two Big 10 title teams and for the school’s 1960 NCAA championship team.
Next came a nine-year professional basketball career. He spent seven seasons with the Boston Celtics when they were the National Basketball Association’s premier team. He twice led the NBA in free-throw percentage and finished with a career free-throw percentage of .854. A schoolmate recalls Larry’s “fierce competitive nature, his dedication to the sport and his specialty – the jump shot”. Larry lived basketball during his Shelby years and, when not in the SHS gym, he could usually be found shooting baskets for hours at Seltzer Park.
He and his wife Tina live in Perrysville, Ohio.
Nominator: Carl “Chip” Koontz ’61 who lives in Columbus, Indiana.
Richland County-Shelby Chapter, OGS 