Dick Nemelka
- September 19, 2020
- 76 years
About Dick Nemelka
Dick Nemelka, 76, American basketball player (BYU Cougars, Utah Stars), cancer.
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Full Biography
|Richard Samuel Nemelka (October 1, 1943 – September 19, 2020) was an American professional basketball player in the American Basketball Association (ABA). As a college player, he earned All-American recognition at Brigham Young University (BYU).
Early life
Nemelka was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He played basketball at Salt Lake City's West High School where he was an all-state selection. He also played shortstop on the varsity baseball team.
College career
Nemelka played in thirteen games for the BYU Cougars freshman team, averaging 16.2 points per game.
Nemelka started every game for BYU his sophomore season, averaging 10.8 points per game.
In his junior season at BYU, Nemelka averaged 15.4 points per game as BYU finished 21-7 and won the Western Athletic Conference championship. He was also named to the All-WAC second team and was an Academic All-WAC selection.
As a junior at BYU, Nemelka averaged 24.0 points per game as BYU won the 1966 NIT. Nemelka was named as a first team All-American by the USBWA and a third team All-American by the NABC. He was also named to the All-WAC first-team and to the Academic All-Wac team.
Professional career
Nemelka was drafted with the fourth pick in the fifth round of the 1966 NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks (now based in Atlanta). However, he never played in the National Basketball Association. Nemelka played one season in the ABA for the Utah Stars, and averaged 5.5 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game. He played in nine playoff games for the Stars in the 1971 ABA playoffs, on the way to the Stars winning the 1971 ABA championship.
Post-Playing career
Following his professional basketball career, Nemelka worked as an attorney in Utah. On May 13, 2008, the Chair of the Ethics and Discipline Committee of the Utah Supreme Court entered a public reprimand against Nemelka for the violation of three rules.
Nemelka died on September 19, 2020, at age 76 after a battle with cancer.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Nemelka
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Dick Nemelka's archived record and the sources above.
1.In which city was Richard Samuel Nemelka born?
- A.Provo, Utah
- B.Atlanta, Georgia
- C.St. Louis, Missouri
- D.Salt Lake City, Utahcorrect
Richard Samuel Nemelka was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Source: Early life section
2.Which sport did Richard Samuel Nemelka play as a varsity athlete at West High School in addition to basketball?
- A.Baseballcorrect
- B.Football
- C.Track and field
- D.Soccer
Richard Samuel Nemelka played shortstop on the varsity baseball team at West High School.
Source: Early life section
3.What was the result of the 1966 NIT competition for Brigham Young University while Richard Samuel Nemelka was a junior?
- A.BYU lost in the semi-finals
- B.BYU did not qualify for the tournament
- C.BYU was the runner-up
- D.BYU won the championshipcorrect
Brigham Young University won the 1966 NIT while Richard Samuel Nemelka was a junior.
Source: College career section
4.Which professional basketball organization drafted Richard Samuel Nemelka in 1966?
- A.Utah Stars
- B.Los Angeles Lakers
- C.St. Louis Hawkscorrect
- D.Boston Celtics
Richard Samuel Nemelka was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks with the fourth pick in the fifth round of the 1966 NBA draft.
Source: Professional career section
5.For which team did Richard Samuel Nemelka play during his time in the American Basketball Association?
- A.St. Louis Hawks
- B.Utah Starscorrect
- C.Atlanta Hawks
- D.BYU Cougars
Richard Samuel Nemelka played one season in the ABA for the Utah Stars.
Source: Professional career section
6.What was the primary career path of Richard Samuel Nemelka after he finished playing professional basketball?
- A.Professional baseball player
- B.College professor
- C.Attorneycorrect
- D.High school basketball coach
Following his professional basketball career, Richard Samuel Nemelka worked as an attorney in Utah.
Source: Post-Playing career section
7.What was the cause of death of Richard Samuel Nemelka in 2020?
- A.Cancercorrect
- B.Stroke
- C.Pneumonia
- D.Heart disease
Richard Samuel Nemelka died on September 19, 2020, after a battle with cancer.
Source: Post-Playing career section
8.How many points per game did Richard Samuel Nemelka average during his sophomore season at Brigham Young University?
- A.16.2
- B.24.0
- C.10.8correct
- D.15.4
Richard Samuel Nemelka started every game for Brigham Young University his sophomore season, averaging 10.8 points per game.
Source: College career section
9.Which honor did Richard Samuel Nemelka receive as a junior at Brigham Young University from the USBWA?
- A.All-WAC first-team
- B.First team All-Americancorrect
- C.Third team All-American
- D.Academic All-WAC selection
As a junior at Brigham Young University, Richard Samuel Nemelka was named as a first team All-American by the USBWA.
Source: College career section
10.How many playoff games did Richard Samuel Nemelka play for the Utah Stars during the 1971 ABA playoffs?
- A.Thirteen
- B.Twenty-one
- C.Ninecorrect
- D.One
Richard Samuel Nemelka played in nine playoff games for the Utah Stars in the 1971 ABA playoffs.
Source: Professional career section
11.On what date was the public reprimand entered against Richard Samuel Nemelka by the Utah Supreme Court's Ethics and Discipline Committee?
- A.September 19, 2020
- B.May 13, 2008correct
- C.October 1, 1943
- D.June 15, 1966
On May 13, 2008, the Chair of the Ethics and Discipline Committee of the Utah Supreme Court entered a public reprimand against Richard Samuel Nemelka.
Source: Post-Playing career section
12.Which position did Richard Samuel Nemelka play on his high school baseball team?
- A.Catcher
- B.Pitcher
- C.Shortstopcorrect
- D.First base
Richard Samuel Nemelka played shortstop on the varsity baseball team at West High School.
Source: Early life section
13.What was Richard Samuel Nemelka's age at the time of his death?
- A.76correct
- B.80
- C.70
- D.66
Richard Samuel Nemelka died at age 76.
Source: Post-Playing career section
14.How many games did Richard Samuel Nemelka play for the BYU Cougars freshman team?
- A.Twenty-one
- B.Seven
- C.Thirteencorrect
- D.Nine
Richard Samuel Nemelka played in thirteen games for the BYU Cougars freshman team.
Source: College career section
15.Which organization named Richard Samuel Nemelka as a third team All-American?
- A.USBWA
- B.NBA
- C.NABCcorrect
- D.WAC
Richard Samuel Nemelka was named as a third team All-American by the NABC.
Source: College career section
16.Did Richard Samuel Nemelka ever play in the National Basketball Association?
- A.No, he never played in the NBAcorrect
- B.Yes, for the St. Louis Hawks
- C.Yes, but only for one season
- D.Yes, for the Utah Stars
Although he was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks, Richard Samuel Nemelka never played in the National Basketball Association.
Source: Professional career section
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