Last Updated on April 16, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here’s the detailed profile of Bud Palmer:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: John S. “Bud” Palmer
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born September 14, 1921 – Died March 19, 2013 (Lived to 91 years old)
  • Hometown: Hollywood, California, USA
  • Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
  • Weight: Not publicly available
  • Wingspan: 6 ft 5 in
  • Shoe Size: Size 13 (US)
  • Number: Not widely documented (jersey numbers were not as prominent in his era)
  • Position: Forward / Guard
  • High School: Hun School of Princeton, New Jersey
  • College: Princeton University (left to serve in the military during World War II)
  • NBA Draft: Bud Palmer played in the era before the NBA Draft system, as he played in the Basketball Association of America (BAA) which merged to form the NBA.
  • Teams Played For:
    • New York Knicks (1946–1949, in the BAA before it merged into the NBA)
  • Championship Rings: No NBA Championships
  • Kids: Palmer had two daughters, Hilary and Patty.
  • Siblings: Not much publicly available information on siblings

Player Archetype / Play Style

Bud Palmer’s player archetype was that of an early-era combo forward, a fundamentally sound interior player who blended scoring touch with rebounding and fit the mold of a reliable frontcourt contributor in the BAA’s formative years. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, he was undersized by later center standards but sturdy for his era, and that build helped him defend with positioning, effort, and physical toughness around the lane rather than with overwhelming length. Offensively, Palmer worked as a close-range scorer and supporting frontcourt option, producing off cuts, putbacks, and interior chances while also showing enough polish to be a meaningful scorer for the early Knicks. His overall play style appears to have been practical and team-oriented, shaped by the demands of late-1940s basketball, where versatility, stamina, and willingness to battle inside mattered as much as specialized skill.

Sources:
Basketball-Reference — Bud Palmer Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
NBA.com — Knicks-Raptors honors history behind NBA’s 1st game, 75 years later
APBR.org — Bud Palmer, RIP