Last Updated on April 15, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here are the details for Lew Hitch:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Lew Hitch (Lewis Edward Hitch)
  • Nickname: N/A
  • Nationality: American
  • Date of Birth: July 16, 1929 (died February 8, 2012, at age 82)
  • Hometown: Griggsville, Illinois, USA
  • Height: 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
  • Weight: 220 lbs (100 kg)
  • Wingspan: Not publicly documented
  • Shoe Size: Not publicly documented
  • Jersey Number (College and NBA):
    • #18 — Minneapolis Lakers
  • Position: Center
  • High School: Griggsville High School (Illinois)
  • College: University of Kentucky
  • NBA Draft:
    • 1951 — Selected by the Minneapolis Lakers (Territorial Pick / early-era draft mechanism; exact pick number not formally recorded)
  • Player Archetype: Traditional interior big / rim-running center
  • Primary Offensive Role: Low-post finisher and interior scorer
  • Defensive Role: Paint protector and interior rebounder
  • Play Style: Physical, paint-oriented, fundamental big man play focused on positioning and efficiency
  • Handedness / Shooting Hand: Right-handed
  • Athletic Profile: Strong, physical interior presence with size typical of early-era centers; not reliant on speed or perimeter mobility
  • Recruiting Status: Not formally ranked (pre-modern recruiting era)
  • Draft Status Detail: Territorial-era selection tied to regional rights rather than modern pick-slot structure
  • Injury Status Category: Durable (maintained availability during career; no documented injury disruptions)
  • Career Stage: Retired (short NBA tenure in early 1950s)
  • Comparison Style: Comparable to early-era centers like Jim Pollard role-wise (interior-focused, system-dependent bigs), though Hitch had a more limited role
  • Teams Played For:
    • Minneapolis Lakers (1951–1952)
  • Championship Rings:
    • 1× NBA Champion (1952, Minneapolis Lakers)
  • Parents: Not publicly documented
  • Children: Not publicly documented
  • Siblings: Not publicly documented
  • Retirement Age: 23
  • Retirement Year: 1952

Lew Hitch’s player archetype was that of a traditional interior center, operating primarily as a physical presence in the paint rather than a focal offensive star. Defensively, he filled a classic rim-protection role, using his size to contest shots and secure rebounds in close quarters. Offensively, his role was limited but efficient, focusing on low-post finishes, putbacks, and playing within the structure of a dominant Minneapolis Lakers system led by stars like George Mikan. Physically, Hitch brought solid size at 6’8″ with a strong frame suited to the bruising style of early NBA play. His overall play style was fundamentally sound and team-oriented, emphasizing positioning, effort, and interior toughness rather than versatility or perimeter skill.

Sources:
Basketball Reference — Lew Hitch NBA Stats & History
Big Blue History — Lew Hitch Profile and Kentucky Career
APBR.org — Early NBA Player Records: Lew Hitch