Last Updated on April 18, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here is the detailed information about Vince Boryla:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Vincent Joseph Boryla
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born March 11, 1927 (died March 27, 2016, aged 89)
  • Hometown: East Chicago, Indiana, USA
  • Height: 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm)
  • Weight: 200 pounds (91 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 8 inches (203 cm)
  • Shoe Size: 14 (US)
  • Jersey Number: 18
  • Position: Forward
  • High School: Theodore Roosevelt High School, East Chicago, Indiana
  • College:
    • University of Notre Dame (1944–1945)
    • University of Denver (1946–1949)
  • NBA Draft: Undrafted (played professionally before the draft era)
  • Teams Played For:
    • New York Knicks (1949–1954)
  • Championship Rings: None as a player; however, he contributed significantly as a coach and executive.
  • Kids: Vince Boryla had five children.
  • Siblings: Information on his siblings is not widely available.

Player Archetype / Play Style

Vince Boryla’s player archetype was that of a skilled scoring forward, an early-era wing who blended shot-making with enough feel and polish to function as more than a pure finisher. Offensively, he operated as a featured scorer from the forward spot, which fits his All-American college reputation and his rise to NBA All-Star status with the Knicks, while defensively his role was more that of a solid team contributor than a specialist stopper, using size and toughness to hold his place on the wing. Physically, Boryla had strong dimensions for his time at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, giving him the frame to play through contact and handle frontcourt responsibilities in an era with less positional spacing. Overall, his play style looked like that of a versatile, offense-first forward: productive, fundamentally sound, and comfortable carrying meaningful scoring responsibility while still fitting within a structured team game. (Wikipedia)

Notes:

  • Vince Boryla was an NBA All-Star in 1951 and later worked as a coach and general manager.
  • He was instrumental in building the 1976 Denver Nuggets team that transitioned from the ABA to the NBA.

Sources:

Wikipedia — Vince Boryla
Denver Pioneers — Denver Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee Vince Boryla Passes Away
Denver Pioneers — University of Denver Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 1996