Mel Riebe

Who was Mel Riebe?

Melvin Russell Riebe was an American professional basketball player.

A 5'11" guard-forward who also played minor league baseball in the Cleveland Indians' organization, Riebe played professionally in both the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America, finishing his career with two seasons with the Boston Celtics. He led the NBL in scoring twice, averaging 17.9 points per game during the 1943-44 season and 20.2 points per game the following year as a member of the Cleveland Chase Brassmen and the Cleveland Allmen Transfers. From 1950-54 he attended the College of Wooster, where he was ineligible to play basketball or baseball due to his professional experience but played on the golf team. He spent the rest of his life as a football and basketball coach, athletic director, and physical education teacher at Waynedale High School in Apple Creek, Ohio.

Riebe's brother Hank Riebe was a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1942-1949.