Normally, when a player becomes a five-time All-Star in the National Basketball League, they enter the league, albeit with trepidation, but with confidence that they could eventually reach the top tier. And then there is Don Ohl.

Ohl did well in his final season at Illinois and was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors in the 5^th Round of the 1958 Draft, but he never reported and felt he wasn’t good enough.  Instead, he played for Peoria of the National Industrial Basketball League, and led them to an AAU Tournament win in Denver.  Later, he tried out for the U.S. Olympic Team, and though he did not make it, he proved to scouts and, more importantly, to himself that he could play on basketball’s biggest stage.  Detroit traded for his rights, and off he went to the NBA.

Playing at Guard, Ohl was not a flashy player but was durable and consistent.  Ohl was more than solid at both ends of the court, and he developed a scoring touch that saw him score at least 17 Points for six seasons in a row (1961-62 to 1966-67), with the last two exceeding 20 Points.  Over this time period, Ohl had five consecutive All-Stars (1963-67), but it was split between two teams.   The Baltimore Bullets traded for Ohl in an eight-player deal in 1964, and his best seasons of his peak period were as a Bullet.  Ohl helped Baltimore reach their first conference final, and though they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, Ohl not only proved he belonged, but that he could hang with the best.

Ohl was traded to the St. Louis Hawks in 1968, and concluded his career as the team relocated to Atlanta for two more seasons.