Kenneth L. Sailors was born on January 14, 1921, and died on January 29, 2016.

He was an American professional basketball player.

Known in the 1940s and early 1950s.

Ken, a 5-foot-10-inch (1.78 m) guard, he was notable for vulgarizing the jump shot as an alternative to the two-handed, flat-footed set shot, and is recognized by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as the creator of the modern-day jump shot.

Ken was a farm boy who grew up on the south of Hillsdale, Wyoming, where he developed his effective jump shot while playing against his 6-foot-4-inch (1.93 m) older brother Bud.

Sailors took his skills to the University of Wyoming, and in 1943 he led the Cowboys to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.

Ken Sailors were awarded the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player for his efforts.

He was the solid selection as the College Basketball Player of the Year in 1943 and again in 1946.

The baseball player was the only player in the history of Wyoming Cowboys basketball to be selected as an All-American three times, in 1942, 1943, and 1946.

From 1946 to 1951, Ken played professionally in the BAA and NBA as a member of the Cleveland Rebels, Chicago Stags, Philadelphia Warriors, Providence Steamrollers, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, and the Baltimore Bullets.

Ken scored 3,480 points in his professional career.

And was inducted into the University of Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame on October 29, 1993.

Sailors was named to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, in 2012.

Kenneth L. Sailors passed away at 95 yrs old.