Walt Piatkowski

{{short description|American basketball player}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Walt Piatkowski

| image = Walt_Piatkowski.jpg

| caption = Piatkowski as a junior at BGSU.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 8

| weight_lb = 220

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|6|11}}

| birth_place = Toledo, Ohio

| nationality = American

| high_school = Woodward (Toledo, Ohio)

| college = Bowling Green (1965–1968)

| draft_year = 1968

| draft_round = 8

| draft_pick = 99

| draft_team = San Francisco Warriors

| career_start =

| career_end =

| career_number = 34, 43

| career_position = Power forward

| years1 = 1968–1970

| team1 = Denver Rockets

| years2 = 1971–1972

| team2 = The Floridians

| highlights =

• ABA All-Rookie (1969)
• 2× First-team All-MAC (1966, 1968)
• Second-team All-MAC (1967)

| bbr = piatkwa01

}}

Walter Piatkowski Jr. (born June 11, 1945) is a retired American professional basketball player.

A 6'8" forward, Piatkowski began his career at Toledo Woodward High School then starred at Bowling Green State University, where he was a Converse Honorable Mention All-American in 1968.[http://www.bgsufalcons.com/documents/2009/11/5/Guide_111pages.pdf?id=457 BGSU Men's Basketball 2009-10]. 87. Retrieved on August 31, 2010. He then played in the American Basketball Association from 1968 to 1970 as a member of the Denver Rockets. He received ABA All-Rookie Team honors with the Rockets in 1969 after averaging 12.2 points per game.[https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/piatkwa01.html Walter Piatkowski]. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on August 31, 2010. When the Rockets acquired Spencer Haywood the next season, Piatkowski saw his playing time drop, and in 1970, he briefly retired to work as a teacher. He returned to the ABA in the fall of 1971 as a member of The Floridians, but he was waived just a month into that season. He later became a salesman with a paper company.Chris Baker. "[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-10-31-sp-56849-story.html Clippers watching rising son]". Los Angeles Times. October 31, 1994. Retrieved on August 31, 2010. He is Polish American.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-10-31-sp-56849-story.html|title=Archives|website=Los Angeles Times}}

Piatkowski's son Eric Piatkowski played basketball at the University of Nebraska; was drafted into the NBA in 1994 as the 15th overall pick by the Indiana Pacers; and played 14 years in the NBA, mostly with the Los Angeles Clippers.