Kalafat was born on October 13, 1932 in Anaconda, Montana. He played football and basketball at Anaconda High School, winning a state championship in 1948.
After high school, he went on to play for the University of Minnesota. He was the team’s starting center from 1951 to 1954 and served as captain in the 1953-1954 season. He won the team MVP award his senior season.
After graduation, he was selected by the Lakers in the first round of the 1954 NBA draft with the ninth overall pick. He played three season with the Lakers averaging 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Kalafat retired after the Lakers traded him to the Detroit Pistons in 1957.

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