A native of Somerville, Massachusetts, Lavelli attended Yale University as a music student and was a member of Skull and Bones.:169 He aspired to compose musical comedies after he graduated. He wrote over a dozen songs while in college, with titles like "I Want a Helicopter" and "You\'re the Boppiest Bee-Bop", and he also appeared as an accordion soloist for the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. As a senior, he applied to the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the New England Conservatory of Music.\n', '

However, Lavelli\'s musical talents were often overshadowed by his achievements on the basketball court. Lavelli claimed that he had only learned basketball as a teenager to impress his friends, who were mostly apathetic to his music. Nevertheless, he would become one of Yale\'s all-time greatest players. A 6\'3" forward with an accurate one-handed hook shot, he scored 1,964 points in four years and graduated as the fourth highest-scorer in college basketball history. He also earned four All-American team selections and one Player of the Year award during his college career. Upon graduating, he was selected by the Boston Celtics as the fourth overall pick in the 1949 BAA draft.\n', '

Despite his athletic accomplishments, Lavelli\'s first love was music, and he initially refused to sign with the Celtics so that he could enroll at Juilliard. Eventually, however, based on suggestions made by sports executive Leo Ferris, Lavelli proposed to join the team on the condition that they would pay him an extra $125 per game to play his accordion during half-time breaks at Boston Garden and certain visitors\' arenas. The Celtics conceded to his demands.\n', '

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