John Payak Jr. (November 20, 1926 – February 27, 2009)^[1] was a National Basketball Association (NBA) player for the Philadelphia Warriors, Waterloo Hawks, and Milwaukee Hawks.

John Payak

Personal information
Born	(1926-11-20)November 20, 1926 Rossford, Ohio, U.S.
Died	February 27, 2009(2009-02-27) (aged 82) Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school	Woodward (Toledo, Ohio)
College	Bowling Green (1946–1949)
BAA draft	1949: undrafted
Playing career	1949–1953
Position	Shooting guard
Number	11, 5, 6
Career history
1949–1950	Philadelphia Warriors
1950–1951	Waterloo Hawks
1951–1952	Toledo Mercuries
1952–1953	Milwaukee Hawks
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Born in Rossford, Ohio, Payak graduated from Woodward High School in Toledo in 1944 and then attended Bowling Green State University, graduating in 1949 after an interruption for service in the United States Navy. Payak was a 6'4" shooting guard.^[2] Payak played for the Philadelphia Warriors and Waterloo Hawks during the 1949-50 season, and for the Milwaukee Hawks in 1952-53. He also played with the Toledo Mercuries, a traveling team that competed against the Harlem Globetrotters at various exhibitions.

He followed his retirement as a player as a basketball referee, officiating for over 17 years in the Big Ten Conference, the Mid-America Conference and in NCAA tournament action. He also served as Supervisor of Basketball Referees for the Mid-American Conference.^[3] Payak was elected to the Bowling Green State University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Toledo City Athletic Hall of Fame, and the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. He died February 27, 2009, in Toledo, Ohio.^[4]