Following the close of his college career, Grote was drafted in the fourth round (28th pick overall) of the
1962 NBA draft by the
St. Louis Hawks. However, he opted to play for the
Long Beach Chiefs of the
American Basketball League. Grote averaged 7.5 points per game in 24 contests for the Chiefs in the 1962–63 season. In the
1964–65 NBA season, Grote played for the Los Angeles Lakers. He appeared in 11 games and scored 14 total points. He died on March 13, 2025. ==Career statistics==