A member of the Muskegon Heights High School state championship basketball teams of 1956 and 1957, Ed Burton netted a school record of 1,143 points for the Tigers during his three-year varsity career. A Scholastic Magazine prep All-American as a senior, the 6-foot-6 center was heavily recruited by the nation’s major colleges.
In the fall of 1957 he entered Michigan State on an athletic scholarship, but left East Lansing in the summer of 1958 to try his hand with the Harlem Globetrotters. After two seasons with the Globetrotters, Burton joined the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association and played there for two seasons.
He remained in professional ball, joining the Allentown Jets of the Eastern League in 1961 before moving on to the Holland Oilers of the Midwest Professional Basketball League and the Muskegon Panthers of the North American Basketball League.
In February 1965, he returned to the NBA, joining the St. Louis Hawks for the remainder of that season. He rejoined the local Panthers in 1966, leading the league in rebounding with a 14.4 average over 16 games and earning first team all-star honors. Following the 1967-68 season, he was named to the NABL All-Star team for the third consecutive season.
Closing his playing career with the Grand Rapids Tackers of the Continental Basketball Association, Burton retired from the game in 1971.