Ruklick was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors in the second round of the 1959 NBA draft with the ninth overall pick. In teammate Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, he played eight minutes. Late in the game after Chamberlain has already scored 100, Ruklick missed two free throws, stating afterwards that he intentionally missed the second in hopes that Chamberlain might rebound it and get 102 points.