Width	200
Caption	Russell in January 2005
Position	Center
Number	6
Birthdate	February 12, 1934Monroe, Louisiana
Debutyear	1956
Finalyear	1969
Draftyear	1956
Draftround	1
Draftpick	2
College	San Francisco
Teams
Coach
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	14,522
Stat2label	Rebounds
Stat2value	21,620
Stat3label	Assists
Stat3value	4,100
Letter	r
Bbr	russebi01
Highlights
Hof player	william-f-bill-russell

William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star, Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens, Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA championships (1955, 1956). He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team.

Early years

Bill Russell was born to Charles and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana. West Monroe was strictly segregated, and the Russells often struggled with racism. Once, Russell's father was refused service at a gasoline station until the staff had taken care of all the white customers. When his father attempted to leave and find a different station, the attendant stuck a shotgun in his face, threatening to kill him unless he stayed and waited his turn. but later became a trucker when World War II broke out. However, coach George Powles saw Russell's raw athletic potential and encouraged him to work on his fundamentals.

One of Russell's high school teammates was future Baseball Hall-of-Famer Frank Robinson.

College career

Russell was ignored by college recruiters and did not receive a single letter of interest until Hal DeJulio from the University of San Francisco (USF) watched him in a high school game. DeJulio was not impressed by Russell's meager scoring and "atrocious fundamentals", but sensed that the young center had an extraordinary instinct for the game, especially in clutch situations. Woolpert was unaffected by issues of skin color. In 1954, he became the first coach of a major college basketball squad to start three African American players: Russell, K.C. Jones and Hal Perry. In his USF years, Russell used his relative lack of bulk to develop a unique style of defense: instead of purely guarding the opposing center, he used his quickness and speed to play help defense against opposing forwards and aggressively challenge their shots.

Racism also shaped his lifelong paradigm as a team player. "At that time," he has said, "it was never acceptable that a black player was the best. That did not happen...My junior year in college, I had what I thought was the one of the best college seasons ever. We won 28 out of 29 games. We won the National Championship. I was the MVP at the Final Four. I was first team All American. I averaged over 20 points and over 20 rebounds, and I was the only guy in college blocking shots. So after the season was over, they had a Northern California banquet, and they picked another center as Player of the Year in Northern California. Well, that let me know that if I were to accept these as the final judges of my career I would die a bitter old man." So he made a conscious decision, he said, to put the team first and foremost, and not worry about individual achievements.

On the hardwood, his experiences were far more pleasant. Russell led USF to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, including a string of 55 consecutive victories. He became known for his strong defense and shot-blocking skills, once denying 13 shots in a game. UCLA coach John Wooden called Russell "the greatest defensive man I've ever seen". Besides basketball, Russell represented USF in track and field events. He competed in the 440 yard (402 m) race, which he could complete in 49.6 seconds. He also participated in the high jump; Track & Field News ranked him as the seventh-best high jumper in the world in 1956. That year, Russell won high jump titles at the Central California AAU meet, the Pacific AAU meet, and the West Coast Relays. One of his highest jumps occurred at the West Coast Relays, where he achieved a mark of 6 feet 9¼ inches (2.06 m).

After his years at USF, the Harlem Globetrotters invited Russell to join their exhibition basketball squad. Russell, who was sensitive to any racial prejudice, was enraged by the fact that owner Abe Saperstein would only discuss the matter with Woolpert. While Saperstein spoke to Woolpert in a meeting, Globetrotters assistant coach Harry Hanna tried to entertain Russell with jokes. The USF center was livid after this snub and declined the offer: he reasoned that if Saperstein was too smart to speak with him, then he was too smart to play for Saperstein. Instead, Russell made himself eligible for the 1956 NBA Draft.

1956 NBA Draft

In the 1956 NBA Draft, Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach had set his sights on Russell, thinking his defensive toughness and rebounding prowess were the missing pieces the Celtics needed. However, Boston's chances of getting Russell seemed slim. Because the Celtics had finished second in the previous season and the worst teams had the highest draft picks, the Celtics had slipped too low in the draft order to pick Russell. In addition, Auerbach had already used his territorial pick to acquire talented forward Tom Heinsohn. But Auerbach knew that the Rochester Royals, who owned the first draft pick, already had a skilled rebounder in Maurice Stokes, were looking for an outside shooting guard and were unwilling to pay Russell the $25,000 signing bonus he requested. The St. Louis Hawks, who owned the second pick, originally drafted Russell, but were vying for Celtics center Ed Macauley, a six-time All-Star who had roots in St. Louis. Auerbach agreed to trade Macauley, who had previously asked to be traded to St. Louis in order to be with his sick son, if the Hawks gave up Russell. However the owner of St Louis called Auerbach later and demanded more in the trade. Not only did he want Macauley, who was the Celtics premier player at the time, he wanted Cliff Hagan, who had been serving in the military for three years and had not yet played for the Celtics. After much debate, Auerbach agreed to give up Hagan, and the Hawks made the trade. During that same draft, Boston also claimed guard K.C. Jones, Russell's former USF teammate. Thus, in one night, the Celtics managed to draft three future Hall of Famers: Russell, K.C. Jones and Heinsohn.

Professional career

1956–59

Russell could not join the Celtics for the 1956–57 season until December, due to his Olympic commitment. After rejoining the Celtics, Russell played 48 games, averaging 14.7 points per game and a league-high 19.6 rebounds per game. During this season, the Celtics featured six future Hall-of-Famers: center Russell, forwards Heinsohn and Jim Loscutoff, guards Bill Sharman and Bob Cousy, and forward Frank Ramsey, who came off the bench. (K.C. Jones did not play for the Celtics until 1958 because of military service.)

Russell's first Celtics game came on December 22, 1956 against the St. Louis Hawks, led by star forward Bob Pettit, who held several all-time scoring records. Auerbach assigned Russell to shut down St. Louis's main scorer, and the rookie impressed the Boston crowd with his man-to-man defense and shot-blocking.

However, Russell also received negative attention. Constantly provoked by New York Knicks center Ray Felix during a game, he complained to coach Auerbach. The latter told him to take matters into his own hands, so after the next provocation, Russell punched Felix unconscious, paid a 25-dollar fine and was no longer a target of cheap fouls. On the other hand, despite their different ethnic backgrounds and lack of common off-court interests, his relationship with Celtics point guard and fan favorite Bob Cousy was amicable.

In the NBA Finals, the Celtics met the St. Louis Hawks, who were again led by Bob Pettit, as well as former Celtic Ed Macauley. The teams split the first six games, and the tension was so high that, in Game 3, Celtics coach Auerbach punched his colleague Ben Kerner and received a $300 fine. The teams split the first two games, but then Russell went down with a foot injury in Game 3 and could no longer participate in the playoffs. The Celtics surprisingly won Game 4, but the Hawks prevailed in Games 5 and 6, with Pettit scoring 50 points in the deciding Game 6. Lakers head coach John Kundla praised Russell, stating, “We don’t fear the Celtics without Bill Russell. Take him out and we can beat them... He’s the guy who whipped us psychologically.” On November 7, 1959, Russell's Celtics hosted Chamberlain's Warriors, and pundits called the matchup between the best offensive and best defensive center "The Big Collision" and "Battle of the Titans". Both men awed onlookers with "nakedly awesome athleticism", In the 1960 Finals, the Celtics outlasted the Hawks 4–3 and won their third championship in four years.

The following season, Russell scored a career-high 18.9 points per game, accompanied by 23.6 rebounds per game. Though the game was tied, Russell had the daunting task of defending against Baylor with little frontline help, as the three best Celtics forwards, Loscutoff, Heinsohn and Tom Sanders, had fouled out. In overtime, Baylor fouled out the fourth forward, Frank Ramsey, so Russell was completely robbed of his usual four-men wing rotation. But Russell and little-used fifth forward Gene Guarilia successfully pressured Baylor into missed shots. Russell finished with a clutch performance, scoring 30 points and tying his own NBA Finals record with 40 rebounds in a 110–107 overtime win.

In the following 1963–64 season, the Celtics posted a league-best 58–22 record in the regular season. Russell scored 15.0 ppg and grabbed a career-high 24.7 rebounds per game, leading the NBA in rebounds for the first time since Chamberlain entered the league. It was their sixth consecutive and seventh title in Russell's eighth year, a streak unreached in any U.S. professional sports league. Russell later called the Celtics' defense the best of all time. In the following 1965–66 season, the Celtics won their eighth consecutive title. Russell’s team again beat Chamberlain’s Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 1 in the Division Finals, proceeding to win the NBA Finals in a tight seven-game showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers. During the season, Russell contributed 12.9 points and 22.8 rebounds per game. This was the first time in seven years that he failed to average at least 23 rebounds a game. His second choice Bob Cousy declined, stating he did not want to coach his former teammates, The Sixers simply outpaced the Celtics, shredding the famous Boston defense by scoring 140 points in the clinching Game 5 win. Russell acknowledged his first real loss in his career (he had been injured in 1958 when the Celtics lost the NBA Finals) by visiting Chamberlain in the locker room, shaking his hand and saying, "Great". In the Eastern Division Finals, the 76ers had the better record than the Celtics and were slightly favored. But then, national tragedy struck as Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. With eight of the ten starting players on Sixers and Celtics being African American, both teams were in deep shock, and there were calls to cancel the series. In a game called as "unreal" and "devoid of emotion", the Sixers lost 127–118 on April 5. In Game 2, Philadelphia evened the series with a 115–106 win, and in Games 3 and 4, the Sixers won, with Chamberlain suspiciously often defended by Celtics backup center Wayne Embry, causing the press to speculate Russell was worn down. He was 15 pounds overweight, skipped mandatory NBA coach meetings and was generally lacking energy: after a New York Knicks game, he complained of intense pain and was diagnosed with acute exhaustion. In the playoffs, however, Russell and his Celtics achieved upsets over the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks to earn a meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. L.A. now featured new recruit Wilt Chamberlain next to perennial stars Baylor and West, and were heavily favored. In the first two games, Russell ordered not to double-team West, who used the freedom to score 53 and 41 points in the Game 1 and 2 Laker wins. Russell then ordered to double-team West, and Boston won Game 3. In Game 4, the Celtics were trailing by one point with seven seconds left and the Lakers having the ball, but then Baylor stepped out of bounds, and in the last play, Sam Jones used a triple screen by Bailey Howell, Larry Siegfried and Havlicek and hit a buzzer beater which equalized the series. The Celtics held on for a 108–106 victory, and Russell claimed his eleventh championship in 13 years. At age 35, Russell contributed 21 rebounds in his last NBA game. Although White became a standout Celtics player, the Celtics lacked an All-Star center, went just 34–48 in the next season and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1950. and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. Russell, who had a difficult relationship with the media, was not present at either event. Ironically, coach Lenny Wilkens later used a similar concept to help the SuperSonics win the title in 1979. Russell’s stint with the Kings was considerably worse, his last assignment ending when the Kings went 17–41 to begin the 1987–88 season.

In addition, Russell ran into financial trouble. He had invested $250,000 into a rubber plantation in Liberia, where he had wanted to spend his retirement, but it went bankrupt. He became a vegetarian, took up golf and worked as a color commentator, but he was uncomfortable as a broadcaster. He later said, "The most successful television is done in eight-second thoughts, and the things I know about basketball, motivation and people go deeper than that." Later that year, on November 17, 2006, the two-time NCAA winner Russell was recognized for his impact on college basketball as a member of the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was one of five, along with John Wooden, Oscar Robertson, Dean Smith and Dr. James Naismith, selected to represent the inaugural class. On May 20, 2007, Russell was awarded an honorary doctorate by Suffolk University, where he served as its commencement speaker, and Russell received an honorary degree from Harvard University on June 7, 2007. Russell was also honored during 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix. On February 14, 2009, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award award would be re-named the "Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award" in honor of 11-time NBA champion. Russell attended the final game of the Finals that year to present his newly christened namesake award to its winner, Kobe Bryant.

Coaching record

|- | align="left"|BOS | align="left"| |81||60||21||.671||align="center"|2nd in Eastern||9||4||5||.444 | align="center"|Lost in Div. Finals |- | align="left"|BOS | align="left"| |82||54||28||.659||align="center"|2nd in Eastern||19||12||7||.632 | align="center"|Won NBA Championship |- | align="left"|BOS | align="left"| |82||48||34||.585||align="center"|4th in Eastern||18||12||6||.667 | align="center"|Won NBA Championship |- | align="left"|SEA | align="left"| |82||36||46||.439||align="center"|3rd in Pacific||—||—||—||— | align="center"|Missed Playoffs |- | align="left"|SEA | align="left"| |82||43||39||.524||align="center"|2nd in Pacific||9||4||5||.444 | align="center"|Lost in Conf. Semifinals |- | align="left"|SEA | align="left"| |82||43||39||.524||align="center"|2nd in Pacific||6||2||4||.333 | align="center"|Lost in First Round |- | align="left"|SEA | align="left"| |82||40||42||.488||align="center"|4th in Pacific||—||—||—||— | align="center"|Missed Playoffs |- | align="left"|SAC | align="left"| |58||17||41||.293||align="center"|(released)||—||—||—||— | align="center"|— |-class="sortbottom" | align="left"|Career | ||631||341||290||.540|| ||61||34||27||.557

Accomplishments and legacy

:Bill Russell was the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics' dynasty. ::— introductory line of Russell's nba.com/history summary. By winning the 1956 NCAA Championship with USF and the 1957 NBA title with the Celtics, Russell became the first of only four players in basketball history to win an NCAA championship and an NBA Championship back-to-back (the others being Henry Bibby, Magic Johnson, and Billy Thompson). In the interim, Russell collected an Olympic gold medal in 1956. His stint as coach of the Celtics was also of historical significance, as he became the first black head coach in major U.S. professional sports when he succeeded Red Auerbach.

In his first NBA full season (1957–58), Russell became the first player in NBA history to average more than 20 rebounds per game for an entire season, a feat he accomplished 10 times in his 13 seasons. Russell's 51 rebounds in a single game is the second highest performance ever, only trailing Chamberlain's all-time record of 55. He still holds the NBA record for rebounds in one half with 32 (vs. Philadelphia, on November 16, 1957). Career-wise, Russell ranks second only to Wilt Chamberlain in regular season total (21,620) and average (22.5) rebounds per game, and led the NBA in average rebounds per game four times. Russell is the all-time playoff leader in total (4,104) and average (24.9) rebounds per game, he grabbed 40 rebounds in three separate playoff games (twice in the NBA Finals), and he never failed to average at least 20 rebounds per game in any of his 13 post-season campaigns. Russell also had seven regular season games with 40 or more rebounds, the NBA Finals record for highest rebound per game average (29.5 rpg, 1959) and by a rookie (22.9 rpg, 1957). In addition, Russell holds the NBA Finals single-game record for most rebounds (40, March 29, 1960 vs. St. Louis and April 18, 1962 vs. Los Angeles), most rebounds in a quarter (19, April 18, 1962 vs. Los Angeles), and most consecutive games with 20 or more rebounds (15 from April 9, 1960 – April 16 1963). He also had 51 in one game, 49 in two others, and twelve straight seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. On Saturday February 14, 2009, during the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the NBA Finals MVP Award would be named after Bill Russell.

Personal life

Russell was married to his college sweetheart Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973. They had three children, namely daughter Karen Russell, the television pundit and lawyer, and sons William Jr. and Jacob. However, the couple grew emotionally distant and divorced. In 1977, he married Dorothy Anstett, Miss USA of 1968, and their marriage lasted until her death in January 2009. His older brother is the noted playwright Charlie L. Russell.

During his career, Russell was one of the first big earners in NBA basketball. His rookie contract was worth $24,000, only fractionally smaller than the $25,000 of top earner Bob Cousy. Russell never had to work part-time. When Wilt Chamberlain became the first NBA player to earn $100,000 in salary in 1965, Russell went to Auerbach and demanded a $100,001 salary, which he promptly received.

Personality

Russell was driven by "a neurotic need to win", as his teammate Heinsohn observed. He was so tense before every game that he regularly threw up in the locker rooms; it happened so frequently that his fellow Celtics were more worried when it did not happen. He was also known for his natural authority. When he became player-coach in 1967, Russell bluntly said to his teammates that "he intended to cut all personal ties to other players", and seamlessly made the transition from their peer to their superior.

To teammates and friends, Russell was open and amicable, but was extremely distrusting and cold towards anyone else. However, the relationship deteriorated into intense loathing after Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals, where Chamberlain took himself out of a close game with six minutes left and never returned. Russell accused Chamberlain of being a malingerer and of "copping out" of the game when it seemed that the Lakers would lose; in retaliation, Chamberlain (whose knee was so bad that he could not play the entire offseason and ruptured it in the next season) was livid at Russell and saw him as a backstabber. When Chamberlain died in 1999, Chamberlain's nephew stated that Russell was the second person he was ordered to break the news to. At the eulogy, Russell stated that he never considered Chamberlain his rival and disliked the term, instead pointing out that they rarely talked about basketball.

Racist abuse, controversy and reconciliation

Russell's life was marked by an uphill battle against racism and controversial actions and statements in response to perceived racism. As a child, the young Russell witnessed how his parents were victims of racial abuse, and eventually moved into housing projects to escape the daily torrent of bigotry. Even after he became a star on the Boston Celtics, Russell was the victim of racial abuse. When the NBA All-Stars toured the U.S. in the 1958 offseason, white hotel owners in segregated North Carolina denied rooms to Russell and his black teammates, causing him to later write in his memoir Go Up for Glory, "It stood out, a wall which understanding cannot penetrate. You are a Negro. You are less. It covered every area. A living, smarting, hurting, smelling, greasy substance which covered you. A morass to fight from." Before the 1961–62 season, Russell refused to play in an exhibition game in Lexington, Kentucky when he and his black teammates were refused service at a local restaurant.

As a consequence, Russell was extremely sensitive to all racial prejudice: according to Taylor, he often perceived insults even if others did not. He was often called "Felton X," a mockery of the Nation of Islam's tradition of replacing a European slave name with an "X," and even purchased land in Liberia. After his retirement, he described the Boston press as corrupt and racist; in response, Boston sports journalist Larry Claflin claimed that Russell himself was the real racist. Despite his refusal to sign autographs, he accepted a $250,000 contract to sign 5,000 pieces of memorabilia.

Russell, who invariably saw himself as a victim of the media, was present neither when his Number 6 jersey was retired in 1972, nor when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975, shunning the limelight both times. Russell still has sore feelings towards the city, but there has been something of a reconciliation in recent years. In 1995, the Celtics left Boston Garden and entered the FleetCenter, now the TD Garden, and as the main festive act, the Boston organization wanted to re-retire Russell's jersey in front of a sellout audience. Perennially wary of the "racist" city of Boston, Russell decided to make amends and gave his approval. On May 6, 1999 the Celtics re-retired Russell's jersey in a ceremony attended by Russell's on-court rival Chamberlain, along with Celtics legend Larry Bird and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The crowd gave Russell a prolonged standing ovation, which brought tears to his eyes. Russell was visibly shaken at this outpour of adoration. He thanked Chamberlain for taking him to the limit and "making [him] a better player" and the crowd for "allowing [him] to be a part of their lives."

On December 2, 2008, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and The Mayor's Office of New Bostonians awarded Russell the 2008 We Are Boston Leadership Awards. Russell, who according to the mayor flew a "red-eye flight" to be there, attended the annual event with his daughter. He was visibly grateful and shared anecdotes of racial bigotry when he first came to Boston as a player and bought a home in Reading, Massachusetts. Russell congratulated the mayor on wanting to be a "mayor for all of Boston" and commented that it was a city that truly changed.

See also

List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association season rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association players with most rebounds in a game

List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career rebounding leaders

Books

Further reading

Goudsouzian, Aram (2010). King of the Court: Bill Russell and the Basketball Revolution. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Kornheiser, Tony (1999). "Bill Russell: Nothing but a Man". In ESPN SportsCentury. Michael MacCambridge, Editor. New York: Hyperion-ESPN Books. pp. 178–89.

References

External links

Bill Russell career stats

NBA.com: Bill Russell

Bill Russell: Hall of Fame

FIBA Hall of Fame on Russell

–| after=Tom Heinsohn}} –| after=Bob Hopkins}} | after=Jerry Reynolds}}

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Category:African American basketball coaches Category:African American basketball players Category:Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:FIBA Hall of Fame inductees Category:Boston Celtics head coaches Category:Boston Celtics players Category:National Basketball Association head coaches Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:National Basketball Association broadcasters Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:People from Oakland, California Category:United States men's national basketball team members Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:People from Monroe, Louisiana Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Category:Sacramento Kings head coaches Category:University of San Francisco alumni Category:San Francisco Dons men's basketball players Category:Seattle SuperSonics head coaches Category:St. Louis Hawks draft picks Category:Player-coaches Category:Basketball players at the 1956 Summer Olympics Category:Centers (basketball) Category:1934 births Category:Living people

Name	Kevin Garnett
Caption	Garnett with the Celtics on January 13, 2008
Position	Power forward
Height ft	6
Height in	11
Weight lb	253
Team	Boston Celtics
Number	5
Birth date	May 19, 1976
Birthplace	Greenville, South Carolina
Nationality	American
High school	Mauldin High SchoolFarragut Career Academy
Draft round	1
Draft pick	5
Draft year	1995
Draft team	Minnesota Timberwolves
Career start	1995
Teams
Highlights
Profile	kevin_garnett

}}

Kevin Maurice Garnett (born May 19, 1976) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he skipped college and entered the NBA Draft. He was selected with the 5th overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves and became the first NBA player drafted directly out of high school in 20 years.

Garnett made an immediate impact with the Minnesota Timberwolves leading them to eight-consecutive playoff appearances. In 2004, Garnett led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals and was voted Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the 2003–04 season. In the 2000 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal as a member of the USA men's national basketball team. Since his second season in the league, Garnett has been named to every All-Star Game, which includes winning the All-Star MVP award in 2003. He was awarded the regular season's NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the 2007–08 season and has been a nine-time member of the All-NBA Teams selection and a ten-time member of the All-Defensive Teams selection. Garnett currently holds several all-time Timberwolves franchise records.

After spending 12 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Garnett went to the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster trade. In his first year with the Celtics, he helped them win their 17th title, and the Celtics' first NBA championship since 1986.

Early life

Kevin Garnett was born in Greenville, South Carolina to Shirley Garnett and O'Lewis McCullough, and was the second of his mother's three children. After divorcing McCullough, Shirley Garnett raised Kevin and his two siblings. She then re-married and moved the family to Mauldin, South Carolina when Kevin Garnett was twelve. He transferred to Farragut Career Academy in Chicago, Illinois for his senior year of high school. He led Farragut to a 28–2 record and was named National High School Player of the Year by USA Today. He was named Mr. Basketball for the State of Illinois after averaging 25.2 points, 17.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 6.5 blocks while shooting 66.8% from the field. In four years of high school, Garnett posted an impressive 2,553 points, 1,809 rebounds and 737 blocked shots. He was named the Most Outstanding Player at the McDonald's All-American Game after registering 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocked shots, and then declared himself eligible for the 1995 NBA Draft. Garnett played alongside Ronnie Fields in high school, who also followed a professional career. Garnett also excelled in soccer during his high school days.

NBA career

Minnesota Timberwolves

Early years (1995–1997)

Garnett was drafted with the fifth pick of the 1995 NBA Draft by the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves, and became the first player to be drafted directly out of high school since 1975. After joining the NBA for the 1989–90 season, the Timberwolves had not won more than 29 games in any season. In Garnett's rookie season, the Timberwolves were in the midst of a transition phase; they replaced Bill Blair with Flip Saunders as head coach early in the season and made several trades. Garnett initially came off the bench in his rookie year, but moved into the starting lineup soon after Saunders became head coach. In his rookie year, Garnett and fellow newcomer Tom Gugliotta carried the scoring load. Garnett did not immediately leap to stardom as later prep-to-pro prospects such as Amar'e Stoudemire, LeBron James and Dwight Howard would, but he did have a very respectable rookie year. He averaged 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game and was voted into the All-Rookie Second Team. Garnett's name was mentioned in various trade rumors involving the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and Dallas Mavericks.

Boston Celtics

Instant Success (2007–present)

against the Atlanta Hawks.]] On July 31, 2007, in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, cash considerations, Boston's 2009 first-round draft pick (top 3 protected) and the 2009 first-round pick Minnesota had traded to Boston in the Ricky Davis-Wally Szczerbiak trade of 2006. The 7-for-1 deal constitutes the largest number of players traded for a single player in league history. At the time of the trade, Garnett had the longest current tenure of any player in the NBA with one team, having played for the Timberwolves for his first 12 seasons (a total of 927 games). Garnett said that he was proud to be a part of the Celtics, and hoped to continue its proud tradition and basketball success. On the day the trade was announced, Garnett signed a three-year $60 million contract extension that would start after his prior deal ran out in 2009. On August 1, 2007 the day after signing his Celtics contract, Garnett threw the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park prior to a Red Sox-Orioles game. Garnett has claimed to be a long-time Red Sox fan.

The trade for Garnett had many experts speculating that the Celtics would have a resurgence during the 2007–08 season. The combination of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Garnett were almost automatically nicknamed "The Big Three" by the media, after the Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish trio. Garnett wore jersey number 5 for the Celtics since his number with the Timberwolves, number 21, was retired by the Celtics, previously worn by Bill Sharman. He made his Boston debut with a strong performance against the Washington Wizards, with 22 points and 20 rebounds. He also led all players in voting for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. Garnett received 2,399,148 votes, the sixth highest total in NBA All-Star balloting history. Among active players, Garnett's 11 All-Star selections rank second to Boston Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal, who has appeared 14 times in the All-Star Game. However, Garnett was unable to play due to an abdominal strain, and Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace was named by NBA Commissioner David Stern to replace him. East All-Star head coach Doc Rivers replaced Garnett with Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh in the starting lineup. Garnett passed 20,000 points for his career, becoming the 32nd player in NBA history to reach the mark, with a layup in the 2nd quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 8, 2008. On April 22, 2008, Garnett was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2007–08 season. It was the only major award a Celtic player had not claimed since the franchise's foundation in 1946. However, Garnett claimed it was a team effort which helped him win the award. Garnett helped the Celtics to their 17th NBA Championship, with 26 points and 14 rebounds in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. During that championship season, Garnett and Celtics legend Bill Russell had heart to heart conversations together which were captured on television. On June 18, 2008, Garnett and Ray Allen appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, soon after winning the championship.

In the 2008–09 season, Garnett started all of the 57 games he was able to suit up for. He averaged 15.8 points 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. On October 31, 2008, Garnett became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career games, at 32 years and 165 days. Garnett earned his twelfth consecutive All-Star Game start on February 15, 2009. Following the All-Star Game, during a game against the Utah Jazz, Garnett strained his right knee late in the second quarter. The injury occurred on February 19, 2009, while attempting to go up for an alley-oop. He was forced to miss the next 14 games. Upon his return from the injury, he averaged 9 points and 4.5 rebounds in four games before being shut down for the season permanently, missing the final 25 games of the regular season including the 2009 NBA playoffs due to a right knee sprain. The Celtics would advance to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals that year, only to be eliminated by the Orlando Magic.

In the 2009–2010 season, Garnett and the Celtics, joined by newly signed free agent Rasheed Wallace, struggled with injuries and inconsistency throughout much of the regular season and earned the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Garnett was selected to play in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, which was his 13th All-Star Game selection, tying him for 3rd all-time in NBA history (others with 13: Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, and Michael Jordan), and trailing only Shaquille O'Neal (15) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (18). Despite being written off by nearly every major sports analyst, the Celtics elevated their play and consistently dominated opponents much as they did during their 2008 Championship run. They eliminated the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers (Garnett easily outplayed Antawn Jamison throughout the series), and Orlando Magic to advance to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals. The 2010 Finals went to a decisive seventh game in Los Angeles, where the Celtics led well into the third quarter before the Lakers mounted a comeback and held on for the victory.

Underestimated height

Although Garnett is officially listed as by the NBA, he is widely accepted as at least seven feet tall. During the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, Garnett admitted in an interview with Craig Sager to be "6 ft 11 in and some quarters" (2.12 m) tall. Measurements from the 1995 NBA Draft show the 19 year-old Garnett measured tall barefoot; any growth since then would make him at least . In 1997, Garnett was measured by Minnesota Timberwolves training staff as tall in his basketball shoes.

Personal life

Garnett married his longtime girlfriend Brandi Padilla during a private ceremony in California. The wedding was the reason he did not take part in the Athens 2004 Olympic games. Garnett is a cousin to former Los Angeles Lakers player Shammond Williams, and is the half brother of Louis McCullough, who played for the ABA's Syracuse Raging Bullz.

His nicknames include "The Big Ticket", "KG", "Da Kid" and formerly "The Franchise" (after being known as the Minnesota Timberwolves' franchise player).

NBA records

Regular season

Seasons leading the league in defensive rebounds: 5 (—)

Consecutive seasons leading the league in defensive rebounds: 5 (—)

Third player in NBA history to lead his team in all five major statistics (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) in the same season: Minnesota Timberwolves, Also achieved by Dave Cowens (Boston Celtics, ), Scottie Pippen (Chicago Bulls, ), and LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers, )

Only player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists per game for 6 consecutive seasons (—)

Only player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists per game for 9 consecutive seasons (—)

Only player in NBA history to reach at least 20,000 points, 11,000 rebounds, 4,000 assists, 1,200 steals and 1,500 blocks in his career

Playoffs

Defensive rebounds, 5-game series: 66, for Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets (2004)

Broken by Tim Duncan in 2008

Defensive rebounds, game: 20, twice 20, for Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets, 20, for Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Sacramento Kings,

Tied with Dave Cowens, Bill Walton and Tim Duncan

All-Star

Points, overtime: 9, second overtime (2003)

Field goals made, game: 17 (2003) (2 OT)

Tied with Wilt Chamberlain (1962) and Michael Jordan (1988)

Ranks 2nd in NBA history

Playoffs

Defensive rebounds, 6-game series: 83, for Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers (2003)

Defensive rebounds, game: 19, for Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers,

Turnovers, game: 10, for Minnesota Timberwolves at Seattle SuperSonics,

All-Star

Minutes played: 41 (2003) (2 OT)

Ranks 3rd in NBA history

Regular season

Consecutive seasons leading the league in rebounding: 4 (—)

Trailing Dennis Rodman and Moses Malone

All-Star

Games played: 12 (1997—2007, 2009—2010)

13 selections (he was also selected in 2008, but did not play due to injury)

Minnesota Timberwolves franchise records

Regular season

Service

Games played, career: 927

Games played, season: 82, four times (, , , )

Consecutive games played: 351, to

Games started, career: 890

Games started, season: 82, four times (, , , )

Consecutive games started: 351, to

Minutes played, career: 35,535

Minutes played, season: 3,321 ()

Scoring

Points, career: 19,041

Points, season: 1,987 ()

Highest scoring average, points per game, season: 24.2 (1,987/82) ()

Points, game: 47, vs. Phoenix Suns,

Games scoring 20 or more points, season: 67 ()

Games scoring 10 or more points, season: 82, four times (, , , )

Games with a double-double, season: 71 ()

Consecutive games scoring 30 or more points: 4, to

Consecutive games scoring 20 or more points: 16, twice 16, to 16, to

Consecutive games scoring 10 or more points: 398, to

Consecutive games with a double-double: 37, to

Most games led or shared team's scoring lead: 60 ()

Field goals

Highest field goal percentage, season: .526 (626—1,191) ()

Highest field goal percentage, game: .923 (12—13), at Portland Trail Blazers,

Highest field goal percentage, half: 1.000 (9—9), first half, vs. Dallas Mavericks,

Consecutive field goals made: 13, twice 13, to 13, to

Tied with Felton Spencer

Field goals made, career: 7,575

Field goals made, season: 804 ()

Field goals made, game: 19, vs. Phoenix Suns,

Tied with Wally Szczerbiak

Field goals made, half: 13, first half, vs. Sacramento Kings,

Field goal attempts, career: 15,414

Field goal attempts, season: 1,611 ()

Field goal attempts, game: 33, vs. New Jersey Nets,

Field goal attempts, half: 20, second half, vs. New Jersey Nets,

Free throws

Free throw made, career: 3,727

Free throw attempts, career: 4,781

Rebounding

Rebounds, career: 10,542

Highest average, rebounds per game, career: 11.4 (10,542/927)

Rebounds, season: 1,139 ()

Highest average, rebounds per game, season: 13.9 (1,139/82) ()

Rebounds, game: 25, twice 25, at Sacramento Kings, (OT) 25, vs. Orlando Magic, Broken by Kevin Love on

Rebounds, half: 19, first half, at Orlando Magic, Broken by Kevin Love on

Rebounds, quarter: 12 Broken by Kevin Love on

Offensive rebounds, career: 2,571

Defensive rebounds, career: 7,971

Defensive rebounds, season: 894 ()

Defensive rebounds, game: 23, twice 23, at Sacramento Kings, (OT) 23, vs. Orlando Magic,

Assists

Assists, career: 4,146

Assists, overtime: 4, vs. Atlanta Hawks,

Tied with Malik Sealy

Blocked shots

Blocked shots, career: 1,576

Blocked shots, season: 178 ()

Blocked shots, overtime: 3, at New Jersey Nets,

Steals

Steals, career: 1,282

Other

Personal fouls, career: 2,355

Turnovers, career: 2,387

Triple-doubles, career: 19 (16 regular season, 3 playoffs)

Triple-doubles, season: 6 ()

Rookie

Blocked shots, season: 131 ()

Blocked shots, game: 7, vs. Dallas Mavericks,

See also

List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders

List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders

References

External links

Official website

Kevin Garnett Video at ESPN

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball players Category:American basketball players Category:Basketball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from Illinois Category:Basketball players from South Carolina Category:Boston Celtics players Category:Male basketball forwards Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Minnesota Timberwolves draft picks Category:Minnesota Timberwolves players Category:National Basketball Association high school draftees Category:NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winners Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:People from Greenville, South Carolina Category:People from Greenville County, South Carolina Category:Power forwards (basketball) Category:Small forwards Category:United States men's national basketball team members

Name	Dwight Howard
Height ft	6 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 265
Team	Orlando Magic
Number	12
Position	Center
Birth date	December 08, 1985
Birth place	Atlanta, Georgia
High school	Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy
Nationality	American
Draft round	1
Draft pick	1
Draft year	2004
Team	Orlando Magic
Draft team	Orlando Magic
Career start	2004
Highlights

Dwight David Howard (born December 8, 1985) is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. He chose to forgo college and entered the 2004 NBA Draft, and was selected first overall by the Magic. A four-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA team selection, three-time All-Defensive member, and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Howard has been ranked consistently as one of the best in the league in rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and free throw attempts, and has set numerous franchise and league records. He has led the Magic to three division titles and one conference title, and he was the winner of the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. In the 2008 Olympics, he was the starting center for Team USA, which went on to win the gold medal.

Before he was drafted in 2004, Howard said that he wanted to use his NBA career and Christian faith to "raise the name of God within the league and throughout the world". In November 2009, he was named one of the 10 finalists for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service, which awards athletes for their charitable work.

Early life

Howard was born in Atlanta, Georgia to Dwight Sr. and Sheryl Howard and into a family with strong athletic connections. His father is a Georgia State Trooper and serves as Athletic Director of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, a private academy with one of the best high school basketball programs in the country, while his mother played on the inaugural women's basketball team at Morris Brown College. Despite his large frame, Howard was quick and versatile enough to play the guard position. He was also co-MVP (with J. R. Smith) of the McDonald's High School All-American Game that year. Howard joined a depleted Magic squad that had finished with only 21 victories the previous season; further, the club had just lost perennial NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady. setting several NBA records in the process. He became the youngest player in NBA history to average a double double in the regular season.

Howard reported to camp for his second NBA campaign having added 20 pounds of muscle during the off-season. He was selected to play on the Sophomore Team in the 2006 Rookie Challenge during the All-Star break,

Howard took another step forward as the franchise player for Orlando in the 2006–07 season, and for the third consecutive season he played in all 82 regular season games. Less than a week later, he recorded a career-high 32 points against the Toronto Raptors. A highlight was his game-winning alley-oop off an inbound at the buzzer against the San Antonio Spurs at Amway Arena on February 9. As the push for playoff spots intensified, Howard was instrumental, recording another career-high 35 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 14, 2007. Under his leadership, the Magic qualified for the 2007 NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2003 as the number eight seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the Magic were swept by the eventual Eastern Conference finalist Detroit Pistons in the first round. Howard averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, and finished first in the NBA in total rebounds, second in field goal percentage, and ninth in blocks. He was further recognized as one of the best players in the league when he was named to the All-NBA Third Team at the end of the 2006–07 campaign.

Leader of consecutive division champions

of the Los Angeles Lakers]] Howard continued posting impressive numbers in the 2007–08 season; with free agent Rashard Lewis added to the ranks alongisde Hedo Türkoğlu to provide an extra offensive spark, this was the Magic's best season yet. Howard's strong and consistent play ensured that he was named as a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and by the time the mid-season break arrived, he was leading the league in double doubles (he concluded the season with a league-high 69) and had recorded 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game on five occasions (eight by the season's end). On February 16, 2008, he won the 2008 NBA slam dunk contest by receiving 78% of the fan's votes via text messaging or online voting; in that contest, he performed a series of innovative dunks said to have rejuvenated the contest, including donning a Superman cape for one of the dunks. Howard led the Magic to their first division title in 12 years and to the third seed for the 2008 NBA Playoffs, Howard's series total of 91 rebounds was also greater than the total rebounds collected by the entire Toronto frontcourt. In the next round against the Pistons, the Magic lost the first two road games before Howard's 20 point/12 rebound performance in Game 3 salvaged a home win. In that same week, the center was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time, Detroit played without their star point guard Chauncey Billups for Games 4 and 5, but Orlando was unable to capitalize on that and lost the series 4–1 to the veteran playoffs team.

The 2008–09 campaign began well for Howard. Ten games into the season, the center was leading the league in blocks per game (4.2) and even recorded his first triple-double: 30 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks. At the halfway point of the season, Howard was leading the league in rebounds and blocks, and was among the league leaders in field goal percentage. He garnered a record 3.1 million votes to earn the starting berth on the Eastern Conference team for the 2009 NBA All-Star game. On March 25, 2009, Howard led Orlando to its second straight Southeast Division title with 11 games of the regular season left to play, and eventually the third seed for the 2009 NBA Playoffs with a 59–23 record. On April 21, 2009, he became the youngest player ever to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, achieving a goal he had set for himself before the start of the season. and a week later, to the All-NBA First Team. In the second round of the playoffs against the defending champions Boston, the Magic blew a lead in Game 5 and Howard publicly questioned coach Stan Van Gundy's tactics and said that he should be given the ball more; in Game 6, the center posted 23 points and 22 rebounds to force the series into seven games. The Magic went on to defeat Boston, and then defeated Cleveland—which was led by league MVP LeBron James—4–2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Howard had a playoffs career-high 40 points to go with his 14 rebounds in the deciding Game 6, leading Orlando to its first NBA Finals in 14 years. The Los Angeles Lakers took the first two home games to establish a 2–0 lead in the Finals, before a home win by the Magic brought the score to 2–1. In Game 4, despite Howard putting up 21 rebounds and a Finals-record of 9 blocks in a game, the Magic lost in overtime. The Lakers went on to win Game 5, and the NBA Finals.

The Magic went into the 2009–10 season with one major roster change: Türkoğlu departed for the Toronto Raptors, while eight-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter arrived from the New Jersey Nets. As with the previous two seasons, the Magic got off to a strong start, winning 17 of their first 21 games, setting a franchise record in the process. He also picked up two Conference Player of the Week awards. On January 21, 2010, Howard was named as the starting center for the East in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. Not long after the Magic completed the regular season with 59 wins and their third consecutive division title, Howard won the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the second straight year. He became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in blocks and rebounds in the same season twice—and for two years in a row. He started in eight of those nine games, averaging 8.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg and led the team in shooting .778 from the field. In the finals, he made all seven of his shots and scored 20 points as the USA defeated Argentina to win the gold medal.

On June 23, 2008, Howard was named as one of the members of the 12-man squad representing the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. With Howard starting as center, Team USA won all of its games en route to the gold medal, breaking their drought of gold medals dating back to the 2000 Olympics. Howard averaged 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the tournament.

Player profile

Howard is considered the "franchise player" of the Magic. He is the NBA's leading rebounder (also leading the league in 2007–08 and 2008–09); to illustrate, in a game against the Golden State Warriors on January 10, 2007, his 25 rebounds for the Magic outnumbered the total number of boards grabbed by the starting five of the Warriors. Howard's rebounding is in part facilitated by his extraordinary athleticism; his vertical leap is estimated at almost 40 inches, rare for a player of his size (6'11", 265 pounds). He demonstrated this skill memorably in the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest during the NBA All-Star Weekend, during which he completed an alley oop dunk from teammate Jameer Nelson and slapped a sticker onto the backboard which reached . The sticker showed an image of his own smiling face with a handwritten "All things through Christ Phil: 4:13," a paraphrase of Philippians 4:13. As of April 2010, Howard's career average of 12.7 rebounds per game (in the regular season) ranks 13th in NBA history. The center has also remained largely injury-free in his NBA career, playing in 351 consecutive games before missing his first game.

Howard's abilities and powerful physique have drawn attention from fellow NBA All-Stars. Tim Duncan once remarked in 2007: "[Howard] is so developed... He has so much promise and I am glad that I will be out of the league when he is peaking." Kevin Garnett echoed those sentiments: "[Howard] is a freak of nature, man... I was nowhere near that physically talented. I wasn't that gifted, as far as body and physical presence."

While many sports pundits have been rating Howard as one of the top young prospects in the NBA since 2006, Howard has some weaknesses in his game. Offensively, his shooting range remains limited; he is also mistake-prone, having led the NBA in total number of turnovers in the 2006–07 season. Like many centers, he has a low free throw conversion percentage. Also in that season, outside of layups and dunks, his shooting percentage was only 31.6%. He has stated he believes in reaching out to his community and fans and thus contributes substantially in the field of philanthropy. Together with his parents, Howard also established the Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc. in 2004. The Foundation provides scholarships for students who want to attend his alma mater, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, and grants to Lovell Elementary School and Memorial Middle School in Orlando, Florida. For his contributions in the Central Florida community, Howard received in 2005 the Rich and Helen De Vos Community Enrichment Award.

Elsewhere, Howard appeared as a special guest on an episode of the ABC series that aired 2 April 2006, in which Ty Pennington and his team built a new home and ministry offices for Sadie Holmes, who operates a social services ministry in the Orlando area.

Howard and Royce Reed, a former dancer for the team, have a son, Braylon.

See also

List of career achievements by Dwight Howard

List of National Basketball Association season rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association season blocks leaders

List of National Basketball Association players with 10 or more blocks in a game

Notes

External links

Dwight Howard Official Site

Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball players

Category:American basketball players Category:American Christians Category:Basketball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Gatorade National Basketball Player of the Year Category:Male basketball centers Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:National Basketball Association high school draftees Category:NBA Slam Dunk Contest champions Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Orlando Magic draft picks Category:Orlando Magic players Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Power forwards (basketball) Category:United States men's national basketball team members Category:NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winners

Caption	Duncan with the Spurs
Position	Power forward/Center
Height ft	6
Height in	11
Weight lb	260
Team	San Antonio Spurs
Number	21
Nationality	American
Birth date	April 25, 1976
Birth place	Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands
College	Wake Forest
Draft round	1
Draft pick	1
Draft team	San Antonio Spurs
Draft year	1997
Career start	1997
Highlights

Timothy "Tim" Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is a Virgin Islander American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 6-foot 11-inch (2.11 m), 260-pound (118 kg) power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, a three-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, and the current captain of the Spurs. He has also won the NBA Rookie of the Year, NBA Most Valuable Player Award twice, and has been voted into 12 NBA All-Star Games, 13 All-NBA Teams, and 13 All-Defensive Teams.

Duncan started out as a swimmer and only began playing basketball in ninth grade, after Hurricane Hugo destroyed the only Olympic-sized pool on Saint Croix. He soon became a standout for St. Dunstan's Episcopal High School, and had an illustrious college career with the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons, winning the Naismith College Player of the Year, USBWA College Player of the Year and John Wooden awards in his final year. Duncan graduated from college before entering the 1997 NBA Draft as the number one pick, and his list of accomplishments, remarkable consistency, and leadership in the Spurs' NBA championship runs in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007 have led basketball experts to consider him to be one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history.

Off the court, Duncan is known for his quiet and unassuming ways, as well as his active philanthropy. He holds an honors degree in psychology and created the Tim Duncan Foundation to raise general health awareness and fund education and youth sports in various parts of the United States.

Biography

Early life

Duncan is the only son of Ione and William Duncan, a midwife and a mason respectively, joining his two older sisters Cheryl and Tricia in a middle-class family in Christiansted, a town on Saint Croix, one of the main islands composing the United States Virgin Islands. In school, Duncan was a bright pupil and dreamt of becoming an Olympic-level swimmer like his sister, Tricia. His parents were very supportive and Duncan excelled at swimming, becoming a teenage standout in the 50, 100 and 400 meters freestyle and aiming to make the 1992 Olympic Games as a member of the United States Team. Duncan never swam competitively again, but was inspired by his brother-in-law to turn to basketball. He overcame this to become a standout for the St. Dunstan's Episcopal High School, averaging 25 points per game as a senior. His play attracted the attention of several universities, despite having only picked up the game in ninth grade. However, after the first talk, Odom understood that this was just Duncan's way of paying attention, and discovered that he was not only athletically talented, but also a quick learner. He was voted ACC Player of the Year again and won the 1997 John Wooden Award as the NCAA's best overall male player based on the votes of sportscasters and newswriters.

In contrast to contemporary prep-to-pro players like Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal, Tracy McGrady or Kobe Bryant, Duncan stayed at college for a full four years. During that period, he was a two-time ACC Player of the Year, and an unprecedented three-time NABC Defensive Player of the Year. The center also made the All-ACC Tournament between 1995 and 1997, the All-ACC First Team between 1995 and 1997, and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1996 ACC Tournament. Further, 1996 was the year where he led the conference in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots, becoming the first player in conference history to lead all four of those categories. However, as the 1997–98 season approached, the Spurs were considered a notable threat in the NBA. With an experienced center in Robinson and the number one pick in Duncan, the Spurs featured one of the best frontcourts in the league. Duncan and Robinson became known as the "Twin Towers", having earned a reputation for their exceptional defense close to the basket, forcing opponents to take lower percentage shots from outside. Later, when Duncan played against opposing Houston Rockets Hall-of-Fame power forward Charles Barkley, Barkley was so impressed he said: "I have seen the future and he wears number 21." In his rookie season, Duncan lived up to expectations of being the number one draft pick, starting in all 82 regular-season games, and averaging 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich lauded Duncan's mental toughness, stating his rookie's "demeanor was singularly remarkable", Duncan always "put things into perspective" and never got "too upbeat or too depressed." Center Robinson was equally impressed with Duncan: "He's the real thing. I'm proud of his attitude and effort. He gives all the extra effort and work and wants to become a better player."

The Spurs qualified for the 1998 NBA Playoffs as the fifth seed, but Duncan had a bad first half in his first playoff game against the Phoenix Suns, causing Suns coach Danny Ainge to play Duncan with less defensive pressure. The rookie capitalized on this by finishing Game 1 with 32 points and 10 rebounds and recording 32 points and 10 rebounds in Game 2, contributing to a 3–1 victory over the Suns. In this series, Duncan was pitted against Hall-of-Fame power forward Karl Malone. Duncan outscored Malone in the first two games which the Spurs lost, but as the series progressed, the more experienced Malone shut Duncan down on defense and dominated on offense, outscoring the young power forward in Games 3 to 5 18–10, 34–22 and 24–14 respectively.

line]] During the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season, the Spurs started with a lackluster 6–8 record and Popovich came under fire from the press. However, Duncan and Robinson stood behind their coach, and finished the season with a 31–5 run. The sophomore averaged 21.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.5 blocks in the regular season, making both the All-NBA and All-Defense First Teams. In this series, a large contingent of Virgin Islanders flew over to support their local hero, and were not disappointed. In the first two games, the "Twin Towers" outscored their Knicks counterparts Chris Dudley/Larry Johnson with 41 points, 26 rebounds and nine blocks versus five points, 12 rebounds and zero blocks. The accolades for the Spurs soon arrived, with Sports Illustrated reporting that the San Antonio "monkey has been shed", and that the Spurs were no longer known as the "San Antonio softies". The magazine praised Finals MVP Duncan, who was later quoted: "This is incredible. We kept our focus and we pulled it out." Nonetheless, Duncan rebounded in the next season, and with strong regular-season averages of 22.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 blocks, earned himself yet another pair of All-NBA and All-Defensive First Team call-ups. Sports Illustrated described the series as a "[m]erciless mismatch", and Duncan was criticized as "silent when the Spurs need him most".

On the back of two consecutive playoff disappointments, Duncan improved statistically in the 2001–02 season. He averaged career highs in scoring (25.5 points per game, including a league-leading 764 field goals and 560 attempted free throws) and rebounding (12.7 boards per game, and his accumulated 1042 boards again led the league), and also averaged 3.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game, both career highs. On the other hand, Duncan's team struggled with the fact that the aging Robinson was no longer able to sustain his level of performance, and backup center-forward Malik Rose had to step in more often. Duncan, who managed 34 points and a franchise-high 25 rebounds in Game 5, stated his frustration: "I thought we really had a chance at this series. The Lakers proved to be more than we could handle. Again, we had a (heck) of a run at it. We had opportunities to win games and make it a different series, but that's just the way the ball rolls sometimes." Also, Robinson said "Tim [Duncan] was like Superman out there", and conceded that the Lakers were simply better, just like in the last playoffs campaign. Although San Antonio now had new offensive threats in Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili, during the playoffs, it was Duncan's performance in the semi-finals against the Los Angeles Lakers which was singled out for praise by Popovich, who stated: "I thought in Game 5 and Game 6, he [Duncan] was astounding in his focus. He pulled everyone along these last two games." In the series, Duncan was matched up against forward Robert Horry, dominated him the entire series Helped by an inspired Robinson, Duncan almost recorded a quadruple double in the final game, and was named the NBA Finals MVP.

Leader of the Spurs (2003–2007)

(then of the Pistons) in a 2005 game.]] Before the 2003–04 season began, the Spurs lost their perennial captain David Robinson to retirement. Embracing the lone team leader role, Duncan led a reformed Spurs team which included Slovenian center Rasho Nesterovič, defensive stalwart Bruce Bowen, Argentinian shooting guard Ginóbili and young French point guard Parker. Coming off the bench were clutch shooting power forward Robert Horry, versatile Hedo Turkoglu and veterans Malik Rose and Kevin Willis. In retrospect, Robinson commented that at first, Duncan was reluctant to step into the void, still needing some time to truly develop his leadership skills. Statistically though, Duncan remained strong; after another convincing season with averages of 22.3 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.7 blocks, In the end, the Spurs lost the series 4–2, and Duncan attributed the strong Lakers defense as one of the reasons for the loss.

Duncan and his Spurs looked to re-assert themselves in the next 2004–05 season. Despite their new captain's slight statistical slump (20.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.6 blocks per game), In the first round, the Spurs eliminated the Denver Nuggets four games to one, and met the Seattle SuperSonics in the semi-finals. After splitting the first four games, Duncan led his team to two decisive victories, NBA.com reported that "[w]ith his unique multidimensional talent, Duncan depleted and dissected the Pistons... He was the fulcrum of virtually every key play down the stretch", and coach Popovich added: "[Duncan's] complete game is so sound, so fundamental, so unnoticed at times, because if he didn't score, people think, 'Well, he didn't do anything'. But he was incredible and he was the force that got it done for us." which was at least partly responsible for his sinking output (18.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 blocks per game), and also for his failure to make the All-NBA First Team after eight consecutive appearances. But after splitting the first six games, Duncan became the tragic hero of his team in Game 7. Despite scoring 39 points in regulation time and fouling out both Dampier and Keith Van Horn, Duncan only made one of seven field goal attempts in overtime against Mavericks reserve center DeSagana Diop, and the Spurs lost Game 7. There, the Spurs swept the Cavaliers 4–0, earning Duncan his and San Antonio's fourth ever championship. Duncan proclaimed that that championship was "the best" of his four championships, and acknowledged he played "sub-par" and thus received only one vote for NBA Finals MVP from a panel of ten. His colleagues were more appreciative of Duncan; among others, ex-teammate David Robinson referred to the Spurs titles as the "Tim Duncan era", and lauded his leadership. Coach Popovich also praised Duncan: "Tim is the common denominator. He's [had] a different cast around him [in] '99, '03 and '05. He's welcomed them all. [...] But he is that easy to play with, and his skills are so fundamentally sound that other people can fit in." San Antonio concluded the 2007–08 regular season with a 56–26 record, finishing behind the Lakers and New Orleans Hornets in the Western Conference and setting up themselves for a first-round contest against the Suns. The Suns—defeated by the Spurs in three of the past four seasons of playoffs—were out for revenge and featured a new player in four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal. In Game 1, Duncan set the tone with a 40-point game and a rare three-pointer that sent the game into double overtime. The trio of Duncan, Ginóbili and Parker continued playing to form for the remainder of the series, and the Spurs eliminated the Suns in five games. In the first game of the next round against the Chris Paul-led Hornets, San Antonio were badly defeated 101–82 as Duncan played one of the worst playoff games in his career, recording only 5 points and 3 rebounds. The Spurs dropped the next game as well, but recovered in Games 3 and 4, with Duncan putting up a team-high 22 point/15 rebound/4 block performance in the game that tied the series. Duncan then recorded 20 points and 15 rebounds in Game 6, and the Spurs relied on their experience to seal the series in Game 7. However, arch-rivals Los Angeles Lakers defeated San Antonio in five games in the Conference Finals, and the Spurs once again failed to capture back-to-back NBA championships.

Duncan started the 2008–09 season with strong showings in points and rebounds per game. However, by mid-season, his performance declined and he was subsequently diagnosed with chronic knee tendinosis. Despite Duncan having problems with his knee and the team losing the services of shooting guard Ginóbili for most of the season, San Antonio qualified for the playoffs as the third seed with a 54–28 record. Coupled with an aging supporting cast (Bowen, Michael Finley and Kurt Thomas were all in their late 30s), however, the Spurs were only considered fringe contenders for the championship.

With the Spurs looking to provide a more solid supporting cast in the 2009–10 season, they acquired Richard Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Antonio McDyess, DeJuan Blair, and Keith Bogans. The team got off to a 5–6 start, but a series of double double performances by Duncan gave them a 9–6 record by the end of November. Duncan was subsequently named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the last week of November. Even at 34 years of age, he remained a constant 20–10 threat, being only one of three players in the league at the mid-season to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. On January 21, 2010, Duncan was named as the starting forward for the West for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. After securing yet another 50-win season, the Spurs qualified for the playoffs as the seventh seed, and defeated Dallas 4–2 in the first round, only to lose 4–0 to Phoenix in the next round.

Eleven games into the 2010–11 season, Duncan became the Spurs' all-time leader in points scored and games played. Along the way, the Spurs compiled a 12-game winning streak to go 13–2 after 15 games. On November 30, 2010, Duncan recorded his third career triple-double against the Golden State Warriors. 12 days later, in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Duncan became the 94th player in NBA history to play 1000 games. Through his 1000th game, the Spurs have been 707–293; only Scottie Pippen (715–285) had a better record with his team through his first 1000 games. The Spurs were 29–4 after 33 games—one of the ten best starts in NBA history.

NBA career statistics

:Correct as of May 10, 2010 Duncan's first chance at playing for the national team came in 1999 when he was called up to the Olympic Qualifying Team. He averaged 12.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg and 2.4 bpg and led the team to a 10–0 finish en route to a qualifying berth for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but a knee injury forced him to stay out of the Olympic Games themselves. The record represented more losses in a single year than in the 68 previous years combined. It was also the first time since NBA professionals became eligible that the U.S. men's basketball team returned home without gold medals. In total, Duncan was a member of five USA Basketball teams and played in 40 international games. Regarded as one of the league's best interior defenders, Duncan also ranks consistently as one of the top scorers, rebounders and shot-blockers in the league. His main weakness remains his free throw shooting, with a career average of less than 70%. a view shared by 19-time NBA All-Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Because of his versatility and success, basketball experts have spoken of Duncan as one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history, while coach Popovich and team-mates Parker and Ginóbili have also credited much of San Antonio's success to him. Duncan's detractors, however, label him as "boring" because of his simple but effective style of play (thus earning him the nickname "The Big Fundamental"). Following his first championship ring in 1999, Sports Illustrated described him as a "quiet, boring MVP", a characterization which persists today. Sports journalist Kevin Kernan commented on his ability to relax and stay focused, stating that having a degree in psychology, Duncan often not only outplays, but outpsychs his opponents. Duncan has also stated that he especially likes his bank shot, saying: "It is just easy for me. It just feels good."

Honors

In his basketball career, Duncan has collected a number of individual and team honors, including being a two-time MVP (2002, 2003), four-time NBA champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007) and three-time NBA Finals MVP (1999, 2003, 2005). As a college player, he was honored by the House of Representatives, named the ACC Male Athlete of the Year, won the John R. Wooden Award, and was selected as the Naismith College Player of the Year (all 1997). In his debut year in the NBA (1998), he was voted Rookie of the Year and elected into the All-NBA Rookie Team, made the first of 12 NBA All-Star Teams (1997–98 and 1999–2000 to 2009–10; 11 First Team nominations), 13 All-NBA Teams (1997–98 to 2008–09; nine First Team nominations), and 13 All-Defensive Teams (1997–98 to 2009–10; eight First Team nominations).

Duncan was also named by the Association for Professional Basketball Research as one of "100 Greatest Professional Basketball Players of The 20th Century", the youngest player on that list. In the 2001–02 season, he won the IBM Player Award and The Sporting News (TSN) MVP Award, becoming the third player to ever win the NBA MVP, IBM Player and TSN Player Awards in the same season. On February 18, 2006, he was named one of the Next 10 Greatest Players on the tenth anniversary of the release of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team by the TNT broadcasting crew. In 2009, Duncan was ranked 8th by Slam Magazine in their list of the Top 50 NBA players of All Time. Sports Illustrated named him its NBA Player of the Decade.

Off the court

Tim Duncan has two older sisters, Cheryl and Tricia. He married his wife Amy in 2001, In 2000, St. Croix Senate president Vargrave Richards said: "He is a quiet giant. His laid-back attitude is the embodiment of the people of St. Croix, doing things without fanfare and hoopla." He also admitted shunning the limelight because "[fame] is not me". An avid video game player, he acknowledges a certain joy of playing "himself" on basketball video games. Duncan states if he had the chance, he would challenge NBA legends Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to a one-on-one game.

See also

List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played

List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders

List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders

Books

References

External links

Official Website

NBA.com Profile – Tim Duncan

Career Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com

Sports Illustrated Summary

U.S. Olympic Team bio

fiba.com video interview with Tim Duncan

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:ACC Athlete of the Year Category:African American basketball players Category:Basketball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Centers (basketball)

Category:NBA Finals MVP Award winners Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States Category:People from San Antonio, Texas Category:Power forwards (basketball) Category:San Antonio Spurs draft picks Category:San Antonio Spurs players Category:United States men's national basketball team members Category:United States Virgin Islands basketball players Category:Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball players

Name	Waka Flocka Flame
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Juaquin Malphurs
Born	May 31, 1986Jamaica, Queens, New York
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Genre	Hip hop, Crunk, Gangsta rap
Years active	2008-present
Label	1017 Brick Squad, Warner Bros., Asylum, Mizay
Associated acts	1017 Brick Squad, Gucci Mane, Roscoe Dash

Juaquin Malphurs (born May 31, 1986), better known by his stage name Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper signed to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros. He is a Southern hip hop artist best known for his crunk, gangsta sound and single "No Hands" along with his debut album, Flockaveli.

Biography

Early life and career

Juaquin Malphurs was born in Queens, New York City in 1986. His family eventually settled in Riverdale, Georgia. He is the son of Debra Antney, Gucci Mane's former manager and CEO of So Icey/Mizay Entertainment. The name "Waka" was given to him by his cousin, after the Muppets character Fozzie Bear's catch phrase, "Waka Waka". The name "Flocka Flame" was given to him by rapper Gucci Mane.

2009-present: Flockaveli

Waka Flocka Flame came to fame with his breakthrough single "O Let's Do It" in 2009. Waka Flocka Flame is a member of the 1017 Brick Squad with Gucci Mane, OJ Da Juiceman, Frenchie, and Wooh Da Kid. On January 19, 2010, Malphurs was shot and robbed at a car wash in Atlanta. The bullet went through his right arm. He is currently preparing his debut album and multiple mixtapes with Brick Squad. His debut single is called "O Let's Do It", which peaked at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album, Flockaveli was released on October 5, 2010. He was featured on Lil Jon's album Crunk Rock on the track "Throw It Up, Pt. 2 (Remix)". The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200. He was named the eighth hottest MC of 2010 by MTV. Waka started a rap super-group named Desperados which features Nipsey Hussle, Maino, Wiz Khalifa, Uncle Murda and Ra Diggs.

Gucci Mane fired Debra Antney as his manager. Despite rumors, there is no animosity between the two rappers due to this event. In a MTV interview, both Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame affirmed that their relationship is in good standing even though they no longer speak. In early September however, Gucci Mane was shown at Flocka's Flockaveli listening party supporting his artist.

Discography

Studio Albums

Singles

Featured Singles

Mixtapes

2009: Lebron Flocka James (with DJ Teknikz)

2009: Shootin The Breeze Cookin That Fire (with DJ Cannon, DJ Banyon, & DJ Dyce)

2009: Salute Me Or Shoot Me (with Trap-A-Holics & DJ Ace)

2009: Salute Me Or Shoot Me 2 (with Trap-A-Holics & DJ Ace)

2009: Salute Me Or Shoot Me 2.5 (with Trap-A-Holics & DJ Ace)

2010: Lebron Flocka James 2 (with Trap-A-Holics)

2010: Shootin The Breeze Cookin That Fire 2 (with DJ Cannon, DJ Banyon, DJ Effect, DJ Dyce, & Memph 10)

References

External links

Waka Flocka Flame Official Website

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:2000s rappers Category:2010s rappers Category:African American rappers Category:American shooting survivors Category:People from Clayton County, Georgia Category:People from Queens Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Warner Bros. Records artists

Position	Small forward
Height ft	6
Height in	7
Weight lbs	220
Number	24, 4, 2
Birthdate	March 28, 1944 Elizabeth, New Jersey
Debutyear	1965
Finalyear	1980
Draftyear	1965
Draftround	1
Draftpick	2
College	University of Miami
Teams
League	both
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	25,729
Stat2label	Rebounds
Stat2value	6,863
Stat3label	Assists
Stat3value	4,952
Letter	b
Bbr	barryri01
Highlights
Hof	richard-f-rick-barry

Richard (Rick) Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944, in Elizabeth, New Jersey) is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers to be one of the greatest pure small forwards of all time as a result of his very precise outside shot, uncanny court vision, knowledge and execution of team defense principles, tenacious and ofttimes demanding will to win, and unorthodox but accurate underhanded free throw shooting. Barry is one of few elite players who altered their games without losing effectiveness; he broke into the professional ranks as a rebounder and all-purpose scorer before he became a primary ball distributor and lethal perimeter threat.

Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in history by the NBA in 1996, Barry is the only player to lead the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), ABA and NBA in scoring for an individual season. In 1987, Barry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Barry also ranks on the short list of greatest underdog players in basketball history, as his teams repeatedly overachieved despite marginal talent around him. Longtime NBA writer Paul Ladewski has referred to him as Ricky Balboa, a reference to Rocky Balboa, the prize fighter of motion picture fame who was at his best in the face of long odds. Prior to entering the NBA, he played college baskeball at the University of Miami.

Biography

Early years and college career

Barry grew up in Roselle Park, New Jersey and was an All-American basketball player for the University of Miami, where he starred for three seasons. While at Miami, Barry met his wife Pamela, the daughter of Hurricanes head coach Bruce Hale. As a senior in the 1964-65 campaign, Barry led the NCAA with a 37.4 points-per-game average. Barry and the Hurricanes did not take part in the NCAA Tournament, however, because the basketball program was on probation at the time. Barry is one of just three basketball players (along with Tim James and Jack McClinton) to have his number retired by the school.

Barry was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors with the second pick of the 1965 NBA Draft.

Professional playing career

San Francisco Warriors

In Barry's first season in the NBA with the Warriors, the team improved from 17 to 35 victories. In the All-Star Game one season later, Barry erupted for 38 points as the West team stunned the East squad, which featured Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell and head coach Red Auerbach among other all-time greats. Later that season, Barry and company extended the mighty Philadelphia 76ers to six highly competitive games in the NBA Finals, something that Russell and the Boston Celtics could not do in the Eastern Conference playoffs. That 76ers team is considered to be one of the greatest in basketball history.

Nicknamed the "Miami Greyhound" by longtime San Francisco-area broadcaster Bill King because of his slender physical build and remarkable quickness and instincts, the 6'7" Barry won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 25.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in the 1965-66 season. The following year, he won the 1967 NBA All-Star Game MVP award with a 38-point outburst and led the NBA in scoring with a 35.6 point per game average — which still ranks as the eighth- highest output in league annals. Teamed with star center Nate Thurmond in San Francisco, Barry helped take the Warriors to the 1967 NBA Finals, which they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. Including a 55-point outburst in Game 3, Barry averaged 40.8 points per game in the series, an NBA Finals record that stood for three decades.

Upset that he was not paid incentive monies that he believed due from Warriors owner Franklin Mieuli, Barry jumped to the ABA's Oakland Oaks, who offered him a lucrative contract and the chance to play for Bruce Hale, then his father-in-law. The three-year contract offer from Pat Boone, the singer and team owner, was estimated to be worth $500,000, with Barry saying "the offer Oakland made me was one I simply couldn't turn down" and that it would make him one of basketball's highest-paid players. The courts ordered Barry to sit out the 1967-68 campaign before he starred in the ABA, upholding the validity of the reserve clause in his contract. The ensuing negative publicity cast Barry in a negative light, portraying him as selfish and money-hungry. However, many NBA players at the time were looking at jumping to the ABA for more lucrative contracts. Barry would star in the ABA, twice averaging more than 30 points per game.

Oakland Oaks

After the 1966-67 season, Barry became one of the first NBA players to jump to the American Basketball Association when he signed with the Oakland Oaks. In the ABA's first season, the Oaks were the only ABA team located in the same market as an NBA team (the Warriors). The Warriors went to court and prevented Barry from playing for the Oaks during the 1967-68 season. Barry instead worked on Oaks radio broadcasts during the ABA's first season.

During the 1968-69 season Barry suited up for the Oaks and averaged 34 points per game. He also led the ABA in free throw percentage for the season (a feat he repeated in the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons). However, on December 27, 1968, late in a game against the New York Nets, Barry and Kenny Wilburn collided and Barry tore ligaments in his knee. He tried to play again in January but only aggravated the injury and sat out the rest of the season, only appearing in 35 games as a result. Despite the injury Barry was named to the ABA All-Star team. The Oaks finished with a record of 60-18, winning the Western Division by 14 games over the second place New Orleans Buccaneers. In the 1969 ABA Playoffs the Oaks defeated the Denver Rockets in a seven game series and then defeated New Orleans in the Western Division finals. In the finals the Oaks defeated the Indiana Pacers 4 games to 1 to win the 1969 ABA Championship.

The Oaks' on-court success had not translated into solid attendance. The team averaged 2,800 fans per game. Instead of remaining in Oakland for another season to see if the championship would draw fans, the team was sold by owner Pat Boone and relocated to Washington, DC for the 1969-1970 season.

Washington Caps

Barry played the 1969-1970 season with the ABA's Washington Caps. Barry did not like the move and refused to report to the team, at one point commenting, "If I wanted to go to Washington, I'd run for President!" He missed the first 32 games before the ABA forced him to join the team. The Caps played in the Western Division, making for a grueling travel schedule. The Caps finished 44-40, claiming third place in the Western Division. Appearing in only 52 games due to injury, Barry finished the season with 1,442 points, second best in the ABA (27.7 points per game). The Denver Rockets defeated the Caps, 4 games to 3, in the Western Division semifinals. As the seventh and deciding game drew to a close, Barry was ejected for fighting with Rockets players.

Virginia Squires

The Washington Caps became the Virginia Squires after the 1969-1970 season, but traded Barry to the New York Nets in September 1970, just before the next season began, in exchange for draft picks and cash. Known for his intense, demonstrative personality, the outspoken Barry was no stranger to controversy in the new league. Featured on the August 24, 1970 cover of Sports Illustrated in a Squires jersey, he indicated that he would not return to the NBA if the league paid him "a million dollars a year." He also denounced the Squires, saying he did not want his kids growing up with a southern accent. On September 1, 1970, the Squires traded Barry to the New York Nets for a draft pick and $200,000. The negative comments were not the primary reason; rather, Squires owner Earl Foreman was still bogged down by financial troubles and sold Barry to help meet his expenses.

New York Nets

After the Squires dealt Barry to the New York Nets, he played in only 59 games in the 1970-71 season due to a knee injury but still made the ABA All Star team. He repeated as an ABA All Star during the 1971-72 season. During the 1970-71 season he led the league in scoring (29.4 points per game) and led the league again in 1971-72 with 31.5 points per game. In both of those years he also led the ABA in free throw percentage as he had in 1968-69. Barry also became the ABA record holder for most consecutive free throws in one game with 23.

In the 1970-71 season the Nets finished 40-44, good for fourth place in the Eastern Division and a place in the 1971 ABA Playoffs. The Virginia Squires defeated the Nets 4 games to 2 in the Eastern Division semifinals. The 1971-72 Nets finished the season at 44-40, making the 1972 ABA Playoffs by claiming third place in the Eastern Division, 24 games behind the 68-16 Kentucky Colonels. In the Eastern Division semifinals the Nets shocked the ABA by defeating the Colonels 4 games to 2. The Nets then eked out a 4 game to 3 victory over the Virginia Squires in the Eastern Division finals. The Nets were then edged by the Western Division champion Indiana Pacers, 4 games to 2, in the 1972 ABA Finals.

On June 23, 1972 a United States District Court judges issued a preliminary injunction to prohibit Barry from playing for any team other than the Golden State Warriors after his contract with the Nets ended. On October 6, 1972 the Nets released Barry and he signed with Golden State.

Golden State Warriors

Barry then returned to the NBA, with the Golden State Warriors. As the cumulative effects of knee problems began to take their toll, he gradually moved his game away from the basket. Two seasons later (1974–75) the Warriors captured the division crown and Barry averaged 30.6 points per game, led the league in free throw percentage (.904) and steals per game (2.9) and ranked sixth in assists per game (6.2). The Warriors executed a four-game sweep of Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld and the Washington Bullets in the NBA Finals. The Bullets had posted a league-high 60 victories, 12 more than the Warriors total in the regular season. Barry was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.

Houston Rockets

Barry closed his career with the Houston Rockets, playing through the 1979-80 NBA season. Barry was traded by the Warriors to the Rockets in return for John Lucas. Now in the twilight of his career, he pioneered the "point forward" position as a ball distributor and three-point threat. He averaged 13.5 points and set a new NBA record (since broken) with a .947 free throw percentage for the season. He retired in 1980.

Later years

During the 1990s he coached the Cedar Rapids Sharpshooters of the Global Basketball Association and the Continental Basketball Association, guiding the Fort Wayne Fury to a 19-37 win-loss record in 1993-94. In 1998 and 1999, he served as head coach of the New Jersey ShoreCats of the United States Basketball League. Former Warriors teammate Clifford Ray was his top assistant.

Barry finished 2nd in his division at the 2005 World Long Drive Championship.

Broadcasting career

Barry was among the first professional basketball players to make a successful transition to the broadcasting profession. He began broadcasting during the 1967-68 season broadcasting Oakland Oaks games because of contractual matters that kept him off of the court. Barry continues to work in the field, a career that began with his own radio show in San Francisco and CBS while still an active player and then with TBS.

During Game 5 of the 1981 NBA Finals, while working as a CBS analyst, Barry made a controversial comment when CBS displayed an old photo of colleague Bill Russell, who is African-American, and Barry joked that "it looks like some fool over there with that big watermelon grin". Barry later apologized for the comment, claiming that he did not realize that a reference to watermelons would have racial overtones. Russell said that he believed Barry with regard to Barry's racial attitudes, but nonetheless, the two men are reported not to have been particularly friendly for other reasons, unrelated to that comment.

CBS did not renew Barry's employment for the subsequent season, with producers later citing the overall negative tone of Barry's game commentary. Currently, he co-hosts a basketball-related show on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Personal life

Rick Barry has four sons with his first wife Pam: Scooter, Jon, Brent, and Drew, all of whom are or have been professional basketball players. He has one daughter, Shannon. He also has a son named Canyon with his third wife, Lynn Barry.

With his son Brent winning the NBA Championship in 2005 and 2007 with the San Antonio Spurs, Rick and Brent have become only the second father-son duo to both win NBA Championships as players; the first was Matt Guokas, Sr. and his son, Matt Guokas, Jr.

Jon and Brent have likewise moved to broadcasting after retirement. Jon currently serves as a game analyst on ESPN while Brent works as a studio analyst on NBA TV.

Barry was also a member of Kappa Sigma.

Professional statistics

NBA career highs

40 point games

115 in regular season professional career 70 in NBA 45 in ABA

50 point games

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" ! Points ! Opponent ! Home/Away ! Date ! Minutes played ! FGM ! FGA ! FTM ! FTA ! Rebounds ! Assists |- | 64 | Portland Trail Blazers | Home | | 43 | 30 | 45 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 9 |- | 57 | New York Knicks | Away | | | 18 | | 21 | 22 | | |- | 57 | Cincinnati Royals | Away | | | 21 | | 15 | | | |-bgcolor="AFE6BA" | 55 | Philadelphia 76ers | Home | | | 22 | 48 | 11 | 19 | 12 | 5 |- | 55 | Philadelphia 76ers | Home | | | 23 | 49 | 9 | | | |- | 55 | New York Knicks | Home | | | 19 | 31 | 17 | 18 | | |- | 52 | Chicago Bulls | Neutral | | | 18 | | 16 | 19 | | |- | 51 | Houston Rockets | Neutral | | | 24 | 33 | 3 | | | |- | 51 | Philadelphia 76ers | Home | | | 22 | 40 | 7 | | | |- | 51 | Philadelphia 76ers | Home | | | 22 | 38 | 7 | | | |- | 50 | St. Louis Hawks | Neutral | | | | | | | | |- | 50 | Detroit Pistons | Away | | | | | | | | |- | 50 | Boston Celtics | Neutral | | | | | | | | |- | 50 | Cincinnati Royals | Away | | | | | | | | |- | 50 | Los Angeles Lakers | Home | | 37 | 21 | 37 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 |}

Regular season

Playoffs

Career achievements

Roselle Park High School - Roselle Park, New Jersey (1957–61)

*Two-time All-State selection

University of Miami (1961–65)

*Associated Press First-Team All-America (1965)

*The Sporting News All-America Second Team (1965)

*Consensus All-America (1965)

*Led the nation in scoring (37.4 ppg) as a senior

NBA San Francisco Warriors (1965–67)

*NBA Rookie of the Year (1966)

*NBA leading scorer in 1967 (35.6 ppg)

*ABA leading scorer in 1969 (34.0 ppg)

*NBA highest free-throw percentage 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980

*ABA highest free-throw percentage 1969, 1971, 1972

*NBA All-Star Game MVP (1967)

ABA Oakland Oaks (1968–69)

ABA Washington Caps (1969–70)

ABA New York Nets (1970–72)

NBA Golden State Warriors (1972–78)

*All-NBA Second Team (1973)

*NBA Finals MVP (1975)

NBA Houston Rockets (1978–79)

All-NBA First Team (1966, 1967, 1974, 1975, 1976)

Eight time NBA All-Star (1966, 1967, 1973–78)

ABA All-Star First Team (1969–72)

NBA 50 Greatest Players (1996)

Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (1988)

Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey (1994)

University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame (1976)

15 games in NBA career scoring 50 or more points (5th in NBA history)

115 games in professional career scoring 40 or more points — 70 NBA, 45 ABA (3rd in professional basketball history after Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan)

NBA records

Regular season

Only player in history to lead the NCAA, ABA and NBA in scoring

Led the NCAA in scoring in 1964–65 (973 points, 37.4 ppg)

Led the NBA in scoring in (2,775 points, 35.6 ppg) Led the ABA in scoring in (1,190 points; 34.0 ppg)

Three-point field goals made, game: 8, Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz, Broken by Dale Ellis on

Three-point field goal attempts, game: 12, Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz, Broken by John Roche on

Highest free throw percentage, career: .900 (3,818—4,243)

Broken by Mark Price

Now ranks third behind Price and Steve Nash

Highest free throw percentage, season: .947 (160—169) (Houston Rockets, ) Broken by Calvin Murphy in

Consecutive free throws made: 60, to

Broken by Calvin Murphy in February 1981

Free throws made, quarter: 14, third quarter, San Francisco Warriors at New York Knicks, Broken by Vince Carter on

Highest average, steals per game, by a forward, career: 1.99 (1,104/554)

Steals by a forward, season: 228 (Golden State Warriors, ) Broken by Scottie Pippen in

Highest average, steals per game, by a forward, season: 2.85 (228/80) (Golden State Warriors, ) Broken by Scottie Pippen in

Near miss with a quadruple-double: Golden State Warriors vs. Buffalo Braves,

30 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, and 9 steals in 43 minutes

Playoffs

Scoring 30 or more points in all games, any playoff series: 6 games, vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals

Field goal attempts, 6-game series: 235, vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals

Field goal attempts, game: 48, vs. Philadelphia 76ers,

Field goal attempts, quarter: 17, at Philadelphia 76ers,

Highest average, steals per game, career: 2.21 (106/48)

Broken by Maurice Cheeks

Steals, 4-game series: 14, vs. Washington Bullets, 1975 NBA Finals (3.5 spg)

Broken by Lionel Hollins in 1977

Steals, 6-game series: 19, vs. Seattle SuperSonics, 1975 Western Conference Semifinals (3.2 spg)

Also holds fourth (see below)

Broken by Derek Fisher in 2008

Steals, 7-game series: 21, vs. Phoenix Suns, 1976 Western Conference Finals (3.0 spg)

Broken by Maurice Cheeks in 1979

Steals, game: 8, vs. Seattle SuperSonics, Broken by Allen Iverson on

Steals, quarter: 4, second quarter, at Chicago Bulls,

Tied with many other players

NBA Finals

Highest scoring average, points per game, any championship series: 40.8 (245/6), vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals

Broken by Michael Jordan in 1993

Scoring 30 or more points in all games, any championship series: 6 games, vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals

Elgin Baylor, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal also achieved this feat.

Points, 4-game series: 118, vs. Washington Bullets, 1975 NBA Finals (29.5 ppg)

Broken by Hakeem Olajuwon in 1995

Points, 6-game series: 245, vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals (40.8 ppg)

Broken by Michael Jordan in 1993

Consecutive games scoring 40 or more points: 2, to Broken by Michael Jordan on

Field goals made, 6-game series: 94, vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals

Broken by Michael Jordan in 1993

Field goals made, game: 22, vs. Philadelphia 76ers,

Tied with Elgin Baylor

Field goal attempts, 6-game series: 235, vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals

Field goal attempts, game: 48, vs. Philadelphia 76ers,

Also holds third (see below)

Field goal attempts, quarter: 17, at Philadelphia 76ers,

Free throws made, half: 12, vs. Philadelphia 76ers, Broken by Shaquille O'Neal on

Steals, 4-game series: 14, vs. Washington Bullets, 1975 NBA Finals (3.5 spg)

All-Star

Field goal attempts, game: 27 (1967)

Steals, game: 8 (1975)

Personal fouls, game: 6, twice (1966, 1978)

Disqualifications, career: 2

Tied with Bob Cousy

Ranks 2nd in NBA history

Regular season

Points by a rookie, game: 57, San Francisco Warriors at New York Knicks,

Field goals made, half: 21, second half, Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers,

Seasons leading the league in free throw percentage: 6 (Golden State Warriors, , —, ; Houston Rockets, —)

Trailing Bill Sharman

Consecutive seasons leading the league in free throw percentage: 3 (Golden State Warriors, ; Houston Rockets, —)

Trailing Bill Sharman

Playoffs

Field goal attempts, half: 24, vs. Philadelphia 76ers,

Steals, half: 5, twice 5, vs. Seattle SuperSonics, 5, first half, at Chicago Bulls,

Finals

Points, game: 55, vs. Philadelphia 76ers,

Tied by Michael Jordan

Field goal attempts, half: 24, vs. Philadelphia 76ers,

All-Star

Field goals made, game: 16 (1967)

Ranks 3rd in NBA history

Regular season

Field goals made, game: 30, Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers,

Field goals made, quarter: 11, Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers,

Consecutive seasons leading the league in free throw percentage: 2 (Golden State Warriors, —)

Free throw attempts, quarter: 15, third quarter, San Francisco Warriors at New York Knicks,

Steals, game: 9, Golden State Warriors vs. Buffalo Braves,

Playoffs

Points, 6-game series: 245, vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals (40.8 ppg)

Trailing Jerry West and Michael Jordan

Field goals made, 6-game series: 94, vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals

Field goals made, game: 22, vs. Philadelphia 76ers,

Steals, game: 7, twice 7, at Chicago Bulls, 7, vs. Detroit Pistons,

Finals

Field goal attempts, 4-game series: 99, vs. Washington Bullets, 1975 NBA Finals

Field goal attempts, game: 43, at Philadelphia 76ers, (OT)

Tied by Michael Jordan

Steals, game: 5, vs. Washington Bullets,

Tied with many other players

All-Star

Points, game: 38 (1967)

Ranks 4th in NBA history

Regular season

Free throws made, none missed, game: 18—18, twice 18—18, Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 18—18, Golden State Warriors vs. Washington Bullets,

Free throws made, half: 17, second half, San Francisco Warriors at New York Knicks,

Steals, game: 8, twice 8, Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 8, Houston Rockets at Cleveland Cavaliers,

Playoffs

Points, game: 55, vs. Philadelphia 76ers,

Steals, 6-game series: 17, vs. Detroit Pistons, 1976 Western Conference Semifinals (2.8 spg)

See also

American Basketball Association (2000–present)

List of individual National Basketball Association scoring leaders by season

List of National Basketball Association players with most points in a game

List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game

List of National Basketball Association players with 50 or more points in a playoff game

List of highest playoff series scoring averages in National Basketball Association history

List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds

References

External links

Basketball Hall of Fame profile

Rick Barry profile at NBA.com

RememberTheABA.com Rick Barry page

1972 Jim O'Brien biographical article on Rick Barry

Rick Barry and Rod Brooks Home Page at KNBR Radio

Rick Barry Career Statistics

NBA.com Rick Barry page

BasketballReference.com Rick Barry statistics page

Rick Barry profile at NNDB

A Voice Crying in the Wilderness

Category:American basketball players Category:American Basketball Association broadcasters Category:American basketball coaches Category:American sports radio personalities Category:Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Basketball players from New Jersey Category:San Francisco Warriors draft picks Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:Golden State Warriors players Category:Houston Rockets players Category:Miami Hurricanes men's basketball players Category:National Basketball Association broadcasters Category:NBA Finals MVP Award winners Category:New York Nets players Category:Oakland Oaks players Category:People from Elizabeth, New Jersey Category:Radio personalities from San Francisco, California Category:San Francisco Warriors players Category:Washington Caps players Category:Small forwards Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees

Name	Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach
Caption	Boston Celtics president, Red Auerbach in front of collage, created by his brother, Zang Auerbach
Birth date	September 20, 1917
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Death date	October 28, 2006
Death place	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation	NBA coach and executive
Spouse	Dorothy Lewis
Children	Nancy Auerbach Collins, Randy Auerbach

Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20, 1917 – October 28, 2006) was an American basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and the Boston Celtics. After he retired from coaching, he served as president and front office executive of the Celtics until his death. As a coach, he won 938 games (a record at his retirement)

Auerbach is remembered as a pioneer of modern basketball, redefining basketball as a game dominated by team play and tough defense rather than individual feats and high scoring and introducing the fast break as a potent offensive weapon. Famous for his polarizing nature, he was well-known for smoking a cigar when he thought a victory was assured, a habit that became, for many, "the ultimate symbol of victory" during his Boston tenure. and was NBA Executive of the Year in 1981.

The next year the Capitols went 28–20 With that, Auerbach effectively broke down the color barrier in professional basketball. As a result, Auerbach sought a defensive big man who could both get easy rebounds, initiate fast breaks, and close out games.

Flowing from Auerbach's emphasis on teamwork, what was also striking about his teams was that they never seemed to have a dominant scorer: in the 1960–61 NBA season, for instance, the Celtics had six players who scored between 15 and 21 points per game, but none made the Top 10 scoring list.

Private life

Auerbach was one of four children of American-born Marie Auerbach and Russian Jewish immigrant Hyman Auerbach in Brooklyn. His brother Zang Auerbach, four years his junior, was a respected cartoonist and portraitist at the Washington Star. NBA commissioner David Stern said, "the void caused by his death will never be filled" and ex-players Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, John Havlicek and Larry Bird, as well as contemporaries like Jerry West, Pat Riley, and Wayne Embry universally hailed Auerbach as one of the greatest personalities in NBA history. Auerbach was survived by his two daughters, Nancy and Randy. Auerbach was buried in Falls Church, Virginia at the King David Memorial Gardens / National Memorial Park on October 31, 2006. Attendees included basketball dignitaries Bill Russell, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, and David Stern.

During the 2006–07 NBA season, Auerbach appeared posthumously in a series of NBA commercials where he breaks down formations like "3 on 2 situations" and "rebounding," and as a testament to his importance in the Boston sports world, the Boston Red Sox honored Auerbach at their April 20, 2007 game against the New York Yankees by wearing green uniforms and by hanging replicated Celtics championship banners on the "Green Monster" at Fenway Park. Boston won 7–6.

Prior to Boston's season opener against the Wizards, his signature was officially placed on the parquet floor near center court, thereby naming the court as "Red Auerbach Parquet Floor." The ceremony was attended by his daughter Randy and some of the Celtics legends. The signature replaced the Red Auerbach memorial logo used during the 2007 season. .]]

Legacy

Among Auerbach's accomplishments during his 20-year professional coaching career were eleven Eastern Division titles (including nine in a row from 1957–65), 11 appearances in the finals (including ten in a row from 1957–66), and nine NBA championships. With a total of 16 NBA championship rings in a span of 29 years (1957–86) as the Celtics coach, general manager, and team president, Auerbach is the most successful team official in NBA history.

In Auerbach's honor, the Celtics have retired a number-2 jersey with the name "AUERBACH," memorializing his role as the second most important Celtic ever, behind founder Walter Brown, in whose honor the number-1 "BROWN" jersey is retired.

His story is documented in The First Basket, the first and most comprehensive documentary on the history of Jews and Basketball. He is also featured as an interviews subject for the film.

Coaching pioneer

From his early days, Auerbach was convinced that the fast break, where a team used a quick outlet pass to fast guards who run downcourt and score before the opponent had re-established position, was a potent tactical weapon. This new strategy proved lethal for the opposition. While the 1980s Celts were, in actuality, neither predominantly white nor black, the NBA at the time was predominately black. White players like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, and Bill Walton played alongside Tiny Archibald, Dennis Johnson, Robert Parish, and Cedric Maxwell to bring three more championships in the '80s under coaches Bill Fitch (white) and K.C. Jones (black).

Auerbach is prominently featured in the documentary film, "The First Basket" about Jewish basketball history.

Arnold "Red" Auerbach Award

To honor Auerbach, the Celtics created the Arnold "Red" Auerbach award in 2006. It is an award given annually to the current Celtic player who "best exemplifies the spirit and meaning of what it is to be a Celtic. This award is named in honor of the legendary Coach, General Manager and President of the organization, Arnold 'Red' Auerbach."

Winners:

2006 – Paul Pierce

2007 – Al Jefferson

2008 – Kevin Garnett

2009 – Ray Allen

2010 – Rajon Rondo

Writing

Auerbach was the author of seven books. His first, Basketball for the Player, the Fan and Coach, has been translated into seven languages and is the best-selling basketball book in print. His second book, co-authored with Paul Sann, was Winning the Hard Way. He also wrote a pair of books with Joe Fitzgerald: Red Auerbach: An Autobiography and Red Auerbach On and Off the Court. In October 1991 M.B.A.: Management by Auerbach was co-authored with Ken Dooley. In 1994, Seeing Red was written with Dan Shaughnessy. In October 2004, his last book, Let Me Tell You A Story, was co-authored with sports journalist John Feinstein.

See also

List of select Jewish basketball players

The First Basket

Notes

References

Obituary (January 19, 2007), Jewish Chronicle, p. 45

Halberstam, David. The Breaks of the Game. Random House. 1981

External links

Basketball Hall of Fame profile

Coaching Record

Info page from Boston Celtics official site

The First Basket – Documentary Film

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