- published: 02 Jan 2012
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- 1950 NBA Finals
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- A. C. Green
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- Atlanta Braves
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Chicago
Chicago (
i/ʃɪˈkɑːɡoʊ/ or /ʃɪˈkɔːɡoʊ/) is the largest city in the US state of Illinois and the third most populous city in the United States after New York City and Los Angeles. The city has around 2.7 million residents. Its metropolitan area, sometimes called "Chicagoland", is the third largest in the United States, with an estimated 9.8 million people. Chicago is the county seat of Cook County, though a small portion also extends into DuPage County.
Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837, near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed. Today, Chicago is listed as an alpha+ global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, and ranks seventh in the world on the 2012 Global Cities Index. The city retains its status as an international hub for finance, industry, telecommunications and infrastructure, with O'Hare International Airport being the second busiest airport in the world in terms of traffic movements. In 2008[update], the city hosted 45.6 million domestic and overseas visitors. Among metropolitan areas, Chicago has the 4th largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the world, ranking just behind Tokyo, New York City, and Los Angeles. Chicago is one of the most important Worldwide Centers of Commerce and trade.
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Los Angeles
Los Angeles (i/lɒs ˈændʒələs/ loss-AN-jə-ləs; Spanish: [los ˈaŋxeles], which is written Los Ángeles; British pronounciation /lɒs ˈændʒəliːz/ loss-AN-jə-leez) with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in the state of California, and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of 468.67 square miles (1,213.8 km2), and is located in Southern California. Often known by its initials L.A., the city is the focal point of the larger Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan statistical area and Greater Los Angeles Area region, which contain 12,828,837 and nearly 18 million people respectively as of 2010, making it one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world and the second largest in the United States. Los Angeles is also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated and one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the United States, while the entire Los Angeles area itself has been recognized as the most diverse of the nation's largest cities. The city's inhabitants are referred to as "Angelenos".
wn.com/Los_Angeles -
North Dakota
North Dakota (
i/ˌnɔrθ dəˈkoʊtə/) is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Manitoba and Saskatchewan to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th most extensive, but the 3rd least populous and the 4th least densely populated of the 50 United States. North Dakota was created from the northern portion of the Dakota Territory and admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, simultaneously with South Dakota.
The state capital is Bismarck and the largest city is Fargo. The primary public universities are located in Grand Forks and Fargo. The U.S. Air Force operates air bases at Minot AFB and Grand Forks AFB.
For more than a decade, the state has had a strong economy, with unemployment lower than the national average, job and population growth, and low housing vacancies. Much of the growth has been based on development of the Bakken oil shale fields in the western part of the state, but it has also had growth in the technology and service sectors. Flooding in June 2011 has caused extensive damage to Minot and threatened Bismarck, the capital city.
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Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (/ˌpɔrtə ˈriːkoʊ/ or /ˌpwɛərtə ˈriːkoʊ/), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, [esˈtaðo ˈlibɾe asoˈsjaðo ðe ˈpweɾto ˈriko]—literally, "Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"), is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
Puerto Rico (Spanish for "rich port") comprises an archipelago that includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller islands, the largest of which are Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. The main island of Puerto Rico is the smallest by land area of the Greater Antilles. However, it ranks third in population amongst that group of four islands, which also include Cuba, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), and Jamaica. Due to its location, Puerto Rico enjoys a tropical climate and also experiences the Atlantic hurricane season.
Originally populated for centuries by indigenous aboriginal peoples known as Taínos, the island was claimed by Christopher Columbus for Spain during his second voyage to the Americas on November 19, 1493. Under Spanish rule, the island was colonized and the indigenous population was forced into slavery and nearly wiped out due to, among other things, European infectious diseases. The remaining population was emancipated by King Charles I in 1520. Spain possessed Puerto Rico for over 400 years, despite attempts at capture of the island by the French, Dutch, and British. The Spanish Crown, in an attempt to keep Puerto Rico from gaining its independence, revived the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815. The decree was printed in three languages — Spanish, English and French — and it fostered the immigration of hundreds of non-Spanish European families.
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Tom Gola
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Gola (born January 13, 1933, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a retired American basketball player.
Gola was praised as a great all-around player as a high school student at La Salle College High School, where he led the Explorers to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship. He entered La Salle a year after another Philadelphia basketball Hall of Famer, Paul Arizin, graduated from Villanova.
Gola was one of the most talented collegiate athletes in Philadelphia sports history. He came to national attention while playing for the hometown La Salle University Explorers men's basketball team in 1954 as an All-American forward. Gola paced the Explorers to the NCAA basketball championship in 1954 and was named Tournament MVP. That same season he was selected as National Player of the Year. As a senior, Gola helped La Salle finish as the runner-up in the 1955 NCAA Tournament. He averaged 20.9 points and 19.0 rebounds during 115 games and holds the NCAA record with 2,201 career rebounds. At 6'6" (198 cm), Gola was clearly a forward who could shoot/score, rebound and defend, but he also had the ballhandling (dribbling, passing) skills of a guard, and with his shooting range and All-Pro defensive skills, could play just as well in the backcourt. He was inducted into the La Salle Hall of Athletes in 1961 and the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 1986. Gola was listed on "ESPN's Countdown to the Greatest" College basketball players as #17.
wn.com/Tom_Gola
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Abe Saperstein
Abraham M. Saperstein (July 4, 1902 – March 15, 1966) was an owner and coach of the Savoy Big Five, which later became the Harlem Globetrotters. He was born in London, England to a Jewish family.
Saperstein was the commissioner of the American Basketball League and owned the Chicago Majors team in that league.
In the 1988 Harlem Globetrotters documentary 6 Decades of Magic, it was noted that Saperstein chose "Harlem" to indicate that the players were African-American, even though they were actually from Chicago, and the "Globetrotters" moniker to make it seem as though the team had traveled all around the world.
Saperstein, whose 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) stature may render him as Basketball Hall of Fame's shortest member, was elected to the Hall in 1971. In 1979, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He played baseball, basketball, and ran track while in high school. He played as a guard for the Chicago Reds.
He was buried in the Westlawn Cemetery in Norridge, Illinois near Chicago.
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Adam Morrison
Adam John Morrison (born July 19, 1984) is an American basketball player who last played for Beşiktaş Milangaz in Turkey.
Morrison played for three years at Gonzaga University and was considered to be one of the top college basketball players in 2005–06. He was a finalist for the Naismith and the Wooden Award. He was named Co-Player of the Year with Duke University's J. J. Redick by the United States Basketball Writers Association and won the 2006 Chevrolet Player of the Year award.
Morrison's father John is a basketball coach, and the family moved with his coaching career: Casper College in Northwest Casper, Wyoming, Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota, and Dawson Community College in Glendive, Montana. When Morrison was in the fourth grade, his father left coaching and the family moved to Spokane, Washington. Adam became the Gonzaga men's team's ball boy.
When he was in the eighth grade, he lost 30 pounds (14 kg), and while attending a basketball camp at Gonzaga during this time, he felt sick, later saying about his experience at the camp, "I think I made one shot the whole three days. I was sicker than a dog. I didn't want to play. I couldn't do anything." Shortly after this, Morrison was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He took his diagnosis surprisingly well; the second time a nurse came to administer insulin, he stopped her, telling her, "Since I'm going to be doing this the rest of my life, you might as well show me how to do it." However, his illness did not keep him from becoming a star at Mead Senior High School in Spokane. In his senior year he broke single-season and career scoring records in his high school conference, and led Mead to the finals of the state tournament. Despite playing in the final game with hypoglycemia so severe that he nearly suffered a seizure, he scored 37 points in a losing effort. It was Mead's only loss that season. Morrison was not heavily recruited out of high school.
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Adolph Rupp
Adolph Frederick Rupp (September 2, 1901 – December 10, 1977) was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is ranked 5th (behind Mike Krzyzewski, Bob Knight, Jim Boeheim, and Dean Smith) in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching. Rupp is also second among all men's college coaches in all-time winning percentage (.822), trailing only Clair Bee. Adolph F. Rupp was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 13, 1969.
Rupp was born outside Halstead, Kansas, to Mennonite German immigrants, the fourth of six children. He grew up on a 173-acre (0.70 km2) farm which his father Heinrich homesteaded. After his father's death in 1910, Rupp's oldest brother Otto took over farming responsibilities. As a youngster, Rupp worked on the farm and attended a school in a one-room school house in the country. He first became interested in the sport of basketball at the age of six when Halstead won the first of two consecutive Kansas state high school titles. According to interviews, he and his brothers stuffed rags into a gunnysack which his mother sewed up to use as a basketball on the family farm. Later, after growing to a sturdy 6-foot-2, Rupp was a star on his Halstead High School team, averaging over 19 points a game in both his junior and senior years. Rupp also served as team captain and unofficial coach.
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Adrian Dantley
Adrian Delano Dantley (born February 28, 1956 in Washington, D.C.) is a retired American basketball player who played 15 seasons in the NBA, including seven as a member of the Utah Jazz. A forward/guard and six-time NBA All-Star, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2010, he was appointed acting head coach of the Denver Nuggets in the absence of stricken head coach George Karl.
Dantley attended basketball powerhouse DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland where he played under legendary basketball coach Morgan Wootten.
Dantley was a forward at Notre Dame from 1973-76. He was a consensus first team All-American in 1974-75 and 1975–76 and was named 1976 National Player of the Year. He ranks second on the Notre Dame career scoring list with 2,223 points and holds the school record for free throws made (615) and free throws attempted (769).
Dantley had a stellar collegiate career for the Fighting Irish. As a freshman, he played an important role in one of the biggest games in college basketball history, Notre Dame's stunning 1974 upset to end UCLA's record 88-game winning streak. That UCLA team, coached by the legendary John Wooden, featured Bill Walton, Jamaal Wilkes (then known as Keith Wilkes), and Dave Meyer.
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Al Cervi
Alfred Nicholas Cervi (February 12, 1917 – November 9, 2009) was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball League (NBL) and National Basketball Association (NBA). One of the strongest backcourt players of the 1940s and 1950s, he was always assigned to defend against the opposing team's best scoring threat. He earned the nickname Digger because of his hard-nosed style of defense.
Born in Buffalo, New York, Cervi attended East High School in his hometown, where he captained the baseball and basketball teams and achieved All-City honors in both sports. He dropped out of school after his junior year when he was recruited by the Buffalo Bisons of the newly formed NBL. He played in all of the Bisons' nine games in 1937–38, the franchise's only season of existence.
He never attended college. Instead, he served five years in the United States Army Air Forces from 1940 through 1945.
After the conclusion of World War II, he joined the Rochester Royals, another NBL franchise entering its first year of operations. He immediately experienced success as the team captured the 1945–46 league title after sweeping the best-of-five championship series from the Sheboygan Red Skins. The Royals returned to the finals the following two seasons, but lost to the Chicago American Gears and Minneapolis Lakers in four games each. Cervi made the All-NBL First Team in 1947 and 1948. In the first of those two campaigns, he was named the circuit's Most Valuable Player as the leading scorer with 632 points.
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Al McGuire
Alfred James "Al" McGuire (September 7, 1928 – January 26, 2001) was the head coach of the Marquette University men's basketball team from 1964 to 1977. He compiled impressive numbers throughout his coaching career, resulting in his induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, and was also well known for his colorful personality.
He played three years of basketball at St. John's Prep., Queens, New York (graduated 1947), and went on to star at St. John's University (1947–1951), where he played for four years and captained the 1951 team that posted a 26–5 mark and finished third in the NIT.
After college, McGuire played in the NBA, first with the New York Knicks (1951–53) and then with the Baltimore Bullets (1954). While with the Knicks, he once famously pleaded with his coach for playing time, with this guarantee: "I can stop Cousy." Inserted into the lineup, McGuire proceeded to foul him on his next six trips down the court.
McGuire began his illustrious coaching career as an assistant at Dartmouth College (1955–1957). He then took his first head coaching job at Belmont Abbey College (1957–1964), where he recruited many high school players off the streets of New York. McGuire later became head coach at Marquette University in 1964 where he enjoyed success, including the NIT Championship in 1970 and a Final Four appearance in 1974, where McGuire became the first coach ejected from a championship game.
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Al Tucker
Albert Ames Tucker (February 24, 1943 in Dayton, Ohio – May 7, 2001) was an American professional basketball player.
A 6'8" forward from Oklahoma Baptist University, Tucker played four seasons (1967–1971) in the National Basketball Association and one season (1971–1972) in the American Basketball Association as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics, Cincinnati Royals, Chicago Bulls, Baltimore Bullets, and The Floridians. He averaged 10.1 points per game in his career and earned NBA All-Rookie Honors at the end of the 1967-68 NBA season.
Tucker is notable as the Seattle SuperSonics' first ever NBA draft pick, selected sixth overall in the 1967 NBA Draft. Tucker was also selected in the 1967 ABA Draft by the Oakland Oaks. Tucker is sometimes credited with inventing the alley-oop with his brother Gerald.
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Aleksandar Nikolić
Aleksandar "Aca" Nikolić (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар Николић; 28 October 1924 – 12 March 2000) was a renowned Serb basketball player and coach from Yugoslavia. He is considered to be so instrumental and important to the game's development in the country, that he is often referred to as, The Father of Yugoslav Basketball.
Nikolić was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in what was at the time, part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, but he moved to the capital Belgrade, at a young age. He studied medicine and law at the University of Belgrade, graduating in 1946.
Aleksandar Nikolić died on 12 March 2000, in Belgrade, He is buried in the Alley of the Greats, in Belgrade, Novo Groblje ("New Cemetery").
Nikolić was nicknamed, "The Professor", "Iron Sergeant", and, "The father of Yugoslav basketball". He was a Professor at the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Sport and Physical Education. The future coaches taught by Nikolić include Božidar Maljković, Dušan Ivković, Bogdan Tanjević, Želimir Obradović, etc.
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Alex English
Alexander English (born January 5, 1954 in Columbia, South Carolina) is a retired American basketball player who played at the forward position. He is currently an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association. He played at the University of South Carolina and most notably with the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets.
He averaged 21.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during his NBA career and was the NBA's most prolific scorer during the 1980s. He was named to eight NBA All-Star teams, his #2 jersey was retired by the Nuggets, and he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997.
English spent the majority of his career with the Nuggets, but also played briefly with the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers and Dallas Mavericks. He was drafted in 1976 by the Bucks, and was part of a rookie class that includes fellow Hall of Famers Robert Parish, Adrian Dantley and Dennis Johnson.
Most of his time in Milwaukee was spent as a back-up on a rebuilding team that lost Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, it was not until he was sent to Indiana in 1978 that he began his reputation as a scorer, averaging 16 points there on another subpar team before being traded to Denver.
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Alex Hannum
Alexander Murray Hannum (July 19, 1923 — January 18, 2002) was a professional basketball player and Hall-of-Fame coach.
Hannum is mostly known for coaching the Wilt Chamberlain-led Philadelphia 76ers of 1966-67 to the NBA championship, ending the eight-year title streak of the Boston Celtics. He had also coached the Bob Pettit-led St. Louis Hawks team to the 1958 NBA Championship over the Celtics in the NBA Finals, thus making him the first of only three head coaches in NBA history to win championships with two different teams (the other two are Phil Jackson and Pat Riley). The aforementioned seasons were the only two in Bill Russell's 13-year career in which the Celtics' center did not win an NBA championship. In 1964, Hannum was named NBA Coach of the Year while with the San Francisco Warriors.
In 1968 Hannum was named head coach and executive vice president of the Oakland Oaks of the American Basketball Association. In Hannum coached the Rick Barry-led Oaks to the 1969 ABA Championship, becoming the first of two coaches to win championships in both the NBA and ABA. Hannum won the ABA Coach of the Year honors the same season.
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Alexander Gomelsky
Alexander Yakovlevich Gomelsky (Russian: Гомельский, Александр Яковлевич) (January 18, 1928 in Kronstadt, USSR – August 16, 2005 in Moscow, Russia) was a great Soviet and Russian basketball coach. Gomelsky was Jewish.[1]
Gomelsky began his coaching career in 1948, in Leningrad, with LGS Spartak. In 1953, he became the coach of ASK Riga, an army club, leading the team to five Soviet Union league titles, and three consecutive European Champions Cups (Euroleague), from 1958 to 1960.
In 1969, he was appointed the head coach of CSKA Moscow, where he coached until 1980, leading the club to 9 Soviet Union national league championships (1970–1974, 1976–1979), 2 Soviet union national cups (1972–1973), and one European Champions Cup (Euroleague) title in 1971. He also lead the club to two more European Champions Cup (Euroleague) finals, in 1970, and 1973.
He also coached in Spain, France, and the United States.
Gomelsky coached the Soviet Union national team for almost 30 years, leading them to 6 FIBA European Championship titles (1963, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1979, and 1981), 2 FIBA World Cup titles (1967, and 1982), and the Summer Olympic Games gold medal in 1988.
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Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson (born June 7, 1975) is an American professional basketball player, playing both the point guard and shooting guard positions. Iverson attended Bethel High School and was a dual-sport athlete; he earned The Associated Press High School Player of the Year award in both football and basketball, and won the Division AAA Virginia State Championship in both sports. After high school, Iverson attended Georgetown University for two years, where he set the school record for career scoring average (22.9 points per game) and won Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards both years.
Following two successful years at Georgetown, Iverson declared eligibility for the 1996 NBA Draft, and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season. Iverson is an eleven-time NBA All-Star which includes winning the All-Star MVP award in 2001 and 2005.
Winning the NBA scoring title during the 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02 and 2004–05 seasons, Iverson was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, despite his small stature (listed at 6 feet, 0 inches). His regular season career scoring average of 26.7 points per game ranks sixth all-time, and his playoff career scoring average of 29.7 points per game is second only to Michael Jordan. Iverson was also the NBA Most Valuable Player of the 2000–01 season and led his team to the 2001 NBA Finals the same season. Iverson represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal. He also played for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and the Memphis Grizzlies, before returning to the 76ers for part of the 2009–10 season.
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Alva Duer
Alva O. Duer (November 18, 1904, Sylvia, Kansas, US — November 18, 1987) was a college basketball coach and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and United States Olympic Committee administrator and is a member of the NAIA and Basketball Halls of Fame. He went to Stafford High School in Stafford, Kansas and was captain of the basketball team all four years he attended. He graduated from high school in 1923.
He coached college basketball at Pepperdine College in Los Angeles, California from 1939-1948. During that time, he had a record of 176-94 (.651). He led Pepperdine to six postseason appearances (5 NAIB and 1 NCAA), he also led Pepperdine to the 1945 NAIB final.
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Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg (August 16, 1862 – March 17, 1965) was an American athlete and pioneering college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football. He served as the head football coach at Springfield College (1890–1891), the University of Chicago (1892–1932), and the College of the Pacific (1933–1946), compiling a career college football record of 314–199–35. His Chicago Maroons teams of 1905 and 1913 have been recognized as national champions. He was also the head basketball coach for one season at the University of Chicago (1920–1921), and the head baseball coach there for 19 seasons (1893–1905, 1907–1913).
At University of Chicago, Stagg also instituted an annual prep basketball tourney and track meet. Both drew the top high school teams and athletes from around the United States.
Stagg played football as an end at Yale University and was selected to the first College Football All-America Team in 1889. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach in the charter class of 1951 and was the only individual honored in both roles until the 1990s. Influential in other sports, Stagg developed basketball as a five-player sport and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in its first group of inductees in 1959.
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Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum (born October 27, 1987) is an American professional basketball center who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has won two NBA Championships with the Lakers, and he was a first-time All-Star in 2012. Bynum was drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Lakers. He became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year. Amidst the 2007–08 season, he suffered an injury on his left kneecap and eventually missed the rest of the season and all of the playoffs. He made a successful return at the beginning of the 2008–09 season. In January 2009, however, he suffered another injury, this time to his right knee. He was able to come back before the playoffs started and was part of the Lakers squad that won the 2009 NBA championship. In the 2010 post-season, Bynum played in every single playoff game with a torn meniscus and strained Achilles tendon and the Lakers repeated as NBA champions against the Boston Celtics.
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Andy Phillip
Andrew Michael "Handy Andy" Phillip (March 7, 1922 – April 29, 2001) was a guard/forward who had an 11 year career professional basketball career from 1948 to 1958. Born in Granite City, Illinois, Andy Phillip played for the Chicago Stags of the Basketball Association of America and the Philadelphia Warriors, Fort Wayne Pistons and Boston Celtics, all of the National Basketball Association.
Phillip led his high school, Granite City, to the Illinois state championship in 1940. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he earned renown for his talents and for the Fighting Illini's success during war-interrupted, non-consecutive seasons, 1941–1943 and 1946–1947, . He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Phillip served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in World War II at Iwo Jima.
Phillip played in the first five NBA All-Star Games, and was twice named to the All-NBA Second Team. He was the first player to record 500 assists in a season, and led the NBA in assists during the 1950-51 and 1950-52 seasons. Phillip's teams made it to the NBA Finals during his final four seasons — twice with Fort Wayne and twice with Boston. The 1957 Boston team won the NBA Championship.
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Ann Meyers
Ann Meyers Drysdale (born Ann Elizabeth Meyers March 26, 1955 in San Diego) is a retired American basketball player and sportscaster. She was a standout player in high school, college, the Olympic Games, international tournaments, and the professional levels.
Meyers was the first player to be part of the U.S. national team while still in high school. She was the second woman to be signed to a four-year athletic scholarship for college, at UCLA. She was also the only woman to sign a contract with a National Basketball Association team, the Indiana Pacers (1979).
Meyers currently resides in Huntington Beach, California, and serves as the president and general manager for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and vice president of the NBA's Phoenix Suns. For over 26 years, she served as a network television sports analyst for ESPN, CBS, and NBC. Meyers is a Board Member for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which is named after Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott, and is given annually to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year.
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Anne Donovan
Anne Donovan (born November 1, 1961) is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA. She is the only person to have both played to a national women's college title and coached a team to a professional title. She is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Donovan joined the New York Liberty as an assistant coach in the spring of 2009, then took over as interim head coach of the Liberty on July 31, 2009. She accepted the women's basketball head coaching position at Seton Hall on March 29, 2010, although she completed the 2010 season with the Liberty.
Donovan attended Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey. The six-foot-one--at the time--Donovan led her high school team to consecutive undefeated seasons, including two state championships. She averaged 25 points per game and 17 rebounds her senior year.
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Arad McCutchan
Arad A. McCutchan (July 4, 1912 – June 16, 1993) was a well-known collegiate basketball coach. The Evansville, Indiana native coached his hometown University of Evansville from 1946 to 1977, guiding the Purple Aces to a 515-313 record.
McCutchan spent seven years coaching Bosse High School (1936-43) before serving in the United States Navy during World War II. In 1946 he took over the head coaching position at University of Evansville . In the following years he guided them to five NCAA College Division championships (1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971) as well as three undefeated seasons in their conference (1964, 1965, 1971). McCutchan was named NCAA College Division Coach of the Year two times (1964, 1965). He was an assistant coach to Gene Bartow for the US national team in the 1974 FIBA World Championship, where he won the bronze medal. On April 27, 1981 he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
His first name, Arad, was inherited from a grandfather who was named from the Bible. He often said the name was Hebrew for "wild ass."
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Arnie Risen
Arnold D. Risen (born October 9, 1924 in Williamstown, Kentucky) is a retired American basketball player.
A 6'9" center from the Ohio State University, he led the Buckeyes to two straight Final Four appearances.
Risen played professionally in the NBA for ten seasons (1948–1958) as a member of the Rochester Royals and Boston Celtics. Risen was a four-time All-Star and two-time NBA Champion, and he scored 7,633 points in his career. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.
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Arthur Schabinger
Arthur August Schabinger (August 6, 1889 in Sabetha, Kansas, USA – October 13, 1972) was an American football and basketball coach, and then later administrator. Schabinger is credited (although disputed) with throwing the first forward pass in college football history. Even if it was not the first forward pass, most certainly Schabinger was one of the early adopters and innovators of the play.
Schabinger coached college basketball for 20 seasons, including stints with Ottawa University, Emporia Teachers College and Creighton University. He was one of the founders of National Association of Basketball Coaches and the president of that organization in 1932. He authored the association's Constitution and By-Laws. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1961.
In 1910, Schabinger led the College of Emporia Presbies to a 17-0 victory over Washburn University. During this game, he threw what some have credited (but many other records disputed) to be the first forward pass in college football history. That same year, "Schabie" scored seven touchdowns in a 107-0 win over Pittsburg Normal.
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Arthur Trester
Arthur L. Trester (June 10, 1878 in Pecksburg, Indiana, USA – September 18, 1944) was an American basketball administrator. He was the commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association from 1922 to 1944, that organization was the force behind Hoosier Hysteria in Indiana. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1961.
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Artis Gilmore
Artis Gilmore (born September 21, 1949) is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Artis was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on August 12, 2011. A star center during his two collegiate years at Jacksonville University, in Jacksonville, Florida, Gilmore led the Dolphins to the NCAA Division I championship game in 1970, where his team was beaten 80-69 by the UCLA Bruins. Gilmore remains the top player in rebounds per game in the history of NCAA Division I basketball.
Gilmore followed 5 All-Star seasons with the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA by becoming the 1st overall pick of the 1976 NBA dispersal draft, which was held after the ABA was disbanded, as four teams transferred to the NBA. In Gilmore's complete pro basketball career, he was an eleven-time All-Star, the ABA Rookie of the Year, and an ABA MVP, and he remains the NBA career leader for field goal percentage.
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Arvydas Sabonis
Arvydas Romas Sabonis (born December 19, 1964 in Kaunas, Lithuania SSR, USSR) is a Lithuanian retired professional basketball player and a businessman. He was an eight-time European Player of the Year, winning the Euroscar Award six times, and the Mr. Europa Award twice, as the best European player and played in a variety of leagues, including seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States. Sabonis played the center position and also won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea for the Soviet Union, and later earned bronze medals at the 1992 and 1996 games while playing for Lithuania. He retired from professional basketball in 2005.
Sabonis is considered one of the best big man passers as well as one of the best overall centers in the history of the game. Bill Walton once called Sabonis a 7'3" Larry Bird due to his unique court vision, shooting range, rugged in-game mentality, and versatility.
On August 20, 2010, Sabonis was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in recognition of his great play in international competition. On April 4, 2011, Sabonis was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and he was inducted on August 12, 2011. Sabonis has the distinction of being the tallest player inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. On 24 October 2011, Sabonis was voted to be the next president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation.
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Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson (born March 25, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association (NBA) team Brooklyn Nets. He has also coached the Dallas Mavericks, leading them to their first NBA Finals appearance and four consecutive 50+ win seasons. During his playing days, Johnson was known as the "Little General" for his small (by NBA standards) stature, his leadership skills as a point guard and floor general, and his close friendship with former San Antonio Spurs teammate David "The Admiral" Robinson.
As a high school senior in 1983, Johnson led New Orleans' St. Augustine High School to a 35–0 record and the Class 4A Louisiana State Championship. Johnson matriculated at New Mexico Junior College before moving on to Cameron University, and finally Southern University, with whom in his senior season in 1988 he led the NCAA with 13.3 assists per game, a senior and all-time record that still stands. Upon graduation in 1988 Johnson was not selected in the NBA Draft. After a summer season with the USBL's Palm Beach Stingrays, however, Johnson was signed by the Seattle SuperSonics and managed to spend the next 16 years playing in the NBA, including stints with the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and Dallas Mavericks. A true journeyman as a player, occasionally being traded, or even waived, mid-season, Johnson is best known for his time with the San Antonio Spurs (1991, 1992–1993, 1994–2001), particularly his integral role on the 1999 Spurs team that won the NBA championship against the New York Knicks in which he hit the championship-winning shot in Game 5. The San Antonio Spurs retired Johnson's number 6 on December 22, 2007 in a home game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He was also inducted into the "San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame" on February 20, 2009.
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Bailey Howell
Bailey E. Howell (born January 20, 1937 in Middleton, Tennessee) is a former professional basketball player now enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A 6'7" forward from Mississippi State University, he played 12 seasons (1959–1971) in the NBA as a member of the Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers. A six-time All-Star with 17,770 career points, he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997. He won two NBA championships with the Boston Celtics. The best years of his career were during his time with the Bullets and the Celtics.
Despite playing at the college level for only three years, Howell set and still holds Mississippi State records for single-game points scored, career scoring average, single-season and career free throws made, single-season and career free throws attempted, single-game free throw percentage, single-game rebounds, single-season rebounds, career rebounds, and single-season and career rebounding average. His scoring records are particularly impressive, since there was no three point line or shot clock at the time that he played. He is considered a legend to the Bulldog basketball faithful, and one of best-known players to have played at MSU. He is probably most known for his hook shot, rebounding ability, and work ethic as a player and person. After his career ended, he went to work with the Converse shoe company, particularly with the Converse All-Star. He resides in Starkville, Mississippi where he is very active in Mississippi State athletics fund-raising, specifically the Bulldog Club, an organized fund to pay for MSU athletic scholarships. He currently serves as an elder for the Starkville Church of Christ.
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Barney Sedran
Barney Sedran (January 28, 1891 – January 14, 1964) was one of the great early pro basketball players in the 1910s and 1920s.
Nicknamed "Mighty Mite", the New York City native who grew up on the Lower East Side, Sedran (shortened from Sedransky) was a member of the well-known New York Whirlwinds and Cleveland Rosenblums, among many other teams in New York as well as in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. Occasionally he teamed with Marty Friedman, forming one of the finest backcourt duos in basketball history.
Sedran played for the Lower East Side's University Settlement House because he was too small to make his DeWitt Clinton High School (Bronx, New York) team. The Settlement team won the 115-pound division championship in 1905–06, and the Metropolitan AAU title 1906–07.
At City College of New York(CCNY) Sedran was the school’s leading scorer for three consecutive seasons, 1909–11, and was named to various college all-star teams.
The smallest player enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, “The Mighty Might of Basketball” turned pro after leaving CCNY, teaming successfully and often with 5’ 7” hall of famer (Naismith and IJSHOF) Max Friedman. They were known as the “Heavenly Twins”. In an era of barnstorming, short-lived leagues, and schedules that often called for as many as three games a day, Sedran is said to have been pro basketball’s highest paid star.
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Ben Carnevale
Bernard Louis "Ben" Carnevale (October 30, 1915 – March 25, 2008) was an American college men's basketball coach.
Born in Raritan, New Jersey, Carnevale was a graduate of Somerville High School in Somerville, New Jersey. He graduated from New York University, where he was a member of the 1935 national championship team and played in the first National Invitation Tournament in 1938. While at NYU he was coached by the legendary Howard Cann. He served as a Navy officer during World War II, receiving the Purple Heart.
Carnevale was the head basketball coach the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1944 to 1946 and the Navy between 1947 and 1967, compiling a 257-160 record despite the Naval Academy height restrictions, at that time 6'5" (1.96 m). Carnevale was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.
While coaching at UNC, he led the team to their first appearance in the title game. The Tar Heels lost the game to Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State), who won their second national crown under legendary coach Henry Iba.
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Bennie Borgmann
Bernhard "Bennie" Borgmann (November 22, 1900 in Haledon, New Jersey - November 11, 1978 in Hawthorne, New Jersey) was one of the early pro basketball players. He played for 17 years between 1919 and 1936, and is mostly known for his time with the Kingston Colonials and Original Celtics. Borgmann is regarded as the best offensive player of his era. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961. Borgmann also played as a middle infielder in the baseball minor leagues from 1928 to 1942, managed in the minors from until 1950, and scouted until 1974.
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Benny the Bull
Benny the Bull, commonly known as Benny, is the mascot of the Chicago Bulls, a role he has filled since 1969.
For more than 40 years, Benny the Bull has been entertaining Chicago Bulls fans, first at Chicago Stadium (1969–1994), and then at the United Center (1994–present). He has become just as popular as some of the franchise's most notable figures, such as players Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, and head coach Phil Jackson. Benny is one of the longest-tenured mascots in the NBA and in all of professional sports. Benny was named after Ben Bentley, the Bulls first Public Relations Manager and Stadium Announcer.
The Benny the Bull suit consists of a whole-body bull costume made of bright red fur with large white eyes, a tan snout, a long red tail and black gloves with red fur on the back. Over the suit, Benny wears an authentic uniform (road red/black and home whites) and team-appointed athletic shoes. His jersey bears the name "Benny" above the number "1" on the back. Benny sports several different costumes based on the theme of the game as well as his overall "mood". Benny the Bull can also do many different kinds of dances.
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Bertha Teague
Bertha F. Teague (September 17, 1906 in Carthage, Missouri, USA – June 13, 1991) was an American basketball coach. She coached Byng High School team in Ada, Oklahoma for 42 years (from 1927 to 1969) with a career record of 1,157-115 (.910 winning percentage). Her teams won 8 Oklahoma state titles and 98 consecutive games from 1936 to 1939. She was named Coach of the Decade for 1930s, 1940s and 1970s by the Jim Thorpe Athletic Awards Committee in 1974. She was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985 and in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
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Bill Bradley
William Warren "Bill" Bradley (born July 28, 1943) is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.
Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St. Louis and excelled at basketball from an early age. He was a member of the Boy Scouts, did well academically and was an all-county and all-state basketball player in high school. He was offered 75 college scholarships, but declined them all to attend Princeton University. He earned a gold medal as a member of the 1964 Olympic basketball team and was the NCAA Player of the Year in 1965. After graduating in 1965, he attended Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, delaying a decision for two years on whether or not to play in the NBA.
While at Oxford, Bradley played one season of professional basketball in Europe, and eventually decided to join the New York Knicks in the 1967–68 season, after serving six months in the Air Force Reserve. He spent his entire ten-year professional basketball career playing for the Knicks, winning two championship titles. Retiring in 1977, he ran for a seat in the United States Senate the following year, from his adopted home state of New Jersey. He was re-elected in 1984 and 1990, left the Senate in 1997, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the 2000 Democratic presidential nomination.
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Bill Cartwright
James William "Bill" Cartwright (born July 30, 1957) is a retired American NBA basketball player and a former head coach with the Chicago Bulls. A 7'1" (2.16 m) center, he played 16 seasons for the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics, helping the Bulls capture consecutive championships in 1991, 1992 and 1993. He attended Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove, California, and played college basketball at the University of San Francisco.
As a prep star, Cartwright was just as highly regarded as fellow preps Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby.[citation needed]
Cartwright played his college ball at the San Francisco, and was a consensus second team all-American in 1977 and 1979. He graduated as the all-time leading scorer for the Dons, averaging 19.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Cartwright led San Francisco to three trips to the NCAA tournament, to the first round in the 1977 and to the Sweet Sixteen in both 1978 and 1979. [1]
Cartwright was the third overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft selected by the New York Knicks. As a member of the Knicks, he made his only All-Star Game appearance in his rookie year of 1979-80. Cartwright averaged more than 20 points per game in his first two seasons for the Knicks. His playing time decreased during his time in New York, initially due to injury (he suffered four separate fractures to his left foot)[citation needed] and then due to the arrival of number-one pick Patrick Ewing which changed Cartwright's role to that of a backup center.
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Bill Fitch
William Charles "Bill" Fitch (born May 19, 1934) is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) coach who has been successful in making teams playoff contenders throughout his coaching career. Before entering the professional ranks he coached college ball at the University of Minnesota, Bowling Green State University, the University of North Dakota, and his alma mater, Coe College. Fitch's teams twice qualified for the NCAA tournament.
Fitch was a U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor, a fact that Larry Bird credited in his book Drive: The Story of My Life as an important reason for Bird's own strong work ethic.
During his 25-year pro coaching career Fitch repeatedly was hired in an attempt to improve failing teams. As of 2004 Fitch ranked fifth among all NBA coaches in all-time number of victories (with 944) but also ranked second in all-time losses (with 1,106) behind Lenny Wilkens.
He was awarded as the NBA's Coach of the Year Award twice and he guided Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and the rest of the Boston Celtics to the 1981 NBA championship, defeating the Houston Rockets 4 games to 2 in the finals. From Boston, Fitch went on to coach the Rockets where he led a team featuring Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson to the 1986 NBA Finals where they were defeated once again by Bird's Celtics, 4 games to 2, for the NBA championship. Fitch also coached the Cleveland Cavaliers from its inception in 1970 to 1979, as well as New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. In 1996 Fitch was named one of the NBA's Ten Greatest Coaches of All-Time.
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Bill Macdonald
Bill Macdonald is an American sportscaster who has worked for Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket. Macdonald joined the network, then called Prime Ticket, at its inception in 1985. Currently he is the TV play-by-play voice of the Los Angeles Lakers on Fox Sports West and KCAL9 alongside Stu Lantz.
In the past, Macdonald has hosted the following pre-game and in-game shows:
He is also the former host of the Los Angeles Kings' pregame show Break the Ice and calls play-by-play for Los Angeles Avengers Arena Football, UCLA college football and basketball for FSN Prime Ticket. He has also been the host of FSN's Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament coverage at the Staples Center for the past several years. For the past three years, Macdonald has hosted the UCLA Press Conference Show, with Matt Stevens in 2005 and 2006, and James Washington in 2007. Macdonald called the game (January 22, 2006) in which Kobe Bryant scored 81 points, the second-highest total in NBA history. He filled in for Joel Meyers, who had another broadcasting commitment that day.
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Bill Mokray
William G. "Bill" Mokray (June 6, 1907 in Passaic, New Jersey, USA – March 21, 1974) was a leading basketball statistician and historian.
Mokray's love of basketball stats began while attending Passaic High School in Passaic, New Jersey. After graduating from the University of Rhode Island, he worked as a public relations director first for Rhode Island State College and, beginning from 1946, for the Boston Celtics basketball team. He founded and was the editor for The Official NBA Guide, authored the history of basketball article for the Encyclopædia Britannica and wrote a 900-page Ronald Basketball Encyclopedia. He was considered the number one authority on basketball's history and owned what was considered to be the world's largest basketball library, most of which was donated to the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1965 as a contributor.
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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.
Russell is widely considered one of the best players in NBA history. Listed as between 6'9" (2.06 m) and 6'10" (2.08 m), Russell's shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' success. He also inspired his teammates to elevate their own defensive play. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities. He led the NBA in rebounds four times, and remains second all-time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed more than fifty rebounds in a game. Though never the focal point of the Celtics' offense, Russell also scored 14,522 career points and provided effective passing.
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Bill Sharman
William Walton "Bill" Sharman (born May 25, 1926 in Abilene, Texas) is a former professional basketball player and coach. Sharman completed high school in the rural city of Porterville, California and is mostly known for his time with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s, partnering with Bob Cousy in what some consider the greatest backcourt duo of all time. While Cousy was primarily the playmaker, Sharman was the shooter.
From 1950 to 1955 Sharman played professional baseball in the Brooklyn Dodgers minor league system. He was called up to the Dodgers late in the 1951 season but did not appear in a game; as a result of a September 27 game in which the entire Brooklyn bench was ejected from the game for arguing with the umpire, Sharman holds the distinction of being the only player to have ever been ejected from a major league game without ever appearing in one.
Sharman was one of the first guards to shoot better than .400 from the field. He led the NBA in free throw percentage seven times, and his mark of 93.2% in the 1958–59 season remained the NBA record until Ernie DiGregorio topped it in 1976–77. Sharman still holds the record for consecutive free throws in the playoffs with 56. Sharman was named to the All-NBA First Team from 1956 through 1959, and was an All-NBA Second Team member in 1953, 1955, and 1960. Sharman played in eight NBA All-Star games, and was named the 1955 NBA All-Star Game MVP. Sharman ended his career after 11 seasons in 1961.
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Bill Walton
William Theodore "Bill" Walton III (born November 5, 1952) is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while leading the Bruins to two Division I national titles. He then went on to have a prominent career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) where he was a league Most Valuable Player (MVP) and won two NBA championships. His professional career was significantly hampered by multiple foot injuries. Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on May 10, 1993 and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame that same year. He is the father of current Cleveland Cavaliers forward Luke Walton.
Walton was born in La Mesa, California, the son of Gloria Anne (née Hickey) and William Theodore "Ted" Walton. His listed adult playing height was 6 feet 11 inches; it has been reported that Walton was actually taller (7 feet 2 inches, or more), but did not like being categorized as a seven-footer.
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Bill Wennington
William ("Bill") Percey Wennington (born April 26, 1963 in Montreal, Quebec) is a retired Canadian basketball player who won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. A center, he was also a member of two Canadian Olympic Basketball Teams (1984 and 1992) and the 1983 World University Games team that won gold against the USA. Wennington has been inducted into the Quebec Basketball Hall of Fame and the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame.
Wennington attended Brookville, New York's Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School where he played under Bob McKillop, and St. John's University, playing on one NCAA Final Four team under legendary basketball coach Lou Carnesecca. He was drafted in the first round of the 1985 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, where he played his first several seasons. Before joining the Chicago Bulls, he spent a few notable years in Italy playing for Virtus (Knorr) from Bologna.
In 1998, Chicago-area McDonald's restaurants sold a sandwich named after Wennington called the Beef Wennington.
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Billie Moore
Billie J. Moore (born May 5, 1943 in Westmoreland, Kansas, USA) is an American basketball coach. She was the first coach in women's basketball history to lead teams from two different schools to national championships. She coached California State-Fullerton team from 1969 to 1977 (she won the AIAW national title in 1970 in her first year with the team) and UCLA team from 1977 to 1993 (winning the AIAW national title in 1978). Her overall college coaching record is 436-196.
Moore didn't play basketball for her high school because the school was too small to sponsor any athletic teams. However, she was invited to play for an industrial team sponsored by Ohse Meats Company. Moore started her coaching experience as an assistant at Southern Illinois University where she pursued her Master's degree. In addition to basketball, she played softball for the Raybestos Brakettes, with Lou Albrecht, who was the women's basketball coach at Cal State Fullerton. Albrecht left that position and recommended Moore for an interview. Moore was hired as women's basketball coach and athletic director. In her first year as coach, her team would go on to win the national championship. Moore coached teams would make it to the Final Four in 1970, 1972, 1975, 1978, and 1979.
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Billy Cunningham
William John "Billy" Cunningham (born June 3, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid.
Billy Cunningham was born in Brooklyn, New York. His fame began while he was playing at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, where he was the MVP in the Brooklyn League in 1961. That year, he was the First-Team All-New York City, and a member of the Parade Magazine All-America Team.
Cunningham then went to the University of North Carolina, where he excelled. He once grabbed a record 27 rebounds in a game vs. Clemson on February 16, 1963. Cunningham also set a single-game North Carolina record with 48 points against Tulane on December 10, 1964. In his UNC career, he scored 1,709 points (24.8 points per game), and grabbed 1,062 rebounds (15.4 rebounds per game). Upon graduation, his 1,062 rebounds were the best in North Carolina history and he held seasonal records for most rebounds (379 in 1964) and rebound average (16.1 in 1963).
In 1965, Cunningham joined the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association as a sixth man and played well enough to be named to the NBA All-Rookie Team.
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Bison Dele
Bison Dele (April 6, 1969 – presumed dead July 7, 2002) formerly known as Brian Carson Williams, was an American professional basketball player who finished his career as a center for the NBA's Detroit Pistons. He is believed to have been murdered at sea by his older brother in 2002.
Brian Williams was born in Fresno, California, the second son of Patricia Phillips and of singer Eugene Williams of the musical group The Platters. He attended Saint Monica Catholic High School in Santa Monica, California, where his jersey is retired. He began his collegiate basketball career at the University of Maryland, playing there for one year. He sat out the next season while transferring to the University of Arizona. After playing for two seasons at Arizona, he was drafted in the first round of the 1991 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. He saw limited action during two seasons in Orlando.
After playing for Orlando, Williams joined the Denver Nuggets, for whom he played for two seasons. In 1993-94, he played a career-high 80 games and averaged 8.0 points per game. He subsequently played one year for the Los Angeles Clippers, earning increased playing time and averaging 15.8 points per game. Due to a contract dispute and reports that Williams' asking price was too high, he could not find a team at the beginning of the 1996-97 season. He was then signed by the Chicago Bulls nine games before the end of the season and became an important backup player in the Bulls' run to their fifth championship. He finished his career with two seasons with the Detroit Pistons, where he set career highs of 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in 1997-98. In 1998, he changed his name to Bison Dele to honor his Native American and African ancestry, and played his final season under that name.
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Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy (born August 9, 1928) is a retired American professional basketball player. Cousy played point guard with the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969-70 season. Cousy first demonstrated his basketball abilities while playing for his high school varsity team in his junior year. He obtained a scholarship to the College of the Holy Cross, where he led the Crusaders to berths in the 1948 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and 1950 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and was named an NCAA All-American for 3 seasons. Cousy was initially drafted as the third overall pick in the first round of the 1950 NBA Draft by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, but after he refused to report, he was picked up by Boston. Cousy had a very successful career with the Celtics, playing on six championship teams, being voted into 13 NBA All-Star Games and 12 All-NBA First and Second Teams and winning the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 1957.
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Bob Dandridge
Robert L. "Bob" Dandridge (born November 15, 1947 in Richmond, Virginia) is a retired American professional basketball player.
He attended Maggie L. Walker High School in Richmond, Virginia and Norfolk State University, teaming up with Pee Wee Kirkland. His teams had phenomenal years. The Spartans won the CIAA title in 1968 with a 25-2 record; they lost in the second round of the NCAA Division II Men's Tournament. The next year their record was 21-4 and they lost in the first round of the D-II tournament. He was drafted by the Kentucky Colonels in the 1969 American Basketball Association draft and by the Milwaukee Bucks in the fourth round of the 1969 NBA Draft.
Named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1970, Dandridge was also an important part of the Milwaukee Bucks team that won the NBA championship in 1971 alongside the Hall-of-Fame duo of Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Oscar Robertson. Dandridge is usually mentioned as one of the NBA's best forwards in the 1970s. He played a total of 13 seasons in the NBA, nine of them with the Bucks as well as four with the Washington Bullets, with whom he won an NBA championship in 1978 while forming the frontcourt with another future Hall-of-Fame duo: Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld.
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Bob Davies
Robert Edris Davies (January 15, 1920 – April 22, 1990) was a professional basketball player in the 1950s. Alongside Bobby Wanzer he formed one of the best backcourt duos in the NBAs early years. Davies and Wanzer led the Rochester Royals to the 1951 NBA championship. Davies was also a former basketball coach at the Seton Hall University and was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 11, 1970.
Although Bob Cousy is often considered the originator of the behind-the-back dribble, Davies actually deserves the credit. His Seton Hall coach, "Honey" Russell, once said, "He had such uncanny control of the ball behind his back that it never concerned me. He made it look as easy as the conventional dribble."
Davies entered Seton Hall in 1938 on a baseball scholarship, but Russell persuaded him to concentrate on basketball after seeing him practice once. Never a high scorer—his best college average was 11.8 points a game—Davies was a consummate passer and play-maker.."
Known as the "Harrisburg Houdini," Davies led Seton Hall to 43 consecutive victories from 1939 into 1941. His spectacular skills helped attract the largest crowd in basketball history at the time, 18,403 people, to Madison Square Garden in March 1941, when Seton Hall beat Rhode Island in a quarter-final game of the National Invitation Tournament.
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Bob Douglas
Robert L. "Bob" Douglas (November 4, 1882 - July 16, 1979) was the founder of the New York Renaissance basketball team. Nicknamed the "Father of Black Professional Basketball", Douglas owned and coached the Rens from 1923 to 1949, guiding them to a 2,318-381 record (.859). He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1972, the first African American enshrined.
The Rens barnstormed throughout the United States, mostly in the Midwest, and played any team that would schedule them, black or white. Traveling as far as 200 miles for a game, they often slept on the bus and ate cold meals; they were barred from many hotels and restaurants by Jim Crow laws and norms of racial discrimination which prevailed in the northern United States at the time.
The Rens soon became a dominant team, winning as many as 88 consecutive games during the 1932–33 season. In the twenties and early thirties, their matches with the Original Celtics were basketball's greatest gate attraction. At the World Professional Basketball Tournament they won in 1939, lost to the eventual champion Harlem Globetrotters in 1940, and finished second to the National Basketball League champion Minneapolis Lakers in 1948.
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Bob Hansen
Robert Louis Hansen II (also known as Bob (or Bobby) Hansen) (born January 18, 1961 in Des Moines, Iowa) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'6" guard, he played nine seasons (1983–1992) in the National Basketball Association.
Hansen was a standout at Christ The King Elementary school and was a four year starter and star at West Des Moines Dowling High School in the late 1970s. As a senior, he averaged 26 points and eleven rebounds per game to lead his team to an Iowa Class 4-A boys' basketball championship in 1979. His success in high school made him a prized recruit for coach Lute Olson and the University of Iowa, where Hansen played a key role on the Hawkeyes team that reached the 1980 Final Four. As a senior in 1983, he was named as Iowa's Most Valuable Player, and was selected by the Utah Jazz in the third round of the 1983 NBA Draft.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Earvin "Magic" Johnson said Hansen's tough, hard-nosed defensive style would often get him properly prepared for the physical toll of the NBA Playoffs. Although he earned his ability to guard Magic in 40 playoff games for the Jazz from 1984–90, it was in nine post-season games with the Bulls he earned his only championship ring.
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Bob Houbregs
Robert J. "Bob" Houbregs (born March 12, 1932) is a former professional basketball player.
A 6'8", 225 pound forward-center, Houbregs attended the University of Washington from 1949 to 1953. In 1952, Houbregs was a Second Team Consensus All-America selection. In 1953, as a senior, he was named NCAA Player of the Year, was a Consensus All-America selection, helped lead the University of Washington to the Final Four, and was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 34.8 points per game in the post-season.
Houbregs was drafted by the NBA's Milwaukee Hawks with the 3rd overall pick in 1953 and played five seasons (1953–1958) in the NBA with four teams: the Hawks, the Baltimore Bullets, the Boston Celtics, and the Fort Wayne (later Detroit) Pistons. Houbregs' career scoring average was 9.3 points per game, and he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.
Houbregs served as general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics from 1970 to 1973.
Houbregs is a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity.
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Bob Hurley
Robert Matthew "Bob" Hurley, Sr. (born July 31, 1947) is the basketball coach at St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, New Jersey. Hurley has amassed 26 state championships and more than 1000 wins in 39 years as a coach, creating a national powerhouse despite older facilities and financial limitations. On February 2, 2011, Hurley became the tenth coach in high school history to win 1000 games. Five of his teams have gone undefeated, including his 2007-08 team. On April 5, 2010, he was announced as the only coach to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame that year and only the third high-school coach in history to be so honored; he was formally inducted on August 13 of that year. Hurley is the father of Bobby Hurley, a former All-American point guard at Duke, and Danny Hurley, who was hired in April 2010 to coach Wagner College after years of coaching at Newark's Saint Benedict's Preparatory School, also one of the top high school programs in the nation. Danny has since hired Bobby as an assistant at Wagner.
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Bob Knight
Robert Montgomery "Bob" Knight (born October 25, 1940) is a retired American basketball coach. Nicknamed "The General", Knight won 902 NCAA Division I men's college basketball games, second all-time to his former player, Mike Krzyzewski. He is most well known as the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers from 1971–2000. He also coached briefly at Texas Tech (2001–2008) and at West Point (1965–1971).
While at Indiana, Knight led his teams to three NCAA championships, one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship, and 11 Big Ten Conference championships. He received the National Coach of the Year honor four times and the Big Ten Coach of the Year honor eight times. In 1984, he coached the USA men's Olympic team to a gold medal, becoming one of only three basketball coaches to win an NCAA title, NIT title, and an Olympic gold medal.
Knight was one of college basketball's most successful and innovative coaches, having perfected and popularized the motion offense. He has also been praised for running clean programs (none of his teams was ever sanctioned by the NCAA for recruiting violations) and graduating most of his players. However, Knight has also attracted controversy; he famously threw a chair across the court during a game, was once arrested for assault, and regularly displayed a combative nature during encounters with members of the press. Knight remains "the object of near fanatical devotion" from his former players and Indiana fans.
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Bob Kurland
Robert Albert "Bob" Kurland (born December 23, 1924 in St. Louis, Missouri) was a 7 feet (2.1 m) basketball center, who played for Henry Iba's Oklahoma A&M Aggies (now Oklahoma State Cowboys) basketball team. He was an integral part of the team's consecutive NCAA titles in 1945 and 1946.
Because Kurland often leaped above the rim to grab opponents' shots, the NCAA banned defensive goaltending in 1945. Kurland was also the first person to regularly dunk during games. The rivalry between him and De Paul's George Mikan would foreshadow similar matchups, especially those of "Big Men".
Kurland never played professional basketball, passing up the newly formed Basketball Association of America and National Basketball League (which would merge, forming the National Basketball Association), to play for Phillips Petroleum's A.A.U. team, the 66 Oilers. Kurland played for six years with Phillips, winning three championships. Since he never played professionally, he was eligible as an amateur for the 1948 and 1952 Olympics.
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Bob Love
Robert (Bob) Earl “Butterbean” Love (born December 8, 1942, in Bastrop, Louisiana) is a retired American professional basketball player who spent the prime of his career with the NBA's Chicago Bulls. A versatile forward who could shoot with either his left or right hand, Love now works as the Bulls' Director of Community Affairs.
After starring at Morehouse High School (now defunct) in Louisiana, Love played basketball for Southern University, where he also became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega. He earned All-America honors in 1963, and in 1965, the Cincinnati Royals selected the 6’8” forward in the fourth round of the 1965 NBA Draft. Love failed to make the team, and instead spent the 1965-66 NBA season in the Eastern Basketball League. After averaging over 25 points per game, Love earned the EBL Rookie of the Year Award and gained enough confidence to try out for the Royals once more. He made the team on his second attempt and played two seasons for the Royals, largely in a reserve role. In 1968, the Milwaukee Bucks selected him in the NBA Expansion Draft and traded him to the Chicago Bulls in the middle of the 1968-69 season.
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Bob McAdoo
Robert Allen 'Bob' McAdoo (born September 25, 1951) is a retired American professional basketball player who spent a fourteen-year career playing the center and power forward positions in the National Basketball Association. McAdoo is currently an assistant coach for the Miami Heat.
Drafted in the first round of the 1972 NBA Draft by the Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) following two seasons at Vincennes Junior College, and one season at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, McAdoo soon became one of the NBA's premier players. McAdoo won the 1973 NBA Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, and earned the first of three consecutive NBA scoring titles in only his second season. His 2nd season (1973–74) remains the last time an NBA player has averaged both 30.0 points per game and 15.0 rebounds per game over the course of a season. McAdoo also led the NBA in field goal percentage in 1973-74, shooting 54.7 percent. That year he enjoyed his first of five All-Star selections. In 1974-75 he was awarded the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, averaging 34.5 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.12 blocks per game, while shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 80.5 percent from the free throw line. He also led the league in fan voting for the 1975 All-Star Game with 98,325 votes.
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Bob Netolicky
Robert Netolicky (born August 2, 1942 in San Francisco, California) is a retired American basketball player. A 6'9" power forward/center, he played professionally in the now-defunct American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1967 to 1976.
Netolicky was an All-American selection at Drake University in the 1960s before being drafted by the National Basketball Association's (NBA) San Diego Rockets in 1967. However, he never played for the Rockets, joining the ABA's Indiana Pacers instead. A four-time ABA All-Star and two-time ABA Champion, Netolicky was a well-rounded player who could rebound, defend, and shoot the ball equally well. Indeed, Jim O'Brien of The Sporting News once claimed that Netolicky was the "smoothest shooting big man in the ABA" [1]. Besides the Pacers, Netolicky briefly played for the Dallas Chaparrals and San Antonio Spurs, and he ended his ABA career with 9,876 career points and 5,518 career rebounds.
He was also a fan favorite, well known for his advocacy of mod lifestyle and his exotic pets (including a lion and an ocelot). One sportswriter called him the "Broadway Joe Namath of the ABA", since he had become a veritable sex symbol to many of Indiana's female fans [2].
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Bob Pettit
Robert Lee "Bob" Pettit Jr. (born December 12, 1932, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.) is a retired American professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954-1965). He was the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970. He also went by the nickname "Dutch" in college. He also won the NBA All-Star MVP award four times.
Pettit's basketball career had humble beginnings. At Baton Rouge High School, he was cut from the varsity basketball team as both a freshman and sophomore. His father, Sheriff of East Baton Rouge Parish (1932-1936), pushed him to practice in the backyard of the Kemmerly house until he improved his skills. It worked: Pettit became a starter as a junior, and led Baton Rouge High to its first State Championship in over 20 years in his senior year.
After high school, Pettit accepted a scholarship to play at Louisiana State University. He was a three-time All-Southeastern Conference selection and a two-time All American as a member of the LSU men's basketball team. (Freshmen were not allowed to play varsity basketball in those days.) During those three years, Pettit averaged 27.8 points per game. He was also a member of the Zeta Zeta Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon at LSU.
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Bob Rule
Bobby (Bob) Frank Rule (born June 29, 1944, in Riverside, California) is a retired American basketball player at center for the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and briefly, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Earlier in his college career, Rule played under the legendary Jerry Tarkanian, then head coach at Riverside Community College, as a member of two state championship teams. A second round pick in the 1967 NBA Draft, Rule quickly became one of the stars of Seattle's expansion franchise. Named to the 1967-68 NBA All-Rookie Team, Rule's 18.1 points per game average stood as the SuperSonics rookie record for forty seasons, until broken by Kevin Durant. His rebounding average of 9.5 is the second best ever by a SuperSonics rookie, behind only Pete Cross's 12.0 in the 1970-71 season. Also during his rookie season, Rule scored 47 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers — still a SuperSonics rookie record.
Rule's game grew stronger during the next two seasons. In the 1968-69 season, he averaged 24.0 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game. In the 1969-70 season, he averaged 24.6 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game, set a then-Supersonics record of 49 points in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, and played in the 1970 NBA All-Star Game. In the 1970-71 season, Rule began the season averaging 29.8 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game in his first four games before going down with a season-ending torn achilles tendon. He never regained his All-Star form after his scoring fell to 15.1 PPG the following season and saw limited playing time thereafter. By 1974 his career was over.
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Bobby McDermott
Robert "Bobby" McDermott (January 7, 1914 in Whitestone, Queens, New York – October 3, 1963 in Yonkers, New York) was an American professional basketball player, in the 1930s and 1940s.
He was known as an outstanding shooter and has been called "the greatest long-distance shooter in the history of the game" by contemporaries.
During the 1940s the most common offenses were motion offenses that were supposed to open up players close to the goal. This was because most players were awful shooters. The most common defenses were zones, that clogged passing lanes and packed the paint. For zone defense to be successful, all the defenders have to be close together and close to the goal.
Bob spread the defenders like nobody ever did before or has since. He was an accurate shooter for his day but not legendarily accurate. His free throw percentage was below 80% most of his career and he used a two-handed set shot from the chest that was easy to block. However, he could score from anywhere within the half court. Al Cervi, a great defensive player who often had to guard him, said of McDermott, "Oh, he could shoot! If he shot ten times from thirty feet, I'd guarantee he'd make eight in game conditions."
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Bobby Wanzer
Robert Francis (Bobby) Wanzer, also known as "Hooks" Wanzer (born June 4, 1921) is a former basketball player and coach. A 6'0" guard, he played collegiately at Seton Hall University, and was selected by the Rochester Royals in 1947. Royals star Bob Davies was a Seton Hall assistant and steered the star guard to the NBL contender. Initially a reserve behind Al Cervi and Red Holzman, Wanzer later teamed with Davies to form a potent backcourt for the day. The Royals were very successful 1947-1954, and their smaller stars, like Wanzer, were considered their biggest assets. With Wanzer, Rochester won the 1950-51 National Basketball Association (NBA) title.
He played his entire career with the Royals, retiring from play after the end of the 1957 season. Wanzer was a five-time All-Star with the Royals, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. Wanzer was the first player to ever shoot over 90% from the free throw line in a season.
Wanzer would also coach the Royals as well. He was a player-coach for two years, and then (after the franchise moved to Cincinnati, Ohio) coached for another season. His 1957-58 Cincinnati Royals were a NBA contender, but injuries stopped the team short. When star Maurice Stokes was permanently injured, Wanzer moved on early the following NBA season. He later coached St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, New York.
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Borislav Stanković
Borislav "Bora" Stanković (Serbian Cyrillic: Борислав Станковић; born July 9, 1925) is a Serbian former basketball player and coach, as well as a longtime administrator in the sport's various governing bodies. For his contributions to the game of basketball he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991.
Stanković was born in Bihać, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Early in his life he moved to Novi Sad and then to Syrmian town of Ledinci during World War II. After the war, Stanković went to Belgrade where he graduated from the University of Belgrade with a degree in veterinary medicine.
Simultaneous to his studies Stanković played professionally for KK Crvena zvezda (1946-1948) and Železničar Beograd (1948-1950) and was on the Yugoslav national team for five years in early 1950s. After he retired from the game, he coached OKK Beograd for ten consecutive seasons (1953–1963) and for a season in 1965. He then moved on to Italian club Pallacanestro Cantù, spending three seasons as its head coach (1966–1969).
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Branch McCracken
Branch McCracken (June 9, 1908 – June 4, 1970) was a hall of fame coach for the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team.
As a player at Indiana, McCracken was a three-year letter winner. At 6-4 and 200 lb (91 kg), McCracken played center, forward and guard, pacing the Hoosiers in scoring for three years. His coach and predecessor, Hall of Fame coach Everett Dean, called McCracken "rough and tough." McCracken never missed a game. Once, when slowed by injuries, he planted himself near the foul line, back to the basket, from there passing off to players cutting by him or keeping the ball and rolling to the basket himself. "Once we saw what he could do, we let him go," Dean said. "He was one of the first college centers who played the pivot the way it's played today."
McCracken scored 32.3 percent of the points his three Hoosier teams scored. He led the Big Ten Conference with a 12.3 average his senior year and graduated as the league's career scoring record holder.
McCracken was a consensus All-American in 1930. Upon his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960, he was the first man ever voted there for his performance as an Indiana player.
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Brian Shaw
Brian K. Shaw (born March 22, 1966) is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers. At 6' 6" he could play both guard spots, but was used primarily at point guard over the course of his 14 seasons in the league.
Shaw grew up in Oakland, California with other future basketball stars such as Antonio Davis, Jason Kidd, and Gary Payton, as well as Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell.[citation needed] He attended Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland and then St. Mary's College of California for his freshman and sophomore years of college. He then transferred to UC Santa Barbara for his junior and senior seasons. In his senior year, he was named Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) player of the year as he led the Gauchos to their first ever NCAA tournament berth. He was taken with the 24th overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 1988 NBA Draft.
In 1988, Shaw signed a one year contract with the Celtics. In 1989, Shaw signed a two-year contract to play with an Italian team, Il Messaggero Roma. At the end of January 1990, Shaw signed a 5 year deal with the Celtics. In June of that year, Shaw told the Celtics he planned to play for Il Messaggero during the 1990 season. The ensuing contract dispute, Boston Celtics v. Brian Shaw, which Shaw lost, became a relatively famous sports law case and is read in many law school contracts classes.[citation needed]
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Bruce Drake
Bruce Drake (December 5, 1905 – December 4, 1983) was a college men's basketball coach. The Gentry, Texas native was head coach at the University of Oklahoma between 1938 and 1955, compiling a 200-181 record. He also coached the Air Force team to a 34-14 record in 1956
Prior to coaching, he was also a star for Hugh McDermott's Oklahoma team. He was a 1928-29 Helms Foundation All American.
As a coach Drake made 2 Final Fours the first one in 1939 Where they lost to Oregon 55-37 and in 1947 where he lost in the Championship Game to Holy Cross 58-47. He made 1 more additional NCAA tournament appearance in 1943 though he coached at a time when only 8 team made the tournament. In all he won or tied for 6 conference championships (Big Six and Big Seven).
He coached 5 Olympic (Wayne Glasgow and Marcus Freiberger of University of Oklahoma, 1952; Bill Evans, Ron Tomsic and Gib Ford of Air Force team, 1956) and three All-Americans (Jimmy McNatt, 1940; Gerald Tucker, 1943, 1947; Allie Paine, 1944)
Drake was selected as the assistant coach for the 1956 USA Men's Basketball Gold Medal Olympic Team
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Buddy Jeannette
Harry Edward "Buddy" Jeannette (September 15, 1917 – March 11, 1998) was a professional basketball player and coach.
Jeannette was widely regarded as the premier backcourt player between 1938 and 1948. He was named to the First Team of the NBL four times, and won titles with the NBL's Sheboygan Red Skins (1943) and Fort Wayne Pistons (1944, 1945). Jeannette also won a title with the ABL's Baltimore Bullets in 1947.
Most of his playing career came prior to the formation of the modern NBA or its predecessor leagues; however Jeannette did serve three years as a player-coach for the original Baltimore Bullets of the Basketball Association of America. In the 1948 BAA playoffs, he became the first player-coach to win a professional championship. After his playing career ended, he coached the original Bullets for one more season. He then became the head coach at Georgetown University for four seasons.
Jeannette returned to the ranks of professional coaching to lead the modern Bullets twice, once for a full season and once as an interim coach. He later would coach the ABA's Pittsburgh Pipers.
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Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is an American animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray hare or rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality, a pronounced Brooklyn accent, and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most notably the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of theatrical short films. His popularity there led to his becoming a corporate mascot of the Warner Bros. company. Bugs has appeared in more films than any other cartoon character and is the ninth most portrayed film personality in the world.
According to Bugs Bunny: 50 Years and Only One Grey Hare, Bugs was born on July 27, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York in a warren under Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In reality, he was created by many animators and staff, including Tex Avery, who directed A Wild Hare, Bugs' debut role, and Robert McKimson, who created the definitive "Bugs Bunny" character design. According to Mel Blanc, the character's original voice actor, Bugs has a Flatbush accent. Bugs has had numerous catchphrases, the most prominent being a casual "Eh... What's up, doc?", usually said while chewing a carrot.
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Byron Beck
A. Byron Beck (born January 25, 1945 in Ellensburg, Washington) is an American former professional basketball player.
A 6'9" forward/center from the University of Denver, Beck was one of six players (along with Louie Dampier, Gerald Govan, Bob Netolicky, Stew Johnson, and Freddie Lewis) who participated in all nine seasons (1967–1976) of the original American Basketball Association. He played for the Denver Rockets, who later became the Denver Nuggets. Beck was not blessed with superior athleticism, but he was a hard worker known for his tenacious rebounding and efficient hook shot, and he represented Denver in two ABA All-Star Games (1969 and 1976).
Beck also played one season in the National Basketball Association after the Nuggets joined the NBA through the ABA-NBA merger in 1976, and he retired in 1977 with 8,603 career ABA/NBA points and 5,261 career rebounds. On December 16, 1977, he became the first player in the Denver franchise to have his jersey number (#40) retired.
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Calvin Murphy
Calvin Murphy (born May 9, 1948) is a retired American professional basketball player who played as a guard for the NBA's San Diego/Houston Rockets from 1970-1983. He is a former member of the Houston Rockets' broadcast team. He was also the host of ESPN Radio's The Calvin Murphy Show. Standing at a height of 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m), Murphy has the distinction of being the shortest player inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Before basketball Calvin Murphy was a world class baton twirler. He says he was "bullied into it" as his mother and all six of her sisters were twirlers. As an 8th grader, in 1963, he won a national championship in baton twirling. His reputation as a twirler earned him invitations to perform at major sporting events and the 1964 New York World's Fair. In 1977, at the height of his basketball career in Houston, Murphy won the Texas State Men's Twirling Championship.
He played basketball for Norwalk High School, where he was All-State three times and All-America twice. He is a member of the Connecticut Coaches Association Hall of Fame and a Connecticut Sportswriters Gold Key Award winner. Norwalk High School's address is now 23 Calvin Murphy Rd. in his honor.
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Carol Blazejowski
Carol Ann Blazejowski (born September 29, 1956, in Elizabeth, New Jersey) is an American retired professional women's basketball player and the former President and General Manager of the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Blazejowski is the daughter of Leon and Grace (John) Blazejowski. She resides with her family in Nutley, New Jersey.
Using a jump shot patterned after what she saw in televised professional games, Blazejowski became one of the greatest scorers in the history of women's basketball, although she didn't begin serious competition until her senior year at Cranford High School in Cranford, New Jersey.
At Montclair State College in Montclair, New Jersey, the 5-foot-10 (1.78 m) forward was a three-time All-American, from 1976 through 1978. Blazejowski won the inaugural Wade Trophy as the nation's finest collegiate woman player in 1978. She led the nation in scoring with 33.5 points per game in 1976/77 and 38.6 points per game in 1977/78. Blazejowski scored 40 or more points in each of her last three games, including the semifinal loss to eventual champion UCLA. Sports Illustrated would call her, "the most relentlessly exciting performer in the history of women's basketball". She set a Madison Square Garden record for either sex with 52 points in a 1978 game against Queens College. Similar to all-time men's collegiate scoring record holder, Pete Maravich, "The Blaze" played during an era without the three point shot.
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Cathy Rush
Cathy Rush (born April 7, 1947) was the head women's basketball coach at Immaculata from 1972-1977. She led Immaculata to three consecutive AIAW national titles from 1972-1974. She led the Mighty Macs to six consecutive final four appearances in her six seasons with the school, attaining a 149-15 record. Rush was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on April 7, 2008. She had also been inducted to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
A resident of Ventnor, New Jersey, Rush grew up in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey and graduated from Oakcrest High School in 1964. She received a Bachelor of Science in 1968 and a Masters in Education in 1972, both from West Chester University. She has two children with her ex-husband, former National Basketball Association referee and Supervisor of Officials Ed T. Rush.
The Mighty Macs, a movie about the season leading to the winning of the first women's national basketball championship in 1972, was released in October 2011. Rush is played by Carla Gugino.
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Cazzie Russell
Cazzie Lee Russell (born June 7, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former pro basketball player and coach. In 1962, Russell was named the Chicago Sun Times Boy's Player of the Year.
Russell played college basketball at the University of Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to three consecutive Big Ten Conference titles (1964–66) and to Final Four appearances in 1964 and 1965, losing in the final game 91-80 to defending national champion UCLA and John Wooden. In 1966, Russell averaged 30.8 points per game and was named the College Basketball Player of the Year. Crisler Arena, which opened in 1967, has been dubbed The House that Cazzie Built.
Russell spent twelve seasons in the NBA (1966-1978), and is best remembered for his five seasons with the New York Knicks (1966-71). Russell was the NBA's first draft pick in 1966, and was named to the 1967 All-Rookie Team. He was later part of the famous 1970 Knicks team that won the NBA championship over the Los Angeles Lakers. Russell played in the 1972 NBA All-Star Game while with the Golden State Warriors. When he played for the Lakers, he was the last player to wear #32 prior to Magic Johnson.
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Cesare Rubini
Cesare Rubini (2 November 1923 – 8 February 2011) was an Italian basketball player and coach, and water polo player. One of the greatest European basketball coaches of all time, Rubini was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994, the first, and to this day, one of the few Italian basketball figures to receive such an honour, together with Dino Meneghin and Sandro Gamba. He has also been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and into the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame.
Rubini started to play basketball for his high school team in his native Trieste, where he graduated in 1941. The same year he began to play for Olimpia Milano, the most prestigious Italian League basketball club at that time. He however had a long-lived passion for water polo: this led him later to become one of the rare world sportsmen to play at the highest level in two different team sports.
In 1946, he won a silver medal with the Italian national basketball team at the EuroBasket 1946, held in Geneva. The following year, he also won a silver medal at the European Championships, but this time with the Italian national water polo team. In the meantime he had assumed the role of player-coach of Olimpia Milano: in 1948, however, he was called by the national teams of both sports. Rubini chose water polo, and won a gold medal at the 1948 Summer Olympic Games in London, beating the Netherlands in the final. With Rubini as a full-time player, Italy could boast what was to be called the "Golden Settebello", one of the most valuable water polo teams ever, which also won a bronze medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics and at the Turin European Championship of 1954. In both the events, Italy was behind traditional rivals of Yugoslavia and Hungary.
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Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is a former American professional basketball player and current analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's (NBA's) most dominating power forwards. He was selected to the All-NBA First Team five times, the All-NBA Second Team five times, and once to the All-NBA Third Team. He earned eleven NBA All-Star Game appearances and was named the All-Star MVP in 1991. In 1993, he was voted the league's Most Valuable Player and during the NBA's 50th anniversary, named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic games and won two gold medals as a member of the United States' Dream Team. In 2006, Barkley was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Barkley was popular with the fans and media and made the NBA's All-Interview Team for his last 13 seasons in the league. He was frequently involved in on- and off-court fights and sometimes stirred national controversy, as in March 1991 when he mistakenly spat on a young girl, and as in 1993 when he declared that sports figures should not be considered role models. Short for a power forward, Barkley used his strength and aggressiveness to become one of the NBA's most dominant rebounders. He was a versatile player who had the ability to score, create plays, and defend. In 2000, he retired as the fourth player in NBA history to achieve 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists.
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Cheryl Miller
Cheryl D. Miller (born on January 3, 1964 in Riverside, California) is a former college basketball player, coach and sportscaster for TNT. She is currently a sideline reporter for NBA games on TNT Sports and also works for NBA TV as a reporter and analyst having worked previously as a sportscaster for ABC Sports, TBS Sports and ESPN. She was also head coach and General Manager of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.
In 1995, Miller was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1999, she was inducted into the inaugural class of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Knoxville, Tennessee. On August 20, 2010, Miller was also inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame for her success in international play.
She is the sister of retired National Basketball Association star Reggie Miller and of former Major League Baseball catcher Darrell Miller.
Miller played at Riverside Polytechnic High School (1978–1982) where she was a four-year letter winner and led her team to a 132-4 record. She was awarded the Dial Award for the national high-school scholar-athlete of the year in 1981. She was the first player, male or female, to be named an All-American by Parade magazine four times. Averaging 32.8 points and 15.0 rebounds a game, Miller was Street & Smith's national High School Player of the Year in both 1981 and 1982. During her senior year she scored 105 points in a game against Norte Vista High School.
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Chick Hearn
Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn (November 27, 1916 – August 5, 2002) was an American sportscaster. Known primarily as the long-time play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, Hearn was remembered for his rapid fire, staccato broadcasting style, inventing colorful phrases such as slam dunk, air ball, and no harm, no foul that have become common basketball vernacular, and for broadcasting 3,338 consecutive Lakers games starting on November 21, 1965. Additionally, Hearn started the now common tradition of estimating the distance of shots taken.
Of note is that most of Hearn's games in the television era were simulcast on both radio and television, even after most teams chose to use different announcers for the different media.
Hearn grew up in Aurora, Illinois in west suburban Chicago and attended high school at Marmion Academy and college at Bradley University. He earned the nickname "Chick" while an Amateur Athletic Union basketball player at Bradley, when teammates played a prank on him: giving him a shoebox to see his surprised reaction when he opened it and found not sneakers inside, but instead a dead chicken.
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Christian Steinmetz
Christian "Chris" Steinmetz (June 28, 1882 – June 11, 1963) was an American basketball player. He played forward for the University of Wisconsin from 1903 to 1905. He was college basketball's leading scorer in the game's first 25 years from 1895 to 1920. He became known as the "Father of Wisconsin Basketball" and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961.
Steinmetz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1882. He was the son of Chris, a Milwaukee real estate man, and Frances Steinmetz.
Steinmetz attended Milwaukee's South Division High School where he was a member of the school's basketball and track teams. He led South Division to the state high school basketball championship in 1902 and was the state champion in the high jump that year.
Steinmetz enrolled at the University of Wisconsin where he was a member of the Badgers' track and basketball teams from 1903 to 1905. Despite his modest size at 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) and 137 pounds (62 kg), he became one of the greatest scorers in basketball history. One writer who saw him play wrote: "He was a human dynamo on the basketball floor. Possessed of an uncanny eye for the basket and a bulldog on defense, Steinmetz always seemed to be at the right place at the right time. He was to basketball what Willie Heston (of Michigan) was to football."
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Chuck Daly
Charles Jerome "Chuck" Daly (July 20, 1930 – May 9, 2009) was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA) Championships in 1989 and 1990, and the Dream Team to the men's basketball gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He had a 14-year NBA coaching career.
Born in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, to Earl and Geraldine Daly on July 20, 1930, Daly attended Kane Area High School in nearby Kane. He matriculated at St. Bonaventure University for one year before transferring to Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1952. After serving two years in the military, he began his basketball coaching career in 1955 at Punxsutawney (PA) High School.
After compiling a 111–70 record in eight seasons at Punxsutawney (PA) High School, Daly moved on to the college level in 1963 as an assistant coach under Vic Bubas at Duke University. During his six seasons at Duke, the Blue Devils won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and advanced to the Final Four, both in 1964 and 1966. Daly then replaced Bob Cousy as head coach at Boston College in 1969. The Eagles recorded an 11–13 record in Daly's first year at the school, and improved to 15–11 in 1971.
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Chuck Hyatt
Charles D. "Chuck" Hyatt (February 28, 1908 – May 8, 1978) was a well-known collegiate basketball player in the late 1920s.
The Syracuse, New York native played three seasons at University of Pittsburgh under Hall of Fame coach Clifford Carlson (1927–30). An exceptional shooter, Hyatt scored then-outstanding 880 points throughout his college career. He was named an All-American three consecutive times, and additionally Helms Foundation Player of the Year in 1930, when he led the nation in scoring with 12.6 ppg.
After his college career, Hyatt played AAU basketball, and later coached in the Professional Basketball League of America. Hyatt was inducted into the Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in its inaugural class in 1959, and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in its inaugural class of 2006.
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Chuck Person
Chuck Connors Person (born June 27, 1964 in Brantley, Alabama) is a retired American National Basketball Association player and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Person attended Brantley High School in Brantley, Alabama and wasn't heavily recruited, but Auburn took a chance on him in 1982. Person was mostly a reserve forward his freshman year, but saw more playing time as the year progressed. In his sophomore season, Person was a full-time starter at forward and teamed with junior Charles Barkley to form a potent inside-outside combination. Person's superb outside shooting skills (unusual for a big man) and Barkley's inside play helped Auburn University to its first ever NCAA tournament appearance in 1984. Person averaged 19.1 points per game that season.
After Barkley left for the NBA, Person became the unquestioned leader of a young Auburn team that wasn't expected to do much in 1984-85. He averaged 22.5 points per game and set the Auburn single-season record for total points scored (747). Auburn was a seventh seed (out of 10) in the SEC Tournament that season, but Person and freshmen Chris Morris, Jeff Moore, and Terrence Howard helped Auburn to become the first team to win four games in four days in the tournament and to win its first-ever SEC Tournament championship. Person was an Honorable Mention All-America selection that season. In the NCAA tournament, Auburn upset Kansas and Purdue before bowing out in the Sweet 16 to North Carolina.
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Chuck Swirsky
Chuck Swirsky (born January 30, 1954) is the radio play-by-play voice of the Chicago Bulls of the NBA. He was formerly the longtime play-by-play voice of the Toronto Raptors.
Born in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S., Swirsky grew up in Bellevue, Washington and is graduate of Interlake High School (class of 1972).
Swirsky was a sportscaster for WCFL in Chicago from 1979 to 1981. He was the Chicago Bulls public address announcer from 1980 to 1983. He joined WGN radio in 1981 and remained through the mid 1990s. While he was with WGN he also did play-by-play for DePaul games alongside former coach Ray Meyer and also did Chicago Bears pre-game and post-game coverage. He also made frequent appearances on the Bob Collins radio show, Collins dubbing him "The Swirsk". (Larry Lujack, sarcastic DJ of rival WLS radio, called Swirsky, "Chicago's answer to Mr. Spock", making fun of his prominent ears.) During his time at WGN, a man dressed as Max Headroom hijacked a broadcast of Doctor Who and made a mocking reference to Swirsky.
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Clair Bee
Clair Francis Bee (March 2, 1896 – May 20, 1983) was an American basketball coach, who led the team at Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York to undefeated seasons in 1936 and 1939, as well as two National Invitation Tournament titles (1939, 1941). He was born in Grafton, West Virginia.
Bee's teams won 95 percent of their games from 1931 to 1951, including 43 in a row from 1935 to 1937. Bee holds the Division I NCAA record for highest winning percentage, winning 82.6% of the games he was head coach. Bee resigned in 1951 after several of his players were implicated in the CCNY Point Shaving Scandal. LIU shut down its athletic program shortly afterward.
Bee also coached the football team at LIU until it was disbanded in 1940.
He coached the National Basketball Association's Baltimore Bullets from 1952 to 1954, amassing a 34-116 record under his tenure.
Bee was known as the "Innovator". His contributions to the game of basketball include the 1-3-1 zone defense and the three-second rule. Bee also served as co-host of the early NBC sports-oriented television program "Campus Hoopla" on WNBT from 1946 - 1947.
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Clarence Gaines
Clarence Edward "Big House" Gaines, Sr. (May 21, 1923 – April 18, 2005) was a college men's basketball coach with a 47-year coaching career at Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Gaines was born in Paducah, Kentucky to Lester and Olivia Bolen Gaines. He helped his family by working in a garage. He attended local Lincoln High School where he excelled academically, played basketball, was an All-State football player, and played trumpet in the school band. He graduated as class salutatorian in 1941.
Despite his academic qualifications, Jim Crow Era segregation laws and the suggestions of a friend of the family led him to attend Morgan State University (then Morgan State College) in Baltimore, Maryland. He entered in the fall of 1941 on a football scholarship.
It was at Morgan State that Gaines got his nickname "Big House": a student saw the 6 ft. 3in., 265 lb Gaines and declared: "You're as big as a house." Gaines played as a lineman for the Bears football team, was a member of the basketball team, and participated in track. Gaines was an All-CIAA selection as a lineman in football all four seasons and twice elected an All-American. When it came to basketball, he described himself as "a very average basketball player." In 2004, he explained that "I was an All-America in football, but I was just on the basketball team to have something to do."
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Clem Haskins
Clem Smith Haskins (born August 11, 1943) is a retired American college and professional basketball player and college basketball coach. He and star player Dwight Smith became the first black athletes to integrate the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball program in the fall of 1963. This put Western Kentucky at the forefront to integrate college basketball in the South. He served 13 years (1986–1999) as head coach of the University of Minnesota's men's basketball team, but was forced to resign due to one of the worst academic fraud scandals in the history of NCAA sports. He was effectively blackballed from coaching college basketball for seven years, one of the most severe penalties handed down by the NCAA to an individual.
Haskins was born in Campbellsville, Kentucky, the fifth of eleven children of Charles Columbus and Lucy Edna Haskins, who were sharecroppers. He spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at the all-black Durham High School, and in 1961 Haskins attended Taylor County High School, the first African American to do so.
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Cliff Hagan
Clifford Oldham Hagan (born December 9, 1931, in Owensboro, Kentucky) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6-4 forward who excelled with the hook shot, Hagan, nicknamed "Li'l Abner," played his entire 10-year NBA career (1956–1966) with the St. Louis Hawks. He was also a player-coach for the Dallas Chaparrals in the first two-plus years of the American Basketball Association's existence (1967–1970).
Hagan played college basketball at the University of Kentucky under legendary coach Adolph Rupp. As a sophomore in 1951 he helped Kentucky win the NCAA Championship with a 68-58 victory over Kansas State.
In the fall of 1952, a point shaving scandal involving three Kentucky players (one of whom was a teammate of Hagan on Kentucky’s 1951 NCAA champions) over a four-year period forced Kentucky to forfeit its upcoming season, the senior year of Hagan, Frank Ramsey and Lou Tsioropoulos. The suspension of the season made Kentucky's basketball team, in effect, the first college sports team to get the "death penalty."
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Cliff Levingston
Clifford Eugene Levingston (born January 4, 1961 in San Diego, California) is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. Levingston starred at Wichita State University before being drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1982. After two seasons with the Pistons, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, with whom he would spend the prime of his career.
After six seasons with the Hawks, Levingston joined the Chicago Bulls, with whom he won two championship rings in 1991 and 1992. From 1992 to 1994 he played overseas for PAOK BC of the Greek League as such he played in the final four of the European championship. In 1994 he returned to America and joined the Denver Nuggets, and retired from the league in 1995 with career totals of 5,888 points, 4,307 rebounds, and 593 blocked shots.
In 1986, while playing for the Hawks, Levingston had the rare distinction of "fouling into" an NBA game in a game. In a game where Dominique Wilkins and Antoine Carr were injured, Kevin Willis, Scott Hastings, Spud Webb and Levingston fouled out of the game. After Doc Rivers was ejected, the Hawks were down to only four players. Under an obscure rule, Levingston, the last player to foul out, was allowed to come back into the game at the cost of a technical foul.
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Clifford Carlson
Henry Clifford "Doc" Carlson (July 4, 1894 – November 1, 1964) is a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee as the men's college basketball coach of his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, from 1922 to 1953. At Pitt he compiled a record of 367–247 record (.595) and led the Panthers to a 21–0 record and the Helms Athletic Foundation national championship in 1928, another Helms national championship in 1930, and the Final Four in 1941. As a student at the university, Carlson was also a First Team All-American end on Pitt's football team under coach "Pop" Warner. Carlson also lettered in basketball and baseball.
Carlson was born in Murray City, Ohio. He played high school football, basketball, and baseball (1910–1914) at Bellefonte Academy in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. During his undergraduate years at the University of Pittsburgh (1914–1918) he earned three letters in basketball, two in baseball, four in football. He played on the 1916 Pitt football team that is widely regarded as that season's national champion and was selected as an All-American football player while playing for Pitt's undefeated 1917 team.
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Clifford Fagan
Clifford B. "Cliff" Fagan (March 3, 1911 – January 18, 1995) was a high school basketball referee who became executive director of the National Federation of High School Athletic Associations (NFHSAA) and eventually president of the Basketball Hall of Fame and board member for FIBA, the international governing body for the sport of basketball. He was born in Mankato, Minnesota.
For his contributions to the sport of basketball, including his service as a member of the board of directors for the United States Olympic Committee, Fagan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1984.
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Clifford Wells
W. R. Clifford "Cliff" Wells (March 17, 1896 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA – August 15, 1977) was an American basketball coach and administrator. As a high school basketball coach in Indiana he led his teams to winning more than 50 tournaments, including two Indiana state championships in 1919 and 1934. He also coached the Tulane University team from 1945 to 1963. He was the first full-time executive secretary and director of the Basketball Hall of Fame from 1963 to 1966. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1972.
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Clyde Drexler
Clyde Austin "The Glide" Drexler (born June 22, 1962) is a former American professional basketball shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and an NBA championship in 1995 with the Houston Rockets. He is the color commentator for Rockets home games.
Drexler lived in the South Park area in Houston. Drexler attended Ross Sterling High School in Houston, Texas, where he was a classmate of tennis player Zina Garrison. As a sophomore, he made the varsity baseball team as a first baseman, but soon quit in order to focus on basketball. He didn't try out for the basketball team until his junior year, and was promptly cut during tryouts due to lack of conditioning. Drexler played as a 6'6" center as a senior, and started receiving attention from college coaches following a 34-point, 27-rebound performance against Sharpstown High School during a 1979 Christmas tournament.
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Clyde Lovellette
Clyde Edward Lovellette (born September 7, 1929 in Petersburg, Indiana) is a former professional basketball player; the first basketball player in history to play on an NCAA, Olympics and NBA championship squad. His high school team fell one game short of a state championship.
Lovellette fostered the trend of tall, physical and high-scoring centers. A two-time All-State performer at Garfield High School in Terre Haute, Indiana, the six-foot-nine Lovellette later attended the University of Kansas where he became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. While at the University of Kansas he led Jayhawks to the 1952 NCAA title, capturing MOP honors and scoring a then-NCAA-record 141 points. A three-time All-America at Kansas, Clyde led the Big Seven in scoring in each of his three seasons. Playing for Basketball Hall of Fame Coach Forrest "Phog" Allen, Lovellette led the nation in scoring his senior year (1952, 28.4 ppg) and was named the Helms College Player of the Year. Lovellette played alongside basketball legend Dean Smith at Kansas. He is still the only college player to lead the nation in scoring and win the NCAA title in the same year. Lovellette's dominance in the paint landed him a place on the 1952 Summer Olympics gold medal team in Helsinki, Finland and he was the team's dominating player and leading scorer.
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Connie Hawkins
Cornelius (Connie) L. Hawkins (born July 17, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York) is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player, Harlem Globetrotter and New York City playground legend. It was on the New York City courts that he earned his nickname The Hawk.
Hawkins was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, where he attended Boys High School. Hawkins soon became a fixture at Rucker Park, a legendary outdoor court where he battled against some of the best players in the world.[citation needed]
Hawkins did not play much until his junior year at Boys High. Hawkins was All-City first team as a junior as Boys went undefeated and won New York's Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) title in 1959. During his senior year he averaged 25.5 ppg, including one game in which he scored 60, and Boys again went undefeated and won the 1960 PSAL title. Hawkins then signed a scholarship offer to play at the University of Iowa.
During Hawkins' freshman year at Iowa, he was a victim of the hysteria surrounding a point-shaving scandal that had started in New York City. Hawkins's name surfaced in an interview conducted with an individual who was involved in the scandal. While some of the conspirators and characters involved were known to or knew Hawkins, none - including the New York attorney at the center of the scandal, Jack Molinas - had ever sought to involve Hawkins in the conspiracy.
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Cotton Fitzsimmons
Lowell "Cotton" Fitzsimmons (October 7, 1931 – July 24, 2004) was a college and NBA basketball coach. A native of Hannibal, Missouri, he attended and played basketball at Hannibal-LaGrange Junior College in Hannibal and Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. He coached the Phoenix Suns three times, and is often credited as the architect of the Suns' success of the late 1980s and early to middle 1990s.
Fitzsimmons played college basketball at Hannibal-LaGrange, where his jersey is now retired. He got his first coaching job at Moberly Junior College in Moberly, Missouri in 1956. He coached there eleven years, capping his tenure with two national junior college championships (NJCAA), in 1966 and 1967. In 1968, Fitzsimmons was hired by Kansas State University, where he served as head basketball coach for only two seasons before going into the NBA.
In 1970, Fitzsimmons replaced Jerry Colangelo as Suns coach. He took the team to their first winning season, going 48-34 that season.
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Craig Hodges
Craig Anthony Hodges (born June 27, 1960 in Park Forest, Illinois) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA for 10 seasons and led the league in 3-point shooting percentage three times. He won two NBA Championships with the Chicago Bulls, and along with Larry Bird, is only one of two players to win three consecutive Three Point Contests at the National Basketball Association All-Star Weekend, winning the competition in 1990, 1991, and 1992. Hodges also holds the Three Point Contest records for the most consecutive shots made with 19, set in 1991, and the most points scored in a single round at 25, set in 1986. He was later a head coach at Chicago State University and most recently an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Hodges played college basketball at Long Beach State from 1978 to 1982. He played under Tex Winter, who later coached him again as an assistant to Phil Jackson with the Chicago Bulls.
During his career in the NBA, Hodges played for the San Diego Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, and Chicago Bulls. He played for the Bulls from 1988 to 1992, and helped win two NBA Championships in 1991 and 1992. He was waived by the Bulls after the 1991–92 season.
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Craig Raymond
Craig Raymond (born April 5, 1945 in Aberdeen, Washington) is a retired American professional basketball player.
A 6'11" center from Brigham Young University, Raymond was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the twelfth pick of the 1967 NBA Draft. Raymond spent one year with the 76ers, then jumped to the rival American Basketball Association and played four seasons with the Pittsburgh Pipers, the Los Angeles Stars, the Memphis Pros, The Floridians, the San Diego Conquistadors, and the Indiana Pacers. In his NBA/ABA career, Raymond averaged 6.9 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game.
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Dallas Shirley
Dallas Shirley (June 7, 1913 in Washington, D.C., US – March 1, 1994) was a basketball referee. He officiated more than 2000 basketball games in his 33-year career, which ended in 1966. He was the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials president from 1952 to 1953. He took part in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, officiating basketball. He was a member of the first NBA officiating crew. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
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Dan Issel
Daniel (Dan) Paul Issel (born October 25, 1948 in Batavia, Illinois) is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player and coach.
An outstanding collegian at the University of Kentucky, he was twice named an All American en route to a still school record 25.7 points per game. The ABA Rookie of the Year in 1971, he was a six-time ABA All-Star and one-time NBA pick.
Issel played college basketball at the University of Kentucky under legendary coach Adolph Rupp. Issel was at UK 1966-1970 and scored 2,138 points (an average of 25.7 per game) while being named an All American for two of the three seasons he was eligible for the award. His career points total remains the highest among UK men's players.
On February 7, 1970, Issel scored 53 points in a 120-85 victory over Mississippi, breaking Cliff Hagan's single-game Wildcat record of 51. Issel's mark held for almost four decades, finally falling to Jodie Meeks' 54 in a win against University of Tennessee on January 13, 2009.
Upon Issel's graduation in 1970 he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons of the NBA and the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA. Issel signed to play basketball for the Colonels and the ABA.
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Daniel Biasone
Daniel Biasone (February 22, 1909 – May 25, 1992) was the founding owner of the Syracuse Nationals, an NBA team now known as the Philadelphia 76ers. Biasone, who was a childhood immigrant to the United States from Italy, was mostly known for advocating the use of the shot clock in basketball. Biasone was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions to the sport.
Although he did not originate the idea of a shot clock, he strongly supported its adoption in professional basketball. Biasone successfully lobbied the NBA to institute the shot clock in 1954. He was responsible for establishing the NBA shot clock at twenty-four seconds, where it has remained to this day. He supported the twenty-four second rule on the basis of his observations, experience, and basic arithmetic. Biasone asserted that basketball proved most exciting when it achieved a balance between stalling contests and wild shootouts. He envisioned a well-paced match up in which each team took around sixty shots per game. Given that professional basketball games lasted forty-eight minutes, Biasone divided 2880 (the number of seconds in forty-eight minutes) by 120 (the total number of shots taken per game when each team attempted sixty shots) and arrived at a figure he considered optimal: one shot every 24 seconds. Additionally, he was also a primary force in convincing the NBA to adopt the backcourt foul rule in 1953.
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Darrell Walker
Darrell Walker (born March 9, 1961 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American professional basketball coach and retired player. At 6'4" (1.93 m) and 180 lb (82 kg), he played as a guard. He attended Chicago's Corliss High School.
After playing college basketball at Westark Community College and the University of Arkansas, Walker was selected by the New York Knicks with the 12th pick in the first round of the 1983 NBA Draft. Over a ten year career, he played for five teams – the Knicks, the Denver Nuggets, the Washington Bullets, the Detroit Pistons, and the Chicago Bulls. Walker is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
Walker was selected to the 1984 NBA All-Rookie team, and was among the league leaders during his career in assists and steals. His best season was in 1989–90 with the Washington Bullets when he averaged 9.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. He won an NBA title with the Chicago Bulls in his final season.
Walker has served as head coach for two different teams—the Toronto Raptors and the Washington Wizards. He was the Raptors' second coach, following Brendan Malone, and led the team for a season and a half. In 2000, he replaced the fired Gar Heard in Washington for half a season (the first coaching "call up" in history, having previously been the coach of the Rockford Lightning of the CBA), but was then replaced by Leonard Hamilton the next year. He remained in Washington as director of player personnel and later head scout before joining the Hornets as assistant coach.
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Dave Bing
David "Dave" Bing (born November 24, 1943) is the mayor of Detroit, Michigan, a businessman, and a retired American professional basketball player who played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), primarily for the Detroit Pistons (1966–75). He was a seven-time All-Star. After retiring, he founded the Bing Group, which was one of the largest steel companies in Michigan.
His #21 was retired by the Detroit Pistons, and in 1996 he was named as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all time.
He was elected mayor of Detroit in a special election on May 5, 2009 and was sworn in on May 11, 2009. Bing won the full-term mayoral election on November 3, 2009, defeating challenger Tom Barrow.
Bing was born and raised in northeast Washington, D.C., as a son of a bricklayer. At age five, Bing accidentally poked his left eye with a nail of a wooden horse that he improvised. With the family unable to afford an eye operation, the eye healed on its own but left Bing with fuzzy vision since then.
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Dave Cowens
David William Cowens (born October 25, 1948, in Newport, Kentucky) is a retired American professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6'9", he played the center and occasionally the power forward position. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. He was recently an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons, and currently serves as a special assistant to Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars.
After starring in high school at Newport Catholic High in his hometown of Newport, Kentucky, Cowens played his collegiate basketball at Florida State University from 1967 to 1970. He scored 1,479 points in 78 games at Florida State, at 19.0 points per game, and ranks among Florida State's top 10 all-time scoring leaders.
He is the all-time Florida State leading rebounder with 1,340 rebounds (17.2 rebounds per game). He holds the team record for best seasonal rebound average (17.5 in the 1968-1969 season). He once grabbed 31 rebounds (second best all-time) against LSU in the 1968-69 season.
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Dave DeBusschere
David Albert DeBusschere (October 16, 1940 – May 14, 2003) was an American NBA and major league baseball player and coach in the NBA. In 1996, DeBusschere was named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.
DeBusschere was born in Detroit, Michigan, and attended Austin Catholic Preparatory School, where he founded the "white shirted league" -- the tradition of wearing white shirts to the school's games, so as to make fans more visible. He was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after a twelve-year career (1962–1974), in which he averaged 16.1 points and eleven rebounds while being named to eight NBA All-Star teams; he was renowned for his physical style of play and tenacious defense, as he was named to the NBA All-Defensive first team six times.
DeBusschere was drafted by the Detroit Pistons out of the University of Detroit in 1962 as a territorial draft selection (common at the time). During his rookie season he averaged 12.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, and was later named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. However, DeBusschere was injured during his second season and only played in 15 games, resulting in the Pistons finishing with a disappointing record of 23-59.
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Dave Gavitt
David "Dave" Gavitt (October 26, 1937, Westerly, Rhode Island – September 16, 2011) was a American college basketball coach and athletic director at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island. He was also well known as the first commissioner of the Big East Conference and as part of the committee which created the 1992 Olympic Basketball "Dream Team."
Gavitt graduated from Dartmouth College in 1959, where he was a member of the 1959-1960 varsity basketball team, the last Dartmouth basketball team to win the Ivy League championship. He spent two years as an assistant basketball coach at Worcester Academy before becoming an assistant coach at Providence under the legendary Joe Mullaney in 1962. He left in 1966 to become and then head coach at his alma mater before taking over for Mullaney at Providence in 1969.
Under his ten-year tenure, the Friars advanced to the postseason eight straight years (1971–78; five NCAA appearances, 1972-'74, '77-'78, and three NIT appearances, 1971, '75, 76). In 1973, Gavitt's team made it to the Final Four for the first time in school history. He also served as director of athletics at PC from 1971 to 1982, and was at that position when the school's women's athletics programs were started as a result of Title IX.
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Dave Lattin
David "Big Daddy D" Lattin (born December 23, 1943) was the starting center for the Texas Western Miners in their NCAA championship year in 1966. During his playing career, he was listed at 6 feet 6 inches tall, and 225 pounds.
Lattin was born in Houston, Texas. He played under legendary coach Don Haskins. Lattin later competed in the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association. He was a first round draft pick of the San Francisco Warriors, playing for that team for one season before being traded to the Phoenix Suns. Lattin finished his career with three seasons in the ABA.
He was portrayed by Schin A.S. Kerr in the 2006 Disney film Glory Road produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
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Dave Stallworth
David A. Stallworth (born (1941-12-20)December 20, 1941 in Dallas, Texas) is a retired American professional basketball player.
A 6'7" forward/center from Dallas Madison High School and Wichita State University, Stallworth played eight seasons (1965–1967; 1969–1975) in the National Basketball Association as a member of the New York Knicks and Baltimore/Capital Bullets. He averaged 9.3 points per game in his career and won a league championship with New York in 1970. Stallworth's return to the Knicks in the 1969-70 season was notable because he had suffered a heart attack that kept him off the court the two previous seasons. He played in all 82 regular season games as the back-up to Hall of Famer Dave DeBusschere. In 1971, Stallworth was traded along with Mike Riordan to the Baltimore Bullets for Hall of Famer Earl "The Pearl" Monroe.
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David Halberstam
David Halberstam (April 10, 1934 – April 23, 2007) was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and historian, known for his early work on the Vietnam War, his work on politics, history, the Civil Rights Movement, business, media, American culture, and his later sports journalism.
Halberstam was raised in Yonkers, New York and, earlier, had lived in Winsted, Connecticut (where he was a classmate of Ralph Nader). In 1955, he graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor of arts, and he served as managing editor of The Harvard Crimson.
Halberstam's journalism career began at the Daily Times Leader, the smallest daily newspaper in Mississippi. He covered the beginnings of the American Civil Rights Movement for The Tennessean in Nashville.
Halberstam arrived in Vietnam in the middle of 1962, to be a full-time Vietnam specialist for The New York Times. Halberstam, like many other US journalists covering Vietnam, relied heavily for information on Pham Xuan An, who was later revealed to be a secret North Vietnamese agent. In 1963, Halberstam received a George Polk Award for his reporting at The New York Times, including his eyewitness account of the self-immolation of Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Ðức. During the Buddhist crisis, he and Neil Sheehan debunked the claim by the regime of Ngo Dinh Diem that the Army of the Republic of Vietnam regular forces had perpetrated the Xa Loi Pagoda raids, which the American authorities initially believed, and that instead, the Special Forces loyal to Diem's brother Ngo Dinh Nhu had done so to frame the army generals. He was also involved in a scuffle with Nhu's secret police after they punched fellow journalist Peter Arnett while the pressmen were covering a Buddhist protest. Halberstram left Vietnam in 1964. At the age of 30, he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his war reporting. He is interviewed in the 1968 documentary film on the Vietnam War entitled In the Year of the Pig.
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David Tobey
David "Dave" Tobey (May 1, 1898 in New York, New York, USA – July 25, 1988) was an American basketball referee. He refereed many notable pro games in New York between 1918 and 1925. In 1926 he refereed the Syracuse vs. West Point game, which featured two future Hall of Famers, Vic Hanson and John Roosma. After that game he became popular and refereed many important games from 1926 to 1945, such as the first game with a three-man officiating crew (Georgetown vs. Columbia). He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961.
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Dean Meminger
Dean Peter Meminger (born May 13, 1948, in Walterboro, South Carolina) is an American basketball player and coach. Meminger starred at Rice High School in New York City. He attended Marquette University, where he played for coach Al McGuire. He helped Marquette win the 1970 National Invitational Tournament. Marquette's 1970 team was ranked 8th in the country at the time and was inivted to the NCAA tournament, which it turned down, for a better NIT bid. The NCAA was so incensed by Marquette that it instituted a rule which forced an NCAA Division I team to accept an NCAA bid over an NIT bid. A subsequent antitrust case brought by the NIT against the NCAA over this issue was later settled out of court. Dean was also the MVP in the 1970 National Invitation Tournament National Championship Game. Dean was drafted in the first round (number 16 overall) of the 1971 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, where he played from 1971 to 1974 and 1976-1977. Meminger played for the Atlanta Hawks from 1974 to 1976.
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Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith (born February 28, 1931) is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Smith coached from 1961 to 1997 and retired with 879 victories, which was the NCAA Division I men's basketball record at that time. Smith has the 9th highest winning percentage of any men’s college basketball coach (77.6%). During his tenure as head coach of North Carolina, the team won two national titles and appeared in 11 Final Fours.
Smith is also known for running a clean program and having a high graduation rate for his players, with 96.6% of his athletes receiving their degrees. While at North Carolina, Smith helped promote desegregation by recruiting the University’s first African American scholarship basketball player, Charlie Scott, and pushing for equal treatment for African Americans by local businesses. Smith coached and worked with numerous individuals at North Carolina who went on to achieve notable success in basketball, as either players or coaches or both. Smith retired as head coach from North Carolina in 1997, saying that he was not able to give the team the same level of enthusiasm that he had given it for years. Since retirement, Smith has used his influence to help out in various charitable ventures and political activities.
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Del Harris
Delmer (Del) William Harris (born June 18, 1937) is a basketball coach, currently the head coach for the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. He was an assistant coach for the NBA's New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Dallas Mavericks. He also served as an NBA head coach for the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Lakers.
Harris is a graduate of Milligan College in northeast Tennessee, where his basketball career landed him in the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. Early in his career Harris was coach at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana before entering professional ranks in 1975 as an assistant coach for the Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association, under head coach Tom Nissalke. When that franchise folded, Nissalke and Harris were hired as head and assistant coach, respectively for the NBA's Houston Rockets. When Nissalke was let go by the club, Harris was asked to take over head coaching duties. Harris led the Rockets to the NBA Finals in the 1981 season, where they were defeated by the Boston Celtics four games to two.
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Denise Curry
Denise Curry (born August 22, 1959 in Fort Benton, Montana) is an American former basketball player and college and professional basketball coach. As of the 2007-2008 season, she is in her fifth year as an assistant basketball coach for the Cal State Long Beach women's basketball team.
Curry moved to Davis, California by the time she was in high school. She graduated from Davis Senior High School. During her college playing career she led UCLA to AIAW National Championship in 1978, has been named All-America three times (1979, 1980, 1981), set fourteen school records and was all-time leading scorer (3,198 points) and rebounder (1,310 points). She scored in double figures in every one of the 130 games she played for UCLA. She averaged 24.6 points per game. Only one other Bruin player, Natalie Williams, averaged over 20 points per game at 20.4. As of 2008, she is still the top record holder in 10 categories for UCLA.
She was named MVP of Western Collegiate Athletic Conference three times and UCLA All-University Athlete of the Year in 1981. She was named the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year in 1981.
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Dennis Hopson
Dennis Hopson (born April 22, 1965 in Toledo, Ohio) is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach at Bowling Green State University. A prolific scorer while playing at Ohio State University, Hopson's stellar shooting skills placed him in second for the NCAA Men's Basketball Division I scoring title during the 1986–87 season and eventually in first on Ohio State's all-time men's basketball career points record. The All-American and 1987 Big Ten Conference Player of the Year was selected as the third overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets, playing a total of five seasons in the league. Hopson spent the majority of the 1990s playing basketball overseas before retiring at the close of the decade.
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Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson (September 18, 1954 – February 22, 2007) nicknamed "DJ", was an American, professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. He was an alumnus of Dominguez High School, Los Angeles Harbor College and Pepperdine University.
A prototypical late bloomer, Johnson overcame early struggles and had a successful NBA playing career. Drafted 29th overall in 1976 by the Seattle SuperSonics, Johnson began his professional career as a shooting guard. He eventually led the Sonics to their only NBA championship in 1979, winning the Finals MVP Award. After a short stint with the Phoenix Suns, he became the starting point guard for the Boston Celtics, with whom he won two more championships. Johnson was voted into five All-Star Teams, one All-NBA First and one Second Team, and nine consecutive All-Defensive First and Second Teams. Apart from his reputation as a defensive stopper, Johnson was known as a clutch player who made several decisive plays in NBA playoffs history.
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Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The Worm" and was known for his fierce defensive and rebounding abilities. Playing small forward in his early years before becoming a power forward, Rodman earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors seven times and was voted NBA Defensive Player of the Year twice. He also led the NBA in rebounds per game for a record seven consecutive years and won five NBA championships (1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998). His biography at NBA.com states that he is "arguably the best rebounding forward in NBA history". On April 1, 2011, the Pistons retired Rodman's #10 jersey. Later that same year, Rodman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Rodman experienced an unhappy childhood and was shy and introverted in his early years. After aborting a suicide attempt in 1993, he reinvented himself as a "bad boy" and became notorious for numerous controversial antics. He dyed his hair in artificial colors, presented himself with many piercings and tattoos and regularly disrupted games by clashing with opposing players and officials. He famously wore a wedding dress to promote his autobiography. Rodman pursued a high-profile affair with singer Madonna and was briefly married to actress Carmen Electra.
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Denny Crum
Denzil E. "Denny" Crum (born March 2, 1937) is a former American men's college basketball coach at the University of Louisville from 1971 to 2001, compiling a 675–295 record. He guided the Cardinals to two NCAA championships (1980, 1986) and six Final Fours. Honored in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame since 1994, Crum is one of the major figures in the history of sports in Kentucky and in college basketball in general.
As the head coach at U of L, Crum is widely credited with pioneering the now-common strategy of scheduling tough non-conference match-ups early in the season in order to prepare his teams for March's NCAA tournament, where one defeat ends the season. Crum's prolific post-season play and calm demeanor earned him the monikers "Mr. March" and his most well-known nickname, "Cool Hand Luke."
Crum was born in San Fernando, California. From 1954–1956, Denny Crum played basketball at Los Angeles Pierce College. In 1956, he transferred to UCLA to play for John Wooden. While at UCLA, Crum was honored with the Irv Pohlmeyer Memorial Trophy for outstanding first-year varsity player. He also received the Bruin Bench Award for most improved player the following year.
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Derek Fisher
Derek Lamar Fisher (born August 9, 1974) is an American professional basketball point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His NBA career has spanned more than 15 years, during which he won five NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. He currently serves as the president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Fisher started out his basketball career at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Selected with the twenty-fourth pick by the Lakers in the 1996 NBA Draft, Fisher spent his first eight seasons with the franchise. During that time, he played a role in the Lakers' "three-peat", and was the third-leading scorer on the team behind Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. After his success with Los Angeles, Fisher signed with the Golden State Warriors, but was later traded to the Utah Jazz, where he helped lead the team to the Western Conference Finals. Due to his daughter's health, he asked to be released from his contract and rejoined the Lakers in 2007. In 2010, he won his fifth NBA Championship with the Lakers. Only he and Kobe Bryant have played in all five of the Lakers' most recent championships. The Lakers, in 2012, traded Fisher to the Houston Rockets, who bought out his contract and waived him. He was subsequently claimed by the Thunder.
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Derrick Rose
Derrick Martell Rose (born October 4, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Born in Chicago, Rose learned the game of basketball from his three older brothers. In high school, he won two state championships and was rated by scouts as the top point guard prospect in the country after graduation.[citation needed] He played for the University of Memphis Tigers and reached the NCAA national championship game in 2008. Shortly after, Rose declared for the 2008 NBA Draft and was selected first overall by the Chicago Bulls. In his first year of professional basketball, Rose was voted the Rookie of the Year and was selected to the All-Rookie Team. In his second season, Rose was selected as an NBA All-Star for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game; he was also named a starter for the U.S. team at the 2010 FIBA World Championships. Since being drafted, Rose has led the Bulls to the NBA Playoffs every year. In 2011, he received the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the youngest player ever to win this award. He joined Michael Jordan as the only Chicago Bulls players to win the honor.
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Devean George
Devean Jamar George (born August 29, 1977) is an American professional basketball player. He typically plays small forward but because of his athleticism and defensive activity, can defend many shooting guards as well.
He attended high school at Benilde-St. Margaret's School in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, where he played basketball. During his college career at Augsburg College, George was named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player two consecutive years (1997–98 and 1998–99), and set school records as a senior by scoring 770 points and averaging 27.5 ppg in leading Augsburg to 24–4 record and the NCAA Division III tournament for the second year in a row.
He was taken by the Lakers with the 23rd overall pick of the 1999 NBA Draft, and showed considerable promise, especially by his third season where his hustle, outside shooting, and defense made him a key substitute and he appeared in every single game. The Lakers gave him a contract extension in 2002 as a result and over the years, his effort, defensive activity, three-point shooting, and willingness to do what the Lakers required of him endeared him to many Laker fans.
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Dick Barnett
Richard "Dick" Barnett (born October 2, 1936 in Gary, Indiana) is a former American professional basketball player. He spent 14 seasons in the NBA (1959–74), but is mostly known for his 9 seasons with the New York Knicks. Barnett played in the 1968 NBA All-Star Game and was a part of the famous 1970 Knicks team, that won the NBA championship against the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 15,358 regular season points in his career.
A three-time All-America player at Tennessee A & I (now Tennessee State University), Barnett led his team to three consecutive NAIA national championships for Hall of Fame Coach John McLendon. Barnett was named championship MVP in 1958 and 1959.
The top draft choice of the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers) of the NBA, Barnett played with the team until 1962, when he jumped ship from the NBA to play in the American Basketball League (ABL) with the Cleveland Pipers, who were owned by George Steinbrenner, now New York Yankees owner. Barnett led them to an ABL Championship in the 1962-63 season. He then returned to the NBA to play with the Los Angeles Lakers for three seasons (legendary Laker announcer Chick Hearn nicknamed him "Fall Back Baby") and played on two NBA championship teams with the New York Knicks in 1969-70 and 1972-73.
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Dick McGuire
Richard Joseph "Dick" McGuire (January 26, 1926 – February 3, 2010) was an American professional basketball player and coach.
One of the premier guards of the 1950s, McGuire spent eleven seasons in the NBA (1949–60), eight with the New York Knicks and three with the Detroit Pistons. McGuire led the league in assists during his rookie season with a then-record 386 assists, and was among the league's top ten playmakers for ten of his eleven seasons. He was an NBA All-Star seven times (1951,'52, '54-'56, '58, '59), and was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 1951.
McGuire became player-coach for the Pistons in his last season (1959-60), and coached them until 1963. He also coached the Knicks for three seasons, beginning in 1965. He compiled a 197-260 coaching record. McGuire was working as a senior consultant for the Knicks when he died on February 3, 2010 of a ruptured aortic aneurysm at age 84.
McGuire's brother Al was also a prominent figure in basketball who coached Marquette University to the 1977 NCAA basketball championship. They are the only pair of brothers inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His nephew, Allie, also played in the NBA.
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Dick Motta
John Richard "Dick" Motta (born September 3, 1931) is a former basketball coach whose career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) spanned 25 years, and he continues to rank among the NBA's all-time top 10 in coaching victories.
After graduating from Utah State University, Motta started coaching at Grace, Idaho, where he taught seventh grade and coached for two years before being drafted in the armed services. He once said in an interview that winning the 1959 Idaho state high school championship was his greatest thrill as a coach, even topping the NBA championship he won two decades later.
Motta coached at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah in the 1960s. Under the direction of Motta and assistant coach Phil Johnson, Weber State won three Big Sky championships. The first Big Sky Championship the duo experienced while at Weber State was in 1965.
Motta was hired as head coach of the Chicago Bulls in 1968 after a six-year stint at Weber State University. From 1970 to 1974 he led the Bulls to four consecutive seasons of 50 wins or more, winning the NBA Coach of the Year Award in 1971.
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Dick Vitale
Richard J. "Dick" Vitale (pronounced /vaɪˈtæl/; born June 9, 1939), also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well known as a college basketball broadcaster and for the enthusiastic and colorful remarks he makes during games, although many sports fans feel he subtracts from the sport coverage, rather than enhancing it. He is known for his catchphrases such as "baby" and "diaper dandy" (outstanding freshman player), as well as an overbearing and often bombastic style, and has authored nine books and appeared in several movies.
Vitale took his first job as a coach at an elementary school in Garfield, New Jersey in 1959. Eventually he moved up to the high school level to become head coach at Garfield High School for one season, and then at East Rutherford High School (his alma mater).
In 1971, Vitale moved to Rutgers University as an assistant coach under head coach Dick Lloyd. After two seasons there, he was hired in 1973 by the University of Detroit to become its head coach. Vitale took Detroit to the 32-team NCAA tournament in 1977. Vitale had a 78-30 record during his tenure at Detroit, which included a 21-game winning streak during the 1977 season. During that streak the Titans defeated the eventual champion Marquette on the road in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Following the 1977 season, his fourth as Detroit head coach, Vitale was named the university's athletic director.
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Dickey Simpkins
LuBara Dixon "Dickey" Simpkins (born April 6, 1972 in Washington, DC) is an American former professional basketball player best known for his tenure with the Chicago Bulls in the late 1990s. He is currently a scout for the Charlotte Bobcats.
A 6' 9" forward/center, Simpkins starred at Friendly High School (Maryland) and Providence College before being selected by the Bulls with the 21st pick in the 1994 NBA Draft. Caught behind Luc Longley, Bill Wennington, and later Dennis Rodman in the Bulls' playing rotation, he saw limited action in his first few seasons as a Bull, scoring just 513 points in 167 games. He did earn two NBA Championship rings in 1996 and 1997, but he was not on the team's active roster for either playoff run, and in fall 1997 the Bulls traded him to the Golden State Warriors for guard/forward Scott Burrell.
When the Warriors subsequently waived Simpkins, however, the Bulls decided to give him another chance. Simpkins began to show some improvement, posting a very good .634 field goal percentage in 21 games, and in the spring of 1998 he participated in the playoffs for the first time of his career, earning his third championship ring. After the 1998–99 NBA lockout, the Bulls parted ways with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Luc Longley, which provided Simpkins with significantly more playing time. During the 1999 season he emerged as a part-time starter, averaging career highs of 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds, and in the following season, he played in a career-high 1,651 minutes.
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Dino Meneghin
Dino Meneghin (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdino meneˈɡin]; born January 18, 1950) is an Italian former professional basketball player. He is widely considered as the best Italian player ever, as well as one of Europe's all time greats. A 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) tall center, Meneghin was born in Alano di Piave, Veneto (northeast Italy). On November 20, 1966, when he was 16 years old, he played his first match in the Italian League with Ignis Varese. He played the last match of his career at the age of 45. Today, he works for the Italian Basketball Federation and for the club Olimpia Milano. On August 20, 2010, Meneghin was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame, in recognition of his play in international competition.
In total, he played in 836 games and scored 8,560 points in the Italian Championship. With the Italian national basketball team, he played in 271 games and totaled 2,847 points scored. Meneghin became the second player from a European league to be drafted by an NBA team when the Atlanta Hawks manager Marty Blake selected him with a late-round pick in the 1970 NBA Draft. He never played in the USA, however.
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Doc Rivers
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers (born October 13, 1961) is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA. His skills as floor general and point guard helped him transition into a coach following his playing career.
Rivers was a McDonald's All-American for Proviso East High School in the Chicago metropolitan area. Rivers represented the United States with the national team in the 1982 FIBA World Championship, in which he was selected as the tournament MVP, despite missing the last shot in the final which could have given the title to his team. After graduating from Marquette University, Rivers was drafted in the second round (31st overall) of the 1983 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He spent the next seven seasons as a starter in Atlanta, assisting star Dominique Wilkins as the team found great regular-season success. He averaged a double-double for the 1986–87 season with 12.8 points and 10.0 assists per game. Rivers later spent one year as a starter for the Los Angeles Clippers and two more for the New York Knicks, before finishing his career as a bench player for the San Antonio Spurs.
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Doggie Julian
Alvin Fred "Doggie" Julian (April 5, 1901 – July 28, 1967) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He served as the head basketball coach at Muhlenberg College from 1936 to 1945, at the College of the Holy Cross from 1945 to 1948, and at Dartmouth College from 1950 to 1967, compiling a career college basketball record of 379–332. Julian led Holy Cross to the NCAA title in 1947. His team, which included later NBA great Bob Cousy, almost repeated this feat in 1948, losing in the semifinals. Julian was engaged by the Boston Celtics after his college success, but he recorded only a 47–81 mark before he was dismissed in 1950. Julian was also the head football coach at Albright College from 1929 to 1930 and at Mulhlenberg from 1936 to 1944, amassing a career college football record of 56–49–2. In addition, he served as Mulhlenberg's head baseball coach from 1942 to 1944, tallying a mark of 16–18. Julian was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 1968.
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Dolph Schayes
Adolph "Dolph" Schayes (born May 19, 1928) is a retired American professional basketball player and coach in the NBA. A top scorer and rebounder, he was a member of the 1955 NBA champion Syracuse Nationals and a 12-time All-Star.
Schayes played his entire Hall of Fame career with the Nationals and their successor, the Philadelphia 76ers, from 1948 to 1964. In his 16-year career, he led the team into the post-season 15 times.
Schayes was born in New York, New York, the son of Carl, a truck driver for Consolidated laundries, and his mother Tina, a housewife. Schayes was Jewish, and both his parents were Romanian Jewish immigrants. “Dolph” grew up on Davidson Avenue and 183rd Street, off Fordham.
He is the father of retired NBA center Danny Schayes, who played in the NBA for 18 seasons. He is the grandfather of Abi, Carla, and Rachel Goettsch, who won silver medals for the U.S. volleyball team at the 2001 Maccabiah Games, Mickey Ferri, who won a gold medal in the 4x100 relay at the 2005 Maccabiah Games. Schayes settled in Syracuse in 1948, and still makes his home there, where he is a real estate developer.
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Dominique Wilkins
Jacques Dominique Wilkins (born January 12, 1960) is a retired American professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. Wilkins was a nine-time NBA All-Star, and one of the best dunkers in NBA history, earning the nickname "The Human Highlight Film." In 2006, Wilkins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame [2].
Wilkins was born in Paris, France because his father was stationed there while in the U.S. Air Force. Wilkins' family then moved to Washington, North Carolina, where he attended Washington High School. He was the back-to-back MVP for the team's consecutive Class 3-A State Championships (1978-1979). Wilkins then starred in the McDonald's Game, The Capital Classic, The Kentucky Derby Festival Classic, and The Dapper Dan Classic All-Star Games. He had 16 points and 12 rebounds in the McDonald's, 26 points in the Capital, and 22 points in the Derby Classic. He entered the University of Georgia in 1979 with an established reputation as an exciting player. Wilkins averaged 21.6 points a game over his career and was named SEC Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 1981. He left college after his junior year and was selected third overall (behind James Worthy and Terry Cummings) by the Utah Jazz in the 1982 NBA Draft.
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Don Chaney
Donald Ray Chaney (born March 22, 1946 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most notable for his long stints as a player on the Boston Celtics.
Chaney played basketball in college for the University of Houston, where he was a teammate of future Basketball Hall-of-Famer Elvin Hayes. Chaney played all 40 minutes of the famed "Game of the Century" at the Astrodome. That year Chaney became the first-round pick (12th overall) of the Boston Celtics in the 1968 NBA Draft; he was also drafted by the Houston Mavericks of the American Basketball Association.
Don became a 1969 NBA Finals champion with the Boston Celtics during his rookie year. He would also help the Celtics toward winning the 1974 NBA Finals. He had two stints with the Boston Celtics (1968–1975, and 1977–1980), for which he is most notable. He also had a short two season stint with the Los Angeles Lakers from 1976–1978, and also played in the ABA for one year with the Spirits of St. Louis from 1975-1976. Chaney was mostly known for his defensive skills, providing adequate numbers in minutes off the bench.
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Don Haskins
Donald Lee Haskins (March 14, 1930 – September 7, 2008), nicknamed "The Bear", was an American collegiate basketball coach and player. He played for three years under legendary coach Henry Iba at Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University). He was the head coach at Texas Western College (renamed the University of Texas at El Paso in 1967) from 1961 to 1999, including the 1966 season when his team won the NCAA Tournament over the Wildcats of the University of Kentucky, coached by coaching great Adolph Rupp.
In his time at Texas Western, he compiled a 719–353 record, suffering only five losing seasons. He won 14 Western Athletic Conference championships, four WAC tournament titles, had fourteen NCAA tournament berths and made seven trips to the NIT. Haskins led UTEP to 17 20-plus win seasons and served as an assistant Olympic team coach in 1972.
He was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997 as a basketball coach. The 1966 team was nominated in its entirety to the Basketball Hall of Fame, and was inducted to the Hall on September 7, 2007.
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Don May
Donald John May (born January 3, 1946 in Dayton, Ohio) is a retired American professional basketball player.
A 6'4" two-time 2nd team All-American forward from the University of Dayton, May was the star of the Flyer team that lost in the 1967 national championship game to Lew Alcindor's UCLA team and was the MVP of the 1968 NIT, in which Dayton defeated the University of Kansas and JoJo White in the title game. May played seven seasons (1968–1975) in the National Basketball Association as a member of the New York Knicks, Buffalo Braves, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Kansas City-Omaha Kings. He averaged 8.8 points per game in his career and won a league championship with New York in 1970.
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Don Nelson
Donald Arvid "Don" Nelson (born May 15, 1940) is a former NBA player and head coach. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors.
An innovator, Nelson is credited with, among other things, inventing the concept of the point forward, a tactic which is frequently employed by teams at every level today. His unique brand of basketball is often referred to as Nellie Ball. He was named one of the Top 10 coaches in NBA history. On April 7, 2010, he passed Lenny Wilkens for first place on the all-time NBA wins list with 1,333 wins. His all-time record is 1,335-1,063 (.557).
After a very successful high school career at Rock Island High School, Nelson played for the University of Iowa as a two-time All-American averaging 21.1 points and 10.5 rebounds a game. He was drafted 19th overall by the Chicago Zephyrs of the NBA. He played for the Zephyrs one season, and was acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1963. After two years with the Lakers, he was signed by the Boston Celtics.
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Doug Moe
Douglas Edwin Moe (born September 21, 1938 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American professional basketball coach. He is most closely associated with the Denver Nuggets franchise.
Moe was a star player at the University of North Carolina. However, his collegiate career ended in disgrace when he admitted to being involved in a point shaving scandal. He did not enter the NBA as a player, instead playing for the American Basketball Association for the New Orleans Buccaneers, Oakland Oaks, Washington Caps, Carolina Cougars and Virginia Squires.
Moe became a head coach in 1976-77, after serving as an assistant coach for the Carolina Cougars. Moe worked behind the bench for 15 years, ten of them with the Denver Nuggets. He also had stops in San Antonio and Philadelphia.
Moe arrived in Denver in 1980, taking over for another UNC alum Donnie Walsh. His Denver teams were immediately characterized by a run-and-gun style that emphasized offense rather than defense. He was often criticized for his style, but the fans loved it. While he never won an NBA title, his overall coaching record was a successful 628-529, and he won the 1987-88 NBA Coach of the Year Award.
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Dražen Dalipagić
Dražen Dalipagić , born (1951-11-27) November 27, 1951 (age 60) in Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia) is a retired Yugoslavian professional basketball player. He was selected the best athlete of Yugoslavia in the year 1978, and is one of the most decorated athletes in Yugoslavian history. He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991. Dalipagić was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame, as a player, on September 10, 2004. He was enshrined as a player, into the FIBA Hall of Fame, in 2007. In 2008, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors.
Dalipagić was one of the most dominating players in Europe, during the late 1970s and early 1980s era, and while playing for the pro club Partizan (1971–78, 1979–80, 1981–82), he won the European Player of the Year Mr. Europa award twice, in the years 1977 and 1978, and the European Player of the Year Euroscar award, in the year 1980. He was declared the best athlete of Yugoslavia in 1978. In 1976, he led Partizan to the Yugoslav League title, and also to the FIBA Korać Cup title in 1978. He also played for Crvena zvezda in the 1990-91 season.
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Dražen Petrović
Dražen Petrović (pronounced [drǎʒɛn pɛ̌trɔʋit͡ɕ]) (October 22, 1964 – June 7, 1993) was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s before joining the American NBA in 1989. Petrović died in a car accident at the age of 28.
A star on multiple stages, Petrović earned two silver medals and one bronze in Olympic basketball, a gold and a bronze in the FIBA World Championship, a gold and a bronze in the FIBA European Championship, earned six European Player of the Year awards (four Euroscar Awards, and was named Mr. Europa in basketball twice). In 1985 he received the Golden Badge award for best athlete of Yugoslavia.
Seeking a bigger arena after his career start in Europe, Petrović joined the National Basketball Association in 1989 as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. After playing mostly off the bench that year, Petrović experienced a break-out following a trade to the New Jersey Nets. While starting for the Nets, he became one of the league's best shooting guards.
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Dutch Dehnert
Henry G. "Dutch" Dehnert (April 5, 1898 in New York, New York – April 20, 1979 in Far Rockaway, New York) was an American basketball player whose career lasted from 1915 to 1935.
Dehnert, a bulky forward, is mostly known for his time with the Original Celtics and is sometimes credited with inventing the pivot play. He later coached several teams in the NBL, ABL and BAA.
One of those teams Dehnert coached was the Sheboygan Red Skins, who won NBL divisional titles in 1944-45 and 1945-46 under Dehnert's guidance. Dehnert's greatest coup during his time in Sheboygan was his signing of three East Coast stars: Al Lucas of Fordham, Al Moschetti of St. John's and Bobby Holm of Seton Hall. Buoyed by this added strength, the Red Skins took a 2-0 lead over the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons in the 1945 NBL championship series, only to be swept in the remaining three games. In 1946, Dehnert led Sheboygan to a meeting with the vaunted Rochester Royals in the championship series. Rochester swept the Red Skins. The next season, Dehnert became first head coach of the Cleveland Rebels for the Basketball Association of America's first season.
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Dutch Lonborg
Arthur C. "Dutch" Lonborg (March 16, 1898 – January 31, 1985) was an American collegiate basketball and football coach.
The Gardner, Illinois native coached for 23 years at McPherson College, Washburn College, and Northwestern University. Lonborg graduated in 1921 from University of Kansas, having played two years under coach Phog Allen.
In 1921 Dutch won an AAU title as a player with the Kansas City Athletic Club Blue Diamonds. In 1925 he coached Washburn College to an AAU title, the last time a college team won that championship. Later he coached at Northwestern, getting 237 wins during his time there, and leading them to the Big Ten Conference Championship in 1931 and in 1933 and a Helms Foundation title in 1931. He had an overall 323-217 college coaching record at all three schools.
After he retired from coaching, he became chairman of the NCAA Tournament Committee from 1947–60, succeeding Harold Olsen. He was the U.S. Olympic team manager for the 1960 Olympics. He also served as Kansas Jayhawks Athletic director from 1950-63.
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Earl Lloyd
Earl Francis Lloyd (born April 3, 1928 in Alexandria, Virginia) is a retired American basketball player. He was the first African-American to play in the National Basketball Association, in the 1950-51 NBA season. Three other African Americans played in the same season: Chuck Cooper, Nathaniel Clifton, and Hank DeZonie.
Lloyd, a forward known for his defense, played collegiately at West Virginia State College, was selected in the ninth-round of the 1950 NBA Draft by the Washington Capitols. On October 31, 1950, Lloyd became the first African-American to play in an NBA game, against the Rochester Royals.
Lloyd led West Virginia State to two CIAA Conference and Tournament Championships in 1948 and 1949. He was named All-Conference three times (1948–50) and was All-American twice, as named by the Pittsburgh Courier (1949–50). As a senior, he averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds per game, while leading West Virginia State to a second place finish in the CIAA Conference and Tournament Championship. In 1947-48, West Virginia State was the only undefeated team in the United States.
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Earl Monroe
Vernon Earl Monroe (born November 21, 1944, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American former professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing, and play-making. He was nicknamed both "Earl the Pearl" and "Jesus".
From an early age, Monroe was a playground legend. His high school teammates at John Bartram High School called him "Thomas Edison" because of the many moves he invented.
Monroe rose to prominence at a national level while playing basketball at then Division II Winston-Salem State University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Under the coaching of Hall of Fame coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines, Monroe averaged 7.1 points his freshman year, 23.2 points as a sophomore, 29.8 points as a junior and an amazing 41.5 points his senior year. In 1967, he earned NCAA College Division Player of the Year honors and led the Rams to the NCAA College Division Championship.
In 1967, the two-time All-American was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) in the first round of the NBA draft (2nd overall pick). He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in a season in which he averaged 24.3 points per game, and scored 56 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. This still stands as the third-highest rookie total in NBA history. It was also a franchise record, later broken by Gilbert Arenas on December 17, 2006.
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Earl Strom
Earl "Yogi" Strom (December 15, 1927 – July 10, 1994) was a professional basketball referee for 29 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and for three years in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Strom is credited as the greatest referee in the history of the NBA and was known for his flamboyant style and ability to control the game. Nicknamed "The Pied Piper", the assertive Strom made foul calls with his whistle by using a "tweet-pause-tweet-tweet" tune and pointing at the offending player. In addition to calling fouls with flair, he was known for ejecting players from games with style and he sometimes supported his rulings with physical force.
Over the course of his career, he officiated 2,400 professional basketball regular season games, 295 playoff games, 7 All-Star games, and 29 NBA and ABA Finals. For his extensive contributions to the game, Strom was posthumously elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
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Ed Badger
Ed Badger is a former professional basketball coach.
He coached the Chicago Bulls for two seasons, from 1976 to 1978. He later would coach the University of Cincinnati Bearcats' men's basketball team from 1978 to 1983.
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Ed Macauley
Charles Edward "Ed" Macauley (March 22, 1928 – November 8, 2011) was a professional basketball player in the NBA. His playing nickname was "Easy Ed."
Macauley spent his prep school days at St. Louis University High School, then went on to Saint Louis University, where his team won the NIT championship in 1948. He was named the AP Player of the Year in 1949.
Macauley played in the NBA with the St. Louis Bombers, Boston Celtics, and St. Louis Hawks. Macauley was named MVP of the first NBA All-Star Game (he played in the first seven), and was named to the NBA's All-NBA First Team three consecutive seasons. He was named to the All-NBA second team once, in 1953–54—the same season he led the league in field goal percentage. Macauley's trade (with Cliff Hagan) to St. Louis brought Bill Russell to the Celtics.
Macauley scored 11,234 points in ten NBA seasons and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960. At age 32, he still holds the record for being the youngest player to be admitted. His uniform number 22 was retired by the Boston Celtics, and he was also awarded a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
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Ed Nealy
Eddie Carl Nealy (born February 19, 1960 in Pittsburg, Kansas) is a retired American basketball player. At 6'7" and 238 pounds, he played as a forward.
Nealy attended Kansas State University and was selected by the Kansas City Kings in the eighth round of the 1982 NBA Draft. In 10 NBA seasons with the Kings (1982–1985), San Antonio Spurs (1986–1988), Chicago Bulls (1988–1990;1993), Phoenix Suns (1989;1990–1992) and Golden State Warriors (1992), Nealy averaged 2.7 points and 3.3 rebounds. He participated on the 1992-93 Bulls team which won the NBA Championship, although he did not appear on the playoff roster.
Due his hustle, aggressiveness and court smarts, Nealy was uniformly praised for his unselfish play and his willingness to be physical throughout his career.
"It's guys like Ed who make coaching a pleasure. If you give me a reason to put him into a game, he's going to find a way to contribute." -- Phil Jackson
In the book, The Jordan Rules, Phil Jackson labeled Nealy his, "favorite player, smartest player on the team."
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Ed Steitz
Edward S. "Ed" Steitz (November 7, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, USA – May 21, 1990) was an American basketball coach and official. He was considered the leading worldwide authority on amateur basketball rules. A graduate of Cornell University, he was a coach of Springfield College for ten years and a director of athletics from 1956 to 1990. He worked for the NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee as a secretary, editor and national interpreter from 1965 to 1990. In 1974 he founded and served as a president for Amateur Basketball Association of the United States of America (ABAUSA), now USA Basketball. He was a member of the Technical Commission of FIBA. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984. In 2007, he was enshrined as a contributor in the FIBA Hall of Fame.
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Ed Wachter
Edward A. Wachter (June 30, 1883 – March 12, 1966) was one of the first professional basketball players. The 6 ft. 1 in. Wachter is widely regarded as the greatest center of the 1910s.[citation needed]
Wachter, a native of Troy, New York, played for several professional teams, like the Troy Trojans, in his 25-year career. He later coached at several schools, including Harvard University. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961.
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Eddie Hickey
Edgar S. "Eddie" Hickey (December 20, 1902 – December 5, 1980) was college men's basketball coach. He coached at his alma mater of Creighton University (1934–1943, 1946–1947), St. Louis University (1947–1958) and Marquette University (1958–1964), compiling a 429–230 record. Hickey also served as the head football coach at Creighton in 1934, tallying a mark of 2–7. After retiring from coaching, Hickey managed the American Automobile Association headquarters in Terre Haute, Indiana. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. Hickey died of a heart attack on December 5, 1980 in Mesa, Arizona.
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Edgar Diddle
Edgar Allen Diddle (March 12, 1895 in Gradyville, Kentucky, United States - January 2, 1970) was a college men's basketball coach. He is known for coaching at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky from 1922 to 1964. Diddle became the first coach in history to coach 1,000 games at one school. Diddle was known for waving a red towel around along the sidelines during his games. He was known to wave, toss, and chew on this towel, and even cover his face in times of disappointment. His red towel is now part of WKU's official athletic logo. Diddle experienced only five losing seasons in 42 years and overall, averaged 25 wins per year.
Diddle's teams claimed 32 conference championships, played in 11 postseason tournaments; won 20+ games eighteen different times, (including one stretch of ten years in a row); became the first team from the South to participate in the Olympic Trials; and won an amazing 759 games. When he stepped down in 1964 Diddle had won more games than any coach in NCAA history and today he still ranks in the top ten on the all-time list.
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Edward Gottlieb
Edward Gottlieb (born Isadore Gottlieb, September 15, 1898 – December 7, 1979), known as "Mr. Basketball" and "The Mogul", was the first coach and manager of the Philadelphia Warriors in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the former owner and coach of the team from 1951 to 1962 (when he sold the Philadelphia Warriors to Franklin Mieuli, who moved them to San Francisco). A native of Kiev, Ukraine, he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor on April 20, 1972. The NBA Rookie of the Year "Eddie Gottlieb Trophy" is named after Gottlieb.
A small, overweight, balding man with deep eyes and penchant for wearing bow ties, Gottlieb was described by Red Smith as "a wonderful little guy about the size and shape of a half-keg of beer."
Gottlieb organized, and played for, the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association teams in the 1920s. Along with a few other sports promoters, he organized the Basketball Association of America, the league that later became the NBA.
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Elgin Baylor
Elgin Gay Baylor (born September 16, 1934 in Washington, D.C.) is a retired Hall of Fame American basketball player and former NBA general manager who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers.
Baylor was a gifted shooter, strong rebounder, and an accomplished passer. Renowned for his acrobatic maneuvers on the court, Baylor regularly dazzled Lakers fans with his trademark hanging jump shots. The No. 1 draft pick in 1958, NBA Rookie of the Year in 1959, and an 11-time NBA All-Star, he is regarded as one of the game's all-time greatest players. In 1977, Baylor was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Baylor spent twenty-two years as GM of the Los Angeles Clippers, being named the NBA Executive of the Year in 2006, before being relieved of his duties shortly before the 2008-09 season began.
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Elmer Ripley
Elmer H. Ripley (July 21, 1891 – April 29, 1982) was an American college men's and professional basketball coach. In over 30 years, he coached collegiately at seven different schools as well as professionally for several teams. Once celebrated, Ripley now is an almost forgotten figure in the history of American basketball.
Ripley was born in Staten Island, New York on July 21, 1891. After graduating from local Curtis High School, he attended Brown University.
Considered to be one of the great basketball coaches of the last century, Ripley began his career as a player before making the switch to coach in 1922. At age 19, Ripley decided to leave Brown to play basketball professionally with the Interstate League Brooklyn Trolly Dodgers, the New York League's Uyica Utes and the "Original Celtics" club. Ripley would enjoy numerous achievements including being voted among the ten best pro players from 1909 to 1926.
After playing, he went on to coach basketball at several major American universities and traveled the world teaching the game. Ripley began his first professional coaching tenure with Wagner College in 1922, before moving into a position at Georgetown University in 1927. His skills as a coach were evident as he won 12 of his first 13 games. During his many years with the Georgetown, he achieved a 133–82 record and lead the Hoyas to the NCAA tournament twice. Ripley was in high demand and was hied away by several prestigious colleges including Columbia University, University of Notre Dame, and Yale University, which he coached to the 1933 Ivy League championship.
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Elvin Hayes
Elvin Ernest Hayes (born November 17, 1945 in Rayville, Louisiana) is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball. He is a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and an inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
A quiet, introverted youth, Hayes first picked up a basketball in eighth grade, by accident. He was wrongly blamed for playing a classroom prank and was sent to the principal's office. But another teacher, Reverend Calvin, saw Hayes and said he was welcome in his class. Although the youngster showed no inclination for any sports, Calvin thought he would benefit by playing basketball and put him on the school team. Hayes was so clumsy, however, that he evoked laughter with his awkward attempts at shooting and dribbling.
But young Hayes was determined to improve, and during the summers he practiced long hours. As a 6'5" ninth grader he was a benchwarmer on the junior varsity squad at Britton High School when he became determined to crack the starting lineup. "I was too weak to shoot the turnaround then," Hayes recalled, "so all summer long I shot with a small rubber ball at a basket in my yard. My development was almost overnight."
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Emil Liston
Emil S. "Liz" Liston (August 21, 1890 – October 26, 1949) was an athletic coach and administrator. He coached basketball, football and baseball at Wesleyan University and Baker University. He was the founder of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, organized the NAIA college basketball tournament in 1937 and served as the first executive director of the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (predecessor to the NAIA) from 1940 to 1949. He was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.
A native of Stockton, Missouri, Liston attended Michigan College of Mines (now known as Michigan Technological University) where he was a star football player.
In September 1918, Liston was hired by Wesleyan University as coach of the school's football team. He left Wesleyan in June 1919 to play professional baseball for the Wichita, Kansas team in the Western League. After spending the summer playing baseball in Wichita, Liston returned to Wesleyan as the head football coach in the fall of 1919. In two years as Wesleyan's football coach, Liston compiled a 10-3-0 record. His .769 winning percentage at Wesleyan remains the highest of any Wesleyan football coach with at least ten games as coach. Liston also coached the basketball and baseball teams at Wesleyan. In April 1920, Liston announced his resignation from Wesleyan.
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Ernest Blood
Ernest A. Blood (October 4, 1872 in Manchester, New Hampshire, United States – February 5, 1955) was a high school and college men's basketball coach. He was best known for his "Wonder Teams" at New Jersey's Passaic High School, which lost only one game in the span of a decade and set an American high school record for most consecutive victories.
As a basketball innovator who focused on team play and a clean lifestyle in which players were prohibited from drinking or smoking, Blood emphasized the fast break, well-controlled passing and the full-court press over individual performance. Known as the "Professor", he was also a showman who would wrestle the team's bear cub mascot at halftime and could toss a 16-pound shot put into the air and catch it on the back of his neck.
Between 1915 and 1924 he coached Passaic High School to a remarkable 200-1 record, winning seven state basketball championships during his tenure, though the team's success on the court created conflict between Blood and the school's principal, Arnold D. Arnold, who thought that the team's overwhelming athletic accomplishments were distracting students from their academics. Passaic High's 1921–22 basketball team finished the season with a record of 33–0 and outscored its opponents by a margin of 2,293–612, scoring almost four times as many points as their foes did in each game. Passaic was unbeaten for more than five seasons, and won 159 consecutive games from 1919 to 1925, a feat which is considered to be the longest winning streak in high school basketball history in the United States. The streak ended on February 6, 1925, after Blood had already left Passaic High, in a game the Hilltoppers lost 39–35 to the Hackensack High School Comets. The game, played at the Hackensack Armory, was said to have been designed to slow down the Passaic High fast break through the placement of sawdust on the playing surface.
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Ernest Schmidt
Ernest J. Schmidt (February 12, 1911 in Nashville, Kansas, USA – September 6, 1986) was an American college basketball player. He played college basketball for Kansas State Teachers College in the early 1930s and was considered one of the best players of his time. He led the team to 47 straight victories and four straight conference titles. He was nicknamed "One Grand" for scoring exactly 1,000 points during his college career. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1974.
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Everett Case
Everett Norris Case (June 21, 1900 – April 30, 1966), nicknamed "Gray Fox", was a basketball coach most notable for his tenure at North Carolina State University, from 1946 to 1964.
Born in Anderson, Indiana, Case graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1923. He compiled a 726-75 record while coaching 23 years in high school basketball, including winning 4 Indiana state championships while coaching in Frankfort, Indiana (1925, 1929, 1936, 1939). Frankfort's Case Arena is named after him. Case is one of only five coaches to win at least 4 state titles in Indiana basketball (the others being Marion Crawley, Glenn M. Curtis, Jack Keefer with 4 and Bill Green with 6).
Case enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1941. He was commissioned a senior-grade lieutenant and reported to Annapolis for a four-week training course. He then traveled to Chicago for five weeks training before reporting to Naval Pre-flight school at St. Mary's College in California, where he served as assistant athletic director and director of basketball. He also served as athletic director at the Alameda Naval Air Station.
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Everett Dean
Everett S. Dean (March 18, 1898 – October 26, 1993) was a college men's basketball and baseball coach.
Born in Livonia, Indiana, Dean was the head baseball and basketball coach at his alma mater, Indiana University, from 1924 to 1938. In 1938, Dean was named head basketball coach at Stanford University, where he coached the team to the 1942 NCAA championship. Dean was named baseball coach at Stanford in 1950, and led Stanford's baseball team to the 1953 College World Series.
Dean is the only coach named to both the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1965. He also has the distinction of being the first basketball All-American from Indiana University.
His fondness for the local history of his native Washington County, Indiana led him to push for the creation of the John Hay Center of Salem, Indiana.
NCAA, NCAA March Madness: Cinderellas, Superstars, and Champions from the NCAA Men's Final Four : Chicago: Triumph Books, 2004. ISBN 1-57243-665-4
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Everett Shelton
Everett F. Shelton (May 12, 1898 – April 16, 1974) was a well-known college men's basketball coach in the 1940s and 1950s. Shelton played quarterback for the Phillips University football team. The Cunningham, Kansas native coached 46 years at the high school, college and AAU levels and compiled an 850-437 record. He is mostly known for coaching the University of Wyoming Cowboys basketball team from 1939 to 1959. While at Wyoming, Shelton had a record of 328 wins and 201 losses for a .620 winning percentage. He guided the Cowboys to eight conference championships and eight NCAA Tournament appearances. During his career, he was President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Ev's 1943 team at Wyoming, captained by broadcasting legend Curt Gowdy, won the fifth NCAA national championship. Ev nearly repeated the feat of winning a national championship at Sacramento State College, where his Hornets lost in overtime to Mount St. Mary's in the NAIA championship in the early 1960s.
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Ferenc Hepp
Dr. Ferenc Hepp (November 3, 1909 in Békés, Hungary – November 27, 1980) was a basketball administrator. He is considered "the father of Hungarian basketball". He became the president of the Hungarian Basketball Federation in 1954 and was a member of the FIBA Central Board in the 1950s and 1960s. He was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1981. In 2007, he was enshrined as a contributor into the FIBA Hall of Fame
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Forrest DeBernardi
Forrest S. "Red" DeBernardi (February 3, 1899 – April 29, 1970) was a well-known collegiate basketball player in the 1920s. Standing 6 ft. 1 inches tall, DeBernardi was one of the best centers of his era, but played all five positions. Born in Nevada, Missouri, he attended University of Kansas from 1920 to 1921, but transferred to Westminster College, where he played from 1921 to 1923. He was named All-Conference in both 1922 and 1923.
Following his impressive collegiate career, DeBernardi became an outstanding Amateur Athletic Union player. Between 1920 and 1929, when he played with Kansas City Athletic Club (1920–22), Hillyard Shine Alls (1923–27) and Cook's Painter Boys (1928–29), he participated in 10 national AAU tournaments and was named to the AAU All American team eight times. Five times he has been part of a national championship team.
In 1938 the Associated Press selected DeBernardi as the center on its All-Time All America college basketball team. He was also awarded with the Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame Award in 1952. In 1961, DeBernardi was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Frank Hamblen
Frank Hamblen is a National Basketball Association (NBA) coach and scout, and a former college basketball player at Syracuse University. He has served as an interim head coach for two different teams; for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1992 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. He also has served as an assistant coach on four NBA teams (Kansas City/Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers), often alongside Phil Jackson. Hamblen has been an assistant coach on seven championship teams, two with Jackson's Bulls and five with Jackson's Lakers. Jackson retired after the 2010–11 season, and Hamblen's contract with the Lakers expired as well.
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Frank Keaney
Frank William "Menty" Keaney (June 5, 1886 – October 10, 1967) was a college men's basketball coach and known as the architect of modern "run-and-shoot" basketball.
Keaney was a native of Boston, Massachusetts, and attended Cambridge Latin School, graduating in 1906. He graduated from Bates College, where he played several sports, in 1911. He coached at Rhode Island State College (now the University of Rhode Island) from 1920 to 1948 and taught a style of basketball using a fast-breaking offense and a full-court defense. In his 28 years at Rhode Island, Keaney never had a losing season. In 1939, Keaney's Rams became the first college team to score more than 50 points per game, and in 1943 the team had an average of more than two points per minute (80.7 points per game), which led to the Rams being dubbed "The Firehouse Gang". During his tenure the URI team had four National Invitation Tournament appearances. Keaney's career record was 401-124 (.764).
After retiring from coaching collegiate basketball, Keaney almost became head coach of the Boston Celtics. Keaney's doctor, however, refused to let him take the job. He remained as Rhode Island State/URI's athletic director until 1959. URI named the Frank W. Keaney Gymnasium-Armory in his honor in 1953. Keaney was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960.
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Frank Layden
Frank Layden (born January 5, 1932)is a retired American basketball coach and executive of the NBA's Utah Jazz.
In additional to his coaching at the professional level, Layden is also a former head coach and player of his alma mater Niagara University's basketball team. Layden coached Niagara to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 1970, with the help of Calvin Murphy. In 1976 he was hired to be an assistant coach with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks joining former Niagara teammate Hubie Brown. In 1979 he was hired to be the General Manager of the then New Orleans Jazz, and became the head coach of the Jazz (now in Salt Lake City) in 1981, replacing Tom Nissalke. He would be the coach of the Jazz for the next seven and a half years. He was instrumental in drafting and signing franchise mainstays John Stockton and Karl Malone to the club. He retired from coaching during the 1988-1989 season, moving into the team's front office. (He was replaced as coach by Jerry Sloan.)
In 1984, Layden was awarded the NBA's Coach of the Year. That same season, he also won the NBA's Executive of the Year and the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Awards. (He and Joe O'Toole are the only non-players in NBA history to win the award).
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Frank McGuire
Frank Joseph McGuire (November 8, 1914 – November 11, 1994) was an American athletic coach who gained his greatest renown in collegiate basketball.
Born in New York City as the youngest of thirteen children in an Irish-American family, to New York police officer, Robert McGuire and his wife, the former Anne Lynch (his father dying when Frank was only two years old). He attended Xavier High School graduating in 1933, McGuire graduated from St. John's University in 1936. He served in the United States Navy during World War II, interrupting his work as a teacher and coach at his high school. Prior to 1947 he also played pro basketball briefly in the American Basketball League; he then became the head basketball and baseball coach at his alma mater.
After bringing the baseball team to the College World Series in 1949 and the basketball team to the Final Four in 1952 – becoming one of only three coaches to achieve both accomplishments – he left St. John's to become basketball coach at the University of North Carolina.
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Frank Morgenweck
Frank (Pop) Morgenweck (July 15, 1875 in Egg Harbor, New Jersey, USA – December 8, 1941) was an American basketball player, coach and team owner. He began his career in the National League in 1901, and won that league's championship with the Camden Electrics in 1904. After retiring in 1916, he became a coach and an owner of professional teams, operating teams in ten different leagues and in more than 18 cities. As a coach, he won the Metropolitan League title with Paterson Legionnaires in 1923 and Kingston Colonials in 1928. He retired as a coach in 1938 with over 500 career victories. He was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1962.
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Fred Schaus
Frederick (Fred) Appleton Schaus (June 30, 1925 – February 10, 2010) was an American basketball player, head coach and athletic director for the West Virginia University Mountaineers, player for the NBA's Fort Wayne Pistons and New York Knicks, general manager and head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, head coach of Purdue University basketball, and a member of the NCAA Basketball Committee. He was born in Newark, Ohio.
Schaus played basketball at West Virginia, where he earned the record of first to score 1,000 career points (1,009). He was also selected to the All-American team in 1949.
Schaus left West Virginia to join the Fort Wayne Pistons in the 1949–1950 season. He scored 14.3 points a game and a year later scored a career-best 15.3 points a game. He was selected to play in the first NBA All-Star Game and scored eight points for the West. However, he only averaged 14.1 points per game in 1952, and then in 1953 it dropped to 10.1 points per game.
He was traded to the New York Knicks halfway through the 1954 season and ended his NBA career that season with 7.1 points per game average.
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Fred Zollner
Fred Zollner (January 22, 1901 – June 21, 1982) was called "Mr. Pro Basketball" as the founder and longtime owner along with his sister Janet of the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (now the Detroit Pistons) and a key figure in the merger of National Basketball League and Basketball Association of America into the National Basketball Association in 1949.
Zollner, an industrialist, was born in Little Falls, Minnesota and received a degree from the University of Minnesota in 1927. Zollner Corporation, formed in 1912, was a Tier-1 supplier of pistons to companies such as Ford, General Motors, International Harvester (now Navistar), John Deere and Outboard Marine. At one time, he employed more than 1200 people in his Fort Wayne, Indiana foundry. The company had 230 employees when it was acquired by Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG in 1999.
The Zollner Pistons began playing in 1941 in an industrial league. In 1974, he recalled that, "Instead of making friends, we made enemies, because no one could beat us." He personally recruited his players, including later Hall of Famers Andy Phillip, Bob McDermott, Bob Houbregs, Buddy Jeannette and George Yardley. The Zollner Pistons were a very popular franchise, winning the world championship in 1944 and 1945, and reaching the NBA Finals in 1954 and 1955, losing both times. He was the first pro basketball team owner to hire a bench coach.
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Fuzzy Vandivier
Robert P. "Fuzzy" Vandivier (December 26, 1903 – July 30, 1983) was a well-known high school and collegiate basketball player during the 1920s. At Franklin High School he led a squad nicknamed "Franklin Wonder Five", a team that compiled an 89-9 record, won three state championships (1920, 1921, 1922) and is considered the greatest Indiana High School team of all-time.
Vandivier has been named All-State three times (1920, 1921, 1922), being the first player ever to achieve this feat (since then, John Wooden, Oscar Robertson and George McGinnis also achieved this level of success). Hall of Fame coach John Wooden considered Vandivier the greatest high school basketball player of all time.
Following his outstanding high school career, Vandivier attended local Franklin College (1922–26). In each year he was named All-State, and in 1926 he was an All-Midwest College All-Star. Due to a painful back ailment in his senior year, Vandivier's playing career was cut short. After graduating from Franklin, he returned as basketball coach to his high school. Vandivier coached the Franklin High School basketball team from 1926 to 1944. In 1939, under his leadership, they earned a place in the Indiana state finals.
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Gail Goodrich
Gail Charles Goodrich Jr. (born April 23, 1943 in Los Angeles, California) is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is best known for scoring a then record 42 points in the 1965 NCAA championship game vs. Michigan, and his part in the Los Angeles Lakers' 1971–72 season. During that season the team won a still-record 33 games consecutively, posted what was at the time the best regular season record in NBA history, and also won the franchise's first NBA championship since relocating to Los Angeles. Goodrich was the leading scorer on that team. He is also acclaimed for leading UCLA to its first two National Championships under the legendary coach John Wooden, the first in 1963-64 being a perfect 30-0 season. In 1996, 17 years after his retirement from professional basketball, Goodrich was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
A native of the Los Angeles area, Goodrich was the captain of the John H. Francis Polytechnic High School basketball team that dominated the 1961 Los Angeles City high school basketball championship.
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Gar Forman
Gar Forman is an American basketball executive for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls. Forman was named GM in 2009 after being in the organization for 11 years as a scout, director of player personnel, and special assistant to executive vice-president of basketball operations. On May 10, 2011 Gar Forman won the NBA Executive of the Year Award, along with Miami Heat President Pat Riley.
Gar Forman was named General Manager of the Chicago Bulls on May 21, 2009. As General Manager, Forman supervises player personnel, coaching, scouting, training, and administration. During the summer of 2010, Forman led the charge to reload a Bulls squad after two consecutive .500 seasons and early playoff exits. Forman and the Bulls signed free agents Carlos Boozer (Utah), Kyle Korver (Utah), Ronnie Brewer (Utah), Ömer Aşık (Turkey), and Kurt Thomas (Milwaukee), while trading for C. J. Watson (Golden State). Those free agents were added to the Bulls' young core of players including Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Taj Gibson. On June 23, 2010, Forman also named Tom Thibodeau the 18th head coach of the Chicago Bulls. During his tenure with the Bulls (as General Manager, and previously as Director of Player Personnel), Forman oversaw the drafting of Taj Gibson (First Team All-Rookie 2010), Derrick Rose (NBA Rookie of the Year 2009), Kirk Hinrich (NBA All-Defense Team 2007 ), and Ben Gordon (NBA Sixth Man of the Year 2005).
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Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton (born July 23, 1968) is a former American professional basketball point guard. He is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, and holds Seattle franchise records in points, assists, and steals. He has also played with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, the last with whom he won an NBA Championship.
The only point guard ever to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, Payton is widely considered one of the greatest of all time at that position. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times, an NBA record he shares with Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant. Payton got his nickname "The Glove" when Payton's cousin called him during the 1993 Western Conference Finals series against Phoenix and told him, "you're holding Kevin Johnson like a baseball in a glove," and the nickname was born.
Considered the "NBA's reigning high scorer among point guards" in his prime, Payton is referred to as "probably as complete a guard as there ever was" by NBA Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich.
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Gene Shue
Eugene William "Gene" Shue (born December 18, 1931 in Baltimore, Maryland) is a retired American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his playing days he was a 6'2" (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) guard.
Shue attended Towson Catholic High School and the University of Maryland. After graduation, he was drafted in 1954 by the Philadelphia Warriors. During his ten year playing career in the NBA, he was also a member of the New York Knicks, Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons, and the Baltimore Bullets. He then served 23 years as a head coach in the league. Shue was an All-Star five consecutive times (1958–62) and was named All-NBA First Team once (1960). As a coach, he guided the Philadelphia 76ers to the 1977 NBA Finals, but eventually lost to the Bill Walton-led Portland Trail Blazers. Gene Shue was twice named NBA Coach of the Year.
Shue, who now lives in Marina del Rey, California, currently is a scout for the 76ers.
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Geno Auriemma
Luigi "Geno" Auriemma (born March 23, 1954 in Montella, Italy) is an American college basketball coach and the head coach of the University of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team, which he has led to seven NCAA Division I national championships (in 1995, 2000, 2002–2004, 2009 and 2010). He has won six national Naismith College Coach of the Year awards. Auriemma is also the head coach of the 2009-12 United States women's national team.
He emigrated with his family to Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. when he was seven years old,. and spent the rest of his childhood there. After graduating from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 1977, Auriemma was hired as an assistant coach at Saint Joseph's University, where he worked in 1978 and 1979. He then took a two-year absence from college basketball, serving as an assistant coach at his former high school, Bishop Kenrick, before assuming an assistant coaching position with the University of Virginia Cavaliers in 1981. Auriemma became a naturalized United States citizen in 1994, noting in his autobiography that he finally decided to naturalize when his UConn team was slated to tour Italy that summer and he was concerned about potential problems because he had never done any required national service.
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George Gervin
George "The Iceman" Gervin (born April 27, 1952) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls. Gervin averaged at least 14 points per game in all 14 of his ABA and NBA seasons, and finished with an NBA career average of 26.2 points per game. Gervin is widely regarded to be one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history.
Nicknamed Iceman for his cool demeanor on the court, Gervin was primarily known for his scoring talents. He led teams at both Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan and Long Beach State. After leaving college due to an altercation, Gervin was set to try out for the Virginia Squires of the ABA. According to legend, Gervin made 22 of 25 three-point attempts at the tryout; he was immediately signed despite the fact that Virginia officials had never seen him play competitively.
His first scoring crown came in 1978, when he narrowly edged David Thompson for the scoring title by seven hundredths of a point (27.22 to 27.15). Although Thompson came up with a memorable performance for the last game of the regular season, scoring 73 points, Gervin maintained his slight lead by scoring 63 points (including an NBA-record at the time 33 points in the second quarter) in a loss in his last game of the season. With the scoring crown in hand, he sat out some of the third, and all of the fourth quarter. Gervin went on to lead the NBA in scoring average three years in a row from 1978 to 1980 (with a high of 33.1 points per game in 1979-80), and again in 1982. The Spurs drafted high scoring guards Oliver Robinson of UAB and Tony Grier from South Florida to take some offensive pressure off Gervin. Prior to Michael Jordan, Gervin had the most scoring titles of any guard in league history.
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George Hepbron
George T. Hepbron (August 27, 1863 in Still Pond, Maryland, US – April 30, 1946) was one of basketball's first referees and rules pioneers. He is also credited with writing the game's first book, How to Play Basketball, in 1904.
Hepbron was a close friend of Dr. James Naismith, and subsequently played a major role in the early development of the game, especially in the area of rules. Active in many sports organizations, Hepbron was the first secretary of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Basketball Committee (1896) and in 1915, became secretary of the newly formed National Basketball Rules Committee (NBRC).
Hepbron was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960 as a referee.
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George Hoyt
For 34 years, George Hoyt was known as New England's foremost basketball referee, earning him the moniker "Mr. Basketball". A tireless worker, Hoyt's talents were not merely requested, but demanded. He would often officiate two games a day at both the high school and college level. A champion in developing a uniform set of rules and procedures, Hoyt penned The Theory and Practice of Basketball Officiating, a classic textbook that discussed many officiating distinctions, including the difference between Eastern and Western referees.
George Hoyt was born on August 9, 1883 in Boston, Massachusetts. After years of officiating both high school and college games, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall Of Fame as a referee in 1961. He was a pioneer of the more open style of play that we see in today's basketball, he created rules to discourage defensive holding and to free up offensive players. While serving as Chief of Officials for the Eastern Massachusetts High School Basketball Tournament (which became Honorary Chief Official on retirement), he helped found the New England Interscholastic Basketball Tournament. George Hoyt died on November 11, 1962.
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George Keogan
George E. Keogan (March 8, 1890 – February 17, 1943) was an American collegiate basketball coach, most known for coaching University of Notre Dame from 1923 to 1943. Keogan never had a losing season in his 20 years at Notre Dame.
The Minnesota Lake, Minnesota native attended University of Minnesota from 1909 to 1913. He began coaching high school varsities after his freshman year in college, guiding first Lockport High School (1910–11) followed by Riverside High School (1911–12). Meanwhile he was also coaching several college basketball teams: Charles City College in Iowa (1909–1910), Superior State Teachers College in Wisconsin (1912–14), Saint Louis University (1914–15) and the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota (1915–16). During World War I he served at Great Lakes Naval Training Station.
After briefly coaching Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania (1917–18) and Valparaiso University (1918–20), Keogan arrived at University of Notre Dame. He served as head basketball and baseball coach, as well as assistant to the legendary football coach Knute Rockne. Keogan compiled a 327-96-1 at Notre Dame. After he died at age 52, his greatest player and fellow Hall of Famer Moose Krause took over his job.
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George Mikan
George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. (June 18, 1924 – June 1, 2005), nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Invariably playing with thick, round spectacles, the 6 ft 10 in 245 lb. Mikan is seen as one of the pioneers of professional basketball, redefining it as a game of so-called big men with his prolific rebounding, shot blocking and his talent to shoot over smaller defenders with his ambidextrous hook shot, result of his own Mikan Drill.
Mikan had a successful player career, winning seven NBL, BAA and NBA championships, an All-Star MVP trophy, three scoring titles and being member of the first four NBA All-Star and the first six All-BAA and All-NBA Teams. Mikan was so dominant that he caused several rule changes in the NBA, among them widening the foul lane—known as the "Mikan Rule"—and introducing the shot clock.
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George Yardley
George Harry Yardley III (November 3, 1928 in Hollywood, California – August 12, 2004 in Newport Beach, California, USA), best known as simply George Yardley, was an NBA Hall of Fame basketball player. He was the first player in history to score 2,000 points in one season, breaking the 1,932-point record held by fellow Hall of Famer George Mikan. He was nominated (but not selected) into NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971.
A two-time All-American at Stanford University, Yardley was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, and earned the nickname "Yardbird" due to the chores he was required to complete by his fraternity brothers. [1] The nickname was later shortened to "Bird". After his three year career at Stanford, Yardley played one year of AAU basketball and served in the United States Navy for two years. During his navy stint, Yardley's amateur team won the national A.A.U. championship in 1951, with Yardley being selected the national amateur player-of-the-year. He was drafted by the NBA Fort Wayne Pistons in 1950.
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Glen Rice
Glen Anthony Rice (born May 28, 1967) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA. The 6'8" tall Rice was a three-time NBA All-Star guard/forward, ranking 11th in NBA history with 1,559 three-point field goals made during his 15-year career. As a player, Rice won an NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship and an NBA Championship. Rice has won both the NBA All-Star Game MVP and the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player awards. In recent years, Rice has taken up MMA fight promotion as owner and head of G-Force Fights, based out of Miami, Florida.
Rice played college basketball for the University of Michigan Wolverines for four seasons (1985–1989), a starter for three of those seasons. He became the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,442 points. He led Michigan to the 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, scoring an NCAA-record 184 points in tournament play, a record that still stands. Rice was also voted the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and was part of the Associated Press All-America second-team, after averaging 25.6 points for the season, while shooting 58% from the floor and 52% from three-point range. After Rice's junior year, he was invited to try out for the 1988 United States Olympic basketball team, but was cut before reaching the group of 48. On February 20, 2005, Rice's No. 41 jersey was retired during a ceremony at Michigan's Crisler Arena. Rice made the cover of Sports Illustrated on April 10, 1989.
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Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich (born January 28, 1949) is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. Taking over as coach of the Spurs in 1996, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in both the NBA and all Big Four sports leagues. He is often referred to as "Coach Pop" or simply "Pop." He has won four championships as head coach of the Spurs.
Popovich was born in East Chicago, Indiana to a Serbian father and mother of Croatian descent.. He attended Merrillville High School and graduated in 1970 from the United States Air Force Academy. He played basketball for four seasons at the Academy, and in his senior year was the team captain and the leading scorer. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Soviet Studies, and he underwent Air Force intelligence gathering and processing training. At one point, Popovich considered a career with the Central Intelligence Agency.
Popovich served five years of required active duty in the United States Air Force, during which he toured Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union with the U.S. Armed Forces Basketball Team. In 1972, he was selected as captain of the Armed Forces Team, which won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championship. This earned him an invitation to the 1972 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team trials.
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Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (/ɵˈlaɪdʒəwɒn/; [olaɟuwɔ̃]; born January 21, 1963) is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Listed at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) (but closer to 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) by his own admission), Olajuwon is considered one of the greatest centers ever to play the game.
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Hal Greer
Harold Everett Greer (born June 26, 1936, in Huntington, West Virginia) is a retired American professional basketball player.
He attended Douglass Junior and Senior High School in Huntington. He played college basketball at Marshall University and was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals of the NBA in 1958. Greer played for Syracuse for five seasons, raising his scoring average to 22.8 points a game in 1961. He was selected for the NBA All-Star team that year. In 1963, the Syracuse Nationals moved to Philadelphia to become the Philadelphia 76ers. There, Greer became well known as a teammate of Wilt Chamberlain, and starred on the powerful 1966-67 team that ended the eight-year championship reign of the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics. In the 76ers' 15 playoff games that season, Greer averaged a team-best 27.7 points. Greer had an unusual but highly effective free throw technique, shooting a jump shot from the charity stripe. He is usually considered the third-best guard of the 1960s, behind Oscar Robertson and Jerry West.
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Hank Luisetti
Angelo "Hank" Luisetti (June 16, 1916 - December 17, 2002) was an American college men's basketball player and one of the great innovators of the game. In an era that featured the traditional two-handed set shot, Luisetti developed the running one-handed shot. Equipped with such an offensive weapon, Luisetti became one of the most dominant players in American college basketball history.
A graduate of Galileo High School in his native city, San Francisco, he went on to play for Stanford. He became the first player to score 50 points in a game on January 1, 1938, against Duquesne. Luisetti was named the second-best player of the mid-century (behind George Mikan) by an Associated Press poll of sportswriters and broadcasters in 1950.
Luisetti’s influence was aided by a celebrated game between Long Island University and Luisetti’s Stanford Indians. Long Island, at the time of the game, had a 43 game winning streak. The game was played in the evening of Dec. 30, 1936, in Madison Square Garden and a crowd of 17,623 was on hand to see Long Island, the nation's No. 1 team, play Stanford.
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Harlan Page
Harlan Orville "Pat" Page (March 20, 1887 – November 23, 1965) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was one of basketball's first star players in the early 1900s. The 5'9" Chicago, IL native played guard at the University of Chicago (1906–1910) and was known as a defensive specialist. While leading Chicago to three national championships (1908–1910), the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively named him an All-American each time and named National Player of the Year in 1910. Page also played football at Chicago. Walter Camp selected him as a second-team All-American at the end in 1908 and a third-team All-American at the same position in 1909.
Following his playing days, Page embarked on a coaching career. He served as the head basketball coach at the University of Chicago (1911–1920), Butler University (1920–1925) and the College of Idaho (1936–1938), compiling a career college basketball record of 269–140. In 1924, he coached Butler to the AAU title. Page was also the head football coach at Butler from 1920 to 1925 and at Indiana University from 1926 to 1930, tallying a career college football mark of 51–38–5. In addition, Page coached baseball at the University of Chicago from 1913 to 1920 and again in 1931, amassing a record of 63–35. In 1962, he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player.
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Harold Anderson
W. Harold Anderson (September 11, 1902 – June 13, 1967) was a college men's basketball coach at Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo. As a player, he played at Otterbein College, a small liberal arts college outside of Columbus, Ohio. As a coach, he was one of the first to win more than 500 games on the collegiate level. While pioneering the run and gun, up-tempo style of play, the Akron, Ohio native Anderson developed a host of All-America athletes, the most prominent being Nate Thurmond.
The Bowling Green Falcons now play basketball in Anderson Arena, named in honor of their legendary coach. Anderson was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985.
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Harold Olsen
Harold G. Olsen (May 12, 1895 – October 29, 1953) was a college men's basketball coach. The Rice Lake, Wisconsin native was the head coach of the Ohio State University from 1922 to 1946. That year he became the first head coach of the BAA's Chicago Stags, where he coached almost three seasons before being replaced by Philip Brownstein. Olsen also coached a single season at Northwestern University (1950–1951).
While playing at University of Wisconsin–Madison (1913–17), Olsen was named two-time All-Big Ten. After graduating from Wisconsin, he began his coaching career at Ripon College. In 1922 Olsen followed George Trautman as head coach of the Ohio State University. In 24 years he guided the Buckeyes to a 265–81 record, as well as five Big Ten championships (1925, 1933, 1939, 1944, 1946). In 1939, Olsen spearheaded efforts to create the NCAA postseason national playoffs, now known as the NCAA Tournament. Olsen also helped initiate the 10-second rule. In 1959 he was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor.
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Harry Gallatin
Harry J. " The Horse" Gallatin (born April 26, 1927) is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. Gallatin played nine seasons for the New York Knicks in the NBA from 1948 to 1957, as well as one season with the Detroit Pistons in 1958. In 1954 Gallatin led the NBA in rebounding, and was named to the All-NBA First Team. Gallatin was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 1955. For his career, Gallatin played in seven NBA All-Star Games. A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, he is is also a member of the SIU Edwardsville Athletics Hall of Fame, the Truman State University Athletics Hall of Fame, the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame, the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Hall of Fame, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame.
Growing up in Roxana, Illinois, Gallatin had taken interest in all sports and has been quoted as saying, "Competition has always been my cup of tea." His drive for competition was amplified during his first year in high school as he attended Wood River High School from 1940–41. Since Roxana and some other outlying communities like Bethalto did not have high schools of their own at the time, all of the athletes in the area attended Wood River and thus increased the level of competition among the athletes. The following year, Roxana had a high school of its own. He graduated from Roxana High School in 1944 and was granted a basketball scholarship by Northeast Missouri State Teachers' College (now known as Truman State University). However, after graduating from Roxana High School, Gallatin enlisted in the United States Navy and served until the end of World War II.
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Harry Litwack
Harold "Chief" Litwack (September 20, 1907 – August 7, 1999) was a college men's basketball coach. He served as head coach of Temple University from 1947 to 1973, compiling a 373-193 record.
Litwack was born in Poland, but raised in Philadelphia, USA. He graduated from Temple in 1930. He began his coaching career at Simon Gratz High School (1930–31), then he became head coach of the freshman team at Temple. Meanwhile he was playing pro basketball with Eddie Gottlieb's all-Jewish Philadelphia Sphas, from 1930 to 1936. After he became head coach at Temple in 1947, he also served briefly as assistant coach for the Philadelphia Warriors (1948–51).
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Harthorne Wingo
Harthorne Nathaniel Wingo (born September 9, 1947 in Tryon, North Carolina) is a retired American professional basketball player.
A 6'6" forward from Friendship Junior College, Wingo played four seasons (1972–1976) in the National Basketball Association as a member of the New York Knicks. He averaged 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in his career and won a league championship in 1973. After the 1975-76 season he moved to Italy and played with Pallacanestro Cantu (1976–1978) with whom he won the European Cup Winner's Cup twice and Superga Mestre (1978–1980).
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Henry Bibby
Charles Henry Bibby (born November 24, 1949 in Franklinton, North Carolina) is a former professional basketball player and coach.
As a starting point guard, Bibby and the UCLA Bruins won three straight NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championships (1970–72) under head coach John R. Wooden. Bibby helped lead the Bruins through the first 47 games of an 88-game winning streak and was named an All-American his senior year.
In the 1972 NBA Draft, Bibby was drafted in the fourth round of the 1972 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks and in the second round of the 1972 ABA Draft by the Carolina Cougars. Bibby opted to play for the Knicks and was with the team for two and a half seasons, which included an NBA title in 1973.
Bibby spent nine seasons in the NBA, and was a part of the 1977 and 1980 Philadelphia 76ers teams that made the NBA Finals but lost both times.
Bibby started his coaching career in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and won two championships in 1982 and 1989. He coached the Winnipeg Thunder.
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Henry Iba
Henry Payne "Hank" Iba (pronounced /ˈaɪbə/; August 6, 1904 – January 15, 1993) was an American basketball and baseball coach.
Iba was born and raised in Easton, Missouri. He played college basketball at Westminster College, where he became a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.
After coaching stints at Maryville Teachers' College (now Northwest Missouri State University) and the University of Colorado, Iba came to Oklahoma A&M College in 1934. He stayed at Oklahoma A&M, renamed Oklahoma State University in 1957, for 36 years until his retirement after the 1969–70 season. For most of his tenure at A&M/OSU, he doubled as athletic director. Additionally, Iba coached OSU's baseball team from 1934 to 1941.
Iba's teams were methodical, ball-controlling units that featured weaving patterns and low scoring games. Iba's "swinging gate" defense (a man-to-man with team flow) was applauded by many, and is still effective in today's game. He was known as "the Iron Duke of Defense." Iba is thought to be one of the toughest coaches in NCAA history. He was a very methodical coach, and he always wanted things done perfectly.
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Herb Magee
Herb Magee (born June 20, 1941), commonly referred to as the Shot Doctor, is a Division II men's college basketball coach at his alma mater, Philadelphia University, known as Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science until 1999. He will be entering his 45th year as head coach and 52nd year as both a player and a coach, amassing 941 wins all at the same university. On August 12, 2011, Magee became a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2011.
Magee played his high school basketball at Philadelphia's famed West Catholic High, where his teammates included former Philadelphia 76ers Head Coach Jim Lynam and former St. Joseph's coach Jim Boyle.
As a five-foot-ten inch, 150-pound Philadelphia Textile player, he scored 2,235 points (before the introduction of the 3-point shot), leading his team to 75 victories. Magee was a two-time All-American and drafted by the Boston Celtics (the 62nd pick of the 1963 NBA draft)
His exploits as a coach have not gone unnoticed, as his list of awards and achievements can attest. The Kodak District Coach of the Year in 1993, Magee was also tabbed New York Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year that season and again in 1994. In addition, he has been honored as regional Coach of the Year four times, national Coach of the Year twice, and Co-Coach of the Year in the Mideast Collegiate Conference twice. He was also inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1979. He led the Rams to the College Division National Championship in 1970.
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Horace Grant
Horace Junior Grant (born July 4, 1965) is a retired American basketball player. He attended and played college basketball at Clemson University, before playing professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he became a four-time champion with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. He was easily recognizable by many NBA fans because of his trademark wraparound protective eyeglasses. His twin brother, Harvey Grant, also played in the NBA. His nephew Jerai Grant played for Clemson's basketball team.
Grant was born in Augusta, Georgia and attended Clemson University. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the 10th overall pick of the 1987 NBA Draft. The 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) tall power forward/center immediately teamed with fellow draft-day acquisition Scottie Pippen to form the Bulls' forward tandem of the future, although he initially backed up incumbent Charles Oakley, one of the league's premier rebounders and post defenders.
In 1989, Grant moved into the starting lineup when Oakley was traded to the New York Knicks for center Bill Cartwright. He immediately became the Bulls' main rebounder, and established himself as the Bulls' third scoring option after Michael Jordan and Pippen, forming one of the league's best trios. Grant was noted for his defensive play; he was selected four times for the NBA All-Defensive Team. He helped Chicago win three consecutive NBA championships (1990–91, 1991–92, and 1992–93), securing the third with a last-second block.
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Hortência Marcari
Hortência Maria de Fátima Marcari (born September 23, 1959 in Potirendaba, São Paulo, Brazil) is a former basketball player who is often considered to be one of the greatest women's basketball players in Brazil, alongside with Paula, and regarded by specialists as one of the world's greatest women's basketball players of all time. Marcari is a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted in 2002), the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted in 2005), and FIBA Hall of Fame (inducted in 2007). She is known in her country as Hortência, and her nickname is The Queen.
Hortência is of Italian background, her grandparents having moved to Brazil from that European nation. Hortência's father was a laborer.
When Hortência was ten years old, her family moved to São Paulo, and Hortência became interested in sports. Her family disapproved of her choice to play sports—her father had been disabled on the field so they wanted her to work bringing home part of the earnings her father used to--- but they eventually gave up trying to prevent her from doing her favorite activity.
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Howard Cann
Howard Gardsell Cann (October 11, 1895 - December 18, 1992) was an American sportsman best known as the long-time men's basketball coach at New York University. He was also an Olympic shot putter and a college basketball and football player.
Cann was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, into a family of accomplished sportsmen. His father, Frank Cann, was the director of physical education at New York University, which both Howard and his younger brother Tedford Cann attended. Tedford was an Olympic swimmer and world-record holder in the 200 meter freestyle.
Howard first attended Barringer High School in Newark, New Jersey, and then the High School of Commerce in New York City. At Commerce he was captain of the basketball team, member of the track team and member of the Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity.
He briefly attended Dartmouth College and then transferred to New York University. During his freshman year in 1914, Howard was the leading scorer on the NYU Violets men's basketball team. He was captain of the 1916-1917 football team, where he played as a tackle, a punter, and also played in the backfield.
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Howard Hobson
Howard Andrew "Hobby" Hobson (July 4, 1903 – June 9, 1991) was a college basketball coach, who authored numerous books on the subject. He also has the distinction of coaching the team who won the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship with the Oregon Ducks in its inaugural year of 1939.
Hobson played basketball for four years at Franklin High School in Portland, Oregon, from which he graduated in 1922. During his time there, he was team captain for two years, and led the state championship-winning team in 1921.
He was captain of the University of Oregon's basketball team from 1924 to 1926, and in 1925, his team tied Oregon State Agricultural College for the conference title. However, they lost in the playoffs. A year later, the team won the conference title, but lost to the University of California in the playoffs. This 1926 team was nevertheless undefeated in the conference, with a win record of 10-0. In the same year, he graduated from the University with a bachelor's degree. He went on to obtain a master's degree in 1929 and a doctorate in 1945, both from Columbia University.
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Hubie Brown
Hubert Jude "Hubie" Brown (born September 25, 1933 in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, USA) is a retired American basketball coach and a current television analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors being separated by 26 years. Brown was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005.
Born in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Brown moved to Elizabeth, New Jersey at the age of 3 and was raised there, graduating from St. Mary of the Assumption High School in 1951.
Hubie Brown played college basketball at Niagara University, graduating in 1955 with a degree in education. After leaving Niagara, Brown joined the U.S. Army where he joined the Army's basketball team. After being honorably discharged in 1958, Brown briefly played for the Rochester Colonels of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (the forerunner to the Continental Basketball Association) before they folded after just eight games. He averaged 13.8 points per game in his brief stint as a pro and was an excellent defender as a player.
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Hue Hollins
Hue Hollins (born 1942) is a former professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 27 years. During his career in the NBA, Hollins officiated 19 NBA Finals games and five NBA All-Star Games. He is notable for working the Finals every year during the 1990s and for a notorious call during a 1994 NBA Playoffs game between the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks. Hollins has also been probed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over the 2007 NBA betting scandal involving former referee Tim Donaghy.
Hollins grew up in Waco, Texas as a child. He was involved in sports, playing basketball and baseball throughout his childhood, while focusing on baseball during high school. Following high school, Hollins was offered a contract to join the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, but declined and opted to join the military. Spending four years in the United States Navy, Hollins enrolled at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He graduated from the school with a double major in sociology and psychology and was later hired as a high school counselor.
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Isaiah Rider
Isaiah Rider, Jr., nicknamed J.R. (born March 12, 1971), is an American former professional basketball player.
Rider was born in Oakland, California, and was raised in nearby Alameda. He starred in both baseball and basketball at Encinal High School before going on to a college career with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and a professional career in the National Basketball Association.
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Isiah Thomas
Isiah Lord Thomas III (
/aɪˈzeɪ.ə/; born April 30, 1961), nicknamed "Zeke", is a retired American basketball player who played collegiately for the Indiana University Hoosiers. He went on to play professionally as point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 until 1994 and led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA Championship in the 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star and named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. After his playing career, he was an executive with the Toronto Raptors, a television commentator, an executive with the Continental Basketball Association, head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and an executive and head coach for the New York Knicks. He was later the men's basketball coach for the Florida International University (FIU) Golden Panthers for three seasons from 2009 to 2012.
Thomas was born on April 30, 1961, in Chicago, Illinois. The youngest of nine brothers and sisters, he commuted from the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago to play high school basketball at St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois for Gene Pingatore. He would wake up at 5 am and commute 90 minutes to attend the private school. During his junior year, he led St. Joseph to the State Finals and was considered one of the top college prospects in the country.
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Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke (October 25, 1912 – April 6, 1997) was a Canadian entrepreneur and former owner of the Washington Redskins (NFL), the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), and the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), and built The Forum in Inglewood, California and FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Cooke moved with his family to The Beaches area of Toronto in 1921, where he attended Malvern Collegiate Institute.
At age 14, Cooke got a job selling encyclopedias door to door. At the end of his first day, he took home over $20 to his mother, and is reported as later saying "I think that was the proudest moment of my life." He later became a runner on the floor of the Toronto Stock Exchange. He was selling soap in Northern Ontario for Colgate-Palmolive in 1936 when he met Roy Thomson, who hired Cooke to run radio station CJCS in Stratford, Ontario. The two became partners in 1941, buying radio stations and newspapers in Ontario and Quebec.
With the financial backing of J. P. Bickell, Cooke purchased CKCL in 1945, changing the call letters to CKEY. He also continued to work with Thomson, and the two acquired the Canadian edition of Liberty magazine in 1948, naming it New Liberty. The following year, Thomson sold his half of the magazine to Cooke.
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Jack McCracken
Jack "Jumping Jack" McCracken (June 15, 1912 - January 5, 1958) was a basketball player in 1930s and 1940s. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) players of all time and was officially named as the greatest player of all time by the AAU organization.
A native of Chickasha, Oklahoma, McCracken went to Classen High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He attended Northwest Missouri State Teachers College (now Northwest Missouri State University) in Maryville, Missouri and played for legendary coach Henry Iba, who had also coached him in high school. McCracken never turned pro.
After leaving Northwest Missouri State Teachers College, he went to Denver, Colorado to play in the AAU.
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Jack Nicholson
Not to be confused with Nicholas Jackson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. His twelve Oscar nominations make him the second most nominated actor of all time, behind only Meryl Streep, and tied with Katharine Hepburn.
Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and for As Good as It Gets. He also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the 1983 film Terms of Endearment. He is tied with Walter Brennan for most acting wins by a male actor (three). Nicholson is well known for playing villainous roles such as Jack Torrance in The Shining, Frank Costello in The Departed, and the Joker in 1989's Batman, among many other roles.
Nicholson is one of only two actors who have been nominated for an Academy Award for acting in every decade from the 1960s to 2000s; the other is Michael Caine. He has won seven Golden Globe Awards, and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2001. In 1994, he became one of the youngest actors to be awarded the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award. Notable films in which he has starred include Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Passenger, The Shining, Reds, Terms of Endearment, Batman, A Few Good Men, As Good as It Gets, About Schmidt, The Departed and Anger Management .
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Jack Ramsay
Jack T. Ramsay (born February 21, 1925, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American former basketball coach, commonly known as "Dr. Jack" (as he holds an earned doctorate, see below). He is best known for coaching the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA Title, and for his broadcasting work with the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat, and for ESPN TV and ESPN Radio. Ramsay is among the most respected coaches in NBA history and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ramsay graduated from Upper Darby High School (UDHS) in 1942. He was inducted into the school's Wall of Fame in 1979. He received his bachelor's degree from Saint Joseph's College in 1949, and his master's and doctorate degrees (the latter in education) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1952 and 1963, respectively.
After coaching in the high school and minor-league ranks for the early postwar years, he became head coach at his alma mater, Saint Joseph's College, in 1955. In his first season, Ramsay would lead the Hawks to their first Big 5 crown and their first-ever postseason berth (in the NIT). Ramsay would remain there through 1966, leading the Hawks to six more Big 5 crowns and ten postseason appearances (including a Final Four) in all.
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Jack Twyman
John Kennedy "Jack" Twyman (May 21, 1934 – May 30, 2012) was an American professional basketball player and sports broadcaster.
A 6'6" forward from the University of Cincinnati, he spent eleven seasons (1955–1966) in the NBA as a member of the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals franchise (now the Sacramento Kings). Along with Wilt Chamberlain, Twyman became the first NBA player to average more than 30 points per game in a single season when he averaged 31.2 points per game during the 1959–60 season. He scored a career high 59 points in a game that same season. Twyman scored 15,840 points in his career, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team in both 1960 and 1962, and he appeared in six NBA All-Star Games.
Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.
Twyman was also known for his humanitarian efforts. He became the legal guardian of his teammate Maurice Stokes, who was paralyzed due to the aftereffects of a head injury suffered during the final game of the 1958 regular season, to help with medical finances. Twyman also organized the NBA's Maurice Stokes Memorial Basketball game, held at Kutsher's Country Club in Monticello, New York, to raise funds for needy former players from the game's early years – first to raise funds for Stokes's care and after his death, for other players. (The fundraising effort later became replaced by a pro-am golf event featuring NBA players.) Twyman also helped Stokes to obtain workers’ compensation and helped him to learn to communicate by blinking his eyes to denote individual letters.
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James Enright
James Enright (April 3, 1910 – December 20, 1981) was a college and professional basketball referee and sportswriter. He was born in Sodus, Michigan and began officiating at 20 years old.
After retiring in 1964 from a refereeing career that saw him officiate the 1954 NCAA tournament Final Four and the 1948 and 1952 Olympic basketball qualifying tournaments, Enright resumed a career he had abandoned for refereeing in 1930 and covered basketball and baseball for such publications as The Sporting News and the Chicago Evening American.
In 1968, Enright became president of the United States Basketball Writers’ Association and, in 1978, in view of his contributions to the game of basketball as a referee, Enright was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.
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James Naismith
James Naismith (November 6, 1861 – November 28, 1939) was a Canadian sports coach and innovator. He invented the sport of basketball in 1891 and is often credited with introducing the first football helmet. He wrote the original basketball rulebook, founded the University of Kansas basketball program, and lived to see basketball adopted as an Olympic demonstration sport in 1904 and as an official event at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, as well as the birth of both the National Invitation Tournament (1938) and the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship (1939).
Born in Canada, Naismith studied physical education in Montreal before moving to the United States, where he developed basketball in late 1891 while teaching at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. Naismith also studied medicine in Denver, taking his MD in 1898 before moving to the University of Kansas. After a decade (1898–1907) serving there as a faculty member and part-time basketball coach during the sport's fledgling years, he became the Kansas Jayhawks' athletic director. He became a U.S. citizen in 1925.
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James Worthy
James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961) is a retired Hall of Fame American college and professional basketball player. Named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, "Big Game James" was a seven-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA champion. A standout for the North Carolina Tar Heels, the 6 ft 9 in (2.05 m) small forward was the MOP of the 1982 NCAA Tournament and #1 pick of the 1982 NBA Draft. He was born in Gastonia, North Carolina.
Worthy was an All-American high school basketball player at Ashbrook High School in Gastonia. Worthy averaged 21.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists during his senior season, for a team that lost in the state championship game. Worthy was also selected to play in the 1979 McDonald's All-American game that also featured future Naismith Hall of Famers Isiaih Thomas, Dominique Wilkins and Ralph Sampson.
After graduating high school, Worthy attended the University of North Carolina (UNC). He quickly became a standout at UNC but saw his freshman year cut short by a broken ankle suffered near mid-season. As a sophomore he was a key member of that school's 1981 NCAA runner-up team, playing with Al Wood and Sam Perkins.
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Jason Caffey
Jason Andre Caffey (born June 12, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player who won two championship rings with the Chicago Bulls in the late 1990s. He later became the head coach of the American Basketball Association's Mobile Bay Hurricanes.
Caffey was born in Mobile, Alabama. A 6'8" power forward from the University of Alabama, he was selected by the Bulls with the 20th pick of the 1995 NBA Draft. He averaged 7.3 points per game during the Bulls' second consecutive championship run in 1996–97.
Before Caffey could win a third championship ring with the Bulls, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors in the middle of 1997–98. In the summer of 1999, he re-signed with the Warriors for seven years and $35 million. He averaged career highs of 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds during the 1999–2000 season with the Warriors.
Caffey joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 2000, with whom he played three more seasons before his career fizzled out amidst a series of personal problems, including an anxiety attack in 2002 and an assault charge in 2003. The Bucks bought out the remaining two seasons ($11.8 million) of his contract before the 2003–04 season started.
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Jelani McCoy
Jelani Marwan McCoy (born December 6, 1977) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Meralco Bolts. A 6'10" power forward/center, he played in the NBA from 1998-2007 for the Seattle SuperSonics, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, and Denver Nuggets. He attended college at UCLA and high school at St. Augustine High School in San Diego, California.
In 1998, was UCLA's career leader in blocked shots.
McCoy was suspended in late September 1997 for violating "unspecified" team rules but reinstated three months later.
McCoy compiled NBA career averages of 4.7 points and 3.6 rebounds. He was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won the 2002 NBA Finals, but he was injured most of the season and was not on their playoff roster.
McCoy played for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. In five games, McCoy averaged 9 points and 9 rebounds in 21 minutes per game. After averaging 8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3.5 assists in two games with the D-League's Los Angeles D-Fenders, McCoy was signed during the 2007-08 season in late November 2007 by the Nuggets to fill their depleted frontcourt after players Kenyon Martin, Nene and Steven Hunter were unavailable due to injuries.Mike Wilks was waived to make room on the roster. On December 19, 2007 he was waived by the Denver Nuggets. McCoy started the 2008-09 preseason with the Los Angeles Clippers, but was waived before the start of the season.
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Jerry Buss
Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss (born January 27, 1934) is an American businessman, real estate investor, and a former chemist. He is the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team along with other professional sports franchises in Southern California. Announced as a member of the 2010 induction class of the Basketball Hall of Fame on April 5, 2010, he was formally enshrined as a contributor to the sport on August 13 of that same year.
Buss worked his way through the University of Wyoming, graduating with a B.S. degree in two and a half years in 1953. He moved to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California, where he earned a M.S. and Ph.D. in physical chemistry by age 24. Buss started as a chemist for the Bureau of Mines (now the Mine Safety and Health Administration); he then briefly worked in the aerospace industry and was on the faculty of USC's chemistry department. He originally went into real estate investing in order to provide an income so he could continue teaching. His first investment in the 1960s was $1,000 in a West Los Angeles apartment building. Finding great success in the real estate business, he pursued real estate investing full time. In 1979 Jerry purchased Pickfair Mansion in Beverly Hills from the estate of Mary Pickford. He was also the co-owner of a real estate investment company called Mariani-Buss Associates with his long time business partner Frank Mariani.
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Jerry Colangelo
Jerry Colangelo (born November 20, 1939), is an American businessman and sports executive.
He formerly owned the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, the Arizona Sandsharks of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. He was also instrumental in the relocation of the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL to Phoenix to become the Phoenix Coyotes.
In the summer of 2005, Colangelo was named director of USA Basketball whose team represented the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 FIBA World Championship. Colangelo also serves as Chairman of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), a nonprofit nonpartisan educational foundation that promotes Italian American culture and heritage.
Colangelo has been known for a no-nonsense ownership style. Players like the Suns' Dennis Johnson and Jason Kidd and the Diamondbacks' Bobby Chouinard have been traded or released after their personal problems became public.
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Jerry Krause
Jerry Krause is a former professional basketball scout and general manager for, among other franchises, the Baltimore Bullets and, most notably, the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. He is a two-time recipient of the NBA's Executive of the Year award.
Krause was born in 1939 and grew up in Chicago. He played high school baseball as a catcher at Taft High School in Chicago and attended Bradley University.
After college he went to work as a scout with the Baltimore Bullets. Early on Krause gained a reputation of being able to eye talent. He is credited for discovering future Hall of Famer Earl Monroe.
While with the Bullets, he had urged the team to pick North Dakota forward Phil Jackson in the 1967 NBA Draft. The Bullets did not draft him, but Krause continued to keep in touch during Jackson's playing career and into his first years as a coach. Their relationship flourished during the 1970s and 1980s; notably, when Jackson was coaching the Albany Patroons in the Continental Basketball Association, Krause once called him requesting an analysis of the league's players, which Jackson provided in great detail.
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Jerry Lucas
Jerry Ray Lucas (born March 30, 1940) is a former basketball player who played from the 1950s to the 1970s. He is now a memory education expert. In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in National Basketball Association history. He was named to Sports Illustrated's five-man College All-Century Team in 1999.
Lucas was born in Middletown, Ohio, then a community of 30,000+ halfway between Dayton and Cincinnati, that in the 1940s and 1950s boasted one of the most respected high school basketball programs in the United States. Greatly encouraged, Lucas began pouring hours each day into the town's game during his early teens.
Lucas had become a local playground legend by age 15, in Sunset Park. Sunset Park was then a regional summer hotbed for high school, college and even some pro players. Future Cincinnati Royals teammates Wayne Embry and Oscar Robertson were visitors there. Lucas was already at almost his full-grown height of 6 ft 8 in (2.06 m) by age 15, out-playing college players with his advanced game.
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Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry M. Reinsdorf (born February 25, 1936) is a CPA, lawyer and an owner of the MLB's Chicago White Sox and the NBA's Chicago Bulls. He started his professional life as a tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service. He has been the head of the White Sox and Bulls for over 20 years.
He made his initial fortune in real estate, taking advantage of the Frank Lyon Co. v. United States decision by the United States Supreme Court which allowed economic owners of realty to sell property and lease it back, while transferring the tax deduction for depreciation to the title owner.
As the owner and Chairman of the Chicago Bulls since 1985, he has turned the franchise into a lucrative business that won six NBA Championships in the 1990s (1991–1993 and 1996–1998). He is controversial for his involvement (along with Jerry Krause) in breaking up the championship team by not hiring back key personnel such as Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan. He hired Jordan as a baseball player during his sabbatical from basketball. He also moved the Bulls from Chicago Stadium to the United Center.
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Jerry Sloan
Gerald Eugene "Jerry" Sloan (born March 28, 1942), is an American former National Basketball Association player and head coach, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. NBA commissioner David Stern called Sloan "one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history." Sloan had a career regular-season win–loss record of 1,221–803, placing him third all-time in NBA wins at the time he retired. Sloan was only the fifth coach in NBA history to reach the 1,000 victories and is the only coach in NBA history to record 1,000 wins with one club (the Utah Jazz). He also coached for one team longer than anyone in NBA history. The 2009–10 season was his 22nd season (and 21st full season) as coach of the Jazz. Sloan coached the Jazz to 15 consecutive playoff appearances from 1989–2003. Although he never won a Coach of the Year award, he is one of only three coaches in NBA history with 15-plus consecutive seasons with a winning record (Pat Riley and Phil Jackson are the others). He led Utah to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 but lost to the Chicago Bulls both times.
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Jerry West
Jerry Alan West (born May 28, 1938) is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His nicknames include "Mr. Clutch," for his ability to make a big play in a clutch situation, such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks; "The Logo," in reference to his silhouette being incorporated into the NBA logo; and "Zeke from Cabin Creek," after the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia. Playing the small forward position early in his career, West was a standout at East Bank High School and at West Virginia University, leading the WVU Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA championship game, earning Most Valuable Player honors despite the loss. He then embarked on a 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and was the co-captain of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team in Rome, a squad that would be inducted as a unit into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
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Jim Boeheim
James Arthur "Jim" Boeheim ( /ˈbeɪhaɪm/; born November 17, 1944) is the head coach of the men's basketball team at Syracuse University. Boeheim has guided the Orange to nine Big East regular season championships, five Big East Tournament championships, and 28 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three appearances in the national title game. In those games, the Orange lost to Indiana in 1987 and Kentucky in 1996 before defeating Kansas in 2003.
Boeheim currently stands in third place on the wins list of Men's NCAA Division I coaches. Among active coaches, only Mike Krzyzewski of Duke University has more wins, with a career record of 927 wins, achieved at two different schools, Army and Duke. Boeheim earned his 880th win on February 8, 2012, surpassing Dean Smith's 879 wins at North Carolina, for the most career wins as head coach at a single school.
Boeheim has served as an assistant coach for the United States men's national basketball team at the 1990 FIBA World Championship, the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. In these outings, Team USA finished with two bronze medals and two gold medals, respectively. He will continue to serve in the same capacity at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In addition, Boeheim currently serves as the chairman of the USA Basketball 2009–12 Men's Junior National Committee, has served as the 2007–08 President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), and currently sits on its Board of Directors. For his accomplishments, Boeheim was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2005.
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Jim Boylan
Jim Boylan is an American basketball coach. He served as the interim head coach for the Chicago Bulls until he was dismissed on April 17, 2008. The Milwaukee Bucks hired him as an assistant coach on May 14, 2008.
Boylan played point guard at the Marquette University, where he helped the Warriors to win the 1977 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament by scoring 14 points in the National Championship Game versus the North Carolina Tar Heels. After leading Marquette in assists in his junior and senior season, Boylan was drafted in the fourth round (68th overall) in the 1978 NBA Draft by the San Diego Clippers. However, Boylan never played an NBA game. He headed to Europe instead, having a short pro career. He played for Alvik Basket of Stockholm (http://www.alvikbasket.nu/index2.htm), Sweden 79–80 season. Boylan started his college career at Assumption College in Worcester, MA before transferring to Marquette.
Boylan began his coaching career as a player-coach in Switzerland from 1982–86 and led the Vevey Basketball club to its first championship in its 30-year history. At age 31, he moved back to the States becoming an assistant under Jud Heathcote at Michigan State University from 1986–89. Boylan then took over head coaching duties at the University of New Hampshire, succeeding Gerry Friel.
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Jim Calhoun
James A. Calhoun (born May 10, 1942) is the head coach of the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team. His teams have won three national championships (1999, 2004, 2011), played in four Final Fours (most recently in 2011), won the 1988 NIT championship, and have won seven Big East tournament championships (in 1990, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, and 2011). In 2005 he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. On Feb 25, 2009, Jim Calhoun won his 800th game when Connecticut beat Marquette, 93–82. On April 4, 2011, Calhoun won his third NCAA Men's Championship as the Connecticut Huskies defeated the Butler Bulldogs 53–41. The victory over Butler made Calhoun, at 68, the oldest coach to win an NCAA Division I men's basketball title.
A self-described Irish Catholic, Calhoun was born and raised in Braintree, Massachusetts, where he was a standout on the basketball, football, and baseball teams at Braintree High School. After his father died of a heart attack when Calhoun was 15, he was left to watch over his large family that included five siblings.
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Jim Cleamons
James Mitchell "Jim" Cleamons (born September 13, 1949 in Lincolnton, North Carolina) is a retired American professional basketball player and current coach. He played collegiately at The Ohio State University, and was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 13th pick of the 1971 NBA Draft. He had a nine-year NBA career for four different teams (the Los Angeles Lakers, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks, and the Washington Bullets). In 1976, Cleamons was selected to the NBA All-Defense 2nd team.
In addition to his playing career, Cleamons was the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks for slightly over one year, from 1996 to 1997. He was then the head coach of the Chicago Condors, and he has served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. He was hired as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers on July 19, 2006.
For a few games during his tenure with the Lakers, he has served as acting head coach while Phil Jackson was absent.
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Jim Pollard
James Clifford "Jim" Pollard (July 9, 1922 – January 22, 1993) was an American professional basketball player.
In college, Pollard played for Stanford and was a key member of Stanford's 1942 national championship team (though due to illness, he did not play in the final game). During WWII he starred in Coast Guard teams from Alameda to Honolulu. Following the War, Pollard played for the San Diego Dons and the Oakland Bittners, making four trips to Denver for AAU playoffs. In the NBA, Pollard was considered one of the best forwards in the 1940s and 1950s, and was known for his leaping ability (Pollard would occasionally dunk from the free throw line during warmups) earning him the nickname "The Kangaroo Kid".
In 1952, players who had performed in the NBA since its inception (after the merging of the NBL and the BAA) selected Pollard as the best player of the period. Pollard teamed with George Mikan and Vern Mikkelsen for the Minneapolis Lakers, forming one of the best front courts in basketball history. The Lakers won six professional basketball titles: 1948 (NBL), 1949 (BAA), 1950 (NBA), 1952 (NBA), 1953 (NBA), 1954 (NBA).
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Joakim Noah
Joakim Simon Noah ( /ˈdʒoʊ.ə.kɪm/ JOH-ə-kim; born February 25, 1985) is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in New York City to a Swedish mother and French father, he holds American, Swedish and French citizenship. He played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was a key member of the Florida Gators' starting five that won two consecutive NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournaments in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, the Chicago Bulls selected Noah in the first round (ninth pick overall) in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Noah was born in New York City in 1985 to French singer and former professional tennis player Yannick Noah, and Cécilia Rodhe, Miss Sweden 1978. His paternal grandfather Zacharie Noah was a Cameroonian professional soccer player, winner of the Coupe de France in 1961. Noah lived in Paris, France from 1988 to 1998 and returned to New York City at age 13.
He competed on basketball teams at several high schools: the United Nations International School, Poly Prep, and The Lawrenceville School.
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Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt (born May 13, 1941) is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin (UT). Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001. During her tenure at UT, she achieved several notable personal and team milestones in collegiate basketball. At retirement, she had tallied 900 career victories, second place in all time victories for a NCAA Division I basketball coach.
She was born in Goldthwaite, Texas, United States. She was a standout basketball player at Goldthwaite High School (Texas), where she averaged 40 points per game. After high school, she played collegiate basketball at Baylor University, earning a degree in physical education in 1963. She finished her collegiate basketball career averaging 20 points per game. After graduation, she taught and coached at Waco Midway High School and earned her master's degree from Baylor in 1969.
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Joe Dumars
Joe Dumars III (born May 24, 1963), nicknamed Joe D, is a retired American basketball player in the NBA, and currently the Detroit Pistons' President of Basketball Operations. At 6'3" (190 cm) Dumars could play either shooting guard or point guard on offense and was a highly effective defender. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Dumars and Isiah Thomas combined to form one of the best backcourts in NBA history. Initially a shooting guard, Dumars moved over to point guard following Thomas's retirement in 1994, sharing ball-handling duties with Grant Hill. Dumars was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Dumars was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. Dumars' mother, Ophelia, was a custodian at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches while his father, Joe (Big Joe), was a truck driver.
Dumars grew up in an athletic family, but, surprisingly, basketball was not his favorite sport as a child. Football was more popular in the region and all five of his brothers were defensive standouts at Natchitoches Central High School. His brother David later played professional football in the USFL. Dumars followed in his brothers’ footsteps playing defensive back on the football team until junior high school when a big hit on the field directed him toward basketball. Ever the supportive father, Big Joe built a hoop, made of an old bicycle wheel and half of a wooden door, in the Dumars' backyard where Little Joe spent hours practicing his jumper.
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Joe Fulks
Joseph Franklin "Jumping Joe" Fulks (October 26, 1921 - March 21, 1976) was an American professional basketball player, sometimes called "the first of the high-scoring forwards". He was one of the first players, albeit posthumously, enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978. The 63 points Fulks scored on February 10, 1949, was the most in an NBA game (then called the Basketball Association of America) until Elgin Baylor scored 64 points on November 8, 1959. Fulks' 63-point outburst came during a Warriors 108-87 victory over the Indianapolis Jets. Fulks made 27 of 56 field goal attempts and nine of 14 free throws. Along the way he shattered the record for most points in one half (33), field goals, and field goal attempts.
Fulks was born in Birmingham, Kentucky, a small town in the state's far-western Purchase region that was inundated in the 1940s after the Tennessee Valley Authority dammed the Tennessee River to create Kentucky Lake. He played college ball at Murray State University for two years before leaving school to join the Marines.
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Joe Kleine
Joseph William Kleine (born January 4, 1962, in Colorado Springs, Colorado) is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.
Kleine, a seven-foot center, graduated from Slater High School in Slater, Missouri and originally enrolled to play basketball at the University of Notre Dame. After his freshman season, Kleine transferred to the University of Arkansas where he played alongside Alvin Robertson, who like Kleine would go on to a productive professional career.
Kleine was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the sixth pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. Kleine went on to have a fifteen-year NBA career, playing with the Kings as well as the Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Portland Trail Blazers. He won an NBA Championship ring in 1998 as a reserve for the Bulls. His best season was with the Kings in 1985, when he averaged 9.8 PPG. At the time of his retirement from the NBA, he'd scored 4,666 points, had 3,991 total rebounds, and had scored 849 free throws out of 1,069 attempts.
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Joe Lapchick
Joseph Bohomiel Lapchick (b. April 12, 1900 in Yonkers, New York – d. August 10, 1970 in New York City) was a professional basketball player, mostly known for playing with the Original Celtics in the 1920s and 30s. He is commonly regarded as the best center of his era, overshadowed (if anything) in his later years only by Tarzan Cooper. After ending his playing career in 1937, Lapchick became head coach at St. John's University, a position he held until 1947, when he took over the New York Knicks in the NBA. Lapchick coached the Knicks until 1957, leading them to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances (1951–53). He returned to St. John's, coaching them until 1965.
From star player to successful coach to popular author to respected dignitary, Joe Lapchick played a variety of roles in his more than 50 years in the game of basketball. He was an eminently influential figure who helped nurture the sport from its crude beginnings into its modern form.
Lapchick picked up a basketball for the first time just two decades after the game was invented. Basketball became his life. As a star center with the Original Celtics and other barnstorming teams, a college coach at St. John’s, an NBA coach with the New York Knicks, and an ambassador of the sport, Lapchick cast a broad shadow across the game and its history.
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Joe Mullaney
Joseph A. Mullaney (November 17, 1925 – March 8, 2000) was a successful American basketball player and coach.
Mullaney was born on Long Island, New York. After graduating from Chaminade High School in Mineola he played college basketball at Holy Cross and with Bob Cousy was on the team that won the 1947 NCAA Championship. He played briefly for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association.
After college, Mullaney was with the FBI before returning to basketball as coach at Norwich University in Vermont.
Mullaney became head basketball coach at Providence College in 1955. He coached the Friars from that time until 1969. He returned to Providence as head coach in 1981 and remained there until 1985. Mullaney won 319 games in his 18 seasons at Providence, losing 164 for a career winning percentage there of .660. Mullaney won the 1961 and 1963 National Invitation Tournament championships at Providence. Mullaney also took the Friars to the NIT four other times and into the NCAA tournament three times. His assistant and protégé at Providence, Dave Gavitt, went on to be a successful coach of the Friars in his own right, taking them to the 1973 Final Four and eventually providing the catalyst to the founding of the Big East Conference.
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John Beckman
John Beckman (October 22, 1895 in New York, NY – June 22, 1968 in Miami, Florida) was an early professional basketball player.
During his 27 years lasting pro career (1914–41) he was known as the "Babe Ruth of basketball". He is mostly known for his time with the Original Celtics (1918/19, 1921–27, 1929).
He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973.
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John Bunn
John W. Bunn (September 26, 1898 – August 13, 1979) was an American basketball coach and key contributor to the game of basketball. The Wellston, Ohio native played three seasons under coach Phog Allen at University of Kansas while earning his bachelors degree (1917–21). He later became an assistant to Allen for nine seasons (1921–30). In 1930 he became men's basketball head coach at Stanford University, where he coached college all-time great Hank Luisetti. After he left Stanford, Bunn went on to coach Springfield College (1946–56) and Colorado State College (now the University of Northern Colorado) (1956–63).
Bunn served as Chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame form 1949 to 1963. On October 1, 1964, Bunn was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor. For his contribution, the Basketball Hall of Fame annually presents an award in his name.
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John Castellani
John Castellani is a former professional basketball coach. He coached the Minneapolis Lakers during the 1959-1960 season. Prior to his short coaching stint with the Lakers, Castellani coached Seattle University from 1956 to 1958. With Elgin Baylor starring in his lineup, Castellani led the Chieftains to the 1958 NCAA Championship game only to lose 84-72 to legendary coach Adolph Rupp and his Kentucky Wildcats.
However, just a month after the championship game, NCAA violations came to light concerning airfare bought for recruits Ben Warley and George Finley. The result was that Castellani resigned under fire, Baylor left for the NBA, and Seattle was given a two-year postseason ban. Castellani returned to coaching for one year, again coaching Elgin Baylor as an assistant coach for the Lakers in the 1959–60 NBA season.
Currently, he is an attorney in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and can frequently be seen at Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette Golden Eagles basketball games.
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John Celestand
John Celestand (born March 6, 1977) is a retired American professional basketball player.
A 6'4" (1.93 m) shooting guard, Celestand attended Piscataway Township High School in Piscataway Township, New Jersey before playing collegiately at Villanova University. Celestand was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 30 overall pick of the 1999 NBA Draft. He was a member of the Lakers' 1999–2000 championship team, and has spent several years playing professionally in Italy—for Skipper Bologna for two months in late 2001—, France and Germany.
Celestand is currently living in New Jersey. He is the co-owner of the company All-State Basketball where he trains young aspiring basketball players in Central New Jersey. He works as an announcer for ESPN Plus and ESPNU covering college basketball games. He is also a studio analyst on 76ers Post Game Live for Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia. In addition John is the color analyst for IMG College Radio covering the National Big East Game of the Week and MSG Varsity covering high school basketball in New Jersey.
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John Gianelli
John Arec Gianelli (born June 10, 1950 in Stockton, California) is an American former professional basketball player.
A 6'10" forward/center from the University of the Pacific, Gianelli played eight seasons (1972–1980) in the National Basketball Association as a member of the New York Knicks, Buffalo Braves, Milwaukee Bucks, and Utah Jazz. He averaged 7.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in his career and won a league championship with New York in 1973. He also played professionally in Italy for three years for Olimpia Milano.
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John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek (pronounced /ˈhævlɨtʃɛk/ HAV-lə-chek; born April 8, 1940 in Martins Ferry, Ohio) is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons.
In the NBA, only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones won more championships during their playing careers. Havlicek is considered one of the best NBA players in history, especially on defense, and was inducted as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984. He was a three sport star at Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio and one of his boyhood friends was Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro. The Bridgeport High School Gymnasium was renamed the "John J Havlicek Gymnasium" in January 2007. He shares the honor with National High School Hall of Fame member Frank Baxter, a long time coach at Bridgeport High School. The court is named after Baxter.
One of the most famous play-by-play calls in NBA history came on April 15, 1965, when Celtics broadcaster Johnny Most exclaimed "Havlicek steals it! Havlicek stole the ball!" after Havlicek intercepted Hal Greer's inbound pass to clinch the Eastern Conference Championship against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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John Kundla
John Albert Kundla (born July 3, 1916 born in Star Junction, PA) is a former college and professional basketball coach.
After attending and playing baseketball for Minneapolis Central High School in Minneapolis (which closed in 1982), Kundla was a standout for the Minnesota Gophers basketball team in the late 1930s. Following graduation, he stayed on at the university as an assistant coach to Dave MacMillan. He would then move to the high school ranks as the head coach of DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, MN. After two years there, the United States entered World War II and Kundla joined the Navy, where he was assigned to LST units in both the European and Pacific theaters. After the war, he was hired to coach the College of St. Thomas.
Following the Tommies' 1946-47 season, the infant Minneapolis Lakers would extend an offer to Kundla to coach the team, then playing in the National Basketball League. However, Kundla turned the offer down as he was not impressed with the professional ranks. Team representatives returned, and this time the offer had been upped to $6,000 (twice his St. Thomas salary) and Kundla took the job.
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John McLendon
John B. McLendon, Jr. (April 15, 1915 – October 8, 1999) was a pioneering American basketball coach who is recognized as the first African American basketball coach at a predominantly white university. He was a major contributor to the development of modern basketball and coached on both the college and professional levels during his career. He is enshrined in both the Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
Born in Hiawatha, Kansas, McLendon was part African American and part Delaware Indian. He soon became an all-around athlete who chose basketball as his favorite sport. He studied in the 1930s at the University of Kansas, where he learned the intricacies of basketball from the sport's inventor, Dr. James Naismith, who was the athletic director at the school. However, McLendon was not permitted to actually play college basketball, as the KU varsity team was segregated and would not suit up its first black player until 1951.
He went on to become a successful high school and college coach, at schools such as North Carolina College for Negroes, the Hampton Institute, Tennessee State A&I University, Kentucky State College and Cleveland State University. In his early years, his teams were restricted to playing only against other all-black teams. However, while coaching at North Carolina College, McLendon participated in "The Secret Game", a match against a team from Duke University, which was the first collegiate basketball contest where blacks and whites competed on the same floor. McLendon's teams were credited with increasing the pace of the game of basketball from the slow tempo of its early years to the faster tempo that prevails today.
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John Nucatola
John Nucatola (b. 17 November 1907, New York City -9 May 2000, aged 92) was a professional basketball player, coach and referee. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on 1 May 1978.
John Nucatola officiated some of the greatest games in the ECAC, Atlantic Coast, Southern and Big Eight Conferences, along with the NCAA and NIT tournaments. He also dabbled in the professional arenas of the American Basketball League, Basketball Association of America, and the NBA.
Nucatola was one of the original referees in the NBA when the league was organized as the BAA in 1946. Nucatola was one of the founding fathers of the College Basketball Officials Association and served as supervisor of officials for the Ivy League and the ECAC before being named the NBA Supervisor of Officials. In a life dedicated to the development of basketball and basketball officiating, Nucatola conducted more than 1,200 clinics worldwide, as well as authoring Officiating Basketball.
He was called basketball's "greatest official" by Hall of Famer Clair Bee. Nucatola believed the referee's most important duty was to make the right call rather than merely assert authority. He often urged officials to be willing to reconsider their calls, and was a strong advocate of the three-man officiating crew.
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John Paxson
John MacBeth Paxson (born September 29, 1960) is a retired American basketball player. Since 2003 he is the VP of Basketball Operations of the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls.
Paxson attended Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering, Ohio, following in the footsteps of his elder brother, Jim, who would go onto a star career at the University of Dayton, and, later, in the NBA, as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. By his senior year, John was considered as one of the top guards in the country and was named to the 1979 McDonald's All-American Team, joining such future college and NBA standouts as Isiah Thomas, James Worthy and Byron Scott in the game.
Paxson played collegiate basketball at the University of Notre Dame. In 1980-81, his sophomore year, Paxson led his team in assists with a career-high 138 that season. He earned his first All-America recognition as a junior in 1981-82, averaging 16.4 points and dishing out 4.7 assists. The following year, Paxson lead Notre Dame to a 19-10 record, averaging a career-high 17.7 points per game and tallying 112 assists en route to claiming his second All-America selection. He also helped guide the team to NCAA appearances in 1980 and 1981. For his career, he was a .526 shooter from the field, presaging his sharpshooting prowess in the pros. He finished his four-year stint at Notre Dame with 1,366 points (19th in Notre Dame history), 411 assists (seventh), 133 steals (eighth), 86 games started (13th), and field goal percentage (20th). His four-year average was 12.2 points per game.
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John Roosma
John S. Roosma (September 3, 1900 – November 13, 1983) was an amateur basketball great during the 1920s. He played for the United States Military Academy for five years, graduating in 1926. The Passaic, New Jersey native was a prolific scorer and became the first college player to total 1,000 points for his career.
As a member of Ernest Blood's Passaic "Wonder Teams" Roosma gained almost legendary status already in high school on a team that won 179 consecutive games. Roosma captained the team and led them as scorer in three state tournaments (1919–21). After graduating from Passaic High School in 1921, General Douglas MacArthur recruited Roosma to play for the Army Black Knights. In five years the Roosma-lead Black Knights compiled a 73-13 record and won 33 consecutive games at one point. After a 74-game career, Roosma totaled 1,126 points, being the first college player to score more than 1,000 in his career (Christian Steinmetz held the record with 950 points, nevertheless he played only 40 games in three years overall). Roosma was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961. West Point's basketball Most Valuable Player award is named after him.
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John Salley
John Thomas Salley (born May 16, 1964) is a retired American professional basketball player, actor and talk show host. He was the first player in NBA history to play on three different championship-winning franchises.
After being drafted in the first round out of Georgia Tech in 1986, the 6'11" (2.11 m) Salley played both power forward and center for the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Panathinaikos BC and Los Angeles Lakers. He was a long-time host of the former Fox Sports Net show The Best Damn Sports Show Period.
Salley was born in Brooklyn, New York. Salley played high school ball at Canarsie High School in Brooklyn. He is a 1988 graduate of Georgia Tech's College of Management. He holds Georgia Tech's blocked shot record, and has had his jersey number 22 retired—a very rare honor in college basketball.
Salley was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 1986 NBA Draft out of Georgia Tech. After joining the Pistons, he became close friends with Adrian Dantley, who taught him proper nutrition, how to exercise, and how to conduct himself off the court. Salley, for his part, called Dantley "The Teacher." Salley would become good friends with comedian Eddie Murphy and made several appearances at comedy clubs in the off-season. In 1989 and 1990, he played on two Pistons championship teams. He is among the Pistons' all-time leaders in blocked shots.
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John Schommer
John J. Schommer (January 29, 1884 – January 11, 1960) was an outstanding American multi-sport athlete in the 1900s. The Chicago, Illinois native was the first athlete in University of Chicago history to win 12 letters in American football, basketball, baseball and track. Schommer was a four-time All-American in basketball and led the Maroons to three straight Big Ten championships (1907–09). He was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959.
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John Stockton
John Houston Stockton (born March 26, 1962) is a former American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. John Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by considerable margins. Stockton is a former All-Star and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Stockton was born in Spokane, Washington to Clementine Frei and Jack Stockton and had Irish and Swiss German ancestry. He attended grade school at St. Aloysius and moved on to high school at Gonzaga Prep, graduating in 1980. He then played college basketball for Gonzaga University in his hometown where he averaged 20.9 points per game while shooting 57% from the field in his senior year. His grandfather, Houston Stockton had also been a well known athlete at Gonzaga University. John Stockton was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 16th overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft.
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John Wooden
John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period—seven in a row—as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games. He was named national coach of the year six times.
As a player, Wooden was the first to be named basketball All-American three times and he won a national championship at Purdue. Wooden was named a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (inducted in 1961) and as a coach (in 1973), the first person ever enshrined in both categories. Only Lenny Wilkens and Bill Sharman have since had the same honor.
He was one of the most revered coaches and was beloved by his former players, among them Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton. Wooden was renowned for his short, simple inspirational messages to his players, including his "Pyramid of Success". These often were directed at how to be a success in life as well as in basketball.
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Johnny Bach
John William (Johnny) Bach (born July 10, 1924 in Brooklyn, New York) is a former professional basketball player and coach. A 6'2" forward/guard, Bach played collegiately at Fordham University and Brown. He was selected by the Boston Celtics in the 1948 Basketball Association of America (BAA) Draft, and played 24 games for the Celtics.
In 1950 he became one of the nation's youngest head coaches at a major college when he took over the coaching job at Fordham. He spent 18 years there, taking seven Ram teams to post-season tourneys, before starting a long and successful coaching career at Penn State, where he joined three former Brown friends - Rip Engle, Joe Paterno, and Joe McMullen.
Bach would later coach the Golden State Warriors for over three years. He served as an interim coach briefly in 1980, and then as the full-time coach from 1983 to 1986.
In 1986, Bach joined the Chicago Bulls as an assistant. After the team won three straight championships from 1991 to 1993, Bach moved on to coaching jobs with the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards. He returned to the Bulls in 2003, and retired in 2006.
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Johnny Kerr
John G. “Red” Kerr (August 17, 1932 – February 26, 2009) was an American basketball player, coach, and color commentator. He played in the NBA from 1954 to 1966, mainly as a member of the Syracuse Nationals. He later held several coaching and administrative positions before embarking on a thirty-three year career as a television color commentator for the Chicago Bulls.
Although Johnny Kerr’s first passion was soccer, an eight-inch growth spurt during his senior year at Tilden Technical High School compelled him to turn his attention to basketball. The 6' 9" center soon led his school’s basketball team to the 1950 Chicago Public League Championship. After high school, he attended the University of Illinois, where he scored 1,299 points during his three years with the school’s varsity team. The highlight of his collegiate career occurred in 1952, when he helped the Fighting Illini win the Big Ten Championship and advance to the NCAA Final Four. He was elected to the University of Illinois' "All-Century Team" in 2004.
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Jordan Farmar
Jordan Robert Farmar (born November 30, 1986) is an American professional basketball point guard for the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA.
In high school, he was the Los Angeles Times High-School Player of the Year in 2003–04. Playing for UCLA in college, he was the Rivals.com National Freshman of the Year in 2004–05. He was a first round draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers, and played for the Lakers from 2006 to 2010, winning NBA Championships with them in 2009 and 2010.
Farmar was born in Los Angeles, California, to his father Damon Farmar (a former minor league baseball outfielder who was a second round draft pick in both 1982 and 1983), and mother, Melinda. His parents divorced when he was 2, and he went to live with his mother, who soon met and married her current husband (Farmar's stepfather), Israeli Yehuda Kolani from Tel Aviv. His mother and stepfather are Jewish. His father is African-American.
Farmar started playing basketball at age 4. Farmar inherited his competitive drive from his father and mentor, Damon Farmar, who played football and baseball at University High and baseball in the minor leagues. The younger Farmar spent hours in his father's clubhouses, with his father's teammates, and watching his father play. He learned from his stepfather what persistence and obligation are all about, noting that "I never met a person who worked so hard." Farmar has a half-sister, Shoshana Kolani. Farmar's godfather is former major league baseball player Eric Davis.
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Josh Powell
Josh Powell (born January 25, 1983, in Charleston, South Carolina) is an American professional basketball player.
While playing at NC State, Powell averaged 12.4 ppg and 5.2 rpg in his sophomore year (2002–2003). He was not selected in the 2003 NBA Draft and played in Europe. However, he worked out for numerous teams and was eventually signed by the Dallas Mavericks, who were looking for a power forward to develop behind star Dirk Nowitzki. He played two games in 2003–04 with Lokomotiv-Rostov in the Russian Superleague before finishing the season with Euroride Scafati of the Italian Lega 2. In 2004–05, Powell averaged 16.6 PPG and 11.9 RPG with Pepsi Caserta of the Italian League.
At the beginning of the 2005–2006 season, Powell was in the D-League and put up solid numbers until he was called up to the NBA, where he played only in "garbage time," when the game had already been practically decided. But, after injuries to starting small forward Josh Howard and backup power forward Keith Van Horn, he began to get more time when Nowitzki was in need of rest.
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Jud Buechler
Judson Donald "Jud" Buechler (born June 19, 1968) is a retired American professional basketball player. He grew up in Poway, CA and attended Poway High School, where he was a top basketball recruit as well as a Top-50 men's volleyball prospect.
A sharp-shooting 6 ft 6 in guard/forward, Buechler attended the University of Arizona before being selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1990 NBA Draft. His draft rights were immediately traded to the New Jersey Nets, and he spent slightly over one season with the Nets before being waived in 1991.
After a brief stint with the San Antonio Spurs, he signed with the Golden State Warriors, with whom he averaged 6.2 points, 1.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds (all career highs) during the 1992–93 NBA season. However, Buechler would become best known for his four-year tenure (1994–1998) with the Chicago Bulls. With his former college teammate Steve Kerr, Buechler provided clutch shooting off the bench and played a key role during the Bulls' second three-peat (1996–1998).
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Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA). He was the best known player in the ABA when the ABA-NBA merger joined it with the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the 1976 season.
Erving won three championships, four Most Valuable Player Awards, and three scoring titles while playing with the ABA's Virginia Squires and New York Nets, and the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. He is the fifth-highest scorer in professional basketball history, with 30,026 points (NBA and ABA combined). He was well known for slam dunking from the free throw line in Slam Dunk Contests and was the only player to have been voted Most Valuable Player in both the ABA and the NBA.
Erving was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time team and in 1993 was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame. Many consider him among the most spectacular basketballers ever, and one of the best dunkers of all time. While players such as Connie Hawkins, "Jumping" Johnny Green, Elgin Baylor, and Gus Johnson were performing spectacular dunks before Erving's time, "Dr. J" is usually the one most people credit with bringing the practice into the mainstream. His signature dunk was the "slam" dunk, since incorporated into the vernacular and basic skill set of the game, in the same manner as the "cross-over" dribble and the "no look" pass.
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Karl Malone
Karl Anthony Malone (born July 24, 1963), nicknamed "The Mailman," is a retired American professional basketball power forward. In his basketball career, Malone spent his first 18 seasons (1985–2003) with the Utah Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate John Stockton. He played his final season (2003–04) with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Malone grew up in rural Summerfield, Louisiana and played college basketball at Louisiana Tech University. In his three seasons with Louisiana Tech, he helped the Bulldogs basketball team to its first-ever NCAA tournament in 1984 and to first place in the Southland Conference in 1985. The Jazz drafted Malone in 1985 with the 13th overall pick in the first round.
Having scored 36,298 points in his career, the second most career points in NBA history, and holding the record for most free throws both attempted and made, Malone is generally considered one of the greatest NBA power forwards. In 1997 and 1999, Malone won the NBA Most Valuable Player award. Malone appeared in the playoffs every season in his career, including three NBA Finals: in 1997 and 1998 with the Jazz and in 2004 with the Lakers. Internationally, Malone competed with the United States national team in the Summer Olympic games of 1992 and 1996; in both years he won gold medals. After retiring from the NBA, Malone joined the staff of the Louisiana Tech basketball team in 2007 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
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Kay Yow
Sandra Kay Yow (March 14, 1942 – January 24, 2009) was an American basketball coach. She was the head coach of the NC State Wolfpack women's basketball team from 1975 to 2009. A member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, she had more than 700 career wins. She also coached the U.S. women's basketball team to an Olympic gold medal in 1988 despite having been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987. In April 2010, CollegeInsider.com created a new award called the Kay Yow National Coach of the Year Award in her honor. It will be presented annually to the women's college basketball head coach who displays great personal character on and off the court.
Yow received her Bachelor of Science degree in English from East Carolina University in 1964, she was a member of the Delta Zeta Sorority. After graduation she worked as English teacher, librarian and girls' basketball coach at Allen Jay High School in High Point, North Carolina. She then earned her Master's degree in Physical Education from the UNC-Greensboro in 1970 and then took the position of women's athletics coordinator and women's basketball coach at Elon College.
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Keith Booth
Keith Eugene Booth (born October 9, 1974 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American basketball coach and former player. Booth played college basketball at the University of Maryland from 1994 to 1997. He was an assistant coach at his alma mater under Gary Williams from 2004 to 2011. In October 2011, Booth was named an assistant women's basketball coach at Loyola University Maryland.
Booth was born and raised in Baltimore and attended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. Heavily recruited by coach Gary Williams, he was the first player from Baltimore City in many years to play for Maryland. After the resignation of Williams' predecessor, Bob Wade, due to NCAA violations, a de facto boycott of the university was put in place by the high-school coaches in Baltimore. Because of this boycott, many star high-school players avoided Maryland as a choice to play their college ball. In becoming one of the members of Maryland's 1993 recruiting class, Booth broke the ice, and the school once again had access to talent-rich Baltimore City.
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Ken Loeffler
Kenneth D. Loeffler (April 14, 1902 – January 1, 1975) was an American collegiate and professional basketball coach. He was mostly known for guiding the La Salle University men's basketball team to the 1954 NCAA Championship and the 1952 National Invitation Tournament Championship.
After earning a Bachelor's degree at Pennsylvania State University (1920–24) and a short pro basketball career (1924–29), the Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania native began his collegiate coaching career at Geneva College (1928–34). In 1934 he became basketball head coach at Yale University, and also assistant coach to the football and baseball varsity. In seven years at Yale Loeffler put up a 61-82 record. During World War II he served in the U.S. Air Force.
After the war Loeffler began coaching pro teams in the Basketball Association of America. First the St. Louis Bombers (1946–48), then the Providence Steamrollers (1948–49). In 1949 he returned to the college ranks when he became head coach at La Salle. With players like future Hall of Fameer Tom Gola, Loeffler's La Salle teams went on to dominate college basketball over half a decade in the early 1950s. In six seasons at La Salle, Loeffler led the Explorers to a post-season appearance in every single season. Under Loeffler, La Salle made four trips to the NIT (before it was considered "second-rate") and two visits to the NCAA Tournament. In 1955 Loeffler moved on to become the head coach at Texas A&M College, a post he held until 1957.
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Kermit Washington
Kermit Alan Washington (born September 17, 1951 in Washington, D.C.) is an American former professional basketball player. Washington is best remembered for punching opposing player Rudy Tomjanovich during an on-court fight in 1977. The punch nearly killed Tomjanovich, and it resulted in severe medical problems that ultimately ended his playing career. During his pro years and after his retirement, Washington has struggled with the negative perception of him that resulted from the punch.
Washington was not a highly coveted player coming out of high school and barely got into college on an athletic scholarship. He averaged a mere four points per game (ppg) during his senior season of high school. He improved rapidly once at American University, and became one of only seven players in NCAA history to average 20 points and 20 rebounds throughout the course of their career.
A big defensive forward, Washington was known for his ability to gather rebounds. He averaged 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in ten National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons and played in the All-Star Game once. Washington was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the fifth overall pick in the 1973 NBA Draft. He played sparingly his first three seasons, and sought the help of retired basketball coach Pete Newell before his fourth season. Under Newell's tutelage, Washington's game rapidly improved and he became a starter for several teams. He played for the Lakers, Boston Celtics, San Diego Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors.
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Kevin Loughery
Kevin Michael Loughery (born March 28, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American former professional basketball player and coach.
Loughery spent 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (1962–1973), almost nine of them with the Baltimore Bullets. He became player-coach of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1973, when the team had a 4–47 record, replacing Roy Rubin. The team slightly improved under Loughery, posting a 5–26 record for the remainder of the season. Following the season, Loughery was replaced by Gene Shue.
After that disastrous season, Loughery retired as a player and became head coach of the American Basketball Association's New York Nets the following season. With superstar Julius Erving, Loughery won two ABA championships in three seasons. After the ABA disbanded and the Nets joined the NBA, Loughery continued to coach the Nets for their first five seasons in the league. The team would struggle in their first couple of seasons without Erving, whose contract was sold to the Philadelphia 76ers due to financial struggles. The team would also move to New Jersey and become the New Jersey Nets. He was fired midway through the 1980–81 season and replaced by Bob MacKinnon.
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Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country. He decided to declare his eligibility for the NBA Draft upon graduation, and was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest.
Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. A heated feud between the duo and a loss in the 2004 NBA Finals was followed by O'Neal's trade from the Lakers after the 2003–04 season. Following O'Neal's departure Bryant became the cornerstone of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, setting numerous scoring records in the process. In 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second most points scored in a single game in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. He was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2008. After losing in the 2008 NBA Finals, Bryant led the Lakers to two consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, earning the NBA Finals MVP Award on both occasions.
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Krešimir Ćosić
Krešimir Ćosić (November 26, 1948 – May 25, 1995) was a Croatian professional basketball player who represented Yugoslavia internationally, a member of FIBA Hall of Fame and Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also a notable church leader and missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as the deputy ambassador of Croatia to the U.S. in Washington, D.C.
He was born in Zagreb and raised in Zadar, where he started his basketball career in 1965, playing for KK Zadar. He came to the United States to play college basketball at Brigham Young University from 1971 to 1973. In April 1972 at the 1972 NBA Draft he was picked by Portland Trail Blazers as the number 1 pick in the 10th round (144th overall). The following year at the 1973 NBA Draft he was picked by Los Angeles Lakers as the pick number 15 in the 5th round (84th overall). He was the first foreign player to earn All-American honors from the United Press International, garnering them in 1972 and 1973. After his college career, he rejected several professional offers and returned home to Yugoslavia.
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Kurt Rambis
Darrell Kurt Rambis (born February 25, 1958) is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.
Rambis was born in Terre Haute, Indiana. His family moved to Cupertino, California in his preschool years; his number is retired at Cupertino High School. He graduated from Santa Clara University, where he played from 1976 to 1980, becoming its second leading rebounder and all-time leading scorer with 1,736 points. During his Santa Clara years he was awarded the WCC Freshman of the Year and Conference Player of the Year as a senior. His jersey #34 was retired on December 29, 2008.
Rambis was drafted by the New York Knicks as the 58th pick in the 1980 NBA Draft, but he was subsequently waived by the Knicks before playing in Greece, where he also holds citizenship. There he joined the Greek League club AEK Athens, under the name Kyriakos Rambidis, and he won the Greek Cup in 1981.
He was re-signed by the Knicks in 1981 but never played a game for them. His success as an NBA player started when he was signed as a free agent by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1981. Rambis spent most of his 14 seasons in the NBA with the Lakers, winning championships in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. Rambis also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings before returning to the Lakers in 1993.
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Lamar Odom
Lamar Joseph Odom (born November 6, 1979) is an American professional basketball forward with the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA.
Odom was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York City, New York. His father was a heroin addict and his mother died of colon cancer when he was twelve years old. He was raised by his grandmother Mildred.
In his first three years of high school, Odom played for Christ The King Regional High School in Middle Village, Queens. He transferred first to Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, New York for the basketball season and then to St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain, Connecticut. Odom was named the Parade Magazine Player of the Year in 1997. He was named to the USA Today All-USA 1st Team as a senior. During his youth, Odom was teamed with Elton Brand of the Philadelphia 76ers and Ron Artest of the Los Angeles Lakers on the same AAU team.
In 1997, Odom attended the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and was enrolled in summer classes. Following an academic scandal, an NCAA inquiry found Odom received payments amounting to $5,600 from booster David Chapman. Coach Bill Bayno was fired and UNLV was placed on probation for four years. Odom transferred to the University of Rhode Island but was forced to sit out the 1997–98 season.
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Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish and forward Kevin McHale. Due to chronic back problems, he retired as a player in 1992. Bird was voted to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. He served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. In 2003, he assumed the role of president of basketball operations for the Pacers, which he currently holds. He is the only person in NBA history to be named Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.
Larry Bird was born in West Baden, Indiana, the son of Georgia (née Kerns) and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird. He grew up in both West Baden and the adjacent town French Lick, which earned him the nickname "the Hick from French Lick" in his professional basketball career. Bird recalled how his mother would make do on the family's meager earnings: "If there was a payment to the bank due, and we needed shoes, she'd get the shoes, and then deal with them guys at the bank. I don't mean she wouldn't pay the bank, but the children always came first." According to Bird, his being poor as a child "motivates me to this day". He sometimes was sent to live with his grandmother due to the family's struggles. The Bird family's struggle with poverty was compounded by the alcoholism and personal difficulties of Joe Bird, who likely suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from serving in the Korean War. Joe Bird committed suicide on February 3, 1975, when Larry was 18 years old.
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Larry Costello
Lawrence Ronald "Larry" Costello (July 2, 1931 in Minoa, New York – December 13, 2001) was an American professional basketball player and coach.
He was known as the National Basketball Association's last two-handed set shooter. After playing at Niagara University, he joined the Philadelphia Warriors in 1954. Two years later he was traded to the Syracuse Nationals. He retired in 1965 from the Philadelphia 76ers (the former Syracuse Nationals), but eventually came back for the 1966-67 NBA season after new head coach Alex Hannum told him he needed a veteran point guard. With 42 games into the season, Costello ripped his Achilles tendon on January 6, 1967 and was replaced by Wali Jones. He did, however, come back to participlate in the 1967 playoffs. Costello ended his career for the second and final time in 1968.
During his NBA career, Costello was selected to six NBA All-Star Games (playing in five). He led the league in free throw percentage in the 1962-63 and 1964-65 seasons.
Costello began his coaching career at East Syracuse-Minoa High School where he coached the boys varsity basketball team to the state championship for the first time in school history. He took over as head coach of the expansion team Milwaukee Bucks in 1968 and coached them to a league-best 66-16 mark in 1970-71 including a then-NBA record 20 game win streak. They won the championship in the post-season with a 4-0 sweep of the Baltimore Bullets. After a 3-15 start into the 1976-77 season, he was fired. He coached the Chicago Bulls for 56 games in 1978-79 before returning to Milwaukee to coach the Milwaukee Does of the Women's Professional Basketball League for part of the 1979-1980 season.
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Lauren Gale
Lauren "Laddie" Gale (April 22, 1917—July 29, 1996) was an American collegiate and professional basketball player.
A native of Oakridge, Oregon, the 6'4" Gale played forward for the University of Oregon under head coach Howard Hobson. He was the second-tallest player (behind 6'8" Urgel "Slim" Wintermute) on the team, which was dubbed "The Tall Firs."
Gale led the Ducks in scoring in 1938 and 1939, earning all-Pacific Coast Conference honors in each season. In 1939, Gale led the Ducks to a national championship in the first-ever Division I men's basketball tournament.
After graduation, Gale played professionally in 1939 and 1940 for the Detroit Eagles of the National Basketball League. He left the Eagles in to serve in World War II, reportedly after being the first Oregon draftee selected by lottery. After the war, he played on several semi-pro teams and retired from basketball in 1949.
He died in Gold Beach, Oregon on July 29, 1996.
For his stellar collegiate play, for being the first college player regularly to employ a one-handed shot, and for helping to popularize the sport of basketball in the American West, Gale was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977 and was an inaugural inductee of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1980. He is also a member of the University of Oregon Hall of Fame.
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Lawrence Fleisher
Lawrence "Larry" Fleisher (September 26, 1930, Bronx, New York, US — May 4, 1989) was an American attorney and sports agent.
Fleisher, a 1953 graduate of Harvard Law School, at the request of professional basketball player Tom Heinsohn, helped found the National Basketball Association Players’ Association, of which he would serve as president from 1962 to 1968, during which time pensions, minimum salaries, and disability pay were secured for the membership.
For 19 additional years, Fleisher would continue to serve, without salary, as general counsel for the Players’ Association, notably arguing before Congress and the National Labor Relations Board to gain players the right of free agency, which right was eventually won in 1976.
Having guided players to the American Basketball Association in the late 1960s, Fleisher later helped broker the merger between the ABA and NBA and worked to set up relationships between the NBA and professional leagues in Europe and South America; he would represent little-known foreign players as well as established American stars, including Bill Bradley, John Havlicek, Bob Lanier, Willis Reed, and Jerry West, and, in an effort to promote basketball globally, would lead his clients on playing tours to Europe, South America, and Asia.
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Lawrence Tanter
Lawrence Tanter is an American public address announcer best known for his work for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. In addition to his duties with the Lakers, Tanter is also the program director for public jazz radio station KKJZ.
Tanter began working as the Lakers' public address announcer at the start of the NBA's 1981-82 season and has been a fixture at Laker home games ever since. He is the longest tenured Lakers PA announcer ever. During his tenure behind the microphones of both The Forum and the Staples Center, Tanter has seen the Lakers win 15 NBA Western Conference titles and 9 NBA Championships. In addition, he has seen the Lakers miss the NBA Playoffs only twice (1994 & 2005) during his time as the team's PA announcer.
When World Wrestling Entertainment fought with the Denver Nuggets over an arena booking for a playoff game in 2009, Tanter was recruited as guest ring announcer for the main event of a newly relocated Raw at Staples Center. In the match, five heel (villain) wrestlers in Denver Nuggets jerseys competed against five face (good guy) wrestlers in Lakers garb, and the Lakers team won. Soon afterward, the Lakers eliminated the Nuggets in the 2009 Western Conference Finals 4-2. They then went on to defeat the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals and capture another NBA title.
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Lenny Sachs
Leonard David Sachs (August 7, 1897 - October 27, 1942) was an American basketball and football coach and player. In 1961, he was posthumously enshrined as a coach in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 7, 1897. Sachs attended Carl Schurz High School in Chicago, Illinois, where he earned 11 varsity letters before his graduation in 1914. Upon graduation from high school, Sachs joined the US Navy during World War I, where he continued playing sports, earning an All-Service team honorable mention in football in 1918 while playing on the Cleveland Naval Reserves football team.
After the war, Sachs enrolled at Chicago's American College of Physical Education (which later merged with DePaul University) and graduated in 1923. While at college, Sachs played for the Chicago Cardinals in the National Football League from 1920 to 1922.
Sachs was hired as basketball coach in 1923 at Loyola University Chicago, even while continuing his NFL career. From 1923 to 1926 Sachs played for the Milwaukee Badgers, Hammond Pros, and Louisville Colonels, ending his career as a player-coach for the 1926 Louisville Colonels, a road-only team based in Chicago. Sachs was also an assistant football coach at Loyola on the staff of head coach Roger Kiley.
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Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens (born October 28, 1937, in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) is a retired American basketball player and coach in the NBA. He has been inducted three times into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first in 1989 as a player, as a coach in 1998, and as part of the US Olympic "The Dream Team" for whom he was an assistant coach.
He is only three victories behind Don Nelson for most career regular season wins as an NBA coach, with 1332, but he has five more playoff wins than Nelson.
Wilkens grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. His father was African American and his mother was Irish. Wilkens was raised in the Roman Catholic faith.
At Boys High School, Wilkens was a basketball teammate of longtime Major League Baseball star Tommy Davis.
Wilkens was a two-time All-American (1959 and 1960) at Providence College. He led the team to their first NIT appearance in 1959, and to the NIT finals in 1960. When he graduated, Wilkens was, with 1,193 points, the second-ranked scorer in Friar history (he has since dropped to twentieth as of 2005). In 1996, Wilkens' No. 14 jersey was retired by the college, the first alumnus to receive such an honor.
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Leon Barmore
Leon Barmore (born June 3, 1944, in Ruston, Louisiana, United States) is a college women's basketball coach. He coached at Louisiana Tech University from 1982 to 2002, serving the first three years as co-head coach with Sonja Hogg, who had begun the program in 1974 at the invitation of university president F. Jay Taylor. Upon his retirement, Barmore's .869 winning percentage was the best in major-college basketball history (both men's and women's).
Barmore was born June 3, 1944 to Jasper Barmore and Flora McCurry. He earned All-State honors as a basketball player at Ruston High School. He went on to play basketball at Louisiana Tech and earned Gulf States All-Conference honors.
After a stint as head men's coach at Ruston High, Barmore joined the Louisiana Tech staff in 1977, nominally as Hogg's top assistant. In truth, Barmore handled nearly all game strategy. He was named associate head coach in 1980 and co-head coach in 1982. He took over the reins full-time in 1985, when Hogg left Ruston.
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Lester Harrison
Lester "Les" Harrison (August 20, 1904 – December 23, 1997) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and team owner and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Upon his graduation from East High School in Rochester, New York, in 1923, Harrison began playing, coaching, and organizing semi-professional basketball, working for the Rochester Seagrams and later the Rochester Ebers.
In 1945, with his brother Joseph (Jack), Harrison founded his own semi-pro team, the Rochester Pros; in 1946, the franchise changed its name to Royals and began play in the National Basketball League (NBL). Harrison coached the NBL iteration of his team for three years, leading the Royals to three straight NBL finals (of which the team won one, over the Sheboygan Red Skins in 1946) and amassing a record of 99 wins and 43 losses. In 1946, Harrison, as team owner, signed Long Island University standout Dolly King; King became the first African-American to have played in the league since 1943 and the first to see substantial playing time for his team.
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Lindsey Hunter
Lindsey Benson Hunter, Jr. (born December 3, 1970) is a former American professional basketball player. He was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1993 to 2010, spending most of his career with Detroit Pistons.
After playing basketball at Murrah High School in Jackson, Mississippi, alongside phenom James Robinson, Hunter enrolled at Jackson State University. While playing for the Tigers, he became arguably the school's highest profile athlete since the days of Walter Payton and Jackie Slater.
The Detroit Pistons had two first-round picks in the 1993 NBA Draft. They selected Hunter with the 10th pick and chose Tennessee guard Allan Houston with the 11th. Hunter spent most of his professional career playing with the Pistons organization. His first stint in Detroit lasted from 1993 to 2000 when he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Billy Owens. He played with the Bucks for one season, before being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Greg Foster. Hunter was a contributor on the Lakers team that won the NBA championship in 2001–02.
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Lloyd Leith
Lloyd R. Leith (December 7, 1902 – September 30, 1974) was an American basketball referee and high school coach. The San Francisco, California native officiated 16 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championships between 1939 and 1955. He also served as head coach at Balboa High School (1931–36), George Washington High School (1936–42) and Mission High School (1945–72).
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Lou Carnesecca
Luigi P. "Lou" Carnesecca (born January 5, 1925 in New York City) is a retired American college basketball coach at St. John's University. He coached the men's basketball program to 526 wins and 200 losses over 24 seasons (1965–70, 1973–92). The colorful "Looie" (as he was popularly known by fans and by the media) reached the post-season in every season he coached the team, including a Final Four appearance in 1985. He was selected as the National Coach of the Year in 1983 and 1985 by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
Carnesecca is widely known for his sense of humor and his signature sweaters. In November 2004, St. John's University officially dedicated and renamed the historic Alumni Hall to Carnesecca Arena.
Carnesecca graduated from St. John's in 1950. He also coached his high school alma mater, St. Ann's (now academic and athletic powerhouse Archbishop Molloy High School), where he was succeeded by Jack Curran. Carnesecca also coached the New York Nets of the defunct American Basketball Association, now the NBA's New Jersey Nets, in the early 1970s, when they were playing in Island Garden in West Hempstead, New York.
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Louis Wilke
Louis G. Wilke (October 10, 1896 in Chicago, Illinois, USA – February 28, 1962) was an American basketball coach and administrator. After coaching basketball on a high school level, he became the coach for Phillips University in 1928. He also coached the AAU Phillips 66ers from 1929 to 1931 to a 98-8 record. After his coaching career he served as a chairman of the AAU Basketball Committee for seven terms and was an executive board member of the US Olympic Committee from 1956 to 1960. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1983.
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Luc Longley
Lucien James "Luc" Longley (born 19 January 1969) is a retired Australian professional basketball player, who was the first Australian to play in the NBA, where he played for eleven seasons. Known for his passing ability and free spirit, Longley drew comparisons to fellow redhead Bill Walton upon his entry into the NBA.
Luc Longley was born 19 January 1969 in Melbourne, Victoria. At age sixteen Luc was a member of the Australian Under-19 side and the following year, 1986, he joined the Perth Wildcats, with whom he played two games. Longley was recruited out of Scotch College, Perth by the University of New Mexico's basketball coach, Gary Colson, who went to Perth to recruit Andrew Vlahov, who attended Stanford University. He attended college at the University of New Mexico, between 1987–1991, where he averaged 19.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in his senior year. At nineteen he was a member of the national team for the Seoul Olympics, where they came fourth, the best result an Australian senior men's basketball team has achieved in Olympic competition.
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Luke Walton
Luke Theodore Walton (born March 28, 1980) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His primary position is at small forward. After the 2010 NBA Finals, Walton and his father, Hall of Famer Bill Walton, became the first father and son to both have won multiple NBA championships. Bill won in 1977 and 1986, and Luke in 2009 and 2010.
Luke Walton is the son of former NBA great Bill Walton, and was named after Bill's close friend and former Portland Trail Blazers teammate Maurice Lucas. He has three brothers — Adam, Nathan (who unsuccessfully ran for governor during the 2003 California recall), and Chris. He attended University of San Diego High School in San Diego, California.
After graduating from University of San Diego High School in 1998, Walton enrolled at the University of Arizona and majored in family studies and human development. There, he played for the Wildcats under coach Lute Olson. In his junior year, Walton averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. As a fifth-year senior, he averaged 10.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 0.9 steals.
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Luol Deng
Luol Deng (born April 16, 1985) is a British professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls and the Great Britain national basketball team. He plays the small forward position. He was selected to his first All Star game during the 2011–12 NBA season, joining teammate Derrick Rose. Born in what is now South Sudan, Deng fled the country with his family as a child, moving to Egypt and then the United Kingdom, becoming a British citizen in 2006.
Deng was born in Wau, Sudan (current South Sudan) and is a member of the Dinka ethnic group. When he was young, his father Aldo, a member of the Sudanese parliament, moved the family to Egypt to escape the Second Sudanese Civil War. In Egypt, they met former NBA center Manute Bol, another Dinka, who taught Deng's older brother, Ajou Deng, how to play basketball while also serving as a mentor for Luol himself. When they were granted political asylum, his family emigrated to Brixton, South London. Deng developed an interest in soccer, admiring Faustino Asprilla of Newcastle United, but also continued to play basketball, and was invited to join England's 15-and-under team in that sport. During this time, he began his career at Brixton Basketball Club. He represented Croydon at the London Youth Games, and was inducted in to their Hall of Fame in 2009. At the age of 13, he played for England's squad in the European Junior Men's Qualifying Tournament, averaging 40 points and 14 rebounds. He was named the MVP of the tournament. Next, he led England to the finals of the European Junior National Tournament, where he averaged 34 points and earned another MVP award.
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Lusia Harris
Lusia "Lucy" Harris-Stewart (born Lusia Harris; February 10, 1955) is a former American basketball player. Harris is considered to be one of the pioneers of women's basketball. She played for Delta State University and won three consecutive Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) National Championships, the predecessors to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships, from 1975 to 1977. In international level, she represented the United States' national team and won the silver medal in the 1976 Olympic Games, the first ever women's basketball tournament in the Olympic Games. She played professional basketball with the Houston Angels of the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) and was the first and only woman ever officially drafted by the National Basketball Association (NBA), a men's professional basketball league. For her achievements, Harris has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Lute Olson
Robert Luther "Lute" Olson (born September 22, 1934) is a retired American men's basketball coach. He was most recently head coach at the University of Arizona for a period of 25 years. He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for 9 years and California State University, Long Beach for one season. Olson was known for player development, and many of his former players have gone on to impressive careers in the NBA after having played under him. On October 23, 2008 Olson announced his retirement from coaching. Most recently, he was initiated into the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity by the Gamma Delta chapter at the University of Arizona in 2012.
Olson was born in Mayville, North Dakota of Norwegian-American parentage, and is a graduate of Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to his tenure with the Arizona Wildcats, Olson coached the University of Iowa and Long Beach State basketball teams, Long Beach City College four years, after having coached high school teams in Mahnomen and Two Harbors, Minnesota, and Anaheim and Huntington Beach, California.
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Lynette Woodard
Lynette Woodard (born August 12, 1959 in Wichita, Kansas) is a retired American basketball player who made history by becoming the first female member of the Harlem Globetrotters and who tasted success abroad before finally reaching, at age 38, her dream of playing in an American women's professional basketball league.
While at Wichita North High School, Woodard won two state basketball titles.
Woodard went on to play college basketball with the University of Kansas (KU) in 1978, playing there until 1981. She was a four-time All-American at KU, and she averaged 26 points per game and scored 3,649 points in total during her four years there, and was the first KU woman to be honored by having her jersey retired. She is major college basketball's career women's scoring leader.
In 1981, she was signed by an Italian team, UFO Schio (Vicenza), to participate in their league.
In 1984, she was a member of the United States' women's basketball team that won the gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
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Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.
Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games, and ten All-NBA First and Second Team nominations. He led the league in regular-season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in average assists per game, at 11.2. Johnson was a member of the "Dream Team", the U.S. basketball team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1992.
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Mal Graham
Robert Malcolm Graham (born February 23, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player.
A 6'1" guard from New York University, Graham won two NBA championships as a member of the Boston Celtics from 1967 to 1969. He scored 327 points in his career. He is currently a judge on the Massachusetts Court of Appeals.
Graham's promising career was cut short by a medical condition just as the first era of Celtic domination of the NBA was coming to an end. He retired from basketball and became a prominent jurist. His playing days ended with those of Hall of Famer, Bill Russell.
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Mark Madsen
Mark Ellsworth "Mad Dog" Madsen (born January 28, 1976) is an American assistant coach and former professional basketball player.
Madsen played NCAA basketball at Stanford, where he finished his career ranked in the school's career top 10 in blocks and rebounds. In addition, Madsen helped the Cardinal to four NCAA tournament appearances, including a Final Four berth in 1998. Perhaps his signature moment at Stanford was his dunk and free throw that gave Stanford a lead over Rhode Island, propelling the team into the Final Four, where it lost to eventual champion Kentucky. Madsen was a two-time All-American and a two-time All-Pac-10.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Madsen in the first round (29th pick overall) of the 2000 NBA Draft. He contributed to the Lakers' NBA championships in 2001 and 2002, and became well known for the way he danced at the victory parades for those championships.
Talking about his prime with the Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal said that the only player who could thwart him from his dominant play was Madsen. "He used to beat me up in practice”, O’Neal said.
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Marques Haynes
Marques Haynes (born October 3, 1926) is an American former professional basketball player and member of the Harlem Globetrotters, notable for his remarkable ability to dribble the ball and keep it away from defenders. According to the movie Harlem Globetrotters: Six Decades of Magic(1988), Haynes could dribble the ball as many as six times a second.
Haynes learned to dribble the basketball from his sisters, and perhaps was aided by the skill of handling the ball on the dirt courts of his hometown. A native of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, he played basketball for Langston University from 1942-1946. While at Langston, he once dribbled out the clock in a conference tournament game to ridicule an opponent, Southern University, which had just run up the score against an inferior team (Sam Huston College, later Huston-Tillotson University), which incidentally, was coached by a young Jackie Robinson. Haynes' own coach, the legendary Zip Gayles, reprimanded him for the showboating display, but it helped draw the attention of the Globetrotters, always on the search for trick ballhandlers; Langston was invited to play an exhibition game against the Globetrotters in Oklahoma City. In that game, Haynes led Langston to a 4-point win and was immediately invited to join the Globetrotters, and (after returning to Langston to complete his degree) his long professional career began.
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Marv Harshman
Marv K. Harshman (born October 4, 1917) is a former college men's basketball coach native to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA. He graduated from Lake Stevens High School in Lake Stevens, Washington.
Harshman started coaching at his alma mater of Pacific Lutheran University (1945–58), where he also was the head football coach from 1951 to 1957, compiling a 27-26-2 record. He later coached at Washington State University (1958–71) and then at the University of Washington from 1971 to 1985. He compiled a 642-448 collegiate record winning Pac-8 coach of the year in (1976), Pac-10 Coach of the Year (1982, 1984) and Kodak Coach of the Year for Division 1 basketball (1984).
Harshman was the coach of the gold medal winning US team at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City. Harshman was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in April 1985.
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Maurice Podoloff
Maurice Podoloff (August 18, 1890 - November 24, 1985) was a U.S. lawyer and basketball and ice hockey administrator. He was the first president of the National Basketball Association. He served from the league's founding as the Basketball Association of America in 1946 until 1963.
Maurice Podoloff was born to a Jewish family in Yelisavetgrad, Russia (now a part of Ukraine and also known as (Elizabethgrad)]) on August 18, 1890. When he was a young boy his family emigrated to the United States, where he graduated from Hillhouse High School in New Haven, Connecticut in 1909. From there Podoloff went on to Yale University where he got his law degree in 1915.
A distinguished lawyer, Maurice Podoloff was a man of impeccable character and was instrumental in the development and success of professional basketball. On June 6, 1946, Podoloff, who was already serving as president of the American Hockey League, was appointed president of the newly formed Basketball Association of America (BAA), becoming the first person to lead two professional leagues simultaneously.
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Maurice Stokes
Maurice Stokes (June 17, 1933 – April 6, 1970) was an American professional basketball player in the 1950s, whose career was cut short by a debilitating injury. He was born in Rankin, Pennsylvania and graduated from Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania in 1955.
Playing for the National Basketball Association's Rochester Royals (which became the Cincinnati Royals in 1957) from 1955 to 1958, Stokes grabbed 38 rebounds in a single game during his rookie season, averaged 16.3 rebounds per game overall, and was named NBA Rookie of the Year. The next season, he set a league record for most rebounds in a single season with 1,256 (17.4 per game). Stokes played in the All-Star Game all three years of his career, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team three times. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in September 2004.
On March 12, 1958 in the last game of the 1957–58 NBA season, in Minneapolis, Stokes drove to the basket, drew contact and fell to the floor, hit his head, and was knocked unconscious. He was revived with smelling salts and returned to the game. Three days later, after a 12-point, 15-rebound performance in an opening-round playoff game at Detroit against the Pistons, Stokes became ill on the team's flight back to Cincinnati; "I feel like I'm going to die," he told a teammate. Stokes reported feeling ill during the flight back to Cincinnati; he later suffered a seizure, fell into a coma and was left permanently paralyzed. In the end, he was diagnosed with "post-traumatic encephalopathy, a brain injury that damaged his motor control center."
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Meadowlark Lemon
Meadow "Meadowlark" Lemon (born April 25, 1932) is an American basketball player, actor, and minister. For 22 years, Lemon was known as the "Clown Prince" of the touring Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. He played in more than 16,000 games for the Globetrotters and is a 2003 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, and attended Florida A&M University.
Lemon first applied to the Globetrotters in 1954 at age 22, finally being chosen to play the following year (1955). In 1980, he left to form one of his Globetrotters imitators, the Bucketeers. He played with that team until 1983, then moved on to play with the Shooting Stars from 1984 to 1987. In 1988, he moved on to "Meadowlark Lemon's Harlem All Stars" team. Despite being with his own touring team, Lemon returned to the Globetrotters, playing 50 games with them in 1994.
In 2000, Lemon received the John Bunn Award, the highest honor given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame outside of induction. He was inducted into the hall three years later.
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Mel Daniels
Melvin Joe Daniels (born July 20, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan) is a retired American professional basketball player.
A 6' 9" center, he played for the University of New Mexico Lobo men's basketball team from 1964–67. He was the ninth pick of the 1967 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft, selected by the Cincinnati Royals, and was also drafted by the Minnesota Muskies of the American Basketball Association (ABA). He chose to play in the fledgling ABA, and became one of its all-time greatest players.
Daniels was the ABA Rookie of the Year for the 1967–68 season before being traded to the Indiana Pacers, then of the ABA and now in the NBA. Daniels was the ABA Most Valuable Player in both 1969 and 1971 and led the Pacers to three ABA championships. Daniels played in seven ABA All-Star Games, and was named the ABA All-Star Game MVP in the 1971 game. Daniels led the ABA in rebounding average in three different seasons, and is the ABA's all-time leader in total rebounds (9,494) and career rebounding average (15.1 rebounds per game). Daniels also grabbed 1608 career postseason rebounds, ranking in the top twelve in professional basketball history. Daniels played briefly for the NBA's New York Nets in the 1976–77 season.
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Mendy Rudolph
Marvin "Mendy" Rudolph (March 8, 1926 – July 4, 1979) was a professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 22 years, from 1953 to 1975. Regarded as one of the greatest officials in NBA history, Rudolph officiated 2,112 NBA games (a record held at retirement) and was the first league referee to work 2,000 games. He was also selected to referee eight NBA All-Star Games and made 22 consecutive NBA Finals appearances.
Following his career as a referee, he was a color commentator for CBS Sports' coverage of the NBA on CBS for two seasons from 1975 to 1977 and he appeared in a television advertisement for Miller Lite. He was a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2007.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rudolph was raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. His father, Harry Rudolph, was a prominent basketball referee and baseball umpire. Mendy Rudolph played basketball as a child and eventually chose the same profession as his father. Upon graduating from James M. Coughlin High School, he began officiating basketball games at the Wilkes-Barre Jewish Community Center and later worked scholastic games. At age 20, he was recruited to referee games alongside his father, who served as Eastern Professional Basketball League (Eastern League) President from 1956 to 1970. During his career in the Eastern League, he officiated his first Eastern League President's Cup championship series in 1948 and was selected as a referee in at least one game in every President's Cup playoff and championship series between 1949 and 1953. At the same time, he also served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War.
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Metta World Peace
Metta World Peace (born Ronald William Artest, Jr., November 13, 1979) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was known as Ron Artest before legally changing his name in September 2011.
World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004. He was a participant in several controversial on-court incidents, most notably the Pacers–Pistons brawl and is known for his sometimes eccentric and outspoken behavior.
Metta World Peace was born Ronald William Artest, Jr., and raised in the Queensbridge projects in Queens, New York. He has two younger brothers, Isaiah and Daniel. He played high school basketball at La Salle Academy and college basketball at St. John's University from 1997–1999. In 1999, he helped the Red Storm to the Elite Eight, losing to Ohio State. He gained fame playing in some of New York City's high profile summer basketball tournaments at Nike Pro City, Hoops in the Sun at Orchard Beach, Bronx, New York and Dyckman Park at Washington Heights, earning himself nicknames such as Tru Warier and The New World Order, a name he received from Randy Cruz (one of the co-founders of the Hoops In The Sun basketball league at Orchard Beach in the Bronx, New York).
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Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.
After a three-season career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982, Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball. In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball at the beginning of the 1993–94 NBA season to pursue a career in baseball, he rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships (1996, 1997, and 1998) as well as an NBA-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards.
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Mike Fratello
Michael Robert "Mike" Fratello (born February 24, 1947) is an American color analyst and a professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and is currently the head coach of the Ukraine national basketball team. Mike Fratello is among the winningest head coaches in NBA history, ranking 18th in both all-time regular season wins (667) and games coached (1,215).
Fratello was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, and he graduated from Hackensack High School, where he was captain of the basketball, baseball, football and field hockey teams. He was named to the Bergen "All County" Football team as a center in his senior year. He then went on to Montclair State College in Montclair, New Jersey to play football. Upon graduation he returned to Hackensack H.S. as an assistant for both the basketball and football teams. Fratello then went on to the University of Rhode Island as a graduate assistant assigned to head coach Tom Carmody, also coaching the U.R.I. freshman basketball team. He had been a college basketball assistant at James Madison University under Lou Campanelli and served as an assistant for Rollie Massimino at Villanova before going to the NBA as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks during Hubie Brown's tenure.
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Mike Krzyzewski
Michael William "Mike" Krzyzewski ( /ʃəˈʃɛvski/ shə-SHEV-ski; Polish: Krzyżewski [kʂɨˈʐɛ(f)ski]; nicknamed "Coach K"; born February 13, 1947) is an American basketball coach and former player. Since 1980, he has served as the head men's basketball coach at Duke University. At Duke, Krzyzewski has led the Blue Devils to four NCAA Championships, 11 Final Fours, 12 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season titles, and 13 ACC Tournament championships. Krzyzewski is also the coach of the United States men's national basketball team, whom he led to a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. He was an assistant coach on the 1992 "Dream Team".
From 1975 to 1980, Krzyzewski was the head basketball coach at the United States Military Academy, where he played from 1966 to 1969 under Bob Knight. Krzyzewski has amassed a record 79 NCAA tournament victories, while averaging 25 wins per season. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame following the 2001 season. On November 15, 2011, Krzyzewski led Duke to a 74–69 victory over Michigan State at Madison Square Garden to become the winningest coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball history. Krzyzewski's 903rd victory surpassed the previous record of 902, held by his former coach, Bob Knight.
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Mike Penberthy
Mike Penberthy (born November 29, 1974) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Slam of the ABA. A 6'3" (1.90 m) point guard from The Master's College, Penberthy was not drafted by an NBA team but did manage to play for the Los Angeles Lakers for two years (2000-01 to 2001–02). Penberthy was part of their 2000–01 championship team.
Born in Los Gatos, California, Penberthy graduated from Herbert Hoover High School at Fresno, California in 1993. He played college basketball for The Master's College in Santa Clarita, California, where he played with distinction, broke numerous school records (including most career points), and was later a charter member of the college for the 2003-2004 season. He graduated from The Master's College in 1997 with a B.A. degree in biblical studies.
Penberthy tried out for the Indiana Pacers and tore his right hamstring; he took three months off and joined the Continental Basketball Association team Idaho Stampede, which drafted him from college. The Stampede cut Pemberthy, who said he "hated" playing there, and he transferred to the German team Hamburg Tigers.
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Mike Riordan
Michael W. Riordan (born July 9, 1945 in New York, New York) is an American former professional basketball player.
A 6'4" guard/forward from Holy Cross High School (Queens, New York) and Providence College, Riordan played 9 seasons (1968–1977) in the National Basketball Association as a member of the New York Knicks and Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets. He scored 6,334 points in his NBA career and won an NBA Championship with the Knicks in 1970. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1973.
He later owned Riordan's Saloon in Annapolis, Maryland.
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Mike Schuler
Mike Schuler (born September 22, 1940 in Portsmouth, Ohio) is a former head coach in the National Basketball Association. He coached the Portland Trail Blazers (1986–87 to 1988–89) and Los Angeles Clippers (1990–91 to 1991–92) in 338 games, and compiled a win-loss record of 179–159.
In his first year as coach of the Trail Blazers, Schuler led the team to a 49–33 record, winning the NBA Coach of the Year Award. He followed that up with a 53–29 campaign, though the season ended in a first-round playoff defeat. In his third season with the Blazers, the team was racked with dissension and posted a 25–22 record before Schuler was fired in mid-February. Then-assistant coach Rick Adelman was promoted to replace him on an interim basis. After the Blazers reached the 1989 NBA Playoffs, Adelman was made the head coach on a full-time basis.
One incident Schuler is remembered for occurred at the first press conference that introduced him as the coach of the Trail Blazers, when he fell out of his chair. The footage was seen often on American television in the following days, and Schuler termed it "my instant claim to fame."
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Mirko Novosel
Mirko Novosel (born June 30, 1938 in Zagreb, Croatia, formerly SFR Yugoslavia) is a former Yugoslav basketball player and coach. He was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 7th, 2007.
Novosel played club basketball from 1952 to 1966.
As a coach, Novosel led the Yugoslavian national team to the silver medal at the 1974 FIBA World Championship, the silver medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and the bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
He also coached Cibona Zagreb to three Yugoslav League titles, seven Yugoslav Cups, and a European Champions Cup (Euroleague) title in 1985, when he was named the European Coach of the Year.
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Mitch Kupchak
Mitchell "Mitch" Kupchak (born May 24, 1954) is a retired American basketball player and current general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2000–01 NBA season after predecessor Jerry West moved to the Memphis Grizzlies organization.
Kupchak played for Brentwood High School, Brentwood, Long Island, NY, and was instrumental in Brentwood's Division Titles from 1970-72.
Kupchak was an All-American on the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team. Kupchak played on the gold medal winning team at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
Kupchak was drafted by the Washington Bullets in 1976 and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. He had four productive seasons with Washington and was part of the team that won the NBA Championship in 1978. He signed a long term contract with the Lakers in 1981 on the behest of Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who told owner Jerry Buss, "If we could get Mitch Kupchak, I know we could win," after the team's playoff upset. Unfortunately, 26 games into the season, Kupchak injured his knee and did not play again until the 1983-84 season. However, Kupchak played a key role in the Lakers' 1985 championship team against the Boston Celtics, who had intimidated them in the prior year's Finals. Kupchak retired after the 1985-86 season, having played 510 regular season and 68 playoff games, with regular season averages of 10.2 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game (7.7 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game in the playoffs).
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Mitch Richmond
Mitchell James "Mitch" Richmond (born June 30, 1965 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played collegiately at Kansas State University. He was a 6-time NBA All-Star, a 5-time All-NBA Team member and a former NBA Rookie of the Year. In 976 NBA games, Richmond averaged 21.0 points per game and 3.5 assists per game. His nicknames include "The Rock." #2 has been retired in his honor by the Sacramento Kings, for whom he played seven seasons. He was on the cover of video game NBA Live 97. Richmond is now a scout for the Golden State Warriors, for whom he played from 1988 to 1991.
Richmond was drafted 5th overall in the 1988 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, following two years at Kansas State, where he averaged 20 points per game, and two years at Moberly Junior College in Missouri.
Richmond captured the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in the 1988–89 season, after averaging 22 points per game for the Warriors. He was a key part of Don Nelson's fast-paced offense, which was dubbed "Run TMC" after the first names of its three main components, Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin, respectively. The trio were named after the influential rap group Run DMC. In addition to the shooting he provided, he complemented Hardaway's passing and fast break skills and Mullin's shooting skills by slashing to the hoop as part of the Warriors' attack.
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Moose Krause
Edward Walter "Moose" Krause (February 2, 1913 – December 11, 1992) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, track athlete, coach, and college athletics administrator. He lettered in four sports at the University of Notre Dame, where he was a three-time consensus All-American in basketball (1932–1934). Krause served as the head basketball coach at Saint Mary's College in Winona, Minnesota, now Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, from 1934 to 1939, at the College of the Holy Cross from 1939 to 1942, and at Notre Dame from 1943 to 1944 and 1946 to 1951, compiling a career college basketball record of 155–114. He was Notre Dame's athletic director from 1949 to 1981. Krause was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Born Edward Walter Kriaučiūnas in Chicago to Lithuanian immigrant parents, Krause grew up in the Town of Lake section or, as it was once known as, Back of the Yards. His brother, Felix Krause, was the captain of Lithuania national basketball team in 1937. His surname was shortened to Krause by his high school football coach, who couldn't pronounce Kriaučiūnas (Lithuanian pronunciation: [krɪ.ɐutʃɪˈuːnɐs]).
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Morgan Wootten
Morgan Bayard Wootten (born April 21, 1931, Durham, North Carolina) is an American former high school basketball coach. From 1956 to 2002, he coached at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. He has the most wins as a head coach in the history of basketball on any level. A number of his players went on to play in the NBA, including Adrian Dantley and Danny Ferry. Wootten gained legendary status in 1965, when his DeMatha team beat Lew Alcindor's Power Memorial Academy and ended their 71-game winning streak. His career coaching record stands at 1,274-192.
Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden (1910–2010) described his admiration for Wootten when he said, "I know of no finer coach at any level - high school, college or pro. I stand in awe of him."[citation needed] In October 2000, Coach Wootten was elected and inducted into the Hall of Fame, one of three high school basketball coaches ever so honored.
Wootten attended the University of Maryland. During his coaching career at DeMatha, located just two miles away from his alma mater, he received job offers from Georgetown and American and interest from Duke, Wake Forest, and Virginia. Wootten turned down the offers, according to Sports Illustrated, because the Maryland job, which was not forthcoming, was the only college job he wanted.
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Moses Malone
Moses Eugene Malone (born March 23, 1955 in Petersburg, Virginia) is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who starred in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association. A three-time NBA MVP and one of the NBA's 50 greatest players, Malone was the most successful prep-to-pro player of his era, going straight from Petersburg High to a 21-year career in professional basketball. By the time Malone retired after 19 seasons in the NBA he was the last former ABA player active and held numerous distinctions in both leagues, including a championship ring and NBA finals trophy won with the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers.
Right after graduating from Petersburg High School, Malone signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Maryland. However, Malone was drafted by the ABA's Utah Stars in 1974 and became one of the first basketball players to jump straight from high school into the professional leagues.
Malone began his professional career with the Utah Stars. He later played for the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis. In two seasons in the ABA, Malone averaged 17.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. Malone's ABA career ended with the ABA–NBA merger in June 1976, when Malone moved to the NBA.
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Mychal Thompson
Mychal George Thompson (born January 30, 1955) is a retired Bahamian-American professional basketball player of the NBA. Thompson played both the power forward and center positions and played for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers.
Thompson was born in Nassau, in the Bahamas, but moved to the United States as a youth, playing high school basketball at Miami Jackson High School (1974) in Miami, Florida. He then attended the University of Minnesota where he had a standout collegiate career.
The Portland Trail Blazers made Thompson the number one pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, the first foreign-born player to be selected at that position.[citation needed]
Thompson was a fixture in the Portland lineup for eight years (though one season was missed due to injury), where he started at both power forward and center positions. He was named to the 1979 All-Rookie team, and had his statistically best season in 1981–82, where he averaged over 20 points and 11 rebounds per game. In the 1986 off-season, Thompson was traded to the Spurs in exchange for center/forward Steve Johnson.
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Nancy Lieberman
Nancy Elizabeth Lieberman (born July 1, 1958, in Brooklyn, New York), nicknamed "Lady Magic", is a former professional basketball player who played and coached in the WNBA.
Lieberman is regarded as one of the greatest figures in women's basketball.
In 2000, she was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame. Lieberman is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Lieberman was born on July 1, 1958 to Jerome and Renee Lieberman. She is Jewish, and has become a born-again Christian. Her family lived in Brooklyn, when she was born, but soon moved to Far Rockaway, New York where she grew up with her older brother Clifford. Her mother brought up the children after a separation and divorce. While growing up, she was very interested in a variety of sports, playing baseball, softball and football with boys, before settling on basketball as her primary sport. She played basketball primarily on pickup teams with boys, not playing on a girl's team until she was a high school sophomore. While attending Far Rockaway High School in Queens, New York, she established herself as one of the top women's basketball players in the country by earning one of only 12 slots on the USA's National Team. In 1975, Lieberman was named to the USA Team designated to play in the World Championships and Pan American Games, where she brought home a gold medal and a silver medal in 1979.
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Nat Holman
Nat Holman (October 19, 1896 in New York, NY – February 12, 1995 in Bronx, New York) was one of the early pro basketball players and one of the game's most important innovators.
Known for his exceptional ball-handling and his accurate shooting, Holman was a star player at New York University.
He was also an important part of the Original Celtics (no relation to the Boston Celtics). Also a gifted passer and excellent floor leader, Holman has been a prototype to later playmakers.
Although he played pro basketball until 1930, he took over the head coaching position at the City College of New York in 1920. Known as Mr. Basketball, Holman guided CCNY to the so-called grand slam of college basketball, winning both the NCAA and NIT titles in 1950, a feat that has never been achieved since (and is no longer possible as both tournaments are now done concurrently). Holman compiled a 421–190 record in 37 seasons at CCNY, retiring in 1960.
Holman also founded Camp Scatico in 1921 and ran the camp until he sold it to his niece and her husband in 1964.
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Nate Archibald
Nathaniel "Tiny" Archibald (born September 2, 1948, New York City) is a retired American professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the NBA, most notably with the Kansas City Kings and Boston Celtics.
Archibald was a willing passer and an adequate shooter from midrange. However, it was his quickness and speed and shiftiness that made him difficult to guard in the open court, as he would regularly drive past defenders on his way to the basket.
Archibald, a playground legend while growing up in a rough-and-tumble neighborhood in the South Bronx, New York City, only played high school basketball for one-and-a-half seasons, and was cut from the varsity squad at DeWitt Clinton High School as a sophomore. He returned to the team as a junior. During his time without basketball, Archibald briefly flirted with dropping out of school after having been largely truant in past years. But with the help of two mentors, Floyd Layne and Pablo Robertson, Archibald turned it around. Robertson, a former standout at Loyola of Chicago and a Harlem, NY, playground impressario, had seen the gifted, mercurial Archibald in action on the playgrounds and convinced the young man's high school coach to re-instate him on the squad. Despite only playing in blowouts as a junior, the shy, quiet teen managed to blossom into a high-school star, being named team captain and an All-City selection in 1966. Off the court, Archibald began to attend school regularly and worked to improve his poor academic standing, which deterred most colleges from offering him a scholarship. To improve his chances of playing major college basketball, Archibald enrolled at Arizona Western College, transferring to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) the following year. He had three standout seasons at El Paso, from 1967 to 1970 under the legendary coach Don Haskins.
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Nate Bowman
Nathaniel "Nate the Snake" Bowman (born March 19, 1943 in Fort Worth, Texas; died December 11, 1984 in New York, New York) was an American basketball player.
A 6'10" center from Wichita State University, Bowman played five seasons (1966–1971) in the National Basketball Association and one season (1971–1972) in the American Basketball Association as a member of the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Buffalo Braves, and Pittsburgh Condors. He won an NBA Championship as a reserve for the Knicks in 1970. In his NBA/ABA career, Bowman tallied 745 total points and 878 total rebounds. He was a good rebounder, but a poor shooter who had a problem with committing personal fouls, thus earning the nickname "Nate the Snake." In his NBA/ABA career, he committed more personal fouls than he scored field goals.
Bowman was one of several players involved in a November 20, 1968 brawl between the Knicks and Atlanta Hawks at Atlanta's Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The fight eventually spilled into the stands, where fans grabbed Bowman so that Atlanta's Bill Bridges could land a punch. None of the participants were fined more than $25.
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Nate Thurmond
Nathaniel "Nate" Thurmond (born July 25, 1941, in Akron, Ohio) is a retired American basketball player. Dominant at both center and power forward, he was a seven-time All-Star and the first player in NBA history to record an official quadruple-double.
Thurmond remains one of the greatest rebounders and shot blockers ever, named both a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
Known to fans as "Nate the Great", Thurmond has had his #42 jersey retired by both the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers franchises.
He played in high school with another future NBA star, Gus Johnson, at Akron Central. Their powerful team went undefeated before losing to Middletown, led by Jerry Lucas, in the Ohio state high school playoffs. Passing on a scholarship offer to Ohio State, to avoid becoming Lucas's backup there, the 6'11" Thurmond chose Bowling Green. He was named a first-team All-American by The Sporting News in 1963, and was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors later that year.
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Ned Irish
Edward S. "Ned" Irish (May 6, 1905 in Lake George, New York – January 21, 1982) was a basketball promoter and one of the key figures in popularizing professional basketball. He was the president of the New York Knicks from 1946 to 1974. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1964.
A pioneer in the late 1930s in the big-time promotion of college basketball, Ned Irish took the sport from small venues to Madison Square Garden. He also founded the New York Knicks and assisted in the organization of the National Basketball Association. For his part in popularizing basketball, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1964.
Irish grew up near Lake George, New York. He had already launched his business career at age 10. Following in his late father's footsteps, he earned money by selling sodas and newspapers and by renting boats. His mother, a practical nurse, then moved the family to Brooklyn. As a student at Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School, Irish covered prep and amateur sports for three New York dailies, managed the school's swimming and tennis teams, was class president, was a member of the Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity and worked in the school cafeteria.
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Neil Funk
Neil Funk is the current television play-by-play announcer for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls.
A 1969 graduate of Syracuse University, Funk's first broadcasting job was covering high school and college sports for a small radio station in Danville, Illinois. He quickly moved up the ranks to acquire a job with the Philadelphia 76ers' WIBG-radio broadcasting crew in 1976. He later broadcast games for the Kansas City Kings and New Jersey Nets, winning an Emmy Award in 1989. He joined the Chicago Bulls as a radio play-by-play announcer in 1991. On May 6, 2008, it was announced that Funk would replace Tom Dore (Comcast Sportsnet) and Wayne Larrivee (WGN-TV) as the play-by-play man for Chicago Bulls games on television.
Funk is known for using his signature phrase "Ka-Boom!" whenever a Bulls player hits a three-point field goal. He is also well known for his dramatic call "Bang, down the well it goes!"
A typical sampling of Funk's play-by-play call: "Dennis inbounds to Scottie, who brings the ball up. Pippen across the timeline with Stockton on him. Scottie left side for Michael. Michael backing Russell, backing, backing now swings it down to Luc. Over to Scottie with 10 on the 24. Scottie to Steve Kerr for three—ka-boom!"
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Neil Johnston
Donald Neil Johnston (February 4, 1929 – September 28, 1978) was an American Hall of Fame basketball player at the center position who played 8 years in the NBA from 1951 to 1959.
He led the NBA in scoring for three consecutive seasons: 1952-53, 1953–54, and 1954-55. During the 1954-55 season, he also won the league's rebounding title. Johnston played his entire career with the Philadelphia Warriors, playing on their championship team in 1956. He played in six NBA All-Star Games, was an All-NBA First Team selection four times, and was an All-NBA Second Team selection once.
During his career, the 6 foot 8 inch Johnston was well known for his right-handed hook shot, which contributed to his leading the league in field goal shooting three times. Johnston was forced to retire after a serious knee injury in the 1958-59 season.
After his playing career, he coached the Warriors to a 95-59 winning record for the first two seasons of Wilt Chamberlain's NBA career.
Johnston also coached the Pittsburgh Rens, with Connie Hawkins, of the American Basketball League.
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Nera White
Nera D. White (born November 15, 1935) is a retired American basketball player. She is considered one of the most outstanding female players in history.
White was born in Macon County, Tennessee and attended the George Peabody College for Teachers (now part of Vanderbilt University), along with Sue Gunter and Doris Rogers, both of whom went on to play for the United States women's national basketball team. She completed all of the undergraduate requirements for a degree in education except for the student teaching requirement, which she was unable to complete due to shyness. George Peabody did not have a women's basketball team, so she played for the AAU team in Nashville sponsored by Nashville Business College.
She was named AAU All-American for 15 years in a row from 1955 to 1969, and she led the Nashville Business College team to ten AAU national championships during that period. White was named the MVP of the AAU National Tournament nine times. While she played for Nashville Business college, the team once had a stretch of 92 games where they won 91. White was "widely acknowledged as the greatest woman ever to play the game". In 1966, Harley Redin (head coach of the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens, the dominant team of the 1950s) called her the "greatest woman basketball player in history".
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Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938 in Charlotte, Tennessee), nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American National Basketball Association player with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Robertson played the shooting guard/point guard position, and was a twelve-time All-Star, eleven-time member of the All-NBA Team, and one-time winner of the MVP award in fourteen professional seasons. He is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. He was a key player on the team which brought the Bucks their only NBA title in the 1970-71 NBA season. His playing career, especially during high school and college, was plagued by racism.
For his outstanding achievements, Robertson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980, and was voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. The United States Basketball Writers Association renamed their college Player of the Year Award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in his honor in 1998, and he was one of five people chosen to represent the inaugural National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class in 2006.
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Oswald Tower
Oswald Tower (November 23, 1883 in North Adams, Massachusetts, USA – May 28, 1968) was an American basketball administrator and instructor at Phillips Academy Andover [1910-49]. He served on the National Basketball Rules Committee from 1910 to 1960, was an editor of the Official Basketball Guide and an official rules interpreter from 1915 to 1960. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1959.
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Pat Riley
Patrick James "Pat" Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American professional basketball executive, and a former coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams and an assistant coach to another. He most recently won the 2006 NBA Championship with the Miami Heat. Prior to his tenure in Miami, he served as head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks. He was named NBA Coach of the Year three times (1989–90, 1992–93 and 1996–97, as head coach of the Lakers, Knicks and Heat, respectively). He was head coach of the NBA All-Star Game teams nine times: eight of the Western team (1982, 1983, 1985–1990, all as head coach of the Lakers) and once of the Eastern team (1993, as head coach of the Knicks). In 1996 he was named one of the 10 Greatest Coaches in the NBA history. As a player, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers' championship team in 1972, bringing his personal total to seven NBA titles.
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Pat Summitt
Patricia "Pat" Head Summitt (born on June 14, 1952 in Clarksville, Tennessee) is a former women's college basketball head coach. She now serves as the head coach emeritus of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division. She coached from 1974 to 2012, all with the Lady Vols, winning eight NCAA national championships, second only to the record 10 titles won by UCLA men's coach John Wooden. Summitt is the only coach in NCAA history, and one of three college coaches overall, with 1,000 victories. She was named the Naismith Basketball Coach of the Century in April 2000. In 2009, the Sporting News placed her number 11 on its list of the 50 Greatest Coaches of All Time in all sports; she was the only woman on the list. In 38 years as a coach, she never had a losing season. On April 20, 2012, the White House announced that Pat Summitt would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
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Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing, Sr. (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic. Ewing was named as the 16th greatest college player of all time by ESPN. He won Olympic Gold Medals as a member of the 1984 and 1992 US Men's National Basketball teams. In a 1996 poll celebrating the 50th anniversary of the NBA, Ewing was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time. On April 7, 2008 he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on September 5, 2008 along with former NBA coach Pat Riley and former Houston Rockets center, Hakeem Olajuwon. His number 33 was retired by the Knicks in 2003.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Ewing excelled at cricket and soccer. He was 11 years old when he arrived in the United States with his family, settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He learned to play basketball at Cambridge Rindge and Latin. In order to prepare for college, Ewing joined the MIT-Wellesley Upward Bound Program. Upward Bound is a federally-funded TRIO college-prep program for disadvantaged high school students. He went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C..
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Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol i Sáez (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈpaw ɡəˈzɔɫ]) (born July 6, 1980) is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain. Gasol was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2001 NBA Draft, but his rights were traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, with whom he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He currently holds the Memphis Grizzlies franchise records for career games played, minutes played, field goals made and attempted, free throws made and attempted, offensive, defensive, and total rebounds, blocked shots, turnovers, and points. After seven seasons with the team, Gasol was traded to the Lakers on February 1, 2008. His younger brother, Marc Gasol, who was involved in that trade, is also a professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA.
Pau Gasol was born in Barcelona. He began playing basketball with his school team called Alvirne, and he eventually signed with Cornellà. When he was sixteen, he began playing for Barcelona's junior team. He also won both the 1998 Albert Schweitzer Tournament and the 1998 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. After moving to the senior team of Barcelona, Gasol played just 25 total minutes in the Spanish ACB League 1998–99 season, and averaged 13.7 minutes per game in the ACB the next year. However, in his final season in the ACB, Gasol averaged 12.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per game. Barcelona was victorious in the Spanish National Cup championship game in 2001, and Gasol was named Most Valuable Player. After entering the NBA Draft, Gasol was selected third overall in the first round in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, who traded his draft rights to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
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Paul Arizin
Paul Joseph Arizin (April 9, 1928 – December 12, 2006), nicknamed "Pitchin' Paul," was an American basketball player who spent his entire National Basketball Association career with the Philadelphia Warriors from 1950 to 1962. He retired with the third highest career point total (16,266) in NBA history, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History upon its 50th anniversary in 1996. He was a high-scoring forward at Villanova University before being drafted by the Warriors of the fledgling NBA.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Arizin did not play basketball at La Salle College High School, failing to make the team in his only tryout as a senior. Arizin graduated just a year before another NBA hall of famer, Tom Gola, entered La Salle College High School as a freshman.
During his freshmen year at Villanova, Arizin played CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) basketball in Philadelphia. Late in that season, Al Severance, the then Villanova varsity basketball coach, attended one of Arizin's CYO games. Afterwards, Severance approached Arizin and asked, "How would you like to go to Villanova?" His answer: "I go to Villanova."
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Paul Endacott
Paul Endacott (July 3, 1902 – January 8, 1997) was a well-known collegiate basketball player in the 1920s. The Lawrence, Kansas native attended University of Kansas from 1919 to 1923. Playing under Hall of Fame coach Phog Allen, Endacott led Kansas to consecutive Helms Foundation national championships in 1922 and 1923. In 1923 he was named Helms Foundation Player of the Year. Following his collegiate career, he spent four years with the AAU Phillips Petroleum Company Team, from 1924 to 1928. He went on to serve as President of Phillips Petroleum in his later years.
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Paul Westhead
Paul Westhead (born February 21, 1939 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the University of Oregon women's team. He has previously been a head coach for three National Basketball Association (NBA) teams and an assistant for two others, and has also coached in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA). He won titles in both the NBA and WNBA, and is also remembered as the coach of the Loyola Marymount University men's basketball team during that school's era of greatest basketball glory. Westhead is known for an unorthodox, run-and-gun style similar to Nellie ball called "The System." He attended Saint Joseph's University.
Westhead started his coaching career at Cheltenham High School in suburban Philadelphia; in 1968, he coached the Panthers to a loss in the Pennsylvania state championship. One of his players at Cheltenham was future University of Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage. Westhead coached the La Salle University men's basketball team starting in 1970. Westhead led the Explorers to one NIT and two NCAA tournament appearances in nine seasons (1970–1979). He finished with a record of 142–105.
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Pedro Ferrándiz
Pedro Ferrándiz González (born November 20, 1928 in Alicante, Spain) is a Spanish basketball coach. He is most famous for coaching Real Madrid basketball club in the 1960s and 1970s. The International Olympic Committee awarded him the Olympic Order in 1977, and he is the only basketball coach in history to receive the award.
He was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame in April of 2007. He is also a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame. In 2008, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors.
Ferrándiz won a record 12 titles in the Spanish League, as well as 4 titles in the European Champions Cup (Euroleague) and 10 titles in the Spanish King's Cup. His combined record, while coaching Real, was 437-90. He recorded three undefeated Spanish League seasons.
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Pete Carril
Peter J. "Pete" Carril (born July 10, 1930) is an American former basketball coach. He is best known for his time as head coach of Princeton University and his use of the 'Princeton offense'. He also coached at Lehigh University and in the NBA as an assistant with the Sacramento Kings.
Carril was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the son of Spanish immigrants to the United States. He is a graduate of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, where he was an all-state selection for Pennsylvania in the 1947-48 season. He played collegiate basketball at Lafayette College under Butch Van Breda Kolff. While at Lafayette he became a member of Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity. Following graduation from college he was a teacher and coached high school basketball for 12 seasons at Easton (PA) High School and Reading (PA) High School, where Gary Walters, the current Princeton Athletic Director, and former Princeton point guard, played basketball under him in high school.
After a year at Lehigh University, Carril moved to Princeton University. In 29 years, he compiled a 514-261 (.658 winning percentage) record, the best of any coach in Ivy League basketball history. He is also the only coach to win 500 games without the benefit of athletic scholarships for his players.[2] He won 13 Ivy League championships and received 11 NCAA berths and 2 NIT bids. The Tigers won the NIT championship in 1975. Carril was noted for a tenacious defense, as his teams were first in the nation in scoring defense for fourteen of his final 21 seasons, including eight in a row, from 1988-1996. In part due to this, his Tigers were known as a very dangerous early-round NCAA opponent.
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Pete Maravich
Peter "Pistol Pete" Press Maravich (June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988) was an American professional basketball player. Born and raised in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Maravich starred in college at Louisiana State University (LSU) and played for three NBA teams until injuries induced him to retire in 1980. He is still the all-time leading NCAA Division I scorer with 3,667 points scored and an average of 44.2 points per game. (All of his accomplishments were achieved before the three-point line was introduced to NCAA basketball, and despite being unable to play varsity as a freshman under then-NCAA rules.) Maravich died suddenly at age 40 during a pick-up game as a consequence of a previously undetected congenital heart defect. One of the youngest players ever inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Maravich was cited by the Hall as "perhaps the greatest creative offensive talent in history". In an April 2010 interview, Hall of Fame player John Havlicek said "the best ball-handler of all time was (Pete) Maravich."
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Pete Myers
Peter (Pete) E. Myers (born September 15, 1963 in Mobile, Alabama) is an American former professional basketball player and an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors.
Myers played in the NBA from 1986 to 1991 and also from 1994 to 1998. A 6' 6" guard for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he was drafted in 1986 by the Chicago Bulls in the 6th round (120th overall). He played briefly in both the CBA (including the Rockford Lightning for most of 1987-88) and the Italian League (for Aprimatic Bologna a.k.a. Mangiaebevi Bologna in Serie A2 in 1991-1992, Scavolini Pesaro in 1992-1993 and Polti Cantù in 1997 (reached the Italian Cup finals)) and played for seven NBA teams, including the Bulls (1986–87 and 1993–95) and the New York Knicks (1989–90 and 1998). He became the Bulls' starting shooting guard after the retirement of Michael Jordan in 1993, and averaged a career-high 7.9 points per game that year. Myers is one of five former UALR players to make it to the NBA, and is one of just three to play in more than 25 NBA games. The others are Derek Fisher and Carlos Rogers.
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Pete Newell
Peter Francis Newell (August 31, 1915 – November 17, 2008) was an American college men's basketball coach and basketball instructional coach. He coached for 15 years at the University of San Francisco, Michigan State University and the University of California, Berkeley, compiling an overall record of 234 wins and 123 losses. He led the University of California to the 1959 NCAA men's basketball championship, and a year later coached the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the 1960 Summer Olympics, a team that would be inducted as a unit to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. After his coaching career ended he ran a world-famous instructional basketball camp and served as a consultant and scout for several National Basketball Association (NBA) teams. He is often considered to be one of the most influential figures in the history of basketball.
He was born in Vancouver and grew up in Los Angeles. Encouraged by his mother, he had small roles in several movies before he turned ten. Newell attended both high school and college in Los Angeles, California, and was a classmate of Phil Woolpert at Loyola Marymount University (then called Loyola University). He played on the basketball team.
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Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is a retired American professional basketball coach and former player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998; during his tenure, Chicago won six NBA titles. His next team, the Los Angeles Lakers, won five NBA titles from 2000 to 2010. In total, Jackson has won 11 NBA titles as a coach, surpassing the previous record of nine set by Red Auerbach. He holds the record for the most championships in NBA history as a player and a head coach, after breaking the tie with Bill Russell when the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2009 NBA Finals. He also has the highest winning percentage of any NBA coach (.704). Jackson was a player on the 1970 and 1973 NBA champion New York Knicks.
Jackson is known for his use of Tex Winter's triangle offense as well as a holistic approach to coaching that is influenced by Eastern philosophy, earning him the nickname "Zen Master". Jackson cites Robert Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as one of the major guiding forces in his life. He also applies Native American spiritual practices as documented in his book Sacred Hoops. He is the author of several candid books about his teams and his basketball strategies. Jackson is also a recipient of the state of North Dakota's Roughrider Award. In 2007 Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Phil Woolpert
Phil Woolpert (December 15, 1915 – May 7, 1987) was an American college basketball coach. He is best known for coaching the University of San Francisco Dons to two straight national championships in 1955 and 1956.
Born in Danville, Kentucky, Woolpert attended high school in Los Angeles. He subsequently attended Los Angeles Junior College and Loyola University, Los Angeles, where he played basketball for three years and was initiated into the Alpha Delta Gamma National Fraternity.
In 1946, Woolpert was hired as basketball coach for St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco, California where he posted a 63-29 record in his four years as coach. Upon Pete Newell's departure for Michigan State University, the University of San Francisco hired Woolpert to succeed Newell. He assumed both the posts of men's basketball coach and athletic director.
During his tenure at USF, Woolpert posted a 153-78 record, including a 60-game win streak that at the time was the longest in college basketball (surpassed later by John Wooden's 88 straight wins at UCLA.). His teams, anchored by Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, Eugene Brown and Mike Farmer, were known for their defense and held opponents below 60 points on 47 different occasions. USF won the national championship in 1955 and 1956, and finished third in 1957. At the time the youngest college basketball coach to win a national championship, Woolpert also won Coach of the Year honors in 1955 and 1956.
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Phog Allen
Forrest Clare "Phog" Allen (November 18, 1885 – September 16, 1974) was an American basketball and baseball player, coach of American football, basketball, and baseball, college athletics administrator, and osteopathic physician. Known as the "Father of Basketball Coaching," he served as the head basketball coach at Baker University (1905–1908), the University of Kansas (1907–1909, 1919–1956), Haskell Institute—now Haskell Indian Nations University (1908–1909), and Warrensburg Teachers College—now the University of Central Missouri (1912–1919), compiling a career college basketball record of 746–264. In his 39 seasons at the helm of the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball program, his teams won 24 conference championships and three national titles. The Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively recognized Allen's 1921–22 and 1922–23 Kansas teams as national champions. Allen's 1951–52 squad won the 1952 NCAA Tournament and his Jayhawks were runners-up in the NCAA Tournament in 1940 and 1953. His 590 wins are the most of any coach in the storied history of the Kansas basketball program.
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Pop Gates
William "Pop" Gates (August 30, 1917 – December 1, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. He was born in Decatur, Alabama and attended high school in New York, New York. After playing college basketball at Clark Atlanta University, he continued his basketball career in New York City with the Harlem Renaissance, for several years beginning in 1938–39. He became one of the early black players in the NBL in 1946. Later he played for and coached the Harlem Globetrotters. Gates is one the few athletes who went directly from a high school championship team (Benjamin Franklin, New York, 1938) to a World Professional Champion (Rens, 1939).
Gates was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1989.
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Ralph Miller
Ralph H. Miller (March 9, 1919 – May 15, 2001) was an American basketball coach. A native of Chanute, Kansas, Miller coached at the University of Wichita (1951–1964), the University of Iowa (1964–1970) and Oregon State University (1970–1989), compiling a 657-382 (.632) overall record in 38 seasons combined. He was enshrined to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach on May 3, 1988. His teams had losing records only three times.
Miller was a standout athlete in high school and college. At Chanute High School in Kansas, he won letters in football, track, basketball, golf and tennis. He was an all-state basketball player for three years.
In college at the University of Kansas, he won three letters as a football quarterback and three in basketball. He set the state record in the low hurdles in 1937. He was all-state three consecutive years in football and basketball. By 1940, he was beating the 1932 gold medalist in the decathlon Jim Baush in seven of 10 events.
As an undergraduate, he was coached by the legendary Phog Allen. In one of Miller's classes, a guest lecturer was Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.
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Randolph Mahaffey
Randolph Mahaffey (born September 28, 1945 in LaGrange, Georgia) is an American former profesisonal basketball player.
A 6'7" forward, Mahaffey played college basketball at Clemson University. The Los Angeles Lakers selected him with the fourth pick of the second round of the 1967 NBA Draft (16th overall pick) and the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association also drafted him. Mahaffey signed with the American Basketball Association's Colonels.
In his rookie season with the Colonels, Mahaffey scored over 1,000 points and was an ABA All-Star.
On December 30, 1968, the Colonels traded Mahaffey and Manny Leaks to the New York Nets for Oliver Darden and Andy Anderson.
On June 12, 1969 the Nets traded Mahaffey to the Carolina Cougars in return for a draft pick. Mahaffey played with the Cougars through the 1971-72 season.
Mahaffey appeared in the 1968 ABA Playoffs with the Colonels and in the 1970 ABA Playoffs with the Cougars. He averaged 13 points a game in the 1968 playoffs and 12 points a game in the 1970 playoffs, but both of his teams exited after the first round. The Colonels were edged 3 games to 2 by the Minnesota Muskies in the 1968 Eastern Division Semifinals and the Cougars were ousted in the 1970 Eastern Division Semifinals by the Indiana Pacers, 4 games to 0.
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Randy Brown
Randy Brown (born May 22, 1968) is a retired American basketball player. Brown was a guard who played at New Mexico State University, Brown was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the second round of the 1991 NBA Draft. He played four seasons in Sacramento, scoring 1,349 points, but he would become best known for his tenure with the Chicago Bulls.
Brown signed with the Bulls in 1995, and he provided valuable energy and aggressiveness off the bench during the Bulls' second "three-peat" (1996–1998). In the clinching game of the 1996 NBA Finals against the Seattle SuperSonics, Brown was the first player to get on the floor with Michael Jordan to celebrate. A fan favorite, Brown was also one of the few veteran players who stayed with the Bulls after the 1998-99 lockout. With the absence of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman, he became a full-time starter and averaged 8.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.4 rebounds (all career highs) during the remainder of the 1998-99 season. After one more season in Chicago, Brown played briefly for the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns, and he retired from the NBA in 2003 with 3,148 career points and 1,420 career assists.
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Randy Pfund
Randell "Randy" Pfund (born December 29, 1951 in Oak Park, Illinois) is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) head coach and a former NBA executive. He was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers under Pat Riley and Mike Dunleavy, and was the team's head coach during the 1992–93 and 1993–94 seasons, although he was let go near the end of his second season, being replaced for the remainder of the year by Magic Johnson. He was the general manager for the Miami Heat until September 29, 2008.
Pfund played college basketball at Wheaton College, where he amassed a cumulative scoring average of well over double figures, averaging nearly 25 points per game in his senior season.
His father, Lee Pfund pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945.
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Ray Clay
Ray Clay is an American public address announcer best known for his work for the Chicago Bulls organization in the 1990s.
A native of Berwyn, Illinois, Clay began announcing basketball games at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1980. He was hired by the Bulls in 1990 and worked with them for 12 ½ seasons, during which the team won six NBA Championships. With the rising popularity of the team, many traditions Clay adopted from his predecessor, Tommy Edwards, became known worldwide, including the opening address to the fans (“Aaaaand now...the starting lineup...for your...Chicago Bulls!”) the distinctive player introductions (e.g., “Frommmm North Carolina...at guard...6’6"...Michael Jordan!”), and the use of The Alan Parsons Project song "Sirius" as background music for the introductions.
Clay’s fame during the height of the Bulls success led to a minor acting career. For example, he guest starred in a 1993 episode of the sitcom Married... with Children and had roles in the films Blink and He Got Game. In addition, he lent his vocal talents to several basketball video games and read the "Top Ten" on The Late Show with David Letterman in 1998.
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Ray Meyer
Raymond Joseph Meyer (December 18, 1913 – March 17, 2006) was an American men's collegiate basketball coach from Chicago, Illinois. He was well known for coaching at DePaul University from 1942 to 1984, compiling a 724–354 record. Meyer coached DePaul to 21 post-season appearances (13 NCAA, eight NIT).
In total, Meyer recorded 37 winning seasons and twelve 20-win seasons, including seven straight from 1978 to 1984. Two Meyer-coached teams reached the Final Four (1943 and 1979), and in 1945, Meyer led DePaul past Bowling Green to capture the National Invitation Tournament, the school's only post-season title. Meyer coached a College All-Star team that played a coast-to-coast series against the Harlem Globetrotters for 11 years. One of his best players was George Mikan, who was a game-changing player and basketball's first great "big man". Meyer recruited Mikan from Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, a school Meyer had himself earlier attended.
Other top players coached by Meyer include former NBA players Mark Aguirre and Terry Cummings. During Meyer's tenure the basketball rivalry between DePaul and Loyola reached an extremely high level. Meyer's Great Great Nephew, Mike Starkman, played basketball for Loyola as a walk on. Meyer was a much-beloved figure in Chicago, and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was succeeded as DePaul coach by his son, Joey, who led the team for several more seasons, but less successfully than had his father.
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Red 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) and nine National Basketball Association (NBA) championships (surpassed only by Phil Jackson). As general manager and team president of the Celtics, he won an additional seven NBA titles, for a grand total of 16 in a span of 29 years, making him one of the most successful team officials in the history of North American professional sports.
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. He groomed many players who went on to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Additionally, Auerbach was vital in breaking down color barriers in the NBA. He made history by drafting the first African-American NBA player, Chuck Cooper in 1950, and introduced the first African-American starting five in 1964. 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.
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Red Holzman
William "Red" Holzman (August 10, 1920 – November 13, 1998) was an NBA basketball player and coach probably best known as the head coach of the New York Knicks from 1967 to 1982. Holzman helped lead the Knicks to two NBA Championships in 1970 and 1973, and was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1996, Holzman was named one of Top 10 Coaches in NBA History.
Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1920, to Jewish immigrant parents, as the son of a Romanian mother and Russian father. Holzman grew up in that borough's Ocean Hill-Brownsville neighborhood and played basketball for Franklin K. Lane High School in the mid-1930s. He attended the University of Baltimore and later the City College of New York, where he played for two years until graduation in 1942. Holzman joined the United States Navy in the same year, and played on the Norfolk, Virginia Naval Base team for two years.
Holzman was discharged from the Navy in 1945 and subsequently joined the NBL Rochester Royals, which won the NBL championship in Holzman's first season. Holzman was Rookie of the Year in 1944–45. In 1945–46 and 1947–48 he was on the NBL's first All League team; in the interim year he was on its second team.[1] Holzman stayed with the team through their move to the NBA and subsequent NBA championship in 1951. In 1953, Holzman left the Royals and joined the Milwaukee Hawks as a player-coach, eventually retiring as a player in 1954 but continuing as the team's head coach. During the 1956–1957 season, Holzman led the Hawks (then in St. Louis, Missouri) to 19 losses during their first 33 games, and was subsequently fired.
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Red Mihalik
Zigmund "Red" Mihalik (September 22, 1916–September 25, 1996) was an American basketball player and referee.
He was born 30 miles north of Pittsburgh in Ford City, Pennsylvania, and took up refereeing when officials for a high school game failed to show up. During the 1940s, the 6'1" Mihalik played professionally for the Pittsburgh Ironmen of the Basketball Association of American and the Youngstown Bears of the National Basketball League. He then embarked upon a long officiating career, working games for the NBA, NCAA, Summer Olympics and still finding time to ref WPIAL High School games in and around Pittsburgh [1]. He was deemed the best official of the game on all levels in the 1950s by Dell Publications. He was widely considered just that until an oncourt knee injury forced him into retirement in 1972. Widely considered one of the best basketball referees in history, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986. He was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
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Renato William Jones
Renato William Jones (October 5, 1906 in Rome, Italy – April 22, 1981 in Munich, Germany), also known as R. William, or simply William Jones, was a popularizer of basketball in Europe and in Asia. He holds an honorary doctorate from Springfield College.
He was one of the founding fathers of the Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur (FIBA) in 1932 and served as the first Secretary-General from 1932 until 1976. From 1932 he was eager to convince the IOC that an Olympic tournament should be organized in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. After the International Handball Federation (IAHF) renounced on its responsibility for basketball in 1934, FIBA was accepted as autonomous body by IOC and the Berlin tourney could be held under Jones' supervision. Later, he was made secretary general of the International Council of Sport and Physical Education in 1958.
He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1964,FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007[citation needed] and also as patron of the Amateur Basketball Association of England in 1973.
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Richie Guerin
Richard Vincent "Richie" Guerin (born May 29, 1932, in The Bronx, New York City, New York) is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. The 6'4" (1.93 m) Guerin played with the National Basketball Association's (NBA) New York Knicks from 1956 to 1963 and was a player-coach of the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks franchise where he spent nine years.
He served in the Marine Corps Reserve from 1947 to 1954. While a reservist, Guerin attended Iona College from 1950 to 1954 where he scored 1,375 points in 67 games. After graduation, Guerin served on active duty at Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, Virginia for two years.
The Knicks drafted Guerin with the 8th pick in the second round of the 1954 NBA Draft while still on active duty. After leaving the Marine Corps, Guerin would begin his professional basketball career in 1956.
As a high-scoring point guard in the late 50s and early 60s, Richie Guerin was one of the most talented and best-loved players ever to wear a New York Knicks jersey. His feisty on-court style and wisecracking off-court demeanor played well to Madison Square Garden crowds.
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Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944), better known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers[who?] 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 the 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.
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Rick Carlisle
Richard Preston Carlisle (pronounced /ˈkɑrlaɪl/ KAR-lyl; born October 27, 1959) is the head coach of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He has also coached the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons, and was previously a player in the NBA. He is also one of the only 11 people to win an NBA championship both as a player and as a coach.
Carlisle was raised in Lisbon, New York. He attended Lisbon Central High School, then spent a year at Worcester Academy. He played two years of college basketball at the University of Maine from 1979 to 1981, before transferring to the University of Virginia. He co-captained the Cavaliers to the Final Four in 1984 and averaged 12.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game during his college career.
After graduating that same year, he was drafted by the Boston Celtics (23rd pick in the third round), where he played alongside Larry Bird. With the Celtics under coach K.C. Jones he won the NBA championship in 1986 against the Houston Rockets and lost in the NBA Finals in 1985 and 1987 to the Los Angeles Lakers. From 1984 to 1987, he averaged 2.2 points, 1.0 assists and 0.8 rebounds per game in a limited reserve role. Carlisle then played for Bill Musselman's Albany Patroons, and was then signed as a free agent by the New York Knicks under coach Rick Pitino, where he played alongside future star Patrick Ewing. In 1989, Carlisle played in 5 games with the New Jersey Nets under Bill Fitch.
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Rick Fox
Ulrich Alexander "Rick" Fox (born July 24, 1969) is a Canadian television actor and retired professional basketball player who last played for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in 2004.
Fox was born in Toronto, the son of Dianne Gerace, who was an Olympic high jumper and women's pentathlete, and Ulrich Fox. His father is Bahamian and his mother is Italian Canadian. Fox's family moved to his father's native Bahamas when Fox was three. He attended Kingsway Academy in Nassau, where he was a member of the high school's basketball team, the "Saints." Fox also played high school basketball in Warsaw, Indiana. After two seasons (1984–1986) at Warsaw, Fox was projected to have a monster senior season. Just prior to his senior season, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) ruled that he had no more high school eligibility left (due to completing eight semesters in the Bahamas) and was not allowed to participate in any IHSAA games. Despite not playing his senior season, Fox was voted onto the Indiana All-Star team in 1987.
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Robert Gruenig
Robert F. "Ace" Gruenig (March 12, 1913 – August 11, 1958) was a United States amateur basketball player during the 1930s and 1940s.
The 6 ft. 8 in. (203 cm) Gruenig is considered as one of the game's first great big men. The Chicago, Illinois native led his high school, Crane Tech, to the Chicago Public High School League championship in 1931. He attended Northwestern University, but withdrew after his freshman year without having played for the varsity. While playing for several AAU teams in the following decade, Gruenig was named AAU All-America 10 times (1937–40, 1942–46, 1948). Furthermore, he led the Denver Safeway (1937), Denver Nuggets (1939) and Denver American Legion (1942) teams to AAU championships. On August 11, 1963, Gruenig was enshrined to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Robert Horry
Robert Keith Horry Jr. ( /ˈɒri/; born August 25, 1970) is a retired American basketball player and current sports commentator. He played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning seven championships, the most of any player not to have played on the 1960s Boston Celtics. He is one of only two players (the other is John Salley) to have won NBA championships with three different teams: two with the Houston Rockets, three with the Los Angeles Lakers and two with the San Antonio Spurs. He earned the nickname Big Shot Rob because of his clutch shooting in important games. Horry now works as a commentator on ESPN.
Born in Harford County, Maryland to Staff Sergeant Robert Horry Sr. and mother Leila, Horry grew up in Andalusia, Alabama. Although Horry's father moved to South Carolina after divorcing his mother soon after his birth, the father and son would meet weekly when Robert Sr. was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia.
As a senior at Andalusia High School, Horry won the Naismith Alabama High School Player of the Year award. He attended the University of Alabama on a basketball scholarship, where he was a teammate of fellow future NBA player Latrell Sprewell.
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Robert Parish
Robert Lee Parish (born August 30, 1953) is a retired American basketball center. He was known for his strong defense and jump shooting, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1996, Parish was also named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. His nickname was The Chief, after the fictitious Chief Bromden, a silent, giant Native American character in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. According to Parish, former Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell gave him this nickname because of his stoic nature.
Although Parish had a successful college career at Centenary College of Louisiana from 1972–1976, he received virtually no notice because of one of the most severe penalties ever levied by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
In 1965, the NCAA adopted the so-called "1.6 rule" to determine academic eligibility of incoming freshmen. Under its provisions, freshmen would academically qualify if their high school grades and standardized test scores predicted a minimum college grade point average of 1.6 on a 4-point scale.
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Rod Thorn
Rodney King "Rod" Thorn (born May 23, 1941, in Princeton, West Virginia) is the current president of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.
Thorn attracted nationwide attention after a high school basketball career at Princeton High School that saw him average more than 30 points per game as a senior. He was a three-time all-state selection and was a two-time High School All-American. He was also a highly-regarded high school athlete in baseball.
Thorn attended West Virginia University, where he was an All-American guard in basketball, as well as playing three seasons on the WVU baseball team.
In the 1963 NBA Draft, Thorn was the second player selected overall, drafted by the Baltimore Bullets. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team, but was traded by the Bullets following his first season. After brief stints with Detroit and St. Louis, he concluded his career as a player with the Seattle SuperSonics (1967–71).
After retiring, Thorn stayed with the SuperSonics as assistant coach and graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in political science.
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Roland Lazenby
Roland Lazenby is an American sportswriter and educator.
Lazenby has written more than five dozen nonfiction books, mainly about basketball and American football. These include Fifty Years of the Final Four: Golden Moments of the NCAA Basketball Tournament (1987), The Lakers: A Basketball Journey (1993), Bull Run! The Story of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (1996), Blood on the Horns: The Long Strange Ride of Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls (1998), Mad Game, The NBA Education of Kobe Bryant (2000), Mindgames: Phil Jackson's Long Strange Journey (2001), Johnny Unitas: The Best There Ever Was (2002), Tom Brady: Sudden Glory (2002), The Show: The Inside Story of the Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers in the Words of Those Who Lived It (2004), and Jerry West, The Life And Legend Of A Basketball Icon (2010). He has also contributed articles to magazines and newspapers.
Lazenby's book Bull Run! was named Sports Book of the Year for 1997 by the Independent Publishers Association.
Lazenby studied at Virginia Military Institute and Hollins University, and has been a member of Virginia Tech's Department of Communication and Radford University's School of Communication. A group of students from his media writing class compiled the book April 16th: Virginia Tech Remembers (2007), an account of the Virginia Tech massacre. Lazenby served as editor.
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Ron Harper
Ronald "Ron" Harper (born January 20, 1964) is a retired American professional basketball player whose career spanned from 1986 to 2001 with four teams in the NBA. At 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), his position was shooting guard/point guard.
Harper starred at Miami University in Ohio, where his high flying playing style drew rousing comparisons to Julius Erving. Harper averaged 24.3 points per game, 11.2 rebounds per game, 3.2 steals per game, and 2.4 blocked shots per game.
After Harper's collegiate basketball career he was selected 8th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1986 NBA Draft. He averaged 22.9 points per game in his rookie season, placing second in Rookie of the Year balloting, finishing behind Chuck Person of the Indiana Pacers. After initially spending 3 seasons with the Cavaliers, Harper was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Danny Ferry.
While with the Clippers, Harper sustained a knee injury which robbed him of much of his speed and jumping ability, though he averaged just under 2 steals per game which still remains a team record.
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Rudy Tomjanovich
Rudolph Tomjanovich, Jr. (born November 24, 1948), nicknamed Rudy T., is an American retired basketball player and coach who coached the Houston Rockets to two consecutive NBA championships. He is currently a scout for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Tomjanovich was born in Hamtramck, Michigan to a family of Croatian descent. He attended high school in Hamtramck and later the University of Michigan (from 1967 to 1970)
In college, Tomjanovich set Michigan Wolverines men's basketball career rebounding records that continue to stand. In 1968 he earned second team All-Big Ten honors, which he followed with first-team honors in 1969 and 1970. During 1970 he was also an All-American.
Tomjanovich was selected in the 1970 NBA Draft as the second overall pick by the San Diego Rockets (the franchise relocated to Houston in 1971), for whom he would play the entirety of his NBA career. He was also drafted in both 1970 and 1974 by the Utah Stars of the ABA. In his eleven years in the NBA, Tomjanovich had a scoring average of 17.4 points and a rebounding average of 8.1, earning five All-Star Game selections in the process (1974–1977, 1979). He is the third-leading scorer in Rockets history behind Hall of Famers Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon. Because his last name was so long, the back of Tomjanovich's jerseys would read "RUDY T.", rather than his 11 character name.
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Rusty LaRue
Rusty LaRue (born December 10, 1973 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina) is an American former multi-sport athlete who played basketball, baseball, and football at Wake Forest University. He later played for the Chicago Bulls team that won the 1998 National Basketball Association Championship. He was listed at 6'3" (1.90 m) and 185 pounds (84 kg).
LaRue attended Northwest Guilford High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, where, in addition to being an honors student, he earned All-State honors in baseball, basketball, and football. As a senior in 1991, he was named North Carolina Athlete of the Year, and he attracted the attention of many colleges before choosing to attend Wake Forest, where he planned to play both basketball and football in the ACC. LaRue also played collegiate baseball for one season, becoming just the second player in ACC history to play three sports in the same year.
LaRue arguably had his most collegiate success on the football field. As a freshman quarterback in 1992, he led Wake Forest's football team to an Independence Bowl victory, and during his senior year he broke eight NCAA records for passing, including the record for most completions in one game (55). However, LaRue was a solid basketball player, as well, as he helped his teammates reach the NCAA Tournament for four consecutive seasons. He also finished second in school history in three-point field goals made, and he finished first all-time in three-point field goal percentage.
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Sam Barry
Justin McCarthy "Sam" Barry (December 17, 1892 – September 23, 1950) was an American collegiate athletic coach who achieved significant accomplishments in three major sports. He remains one of only three coaches to lead teams to both the Final Four and the College World Series.
Barry was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota. After starring in basketball, baseball and football while a high school student in Madison, Wisconsin, he continued his success at Lawrence College, later completing his degree at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He returned to Madison High School to begin his coaching career, and then proceeded to become athletic director at Knox College in Illinois from 1918 to 1922, where he also served as coach of football, basketball, baseball and track.
In 1922, Barry was named basketball coach at the University of Iowa, and also became a football assistant under then Hawkeyes coach Howard Jones, an association which would continue for 15 years at two universities. Barry also coached the Iowa baseball team in 1923 and 1924. He led the Hawkeye basketball team to Big Ten Conference co-championships in 1923 and 1926—the first two conference titles in team history—and helped Jones guide the football squad to an undefeated 7–0 season in 1922, winning a share of the Big Ten title—the last for Hawkeyes football until 1956.
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Samaki Walker
Samaki Ijuma Walker (born February 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball power forward and center. Walker played college basketball at the University of Louisville and was drafted in 1996 by the Dallas Mavericks, where he played until 1999. Walker continued to play for the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers (2001–2003), Miami Heat (2003–2004), Washington Wizards (2004–2005), and Indiana Pacers (2005–2006). Since 2006, Walker has played for various international and minor leagues.
Walker was born in Columbus, Ohio, the youngest of seven children. He attended Eastmoor High School and Whitehall-Yearling High School.
The 6' 9" power forward was selected ninth overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1996 NBA Draft out of Louisville. Walker became the youngest-ever Maverick to appear in a regular season game.
Walker went on to play for the Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards and the Indiana Pacers from 1996–2006, having had very limited playing time in his final three years in the league. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds during his 10-year tenure, including 6.7 points per game and 7.0 rebounds in 2001-02, as the Lakers eventually won the NBA Finals. On February 19, 2002, Walker entered the injured list because of a hyperextended elbow. In Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals on May 26, 2002, Walker made a 3-pointer at the end of halftime, and by then the Sacramento Kings led over the Lakers 65-51. Although the shot counted, television replays showed Walker had released the ball after the buzzer went off. The Lakers won the game 100-99 on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Robert Horry that tied the series at 2. The Lakers won the series in 7 to advance to the Finals. This shot influenced the NBA's decision to institute instant replay for review the following season.
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Sandro Gamba
Alessandro Gamba (born June 3, 1932 in Milan), better known as, Sandro Gamba, is an Italian former professional basketball coach and player. Gamba was a finalist for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, and was elected as a member in 2006. He is also a member of the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame, inducted in 2006.
Gamba played for only one team, winning ten Italian Championships with Olimpia Milano (1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963), and also captained the Italian national team (for which he had debuted in 1952) at the 1960 Summer Olympic Games.
Gamba retired from play in 1965, and became a coach in the top Italian professional league, Serie A, where he coached teams from Olimpia Milano (1965-1973), Varese (1973-1977), Auxilium Torino (1977-1980), and Virtus Bologna (1985-1987). He led Varese to two Italian Championships (1974, 1977) and two European Champions Cup (Euroleague) titles, in 1975 and 1976.
From 1979 to 1992, except for a break in 1985-1987, Gamba was the coach of the Italian national team, and led them at the Summer Olympic Games in 1980 (where they won a silver medal), in 1984, in 1988, and in 1992. He also coached Italy's national team at the FIBA European Basketball Championship seven times, winning a gold in 1983, a bronze in 1985, and a silver in 1991.
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Sasha Vujačić
Aleksandar "Sasha" Vujačić (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар »Саша« Вујачић, Slovene: Saša Vujačič, rendered in English as Sasha Vujacic; born March 8, 1984) is a Slovenian basketball player who has played in Italy, the United States (for the Los Angeles Lakers), and more recently for Anadolu Efes in Turkey. Though he has played the point guard position in Europe, he found more playing time at the shooting guard spot while in the Lakers' triangle offense.
His father Vaso Vujačić is a Serbian basketball coach. Vujačić was a member of the Slovenian junior national team. He won a silver medal at the 2002 European Junior Championship.
Vujačić began his professional career at the age of 16, playing with Snaidero Udine of Italy. The same year, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 27th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft.
During the 2005–06 season Vujačić made the go-ahead three-pointer in overtime to give the Lakers the lead for good in a win against the Utah Jazz.
During the 2006–07 season he made a shot against the Dallas Mavericks to end their 13-game winning streak.
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Satch Sanders
Thomas Ernest "Satch" Sanders (born November 8, 1938, in New York City, New York) is a retired American college and professional basketball player and coach. He was a 6'6" and 210 lb forward. On April 4, 2011, it was announced that Sanders was elected to the 2011 class to enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor.
After playing at New York University as a stand out collegian he spent all of his 13 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Boston Celtics, being part of eight championship teams in 1961-66, 1968 and 1969. In NBA history, only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones have won more championship rings during their playing careers. He ended his career in 1973. He coached the team for a brief period in 1978.
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Scott Brooks
Scott William Brooks (born July 31, 1965) is a retired American professional basketball player from Lathrop, California and is the current head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. A 5' 11" (1.80 m) point guard, Brooks played collegiately at San Joaquin Delta College and Texas Christian University (TCU), before finishing his final two years at the University of California, Irvine. He was inducted into UCI's Hall of Fame in 2001.
Born in French Camp, California, Brooks graduated from East Union High School at Manteca, California in 1983. As a freshman, he played college basketball at Texas Christian University for a season and then transferred for his sophomore year to San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California, about 10 miles from his parents' home in Lathrop, California. After only being offered a walk-on spot by nearby University of the Pacific, he declined that offer and spent the next two years at the University of California, Irvine. In his senior season at UCI, he averaged 23.8 points and made 43.2% of his three-point attempts. On the night that the Bren Events Center opened at UC Irvine on January 8, 1987, Brooks scored 43 points as UCI defeated Utah State, 118-96. He scored 41 points in a 90-79 win at University of the Pacific later that season to tie the Spanos Center scoring record.
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Scott Burrell
Scott David Burrell (born January 12, 1971) is an American retired professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Quinnipiac University. He has played internationally and was also a professional baseball player. Burrell was also the first American athlete to be a first round draft-pick of two major sporting organizations (the NBA and MLB).
Burrell was born in New Haven, Connecticut. A 6'7" multi-sport star at Hamden High School in Connecticut, Burrell was drafted by baseball's Seattle Mariners during his senior year. The Mariners wanted to develop Burrell as a pitcher and suggested that he bypass college for the minor leagues. However, Burrell wanted to attend college and made plans to play football and baseball at the University of Miami (FL) before University of Connecticut assistant basketball coach Howie Dickenman convinced Burrell to play basketball for the Huskies.
After his freshman year at University of Connecticut, Burrell was drafted by another baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays, and Burrell decided to spend his summers playing minor league baseball while concentrating on basketball for the rest of the year. Burrell's basketball career would quickly overshadow his baseball career, however, as he became the first player in NCAA history to compile over 1,500 points, 750 rebounds, 275 assists and 300 steals. Scott will forever be remembered in the annals of UConn basketball history for his full court pass with 1 second on the clock to Tate George, who hit a shot as time expired to beat Clemson in the East Regional Semi-final in the 1990 NCAA tournament.
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Scott Skiles
Scott Allen Skiles (born March 5, 1964, in LaPorte, Indiana) is an American former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. He also is the former head coach of the NBA's Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls. Skiles holds the NBA record for assists in one game with 30. In 1990–91 he won the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
In 1982 Skiles led Plymouth High School to the Indiana State Championship. Plymouth, with no starter taller than 6'2" and no reserve taller than 6'6", was considered to be the weakest of the final four teams in the tournament that year even though they were ranked #4 in the state with a record of 26-1 entering the state finals. Amazingly, they won the state title with a 75-74 double overtime victory over favored Gary Roosevelt. In that game Skiles scored 39 points (to follow-up his 30 point performance against Indianapolis Cathedral that morning) to lead the Pilgrims past the Roosevelt Panthers. His long 22-foot (6.7 m) field goal, that was well beyond where the current three-point line is (no three-point shot existed in 1982) as time expired sent the game into overtime. With a student body of 900, Plymouth is the smallest school to win the championship since Milan in 1954. Skiles scored 25 of his 39 points in the championship game after the third quarter of play. During the 1982 season Skiles led the state in scoring, averaging 30.2 points per game. He set several records during high school, including most points in a home game (53) and most points in an away game (56). He left Plymouth as the school's all-time career scoring leader (1,788 points), a record that would stand until 2005 (Kyle Benge-1,979 points). Skiles had his number 22 jersey retired at Plymouth High School in 1992.
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Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen (born September 25, 1965) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association. He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in 6 NBA titles and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins. Pippen, along with Michael Jordan, played an important role in transforming the Bulls team into a vehicle for popularizing the NBA around the world during the 1990s.
Considered one of the best small forwards of all time, Pippen was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team 8 straight times and the All-NBA First Team three times. He was a seven-time NBA All-Star and was the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1994. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History during the 1996–97 season, and is one of four players to have his jersey retired by the Chicago Bulls (the others being Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, and Michael Jordan). During his seventeen-year career, he played twelve seasons with the Bulls, one with the Houston Rockets and four with the Portland Trail Blazers, making the postseason sixteen straight times. Pippen is also the only person to have won an NBA title and Olympic gold medal in the same year twice (1992, 1996). Pippen was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on August 13, 2010.
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Scotty Robertson
Robert Scott Robertson, III (February 1, 1930 – August 18, 2011), known as Scotty Robertson, was an American basketball coach of four NBA teams. He was the first coach for the New Orleans Jazz (now the Utah Jazz), and he later coached the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons. He also has a stint as assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, and the Miami Heat.
Robertson was born in Fort Smith in western Arkansas. As a sixth grader, he moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where he played basketball and baseball for C.E. Byrd High School, from which he graduated in 1947. He attended the University of Texas at Austin but graduated in 1951 from Louisiana Tech University. He obtained a master's degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. After his graduation from Louisiana Tech, he played baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization before returning to basketball as a coach.
Robertson coached at Byrd High School for eight years, having accomplished a 163-91 record. He then coached at Louisiana Tech from 1964 to 1974. There he amassed a 165-86 record and during the early 1970s led the Bulldogs to a No. 1 ranking in the national college division. The Bulldogs procured three championships in the former Gulf States Conference under Robertson's tutelage and also entered two National Collegiate Athletic Association tournaments.
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Sergei Belov
Sergei Alexandrovich Belov (Russian: Серге́й Алекса́ндрович Бело́в; born January 23, 1944, in the village of Nashchyokovo, Shegarsky District, Tomsk Oblast, Soviet Union) is a former professional basketball player, most noted for playing for the Soviet Union national basketball team at the Olympic Games. He trained at Trud Voluntary Sports Society, and later at Armed Forces sports society.
In 1968, he became an Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Later, he became an Honored Coach of Russia (1995), and the President of the Russian Basketball Federation (1993–98).
Belov is considered to be one of the best non-American basketball players of all time. He was given the honor of lighting the Olympic Cauldron with the Olympic flame, during the 1980 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, in Moscow. In 1991, FIBA named him the Best FIBA Player Ever.
He became the first international player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on May 11, 1992. He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007. He was named of the 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors in 2008.
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Shannon Brown
Shannon Brown (born November 29, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who plays at the shooting guard and point guard positions. He plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Phoenix Suns. Brown attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2003, and played college basketball at Michigan State University. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Brown in 2006; Brown played his rookie season with Cleveland and has played for three teams in the NBA Development League.
Brown attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, where his teammates included fellow 2006 draftee Dee Brown (no relation). In 2003, he was named Illinois Mr. Basketball and a McDonald's All-American .
Brown played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. He was second-team All-Big Ten as a junior and an All-Big Ten Defensive selection.
Brown was drafted in the first round with the 25th pick of the 2006 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Appearing in only 23 games (5 starts) in his debut season, he showed promise, scoring in double figures twice (10 points vs. New York on November 29 and 14 vs. Toronto on 3/3), but was hampered by an injury to his shin.
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Skinny Johnson
William C. "Skinny" Johnson (August 16, 1911 – February 5, 1980) was a well-known American basketball player during the 1930s. As a 6-4 (192 cm) center Johnson was among the tallest players of his time. The Oklahoma City native attended the University of Kansas (1929–33), where he was a three-year letterwinner under coach Phog Allen. He was named First-Team Big Six Conference twice (1932, 1933) as well as Second-Team Big Six Conference (1931) once. During the 1930s he played amateur basketball with several AAU teams. He briefly coached collegiate basketball at Cleveland Chiropractor College (1937) in Kansas City, Missouri as well. On May 2, 1977, Johnson was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player.
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Slater Martin
Slater Nelson "Dugie" Martin Jr. (born October 22, 1925) is an American retired professional basketball player and coach who played the guard position for 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was born in El Mina, Texas and played in seven NBA All-Star Games.
Martin was one of the NBA's best defensive players in the 1950s while playing for the George Mikan-led Minneapolis Lakers that won four NBA championships between 1950 and 1954. In 1956 he joined Bob Pettit's St. Louis Hawks and won another NBA title in 1958.
Martin is an alumnus of Jefferson Davis High School in Houston, where he led his school to two state basketball championships in 1942 and 1943.[1] He is also a graduate of University of Texas at Austin, where he set a record in 1949 for putting up 49 points playing for the Texas Longhorns against the opposing Texas Christian University team. Throughout his career with the Longhorns, Martin averaged 12.7 points per game.[2] His former high school now holds an annual funder raiser in his name, the "Slater Martin Golf Tournament", which successfully raises tens of thousands of dollars each year as an aid to high school student clubs and sports teams.
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Slats Gill
Amory Tingle "Slats" Gill (May 1, 1901 – April 5, 1966) was a men's basketball and baseball coach at Oregon State University.
Gill was born in Salem, Oregon, the youngest of eight children. His father died when he was a child. His nickname "Slats" was given to him at age 12. Gill was swimming in a local pond one summer afternoon. Upon exiting the pond, a buddy joked with Gill about his scrawny frame with his ribs protruding, which he said looked like slats in a picket fence. Gill was from then on known as Slats.
Gill attended Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University) in Corvallis, Oregon. While at OAC, he played baseball from 1919 to 1921 and basketball from 1922 to 1924. Gill was an All-American forward in 1924.
Gill's first head coaching position was at a high school in Oakland, California. After one season there, he returned to Corvallis to be the head coach of the Rooks (the OSU freshman team). He spent two seasons in that capacity.
In the summer of 1928, OAC's current head coach Bob Hager was fired by then school president Jasper Kerr. Kerr did not look far for his new head coach. Even though Gill was only 27 years old and had just three years of coaching under his belt, Kerr hired him as the head basketball coach.
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Slava Medvedenko
Stanislav "Slava" Medvedenko (Ukrainian: Станіслав "Слава" Медведенко, born April 4, 1979 in Karapyshi, Kiev Oblast, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR) is a Ukrainian former professional basketball player, who last played with the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association. His position was power forward.
Medvedenko, who joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, is known for his shoot-first mentality. His shooting technique and skill have never been in doubt, but his work ethic and defense were far behind his offensive skills in his early career (much to the ire of sports commentators, especially Stephen A. Smith).
The 2003–04 season was his breakout year, as Karl Malone injured his knee and Medvedenko started the majority of games. As such, his scoring and rebounding averages doubled and he was no longer seen as a liability in the fans' eyes. Unfortunately, an injury kept him out of the 2004 pre-season and he dropped down the depth chart, unable to find his way back into the lineup under Rudy Tomjanovich. With Phil Jackson's return to the Lakers, there was hope that Medvedenko would play a greater role due to his experience with the triangle offense. However, due to a herniated disc in his lower back that required surgery, he missed almost the entire 2006 season. He was waived at the beginning of March 2006, to clear roster space to enable the Lakers to sign guard Jim Jackson.
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Sonny Dove
Lloyd "Sonny" Dove (August 16, 1945–February 14, 1983) was an American professional basketball player, who was of Native American Mashpee Wampanoag descent. As a star at St. John's University in New York, in his last season of 1967, he received the Haggerty Award. That year he was part of the United States basketball team that won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg.
His record has continued to make him one of the top players ever at St. John's, and in 2005 Dove was among the first ten men selected for "Basketball Legacy Honors" at the university. In 2011 Dove was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.
Lloyd Dove, Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York, New York, and nicknamed "Sonny". His father was Lloyd Dove. The younger Dove was of maternal Mashpee Wampanoag descent. His mother Adeline B. Dove (1921–2010) was the sister of Earl Mills, Sr. (Flying Eagle), the hereditary sachem since 1956 of the Mashpee Wampanoag. His siblings are Larry Dove of Mashpee and Gladys Dove Barnes of Queens, N.Y. By Wampanoag matrilineal tradition, the children belong to the mother's clan.
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Stacey King
Ronald Stacey King (born January 29, 1967 in Lawton, Oklahoma, U.S.) is an American former NBA center who won three consecutive championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1991 to 1993.
After a stand-out career at the University of Oklahoma, King was selected by the Bulls in the 1989 NBA Draft with the sixth pick. He was one of three first round picks by the Bulls in that draft (the other two were B. J. Armstrong and Jeff Sanders). He played four and a half seasons in Chicago before being traded during the 1993-94 campaign to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for 7'2" Australian-born center Luc Longley. He was last active during the 1996-97 season while playing a handful of games for both the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.
King was named the head coach of the CBA's Rockford Lightning in 2001. The team reached the CBA championship game in 2002 with King as coach.
King began his career with CSN Chicago as a studio analyst for pre and post game shows for the Chicago Bulls. He filled in as a third commentator during the 2006 playoffs joining Johnny "Red" Kerr, and Tom Dore. He was permanently added during the 2007 season.
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Stan Albeck
Stan Albeck (born May 17, 1931) is a former professional basketball coach. Albeck has coached for several teams in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA), including the Denver Rockets, the San Diego Conquistadors, (often subbing for an absent Wilt Chamberlain), the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Antonio Spurs, the New Jersey Nets, and the Chicago Bulls.
Albeck graduated from Chenoa High School in Chenoa, Illinois and received his bachelors degree at Bradley University in 1955 and his masters at Michigan State University in 1957. He married Phyllis L. Mann in 1952 and they have five children.
Albeck began his coaching at Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan.
Albeck's next head coaching job was at Northern Michigan University.
Albeck was the head coach of the Denver Rockets during most of the 1970–1971 season. The Rockets had begun the season under head coach Joe Belmont, but Belmont was fired after the team lost 10 of its first 13 games. Albeck replaced Belmont as the Rockets' head coach. The Rockets went 27–44 under Albeck to finish the season with a record of 30 wins and 54 losses. They tied the Texas Chaparrals for fourth place in the Western Division (28 games behind the Indiana Pacers) and on April 1, 1971 lost a one game playoff to the Chaparrals, 115–109, to determine who would advance into the ABA Western Division semifinals. During the season Denver's average home attendance dropped to 4,139 fans per game from 6,281 the year before. One week after the playoff loss, on April 8, 1971, Albeck was replaced by Alex Hannum as Denver's head coach. Hannum resigned as coach of the San Diego Rockets to become the Rockets' head coach, general manager and president. Albeck then became player personnel director for the Rockets.
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Stan Watts
Stanley H. Watts (August 30, 1911 – April 6, 2000) was a college men's basketball coach, well-known for coaching Brigham Young University to a 372-254 record between 1949 and 1972. The Murray, Utah native was enshrined to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach on May 6, 1986.
Stan Watts became the sixth coach in history to win 100 games in his first five years, and on and off the court was a man of integrity and sportsmanship. Watts' BYU teams were disciplined and well-drilled units that favored an up-tempo style and relentless defensive pressure. In 23 seasons, Watts compiled a 371-254 (.594) record and established a strong basketball tradition and a national athletic identity for the Mormon school. His Cougars teams won eight conference titles, appeared in 11 postseason tournaments and captured the 1951 and 1966 National Invitation Tournament championships. Highly respected by his peers for his dedication to coaching and his community, Watts began his coaching career in 1938 at Millard High, then coached Dixie Junior College from 1941 to 1945 and Jordan High from 1945 to 1947. Watts was chosen as BYU's freshman coach in 1947 and inherited the varsity team in 1949. A master teacher, Watts' highly acclaimed book, Developing an Offensive Attack in Basketball (1958), became a standard manual on the fast break offense. From 1965 to 1966, Watts' "Runnin' Cougars" scored more than 100 points 21 times and at least 95 points 32 times. Watts' teaching skills were in constant demand at coaching clinics across the nation and in Europe, the Far East and South Africa. Watts served his coaching organization, the NABC, on numerous committees. He served on the Board of Directors from 1958 to 1968 and as president in 1970.
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Steve Kerr
Stephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr (born September 27, 1965) is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from 3-point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate 3-point shooter in NBA history. Kerr is a 5-time NBA champion, winning 3 straight championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1996–98 and 2 with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999 and 2003. He and Frank Saul are the only two players in NBA history who won two championships with two different teams in consecutive seasons.
On June 2, 2007, the Phoenix Suns named Kerr the team's President of Basketball Operations and General Manager. Kerr helped Managing Partner Robert Sarver buy the Suns in 2004 and became one of Sarver's trusted basketball advisors. Kerr announced his retirement from the Suns in June 2010.
The son of Malcolm Kerr, an American academic who specialized in the Middle East, Kerr spent much of his childhood in Lebanon and other Arab states. He attended Cairo American College in Egypt and Palisades High School (now Palisades Charter High School) in Pacific Palisades, California. On January 18, 1984, Malcolm, who was then serving as president of the American University of Beirut, was assassinated by suspected militant nationalists in Beirut.
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Steve Nash
Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC (born 7 February 1974) is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara University. In his four seasons with the Broncos, the team made three NCAA Tournament appearances, and Nash was twice named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year.
After graduating from Santa Clara as the team's all-time leader in assists, Nash entered the 1996 NBA Draft and was selected as the 15th pick by the Phoenix Suns. He made a minimal impact, and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1998. By his third season with the Mavericks, he was voted into his first NBA All-Star Game and had earned his first All-NBA selection. Together with Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley, Nash led the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals the following season. However, he became a free agent after the 2003–04 season and returned to the Phoenix Suns.
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Stretch Murphy
Charles C. "Stretch" Murphy (April 10, 1907 – August 19, 1992) is a former American basketball player.
Charles Murphy played competitive basketball at Marion High School (1922–26), located in Marion, Indiana. The All-State player led his school to the Indiana state championship in 1926 during his senior year. He was recruited by men's head coach, Ward Lambert, at Purdue University, where he played for four seasons (1926–1930). Teaming with fellow Hall of Famer John Wooden, Murphy led the Boilers to the Big 10 championship in 1930 after an undefeated season in conference play (10-0). He set a new Big 10 scoring record for a season in 1929 with 143 points and led Purdue to a 53-13 overall record during his tenure. Murphy was named a Consensus All-American in both his junior and senior years and to the All-time All-American team. After graduating from Purdue, Murphy played for the American Basketball League's Chicago Bruins and the independent Indianapolis Kautskys.
Murphy was one of the game's first true big men. At 6'6" (1.98 m), he was an insurmountable force on both ends of the court. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960 and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1963.
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Stu Lantz
Stuart (Stu) Burrell Lantz (born July 13, 1946, in Uniontown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a retired American basketball player and the current television commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Fox Sports West and KCAL. He has been the Lakers' color commentator since 1987, sharing the microphone with Chick Hearn and winning numerous awards for his work along the way. The Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association has named Lantz best radio commentator in six of the last seven years.
Lantz played in the National Basketball Association from 1968 until 1976. He was drafted by the San Diego Rockets in the third round (1st pick) of the 1968 NBA Draft and by the Oakland Oaks in the 1968 ABA Draft after attending the University of Nebraska.
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Sue Gunter
Sue Gunter (May 22, 1939, Walnut Grove, Mississippi, USA - August 4, 2005, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA) was a women's college basketball coach. She is best known as the head coach of the LSU Lady Tigers basketball team.
A fine player in her own right, Gunter played AAU basketball for Nashville Business College from 1958-1962 earning AAU All-America honors in 1960. She attended George Peabody College for Teachers (now part of Vanderbilt University), along with Nera White. Gunter obtained both a bachelor's and a master's degree from Peabody in 1962. George Peabody did not have a women's basketball team, so she played for the AAU team in Nashille sponsored by Nashville Business College. She was also a member of the U.S. National Team, which competed against the Soviet Union, from 1960-1962.
Gunter began her coaching career at Middle Tennessee State University where she led the Blue Raiders to undefeated seasons in both of her years there (1962–1964). Gunter then had a very successful coaching stint at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) in Nacogdoches, Texas. While at SFA, Gunter led the LadyJacks to a 266-87 mark in 16 years as head coach (1964–1980). In addition, she led SFA to four top 10 national rankings, including top 5 final rankings in 1979 and 1980. While at SFA, Gunter coached four sports—women's basketball, softball, tennis and track. Her basketball teams went to five Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) playoffs, won four state titles, and earned a regional crown. In 1980, she stepped down as coach at SFA and moved into the position of Director of Women's Athletics where she served two years before returning to the coaching ranks at LSU.
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Tara VanDerveer
Tara VanDerveer (born June 26, 1953) has been the Stanford University women's basketball coach since 1985. She led the Stanford Cardinal to two NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships: in 1990 and 1992. She stepped away from the Stanford program for a year to serve as the U.S. national team head coach at the 1996 Olympic Games. VanDerveer is the 1990 Naismith National Coach of the Year and a ten-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year. She is also one of only six NCAA Women's Basketball coaches to win at least 800 games.
VanDerveer was a standout player at Indiana University, and later coached at the Ohio State University. VanDerveer is also an avid piano player. Her sister Heidi VanDerveer, who coached for several years with the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm, now coaches at Occidental College in Los Angeles.
Vanderveer's Olympic team was considered one of the best ever assembled, and complied an 80–0 record over the course of the year, culminating in a gold medal at the Olympics in Atlanta.
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Tarzan Cooper
Charles "Tarzan" Cooper (August 30, 1907 – December 19, 1980) was an American professional basketball player. He is mostly known for his time with the New York Renaissance (1929–41).
Cooper was born in Newark, Delaware. After playing at Philadelphia Central High School, Cooper turned pro in 1925. He played for the Philadelphia Panthers and Philadelphia Giants until 1929 when he joined the fabulous New York Renaissance or Rens for eleven seasons. All were independent teams because the early professional leagues were all-white.
At 6 ft 4 in (193 cm), Cooper has been called the greatest center that ever played by Hall of Famer Joe Lapchick, center for the rival Original Celtics.
Cooper died at age 73 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Teresa Edwards
Teresa Edwards (born July 19, 1964 in Cairo, Georgia) is an American former women's basketball player and coach. In 2000, Sports Illustrated magazine placed her as 22nd of the "100 Greatest Female Athletes of the 20th Century".
The US Olympic Committee appointed Edwards as chef de mission for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Edwards attended Cairo High School in Georgia, where she was a four year starter. In her junior and senior years, the Syrupmaids were 58–3. She scored 1,982 points in her high school career, and was honored as the Georgia High School Player of the Year in 1982.
Edwards began her college career at the University of Georgia where she was a two time All-American. She was the starting point guard for the Georgia Bulldogs, helping lead them to the Final Four in 1983 and 1985. Edwards played in her first Olympic Games as a collegian, and was the youngest member of the team,in 1984. Her college jersey number (#5) was retired, making her one of only three Lady Bulldog players given that honor.
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Tex Winter
Morice Fredrick "Tex" Winter (born February 25, 1922) is an American basketball coach and innovator of the triangle offense.
Born near Wellington, Texas (a fact which later provided him with his nickname), Winter attended Huntington Park High School in Huntington Park, California and went on to graduate from the University of Southern California in 1947, where he learned the triangle offense from Sam Barry. At USC, Winter was a teammate of Gene Rock, a future professional basketball player. Also a track athlete at the college level as a pole vaulter, Winter was considered a strong candidate for the US Olympic team in 1944. However, the Olympics were cancelled by World War II. He left USC in early 1943 and entered the United States Navy for flight training. His pilot's wings were conferred late the same year. He remained in Illinois for the duration of his service.
After graduating college, Winter immediately entered the coaching profession as an assistant to Hall-of-Famer Jack Gardner at Kansas State University. He would stay in coaching for the next 57 consecutive years.
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Tim Floyd
Tim Floyd (born February 25, 1954) is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Miners men's basketball team. He is also a former head coach of several teams in both the NCAA and the NBA, most recently the University of Southern California men's college basketball team. Floyd is also known as the coach of the Chicago Bulls after Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman left the team.
Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Floyd is a 1977 graduate of Louisiana Tech University where he earned a bachelor's of science degree in health and physical education. He originally was a walk-on player at the University of Southern Mississippi, but he transferred to Louisiana Tech and was a scholarship player there. His father, who was also a coach, died when Floyd was 18.
Floyd and wife Beverly have one daughter, Shannon.
Floyd's first coaching job was as an assistant at UTEP under Hall of Famer Don Haskins from 1977 to 1986. While Floyd was at UTEP, the Miners went to three straight NCAA Tournaments (from 1984 to 1986). They also went to the NIT three times (in 1980, 1981, and 1983), and UTEP won four Western Athletic Conference championships in those years.
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Tom Gola
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Gola (born January 13, 1933, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a retired American basketball player.
Gola was praised as a great all-around player as a high school student at La Salle College High School, where he led the Explorers to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship. He entered La Salle a year after another Philadelphia basketball Hall of Famer, Paul Arizin, graduated from Villanova.
Gola was one of the most talented collegiate athletes in Philadelphia sports history. He came to national attention while playing for the hometown La Salle University Explorers men's basketball team in 1954 as an All-American forward. Gola paced the Explorers to the NCAA basketball championship in 1954 and was named Tournament MVP. That same season he was selected as National Player of the Year. As a senior, Gola helped La Salle finish as the runner-up in the 1955 NCAA Tournament. He averaged 20.9 points and 19.0 rebounds during 115 games and holds the NCAA record with 2,201 career rebounds. At 6'6" (198 cm), Gola was clearly a forward who could shoot/score, rebound and defend, but he also had the ballhandling (dribbling, passing) skills of a guard, and with his shooting range and All-Pro defensive skills, could play just as well in the backcourt. He was inducted into the La Salle Hall of Athletes in 1961 and the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 1986. Gola was listed on "ESPN's Countdown to the Greatest" College basketball players as #17.
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Tom Heinsohn
Thomas William "Tom" Heinsohn (born August 26, 1934) is a retired American professional basketball player. He has been associated with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for six decades as a player, coach and broadcaster. He played for the Celtics from 1956 to 1965, and also coached the team from 1969 to 1978. He has been granted Hall of Fame Status for his success as both a player and a coach. He helped form the NBA players union. He is the only person to have the distinction of being involved in an official team capacity in each of the Celtics' 17 championships, as well as each of their 21 NBA Finals appearances. He is currently the color commentator on the Celtics' television broadcasts on CSN New England.
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Heinsohn was a standout at St. Michael's High School in nearby Union City. He accepted a scholarship to Holy Cross and became the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,789 points, an average of 22.1 points per game. During his senior year, Heinsohn scored a school record 51 points in a game against Boston College.
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Tom Nissalke
Thomas Edward "Tom" Nissalke (born July 7, 1932 in Madison, Wisconsin) is a retired former American professional basketball coach in the NBA and American Basketball Association. He has coached several teams in both leagues, and has an overall coaching record of 371-508.
After a season with the then-Dallas Chapparals (where he won ABA coach of the Year), Nissalke moved to the NBA with the Sonics for one season. He returned to the team, now in San Antonio, in 1973, bringing with him a "a patterned, deliberate offense to San Antonio". During his tenure, the "Iceman" George Gervin had arrived from the Virginia Squires and was the center of the team. Though Nissalke's club was successful, he was fired in the beginning of the 1974-75 ABA season. Nissalke, who is a graduate of Florida State University, first got his start in coaching on the high school-prep level at the Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. He would later work his way onto the college ranks at the University of Wisconsin & Tulane.
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Tom Thibodeau
Tom Thibodeau (born January 17, 1958) is an American basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the Chicago Bulls.
As a defensive coach, he helped the Houston Rockets rank among the Top 5 in the league in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense from 2004 to 2007, and has helped his team finish in the league's Top 10 in team defense 15 times. He coached in 87 playoff games and was part of the 1999 NBA Finals as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks prior to joining the Boston Celtics, with whom he won the 2008 NBA Championship while serving as an assistant coach. In 2011 he was named the NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Bulls to a 62-win season. In 2012, he became the fastest coach in NBA history to earn 100 victories and finished as the runner-up for Coach of the Year.
Thibodeau played basketball at Salem State University and became an assistant coach at the school in 1981. In 1984, he became head coach at Salem State after serving three years as an assistant. One season later he became an assistant coach at Harvard University, where he spent the next four seasons.
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Toni Kukoč
Toni Kukoč (pronounced [kukotʃ]; born September 18, 1968) is a retired Croatian professional basketball player. He was renowned for his versatility and passing ability; although his natural position was small forward, he played all five positions on the court with prowess and demonstrated court vision and an outside shooting touch that were seldom found in players of his height. Kukoč was one of the first established European stars to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Kukoč played for Jugoplastika Split and won the Euroleague with the team three years in a row. Afterwards he played for Benetton Treviso, winning the title of Player of the Year three times. He won the Italian Championship in 1992 and Italian Cup in 1993, and played in the European Champions' Cup final in 1993. He was nicknamed "the white Magic", "the spider from Split", "the Pink Panther", "the waiter", and "the Croatian Sensation". He was also on teams that won the FIBA World Junior Championship (1987 for Yugoslavia), two Olympic silver medals (1988 for Yugoslavia and 1992 for Croatia), and the FIBA World Championship (1990 for Yugoslavia), in which he was selected the tournament MVP.
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Tony Hinkle
Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle (December 19, 1899 – September 22, 1992) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and college athletic administrator in the United States. He attended the University of Chicago, where he won varsity letters in three sports. Hinkle captained the Chicago Maroons basketball team for two seasons was twice selected as an All-American, in 1919 and 1920. After graduating from the University of Chicago, Hinkle moved on to Butler University as a coach. There, over the course of nearly 50 years, he served as the head football coach (1926, 1935–1941, 1946–1969), head basketball coach (1926–1942, 1945–1970), and head baseball coach (1921–1928, 1933–1941, 1946–1970). Hinkle was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1965. Butler's home basketball arena was renamed as Hinkle Fieldhouse in the coach's honor in 1966.
Hinkle was born in Logansport, Indiana, to Edgar Clayton and Winnie (Ray) Hinkle. He graduated in 1917 from Calumet High School in Gary, Indiana and attended the University of Chicago from 1917 to 1921. As a player at Chicago, he lettered three times in basketball, was twice All-Big Ten, twice team captain, named to the Helms All-America team in 1920, was a member of the Big Ten Conference championship team in 1919–20, losing the national championship to Penn.
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Trent Tucker
Kelvin Trent Tucker (born December 20, 1959, in Tarboro, North Carolina) is a retired American professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the American National Basketball Association.
A 6'5" shooting guard, Tucker attended the University of Minnesota from 1978 to 1982, leading them to a Big Ten Conference championship in his senior year. He was then selected by the New York Knicks with the 6th overall pick of the 1982 NBA Draft. One of the earliest three-point specialists, Tucker represented the Knicks in the first ever Three-point Shootout (1986), making it to the semifinals before being outpaced by Craig Hodges and eventual winner Larry Bird. Tucker would play nine seasons with the Knicks before joining the San Antonio Spurs in 1991, and after one season with the Spurs he joined the Chicago Bulls, who won the 1993 NBA Championship. He retired after that season, having tallied 6,237 career points and 1,532 career assists.
On January 15, 1990, when Tucker was with New York, with 0.1 of a second remaining in a game against the Bulls, he got off a wild three-point shot before the buzzer and made the basket. The shot counted and the Knicks won. The NBA then established a rule that states that 0.3 needs to be on the clock in order for a player to get a shot off whether they make it or not. A shot that is tipped in with less than 0.3 seconds remaining may still count.
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Trevor Ariza
Trevor Anthony Ariza (born June 30, 1985 in Miami, Florida) is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association who plays for the New Orleans Hornets.
Ariza played AAU basketball for 4d, a traveling youth basketball team that had numerous All-Americans[who?] on the roster. Ariza attended Westchester High School in Los Angeles, California, where as a junior he combined with teammates and fellow future NBA players Hassan Adams, Brandon Heath, and Bobby Brown to lead the Comets to the California State championship.
After one season at UCLA Ariza declared for the NBA draft and was a second round choice (43rd overall) of the New York Knicks in 2004.
Ariza started his rookie season coming off the bench; at 19 he was the second-youngest rookie in Knicks history to play in 80 games. As the season progressed he impressed coach Larry Brown enough to start 12 games. In Ariza's second season, he played in 36 games and started in 10. In February 2006, Ariza was traded along with Penny Hardaway to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Steve Francis. After the trade he played in 21 games and averaged 4.7 per game. In the 2006-07 season he played in 57 games and started in 7, averaging a career high 8.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
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Tyronn Lue
Tyronn Jamar Lue (born on May 3, 1977 in Mexico, Missouri) is a former American professional basketball player who last played for the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association. The 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 175 lb (79 kg; 12.5 st) point guard was selected out of the University of Nebraska by the Denver Nuggets with the 23rd overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won two NBA championships in his first three seasons. Lue now works as Director of Basketball Development for the Boston Celtics.
Lue attended Raytown Senior High School in Raytown, Missouri. He later went to University of Nebraska. He played basketball and studied Sociology. He finished his Nebraska career ranked third on the all-time list in assists (432), fourth in three-pointers made (145) and attempted (407), fifth in steals (154) and seventh in scoring (1,577). Declaring for the NBA draft after his Junior season, he led the Cornhuskers in assists in each of his three seasons, and finished his career tied with Dave Hoppen for most games with 30 or more points (7).
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Uljana Semjonova
Uļjana Semjonova (Russian: Ульяна Ларионовна Семенова), (born March 9, 1952 in village Medumi, Daugavpils District, Latvia) is a retired Soviet Latvian basketball player.
Standing at 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in) Semjonova was the leading women's basketball player in the world in the 1970s and 1980s. Wearing a men's size 21 (US) / 58 (EU) shoe, she was known for having the largest feet ever in women's basketball. For almost all of her playing career, she played for TTT Riga, which was part of Daugava Voluntary Sports Society. With TTT, she won 15 championships in the Soviet Union and the European Champion's Cup 15 times. Semjonova was also very dominant in international play, winning two Olympic Gold medals while playing for the USSR in 1976 and 1980 and never lost a game in official international competition.
She was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1976, and in 1993 became the first non-US woman enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame. She was an inaugural member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in the class of 1999. In 2007, she was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame. During the 2007 Latvian Sportspersonality of the year award ceremony, Semjonova received the Lifetime Contribution to Sport award.
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Van Chancellor
Van Chancellor (born September 27, 1943 in Louisville, Mississippi, United States) is the former Louisiana State University women's basketball coach. He was named head coach on April 11, 2007, replacing Pokey Chatman. In 2001, Van Chancellor was elected to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was enshrined as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2007. Van Chancellor currently serves as an analyst for the Southland Conference Television Network for all women's games and some men's games.
Van Chancellor played two years of basketball at East Central Junior College in Decatur, Mississippi, before transferring to Mississippi State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics & physical education in 1965.
During his senior year at Mississippi State, he served as head coach of the boy’s basketball team at Noxapater High School. Chancellor went on to coach boy’s and girl’s basketball at Horn Lake High School and Harrison Central High School in Mississippi. Chancellor received his master’s degree in physical education from the University of Mississippi in 1973.
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Vern Mikkelsen
Arild Verner Agerskov "Vern" Mikkelsen (born October 21, 1928) is an American former professional basketball player. He was one of the NBA's first power forwards in the 1950s and was known for his tenacious defense.
Mikkelsen was born in Fresno, California and was raised in Askov, Minnesota in a town of primarily Danish-Americans. He entered Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota on a basketball scholarship at the age of 16. In his senior year at Hamline, Mikkelsen was voted an All-American. He would later receive a masters degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota.
Mikkelsen played with George Mikan and Jim Pollard in the frontcourt of the Minneapolis Lakers. The Lakers won four NBA titles during Mikkelsen's career. Mikkelsen played in six NBA All-Star Games and was named to the All-NBA Second Team four times in his career.
Mikkelsen ended his career after ten seasons in the NBA in 1959, having played in 798 of a possible 800 games. He finished his career with 10,063 points scored and led the NBA in both personal fouls and disqualifications for three straight seasons. Mikkelsen still holds the league record for career disqualifications with 127.
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Vic Hanson
This article refers to the college athlete. For the historian, please see Victor Davis Hanson
Victor A. Hanson (July 30, 1903 – April 10, 1982) was a well-known multi-sport college athlete in the 1920s. At Syracuse University (1923-27) he played basketball, football and baseball, and captained all three sports.
The Watertown, New York native is one of Syracuse's greatest all-around athletes (see Jim Brown for another all-around great). He was named an All-American in both basketball and football three consecutive times (1925-27). Following his college career, he shortly played with the Cleveland Rosenblums in the American Basketball League (1925-1955), but then formed a basketball team by himself, the Syracuse All-Americans. He was also signed by the New York Yankees and played two years in their farm system.[citation needed].
While at Syracuse, Hanson was admitted to the Zeta Psi fraternity.
Hanson is the only player in history to be enshrined in both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1960) and the College Football Hall of Fame (1973). Syracuse University retired his Number 8 basketball jersey in a ceremony at the Carrier Dome.
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Vinny Del Negro
Vincent Joseph "Vinny" Del Negro (born August 9, 1966) is a retired American basketball player. He is the current head coach of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, and was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2008 until 2010.
Del Negro was born on August 9, 1966, in Springfield, Massachusetts. His father, Vince, was a two-time junior college All-American, and taught his son to play basketball at a young age. Vinny made the varsity basketball team during his freshman year at Cathedral High School. He caught the attention of the basketball coach at Suffield Academy, who persuaded him to attend Suffield Academy so that he could play basketball for them. Vinny led Suffield Academy to two New England championships. He scored 1,116 points, becoming Suffield Academy's all-time leading scorer.
Del Negro played for Jim Valvano at North Carolina State University. As a senior, he was selected to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team after averaging 15.9 points, 3.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. In his junior season, Del Negro led the Wolfpack to the 1987 ACC Tournament championship and was named tournament MVP.
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Walt Bellamy
Walter Jones Bellamy (born July 24, 1939, in New Bern, North Carolina) is a retired American professional basketball player.
Bellamy chose to play basketball at Indiana University, despite the fact that African-American players were still rare in college basketball at the time. "In the summer after my junior year of high school I played with some guys from Indiana," he said. "Indiana at the time was the closest school to the South that would accept African-Americans. It was an easy transition for me to make. Not that I was naive to what was going on in Bloomington in terms of the times, but it didn't translate to the athletic department or the classroom. Every relationship was good."
Bellamy graduated from Indiana University with the most rebounds in a career with 1,088 in only 70 games, while averaging 15.5 a game. Averaging 20.5 points a game and shooting 51.7 percent from the floor, Bellamy also averaged 17.8 rebounds a game (still Indiana's record). He also holds the school records for most rebounds in a season (649), most rebounds in a single game (33), most double-doubles in a career (59), most rebounds in a three-year career (1,008). In 2000 he was selected to Indiana University's All-Century Team.
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Walt Frazier
Walter "Clyde" Frazier (born March 29, 1945, in Atlanta, Georgia) is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was blessed with a unique combination of court vision, quickness, and size (he stands 6'4") for a guard. As their floor general, he led the New York Knicks to the franchise's only two NBA Championships (1970 & 1973), and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. Upon his retirement from basketball, Frazier went into broadcasting; he is currently a color commentator for telecasts of Knicks games on the MSG Network.
The eldest of nine children, Frazier attended Atlanta's David Tobias Howard High School. He quarterbacked the football team and played catcher on the baseball team. He learned basketball on a rutted and dirt playground, the only facility available at his all-black school in the racially segregated South of the 1950s. After having a great career at Howard, Frazier attended Southern Illinois University. Although he was offered other scholarships for his football skills, Frazier accepted a basketball offer from Southern Illinois University.
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Walter Meanwell
Walter E. Meanwell (January 26, 1884 – December 2, 1953) was an English college men's basketball coach in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. The Leeds, England native coached in the U.S. for the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1911–17, 1920–34) and the University of Missouri (1918–20) to an overall record of 290–101.
Meanwell became the fourth basketball coach in University of Wisconsin–Madison history in 1911. After earning a doctorate degree in 1915, he was nicknamed "Doc" or "Little Doc" (due to his 5'6" frame). During World War I he served in the US Army. After a two-year stint at University of Missouri, Meanwell was back at Wisconsin. The Badgers won or shared four Big Ten titles under his guidance (1921, 1923–24, 1929). Meanwell taught a style of game that featured short passing, crisscross dribbles and a tight zone defense. In 1934 he retired from coaching and practiced medicine in Madison, Wisconsin, until his death. He was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 1959.
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Ward Lambert
Ward Louis "Piggy" Lambert (May 28, 1888 – January 20, 1958) was an American college men's basketball coach. He was born in Deadwood, South Dakota. In 1890, Lambert and his family moved to Crawfordsville, Indiana. He played basketball (in addition to baseball) at Crawfordsville High School and Wabash College, both under coach Ralph Jones, who himself would go on to coach Purdue. Despite his height (5'6"), he led Wabash in scoring his sophomore year - leading to his nickname "Piggy" for hogging the ball. (Another telling states that, while playing baseball at Wabash, Lambert used his position as shortstop to hog the ball). He graduated from Wabash College in 1911.
Lambert began his coaching career at Lebanon High School from 1912-1916. Lambert coached Purdue University (1916–17, 1918–46) to a 371–152 record in 29 seasons, including eleven Big Ten titles. His teams were noted for their speed and effective use of fast breaks, which he developed. Among his players were Charles "Stretch" Murphy and John Wooden. Lambert missed the 1917-18 season to serve in the Army during World War I. Meanwhile J. J. Maloney, an attorney from Crawfordsville, Indiana, filled in and guided the Boilermakers to an 11–5 record. Lambert's 1932 team were national champions, as determined by a panel vote rather than an NCAA Tournament which began in 1939. He coached 16 All-Americans and 31 first team All-Big Ten selections. Lambert Fieldhouse (originally known as Purdue Fieldhouse), the facility used for home basketball games prior to the construction of Mackey Arena, was renamed in his honor. Lambert Field, the baseball venue at Purdue, is also named for Lambert.
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Wayne Embry
Wayne Richard Embry (born March 26, 1937 in Springfield, Ohio) is a retired American basketball player; a center/forward whose 11-year career spanned from 1959 to 1969. He played for the Cincinnati Royals, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks all of the NBA.
He attended Miami University and Tecumseh High School (both in Ohio) before that.
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Wes Unseld
Westley Sissel "Wes" Unseld (born March 14, 1946 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.
Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team that won two state championships. In 1965, Unseld began playing center for the University of Louisville, where he averaged 35.8 points per game and 23.6 rebounds per game in 14 games with a freshman team. He was a 3-year letter winner, scored 1,686 points in 82 games (20.6 points per game), grabbed 1,551 rebounds (18.9 rebounds per game), led the conference in rebounding in 1966, 1967 and 1968, and led Louisville to a 60-22 record with two trips to the NCAA tournament and one trip to the NIT tournament. Unseld is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Unseld was drafted by the Kentucky Colonels in the 1968 American Basketball Association draft and was drafted second overall in the first round by the Baltimore Bullets in 1968, and helped lead the Bullets (who had finished in last place in the Eastern division the previous year) to a 57-25 record and a division title. Unseld averaged 18.2 rebounds per game that year, and became only the second player ever to win both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season (Wilt Chamberlain being the first). Unseld was also named the Sporting News MVP that year. He was one of the best defensive players of his era, and in 1975, he led the NBA in rebounding. The following season, he led the NBA in field goal percentage with a .561 percentage.
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Wikipedia Persondata
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Will Perdue
William Edward Perdue (born August 29, 1965) is a retired American NBA basketball player who was a member of four NBA championship teams. Perdue is now an ESPN basketball commentator and analyst.
Perdue attended Merritt Island High School, Merritt Island, Florida. He then played basketball at Vanderbilt University, where he was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and SEC Male Athlete of the Year in 1988. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 11th overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft. Between 1991 and 1993, he won three championships with the Bulls, mainly as a backup to center Bill Cartwright. He became a regular starter during the 1994–95 NBA season, during which he averaged 8.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. However, the emergence of Luc Longley made him expendable, and before the next season's training camp, the Bulls traded him to the San Antonio Spurs for Dennis Rodman. Perdue won his fourth NBA championship with the Spurs in 1999.
In August 1999, Perdue rejoined the Chicago Bulls as a free agent. He started 15 of 67 games for them in 1999–2000, averaging 2.5 points and 3.9 rebounds. After the 2000 season, Perdue left Chicago and signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he averaged 1.3 points, 1.4 rebounds and 4.5 minutes in 13 games. He averaged 4.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game over a thirteen-year career.
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William Davidson
William Morse "Bill" Davidson, J. D. (December 5, 1922 – March 13, 2009) was an American businessman who was President, Chairman and CEO of Guardian Industries, one of the world's largest manufacturers of architectural and automotive glass. He was also owner of several North American professional sports teams and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
He was also the chairman of Palace Sports and Entertainment, and principal owner of the Detroit Pistons of the NBA, the Detroit Shock of the WNBA, the co-owner of the Detroit Fury of the Arena Football League, and the former owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL and Detroit Vipers of the IHL. His Pistons won the 1989, 1990, and 2004 NBA Finals; his Shock won the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA Finals; his Vipers won the 1997 Turner Cup; Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2004 Stanley Cup, making him the only owner in professional sports history whose teams have won an NBA Championship and a Stanley Cup in the same year.
A Detroit native, Davidson was born to a Jewish family on December 5, 1922; he was a 1940 graduate of Central High School. Davidson entered the University of Michigan in 1940, where he was a member of the track and field team; he majored in business at what is now the Ross School of Business. Davidson later joined the U.S. Navy and played Armed Forces Football during World War II.
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Willis Reed
Willis Reed, Jr. (born June 25, 1942) is a retired American basketball player, coach and general manager. He spent his entire professional playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks. In 1982, his outstanding record and achievements were recognized by his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1997, he was voted one of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History".
After retiring as a player, Reed served as assistant and head coach with several teams for nearly a decade, then was promoted to General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations (1989 to 1996) for the New Jersey Nets. As Senior Vice President of Basketball, he led them to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.
Reed was born in 1942 in Hico, Louisiana and named after his father, Willis Reed. He grew up on a farm in nearby Bernice, a lumber town in an area of pine woods. His parents worked to ensure Reed got an education in the segregated South. Reed showed athletic ability at an early age and played basketball at West Side High School in nearby Lillie.
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Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American basketball player. He played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA; he played for the University of Kansas and also for the Harlem Globetrotters before playing in the NBA. The 7 foot 1 inch Chamberlain weighed 250 pounds as a rookie before bulking up to 275 and eventually to over 300 pounds with the Lakers. He played the center position and is widely considered one of the greatest and most dominant players in NBA history.
Chamberlain holds numerous NBA all-time records in scoring, rebounding and durability categories. He is the only player to score 100 points in a single NBA game or average more than 40 and 50 points in a season. He also won seven scoring, nine field goal percentage, and eleven rebounding titles, and once even led the league in assists. Although he suffered a long string of professional losses, Chamberlain had a successful career, winning two NBA championships, earning four regular-season Most Valuable Player awards, the Rookie of the Year award, one NBA Finals MVP award, and being selected to 13 All-Star Games and ten All-NBA First and Second teams. Chamberlain was subsequently enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, elected into the NBA's 35th Anniversary Team of 1980, and chosen as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History of 1996.
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Jackson, Phil Filmography
- Four Square Miles to Glory (2012)
- Kobe Doin' Work (2009)
- 17th Annual Trumpet Awards (2009)
- Class C: The Only Game in Town (2008)
- In Search of Puppy Love (2007)
- Be Cool (2005)
- The Harlem Globetrotters: The Team That Changed the World (2005)
- The 2004 NBA Finals (2004)
- After the Sunset (2004)
- 1 Love (2003)
- Season Pass (2003)
- Ultimate Jordan (2001)
- 2000 NBA All-Star Game (2000)
- 2000 Essence Awards (2000)
- Michael Jordan to the Max (2000)
- The 2000 NBA Finals (2000)
- Michael Jordan: His Airness (1999)
- The 1997 NBA Finals (1997)
- Michael Jordan, Above and Beyond (1996)
- The 1996 NBA Finals (1996)
- 1996 NBA All-Star Game (1996)
- 1992 NBA All-Star Game (1992)
Jackson, Phil Filmography
Jackson, Phil Filmography
Famous quotes by Phil Jackson:
"There's going to be games like that, games that are going to be up there (offensively), especially with the accuracy on three-pointers that they did tonight."
"Red and I, I think, have a mutual admiration. That's all I can say."
"the mentality of a pit bull."
"If you meet the Buddha in the lane, feed him the ball."
"Determined, dedicated, disciplined. I think he's ready to play. For Kobe, it's about re-establishing his dominance in the game."
"Approach the game with no preset agendas and you'll probably come away surprised at your overall efforts."
"I gave it my body and mind, but I have kept my soul."
"Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength."
"Love is the force that ignites the spirit and binds teams together."
"Always keep an open mind and a compassionate heart."
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Phil Jackson's documentary (Short film)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:35
- Updated: 30 Jan 2013
Phil Jackson's Legacy NBA TV takes a look back at the winningest coach in NBA Finals history: Phil Jackson.
http://wn.com/Phil_Jackson's_documentary_Short_film
Phil Jackson's Legacy NBA TV takes a look back at the winningest coach in NBA Finals history: Phil Jackson.
Phil Jackson's Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 14:50
- Updated: 31 Jan 2013
Phil Jackson delivers his speech upon being enshrined to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2007. At the end of Phil's speech Kobe Bryant sends his congratulations on this honor. To learn more about Phil Jackson take a look at his official Hall of Fame bio at www.hoophall.com
http://wn.com/Phil_Jackson's_Basketball_Hall_of_Fame_Enshrinement_Speech
Phil Jackson delivers his speech upon being enshrined to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2007. At the end of Phil's speech Kobe Bryant sends his congratulations on this honor. To learn more about Phil Jackson take a look at his official Hall of Fame bio at www.hoophall.com
- published: 18 Feb 2012
- views: 67415
- author: OfficialHoophall
HBO Real Sports: Phil Jackson
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:52
- Updated: 28 Jan 2013
Andrea Kremer goes to Phil Jackson's rarely-seen home in Montana to discuss what's ahead in his life and whether a return to an NBA team is in his future. Real Sports debuts Tues., June 19 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO
http://wn.com/HBO_Real_Sports_Phil_Jackson
Andrea Kremer goes to Phil Jackson's rarely-seen home in Montana to discuss what's ahead in his life and whether a return to an NBA team is in his future. Real Sports debuts Tues., June 19 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO
- published: 26 Jun 2012
- views: 9610
- author: FoxSports
Would Phil Jackson Coach The Clippers?
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:46
- Updated: 31 Jan 2013
Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith debate whether Phil Jackson would coach the Clippers if he was offered the job.
http://wn.com/Would_Phil_Jackson_Coach_The_Clippers?
Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith debate whether Phil Jackson would coach the Clippers if he was offered the job.
- published: 28 Nov 2012
- views: 32494
- author: ESPN
Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard doing Charles Barkley, Shaq and Phil Jackson Impressions
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:49
- Updated: 26 Jan 2013
Orland Magic Center Dwight Howard in one of the funniest interviews ever given by a pro athlete...talking to the Chicago media before the Magic-Bulls game...March 8, 2012. He did a very good Charles Barkley impression, did a little Shaq, and a little Phil Jackson for Scottie Pippen who was walking by the interview.
http://wn.com/Orlando_Magic's_Dwight_Howard_doing_Charles_Barkley,_Shaq_and_Phil_Jackson_Impressions
Orland Magic Center Dwight Howard in one of the funniest interviews ever given by a pro athlete...talking to the Chicago media before the Magic-Bulls game...March 8, 2012. He did a very good Charles Barkley impression, did a little Shaq, and a little Phil Jackson for Scottie Pippen who was walking by the interview.
- published: 08 Mar 2012
- views: 59165
- author: foxchicagosports
Skip Bayless, Rob Parker & Marcellus Wiley on Did Lakers Mistreat Phil Jackson ESPN First Take
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:06
- Updated: 30 Jan 2013
http://wn.com/Skip_Bayless,_Rob_Parker_Marcellus_Wiley_on_Did_Lakers_Mistreat_Phil_Jackson_ESPN_First_Take
Stephen A Smith on Phil Jackson Comparing LeBron James To Michael Jordan SportsCenter Morning Buzz
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:51
- Updated: 30 Jan 2013
http://wn.com/Stephen_A_Smith_on_Phil_Jackson_Comparing_LeBron_James_To_Michael_Jordan_SportsCenter_Morning_Buzz
Phil Jackson - In My Own Words (Part 1)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:03
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
Phil Jackson - In My Own Words (Part 1)
http://wn.com/Phil_Jackson_In_My_Own_Words_Part_1
Kobe leaves Phil hanging and Phil can't act
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:35
- Updated: 01 Feb 2013
Phil Jackson is getting too old and too white for his shakes to come of naturally and the gesture afterwards shows you just how weird a 60y old accomplished person can behave. No pun intended and huge respect to his coaching abilities, i guess it comes with the Zen thing. A star player can really dominate the universe of a NBA team
http://wn.com/Kobe_leaves_Phil_hanging_and_Phil_can't_act
Phil Jackson is getting too old and too white for his shakes to come of naturally and the gesture afterwards shows you just how weird a 60y old accomplished person can behave. No pun intended and huge respect to his coaching abilities, i guess it comes with the Zen thing. A star player can really dominate the universe of a NBA team
- published: 23 Oct 2009
- views: 767497
- author: spankissimo
Innerstate Ike & Mike Kasual - Phil Jackson
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:05
- Updated: 30 Jan 2013
Track 4 From Innerstate Ike & Mike Kasual - Peanuts 2 A Elephant
http://wn.com/Innerstate_Ike_Mike_Kasual_Phil_Jackson
Track 4 From Innerstate Ike & Mike Kasual - Peanuts 2 A Elephant
- published: 30 Jan 2013
- author: TheSLAPS101
Samuel L. Jackson Insists Reporter Says N-Word Parody
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:47
- Updated: 31 Jan 2013
A parody of the interview where Samuel L. Jackson tries to get a reporter to say the N Word. Starring Matt Dennie & Phil Jackson By CARDIGAN Comedy
http://wn.com/Samuel_L_Jackson_Insists_Reporter_Says_N-Word_Parody
A parody of the interview where Samuel L. Jackson tries to get a reporter to say the N Word. Starring Matt Dennie & Phil Jackson By CARDIGAN Comedy
- published: 08 Jan 2013
- views: 37632
- author: CardiganComedy
Zen Master's Philosophy of Success
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:32
- Updated: 25 Jan 2013
Learn why Phil Jackson is on the brink of winning a record 10th NBA championship as a coach.
http://wn.com/Zen_Master's_Philosophy_of_Success
Learn why Phil Jackson is on the brink of winning a record 10th NBA championship as a coach.
- published: 13 Jun 2009
- views: 29356
- author: iamrjdotcom
Reports: Mike Brown To Succeed Phil Jackson as Coach of Lakers
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:52
- Updated: 27 Mar 2012
Mike Brown is trending on reports that he will be named head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, taking the place of Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, who just retired. Brown coached the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals but was fired in 2010 after failing to win a championship with LeBron James. Brown is getting some preliminary boos and hisses from Lakers fans. EyeCandy2 tweeted: "The Lakers cannot be serious about this Mike Brown head coach situation. Do they really think he can coach Kobe?" No word yet on what Jack Nicholson thinks. Brown has some serious shoes to fill, given Jackson's run of championships. But the bitter end to the Lakers' most recent season buys Brown a little wiggle room, at least until October when the next season gets under way. ;
http://wn.com/Reports_Mike_Brown_To_Succeed_Phil_Jackson_as_Coach_of_Lakers
Mike Brown is trending on reports that he will be named head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, taking the place of Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, who just retired. Brown coached the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals but was fired in 2010 after failing to win a championship with LeBron James. Brown is getting some preliminary boos and hisses from Lakers fans. EyeCandy2 tweeted: "The Lakers cannot be serious about this Mike Brown head coach situation. Do they really think he can coach Kobe?" No word yet on what Jack Nicholson thinks. Brown has some serious shoes to fill, given Jackson's run of championships. But the bitter end to the Lakers' most recent season buys Brown a little wiggle room, at least until October when the next season gets under way. ;
- published: 25 May 2011
- views: 4052
- author: slatester
NBA'S DISRESPECTFUL MOMENTS 3!!!
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:41
- Updated: 31 Jan 2013
Lebron James asks for a miracle,phil jackson says "fuck the nba", kevin durant watching twerk team, no rings charles barkely, and KD freestyle diss. DONT FORGET TO SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE. THANKS
http://wn.com/NBA'S_DISRESPECTFUL_MOMENTS_3!!!
Lebron James asks for a miracle,phil jackson says "fuck the nba", kevin durant watching twerk team, no rings charles barkely, and KD freestyle diss. DONT FORGET TO SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE. THANKS
- published: 14 Nov 2012
- views: 136613
- author: itsreal85
Rowan University's Phil Jackson with the put back dunk 01/28/13
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:08
- Updated: 31 Jan 2013
Division 3 shooting guard Phil Jackson from Rowan University with the put back dunk vs. Valley Forge Christian College 01/28/13
http://wn.com/Rowan_University's_Phil_Jackson_with_the_put_back_dunk_01_28_13
Division 3 shooting guard Phil Jackson from Rowan University with the put back dunk vs. Valley Forge Christian College 01/28/13
- published: 31 Jan 2013
- author: Phil Jackson
Michael Jordan vs Jerry Krause vs Phil Jackson THE DEMISE OF THE BULLS
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 23:47
- Updated: 30 Jan 2013
The 1990's Chicago Bulls was a fun team to observe, most of the time. It was a real rollercoaster ride being a 90's Bulls fan living in Chicago. This is a segment I found on an old VHS tape that pretty much explains it all. Sorry for the poor quality, but this is worth watching for anyone.
http://wn.com/Michael_Jordan_vs_Jerry_Krause_vs_Phil_Jackson_THE_DEMISE_OF_THE_BULLS
The 1990's Chicago Bulls was a fun team to observe, most of the time. It was a real rollercoaster ride being a 90's Bulls fan living in Chicago. This is a segment I found on an old VHS tape that pretty much explains it all. Sorry for the poor quality, but this is worth watching for anyone.
- published: 06 Mar 2011
- views: 49416
- author: theAIRJORDANblitz
The Basketball Jones - Ep.868: Pringles!
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 35:31
- Updated: 28 Jan 2013
On Monday's live episode of "The Fix," The Jones discuss the Lakers hiring Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson, as well as list their winners and losers of the NBA weekend. Thumbs up for the Grizzlies, Kirilenko's late-game smarts, American headbands, and TI on the Hawks-/Heat call. Thumbs down for this entire DeMarcus Cousins suspension, Andris Biedrins' free-throw attempts, and the worst in-game contestant of all-time. All that, plus AD, camping, a new human victory cigar, and the first #LOCKITIN of the young season. Keep in touch with TBJ all the time - TBJ Blog: www.thebasketballjones.com Subscribe to us on ITunes thesco.re Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com twitter.com twitter.com
http://wn.com/The_Basketball_Jones_Ep868_Pringles!
On Monday's live episode of "The Fix," The Jones discuss the Lakers hiring Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson, as well as list their winners and losers of the NBA weekend. Thumbs up for the Grizzlies, Kirilenko's late-game smarts, American headbands, and TI on the Hawks-/Heat call. Thumbs down for this entire DeMarcus Cousins suspension, Andris Biedrins' free-throw attempts, and the worst in-game contestant of all-time. All that, plus AD, camping, a new human victory cigar, and the first #LOCKITIN of the young season. Keep in touch with TBJ all the time - TBJ Blog: www.thebasketballjones.com Subscribe to us on ITunes thesco.re Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com twitter.com twitter.com
- published: 12 Nov 2012
- views: 3150
- author: TheScoreTV
*NEW* Phil Jackson compares Jordan and Kobe (2009)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:26
- Updated: 30 Jan 2013
Phil Jackson explains to Magic the differences between Jordan and Kobe.
http://wn.com/*NEW*_Phil_Jackson_compares_Jordan_and_Kobe_2009
Phil Jackson explains to Magic the differences between Jordan and Kobe.
- published: 11 Feb 2009
- views: 646508
- author: mikester8821
Phil Jackson compares Jordan and Kobe (2008)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:20
- Updated: 31 Jan 2013
CLICK MORE INFO FOR MY THOUGHTS: This interview took place early 2008 (Summary of Phil's comments) -Kobe has better skills -Jordan had amazing hands and was stronger -Jordan would save his best scoring performances for better competition -Kobe scores at random, and goes on scoring streaks -Jordan was a more efficient scorer -Kobe is probably a better ouside shooter -Jordan was probably the best inside player ever -Jordan had more control of the ball That's my summary, if you think It is not right, just tell me. Now for my thoughts. I think this is a very interesting video, however we will not know Phil's full thoughts on the two players until he is done coaching Kobe. For example, if Phil thought Jordan was far superior to Kobe, he wouldn't want to say it while he is still coaching him, because that could harm the relationship they have. Also, Jordan had already been in the league for five seasons before Phil started coaching the Bulls, but I doubt it would change Phil's view on Jordan at all had he been his coach since the '85 season. I do not agree with Phil on Kobe having a better skillset. Jordan just was not as flashy. He used simpler moves to produce on either offense or defense more effectively. I also think Jordan had just as good of an outside shot as Kobe, but did not get to show it off until later in his career, because 3's were not used nearly as much as they are today. Please give your comments, and rate!
http://wn.com/Phil_Jackson_compares_Jordan_and_Kobe_2008
CLICK MORE INFO FOR MY THOUGHTS: This interview took place early 2008 (Summary of Phil's comments) -Kobe has better skills -Jordan had amazing hands and was stronger -Jordan would save his best scoring performances for better competition -Kobe scores at random, and goes on scoring streaks -Jordan was a more efficient scorer -Kobe is probably a better ouside shooter -Jordan was probably the best inside player ever -Jordan had more control of the ball That's my summary, if you think It is not right, just tell me. Now for my thoughts. I think this is a very interesting video, however we will not know Phil's full thoughts on the two players until he is done coaching Kobe. For example, if Phil thought Jordan was far superior to Kobe, he wouldn't want to say it while he is still coaching him, because that could harm the relationship they have. Also, Jordan had already been in the league for five seasons before Phil started coaching the Bulls, but I doubt it would change Phil's view on Jordan at all had he been his coach since the '85 season. I do not agree with Phil on Kobe having a better skillset. Jordan just was not as flashy. He used simpler moves to produce on either offense or defense more effectively. I also think Jordan had just as good of an outside shot as Kobe, but did not get to show it off until later in his career, because 3's were not used nearly as much as they are today. Please give your comments, and rate!
- published: 15 Jul 2008
- views: 842134
- author: mikester8821
Phil Jackson Shows Off The Axiom Pro
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:11
- Updated: 31 Jan 2013
An added video to compliment the review of the Axiom Pro by Russ.
http://wn.com/Phil_Jackson_Shows_Off_The_Axiom_Pro
An added video to compliment the review of the Axiom Pro by Russ.
- published: 06 Jan 2010
- views: 77150
- author: airusersblog
Decode the Scene GAME - Samuel L. Jackson John Travolta Phil LaMarr MOVIE CLIPS
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:36
- Updated: 30 Jan 2013
Samuel L. Jackson John Travolta Phil LaMarr MOVIE CLIPS click to subscribe j.mp Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) loses his patience with Vincent (John Travolta) when he accidentally shoots Marvin (Phil LaMarr) in the face. TM & © Miramax Films (2012) Cast: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Phil LaMarr Director: Quentin Tarantino MOVIECLIPS YouTube Channel: j.mp Join our Facebook page: j.mp Follow us on Twitter: j.mp Buy Movie: amzn.to Producer: Lawrence Bender, Danny DeVito, Richard N. Gladstein, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein Screenwriter: Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary Film Description: Outrageously violent, time-twisting, and in love with language, Pulp Fiction was widely considered the most influential American movie of the 1990s. Director and co-screenwriter Quentin Tarantino synthesized such seemingly disparate traditions as the syncopated language of David Mamet; the serious violence of American gangster movies, crime movies, and films noirs mixed up with the wacky violence of cartoons, video games, and Japanese animation; and the fragmented story-telling structures of such experimental classics as Citizen Kane, Rashomon, and La jetée. The Oscar-winning script by Tarantino and Roger Avary intertwines three stories, featuring Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta, in the role that single-handedly reignited his career, as hit men who have philosophical interchanges on such topics as the French names for American fast food products; Bruce Willis ...
http://wn.com/Decode_the_Scene_GAME_Samuel_L_Jackson_John_Travolta_Phil_LaMarr_MOVIE_CLIPS
Samuel L. Jackson John Travolta Phil LaMarr MOVIE CLIPS click to subscribe j.mp Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) loses his patience with Vincent (John Travolta) when he accidentally shoots Marvin (Phil LaMarr) in the face. TM & © Miramax Films (2012) Cast: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Phil LaMarr Director: Quentin Tarantino MOVIECLIPS YouTube Channel: j.mp Join our Facebook page: j.mp Follow us on Twitter: j.mp Buy Movie: amzn.to Producer: Lawrence Bender, Danny DeVito, Richard N. Gladstein, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein Screenwriter: Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary Film Description: Outrageously violent, time-twisting, and in love with language, Pulp Fiction was widely considered the most influential American movie of the 1990s. Director and co-screenwriter Quentin Tarantino synthesized such seemingly disparate traditions as the syncopated language of David Mamet; the serious violence of American gangster movies, crime movies, and films noirs mixed up with the wacky violence of cartoons, video games, and Japanese animation; and the fragmented story-telling structures of such experimental classics as Citizen Kane, Rashomon, and La jetée. The Oscar-winning script by Tarantino and Roger Avary intertwines three stories, featuring Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta, in the role that single-handedly reignited his career, as hit men who have philosophical interchanges on such topics as the French names for American fast food products; Bruce Willis ...
- published: 22 Oct 2012
- views: 74
- author: movieclipsGAMES
"The Legacy Of Michael Jordan" Full Movie
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 107:31
- Updated: 31 Jan 2013
www.facebook.com www.twitter.com Our greatest master piece every created. This Movie was uploaded on our previous channel and broken down in 4 parts. People asked for it to be re-uploaded and now its here all in 1 part. The GREATEST MJ movie ever put together from scratch with over 50 hand selected specific tracks for this movie, All the tracks are in the credits. Please take your time to LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE for more legendary stuff like this.
http://wn.com/The_Legacy_Of_Michael_Jordan_Full_Movie
www.facebook.com www.twitter.com Our greatest master piece every created. This Movie was uploaded on our previous channel and broken down in 4 parts. People asked for it to be re-uploaded and now its here all in 1 part. The GREATEST MJ movie ever put together from scratch with over 50 hand selected specific tracks for this movie, All the tracks are in the credits. Please take your time to LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE for more legendary stuff like this.
- published: 01 Oct 2012
- views: 28771
- author: AlbrtoEntertainment
Ronnie Coleman, Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, Dexter Jackson, Bob Cicherillo
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:01
- Updated: 31 Jan 2013
Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, and Bob Cicherillo at the end of the 2012 Toronto Pro SuperShow in Toronto Ontario in Canada. For more bodybuilding news and information, check out: www.bodybuildingpro.com http
http://wn.com/Ronnie_Coleman,_Phil_Heath,_Jay_Cutler,_Dexter_Jackson,_Bob_Cicherillo
Phil Heath, Jay Cutler, and Bob Cicherillo at the end of the 2012 Toronto Pro SuperShow in Toronto Ontario in Canada. For more bodybuilding news and information, check out: www.bodybuildingpro.com http
- published: 11 Jun 2012
- views: 1018889
- author: FitnessByMatt
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Phil Jackson's documentary (Short film)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:35
- Updated: 14 Jan 2013
Phil Jackson's Legacy NBA TV takes a look back at the winningest coach in NBA Finals history: Phil Jackson.
http://wn.com/Phil_Jackson's_documentary_Short_film
Phil Jackson's Legacy NBA TV takes a look back at the winningest coach in NBA Finals history: Phil Jackson.
- published: 02 Jan 2012
- views: 64793
- author: KOBEBRYANT8AND24
Phil Jackson's Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 14:50
- Updated: 06 Jan 2013
Phil Jackson delivers his speech upon being enshrined to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2007. At the end of Phil's speech Kobe Bryant sends his congratulations on this honor. To learn more about Phil Jackson take a look at his official Hall of Fame bio at www.hoophall.com
http://wn.com/Phil_Jackson's_Basketball_Hall_of_Fame_Enshrinement_Speech
Phil Jackson delivers his speech upon being enshrined to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2007. At the end of Phil's speech Kobe Bryant sends his congratulations on this honor. To learn more about Phil Jackson take a look at his official Hall of Fame bio at www.hoophall.com
- published: 18 Feb 2012
- views: 64632
- author: OfficialHoophall
Did Lakers Mistreat Phil Jackson?
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:06
- Updated: 14 Jan 2013
Marcellus Wiley, Rob Parker and Skip Bayless discuss the Lakers' treatment of Phil Jackson.
http://wn.com/Did_Lakers_Mistreat_Phil_Jackson?
Marcellus Wiley, Rob Parker and Skip Bayless discuss the Lakers' treatment of Phil Jackson.
- published: 13 Nov 2012
- views: 29834
- author: ESPN
HBO Real Sports: Phil Jackson
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:52
- Updated: 27 Dec 2012
Andrea Kremer goes to Phil Jackson's rarely-seen home in Montana to discuss what's ahead in his life and whether a return to an NBA team is in his future. Real Sports debuts Tues., June 19 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO
http://wn.com/HBO_Real_Sports_Phil_Jackson
Andrea Kremer goes to Phil Jackson's rarely-seen home in Montana to discuss what's ahead in his life and whether a return to an NBA team is in his future. Real Sports debuts Tues., June 19 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO
- published: 26 Jun 2012
- views: 9246
- author: FoxSports
Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard doing Charles Barkley, Shaq and Phil Jackson Impressions
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:49
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
Orland Magic Center Dwight Howard in one of the funniest interviews ever given by a pro athlete...talking to the Chicago media before the Magic-Bulls game...March 8, 2012. He did a very good Charles Barkley impression, did a little Shaq, and a little Phil Jackson for Scottie Pippen who was walking by the interview.
http://wn.com/Orlando_Magic's_Dwight_Howard_doing_Charles_Barkley,_Shaq_and_Phil_Jackson_Impressions
Orland Magic Center Dwight Howard in one of the funniest interviews ever given by a pro athlete...talking to the Chicago media before the Magic-Bulls game...March 8, 2012. He did a very good Charles Barkley impression, did a little Shaq, and a little Phil Jackson for Scottie Pippen who was walking by the interview.
- published: 08 Mar 2012
- views: 57581
- author: foxchicagosports
Would Phil Jackson Coach The Clippers?
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:46
- Updated: 14 Jan 2013
Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith debate whether Phil Jackson would coach the Clippers if he was offered the job.
http://wn.com/Would_Phil_Jackson_Coach_The_Clippers?
Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith debate whether Phil Jackson would coach the Clippers if he was offered the job.
- published: 28 Nov 2012
- views: 28280
- author: ESPN
2008 Lakers Exit Interviews - Phil Jackson Part 1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:21
- Updated: 28 Sep 2012
Just two days after being eliminated in the NBA Finals by the Boston Celtics, Lakers players were back at the team's training facility in El Segundo to meet with management and talk to the media about the past season, what needs to be worked on in the offseason, and what is expected of them heading into the 2008-09 campaign that starts in October.
http://wn.com/2008_Lakers_Exit_Interviews_Phil_Jackson_Part_1
Just two days after being eliminated in the NBA Finals by the Boston Celtics, Lakers players were back at the team's training facility in El Segundo to meet with management and talk to the media about the past season, what needs to be worked on in the offseason, and what is expected of them heading into the 2008-09 campaign that starts in October.
- published: 21 Jun 2008
- views: 1405
- author: ZemunasuX24
*NEW* Phil Jackson compares Jordan and Kobe (2009)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:26
- Updated: 14 Jan 2013
Phil Jackson explains to Magic the differences between Jordan and Kobe.
http://wn.com/*NEW*_Phil_Jackson_compares_Jordan_and_Kobe_2009
Phil Jackson explains to Magic the differences between Jordan and Kobe.
- published: 11 Feb 2009
- views: 641562
- author: mikester8821
Phil Jackson compares Jordan and Kobe (2008)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:20
- Updated: 14 Jan 2013
CLICK MORE INFO FOR MY THOUGHTS: This interview took place early 2008 (Summary of Phil's comments) -Kobe has better skills -Jordan had amazing hands and was stronger -Jordan would save his best scoring performances for better competition -Kobe scores at random, and goes on scoring streaks -Jordan was a more efficient scorer -Kobe is probably a better ouside shooter -Jordan was probably the best inside player ever -Jordan had more control of the ball That's my summary, if you think It is not right, just tell me. Now for my thoughts. I think this is a very interesting video, however we will not know Phil's full thoughts on the two players until he is done coaching Kobe. For example, if Phil thought Jordan was far superior to Kobe, he wouldn't want to say it while he is still coaching him, because that could harm the relationship they have. Also, Jordan had already been in the league for five seasons before Phil started coaching the Bulls, but I doubt it would change Phil's view on Jordan at all had he been his coach since the '85 season. I do not agree with Phil on Kobe having a better skillset. Jordan just was not as flashy. He used simpler moves to produce on either offense or defense more effectively. I also think Jordan had just as good of an outside shot as Kobe, but did not get to show it off until later in his career, because 3's were not used nearly as much as they are today. Please give your comments, and rate!
http://wn.com/Phil_Jackson_compares_Jordan_and_Kobe_2008
CLICK MORE INFO FOR MY THOUGHTS: This interview took place early 2008 (Summary of Phil's comments) -Kobe has better skills -Jordan had amazing hands and was stronger -Jordan would save his best scoring performances for better competition -Kobe scores at random, and goes on scoring streaks -Jordan was a more efficient scorer -Kobe is probably a better ouside shooter -Jordan was probably the best inside player ever -Jordan had more control of the ball That's my summary, if you think It is not right, just tell me. Now for my thoughts. I think this is a very interesting video, however we will not know Phil's full thoughts on the two players until he is done coaching Kobe. For example, if Phil thought Jordan was far superior to Kobe, he wouldn't want to say it while he is still coaching him, because that could harm the relationship they have. Also, Jordan had already been in the league for five seasons before Phil started coaching the Bulls, but I doubt it would change Phil's view on Jordan at all had he been his coach since the '85 season. I do not agree with Phil on Kobe having a better skillset. Jordan just was not as flashy. He used simpler moves to produce on either offense or defense more effectively. I also think Jordan had just as good of an outside shot as Kobe, but did not get to show it off until later in his career, because 3's were not used nearly as much as they are today. Please give your comments, and rate!
- published: 15 Jul 2008
- views: 840373
- author: mikester8821
THE JAM!! Phil X and Paul Jackson Jr. The Evil*Robot Interviews..Part 4
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 14:45
- Updated: 13 Jan 2013
www.frettedamericana.com In the 4th part of this 4 part special interview, Phil sits down with EVIL ROBOT enthusiast Paul Jackson Jr. (In addition to being a recording artist in his own right, Jackson is a highly accomplished LA session player, with a career spanning multiple decades. He has supported artists ranging from Michael Jackson (on the albums Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, History and Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix) to Whitney Houston, Thomas Anders, Patti LaBelle and Luis Miguel, to rockers such as Chicago and Elton John, to jazz greats such as George Duke, Dave Koz, Al Jarreau, David Benoit, Marcus Miller and Kirk Whalum, and to Christian artists such as Leon Patillo and Don Moen. Jackson can be seen playing guitar in a wide variety of styles on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.) Phil and Paul discuss career, musical interest, experience, and most importantly The Evil Robot and why it is so MAGICAL!
http://wn.com/THE_JAM!!_Phil_X_and_Paul_Jackson_Jr_The_Evil*Robot_InterviewsPart_4
www.frettedamericana.com In the 4th part of this 4 part special interview, Phil sits down with EVIL ROBOT enthusiast Paul Jackson Jr. (In addition to being a recording artist in his own right, Jackson is a highly accomplished LA session player, with a career spanning multiple decades. He has supported artists ranging from Michael Jackson (on the albums Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, History and Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix) to Whitney Houston, Thomas Anders, Patti LaBelle and Luis Miguel, to rockers such as Chicago and Elton John, to jazz greats such as George Duke, Dave Koz, Al Jarreau, David Benoit, Marcus Miller and Kirk Whalum, and to Christian artists such as Leon Patillo and Don Moen. Jackson can be seen playing guitar in a wide variety of styles on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.) Phil and Paul discuss career, musical interest, experience, and most importantly The Evil Robot and why it is so MAGICAL!
- published: 10 Jan 2012
- views: 23682
- author: frettedamericana
Michael Jordan vs Jerry Krause vs Phil Jackson THE DEMISE OF THE BULLS
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 23:47
- Updated: 12 Jan 2013
The 1990's Chicago Bulls was a fun team to observe, most of the time. It was a real rollercoaster ride being a 90's Bulls fan living in Chicago. This is a segment I found on an old VHS tape that pretty much explains it all. Sorry for the poor quality, but this is worth watching for anyone.
http://wn.com/Michael_Jordan_vs_Jerry_Krause_vs_Phil_Jackson_THE_DEMISE_OF_THE_BULLS
The 1990's Chicago Bulls was a fun team to observe, most of the time. It was a real rollercoaster ride being a 90's Bulls fan living in Chicago. This is a segment I found on an old VHS tape that pretty much explains it all. Sorry for the poor quality, but this is worth watching for anyone.
- published: 06 Mar 2011
- views: 47665
- author: theAIRJORDANblitz
Phil Jackson Shows Off The Axiom Pro
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:11
- Updated: 12 Jan 2013
An added video to compliment the review of the Axiom Pro by Russ.
http://wn.com/Phil_Jackson_Shows_Off_The_Axiom_Pro
An added video to compliment the review of the Axiom Pro by Russ.
- published: 06 Jan 2010
- views: 75294
- author: airusersblog
Phil Jackson Interview
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:17
- Updated: 31 Dec 2012
Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson talks about winning championships with Chicago and Los Angeles.
http://wn.com/Phil_Jackson_Interview
Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson talks about winning championships with Chicago and Los Angeles.
- published: 04 Aug 2009
- views: 9771
- author: Rezorn SG
Reports: Mike Brown To Succeed Phil Jackson as Coach of Lakers
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:52
- Updated: 27 Mar 2012
Mike Brown is trending on reports that he will be named head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, taking the place of Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, who just retired. Brown coached the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals but was fired in 2010 after failing to win a championship with LeBron James. Brown is getting some preliminary boos and hisses from Lakers fans. EyeCandy2 tweeted: "The Lakers cannot be serious about this Mike Brown head coach situation. Do they really think he can coach Kobe?" No word yet on what Jack Nicholson thinks. Brown has some serious shoes to fill, given Jackson's run of championships. But the bitter end to the Lakers' most recent season buys Brown a little wiggle room, at least until October when the next season gets under way. ;
http://wn.com/Reports_Mike_Brown_To_Succeed_Phil_Jackson_as_Coach_of_Lakers
Mike Brown is trending on reports that he will be named head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, taking the place of Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, who just retired. Brown coached the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals but was fired in 2010 after failing to win a championship with LeBron James. Brown is getting some preliminary boos and hisses from Lakers fans. EyeCandy2 tweeted: "The Lakers cannot be serious about this Mike Brown head coach situation. Do they really think he can coach Kobe?" No word yet on what Jack Nicholson thinks. Brown has some serious shoes to fill, given Jackson's run of championships. But the bitter end to the Lakers' most recent season buys Brown a little wiggle room, at least until October when the next season gets under way. ;
- published: 25 May 2011
- views: 4042
- author: slatester
![Best/Funniest Sport Interviews of ALL-TIME [Original]](http://web.archive.org./web/20130201054927im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IoNXZ3kB8eQ/default.jpg "Best/Funniest Sport Interviews of ALL-TIME [Original]")
Best/Funniest Sport Interviews of ALL-TIME [Original]
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 14:19
- Updated: 13 Jan 2013
Best Sport Interview Ever! sorry if i forgot some, but i got most of them. Please subscribe/comment/rate/like it took a long time to make this! lol ENJOY! These clips were filmed by ESPN/NBA/ABC/TNT/.. etc.. I do not own anything and all rights go to them.
http://wn.com/Best_Funniest_Sport_Interviews_of_ALL-TIME_Original_
Best Sport Interview Ever! sorry if i forgot some, but i got most of them. Please subscribe/comment/rate/like it took a long time to make this! lol ENJOY! These clips were filmed by ESPN/NBA/ABC/TNT/.. etc.. I do not own anything and all rights go to them.
- published: 19 Apr 2012
- views: 17136
- author: JNguyen620
Lakers Coach Phil Jackson on Game 5 103-101 victory over Phoenix Suns
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:18
- Updated: 01 May 2012
Lakers Coach Phil Jackson on Game 5 103-101 victory over Phoenix Suns
http://wn.com/Lakers_Coach_Phil_Jackson_on_Game_5_103-101_victory_over_Phoenix_Suns
Lakers Coach Phil Jackson on Game 5 103-101 victory over Phoenix Suns
- published: 28 May 2010
- views: 2347
- author: losangelestimes
THE AVENGERS Interviews: Evans, Hemsworth, Ruffalo, Jackson, Johannson, Hiddleston, Smulders & more!
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 13:37
- Updated: 13 Jan 2013
Emmy winner Jake Hamilton sits down with the stars of THE AVENGERS -- Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Scarlett Johannson (Black Widow), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson) and director Joss Whedon -- only on JAKE'S TAKES! Follow Jake around the world at twitter.com/jakestakes
http://wn.com/THE_AVENGERS_Interviews_Evans,_Hemsworth,_Ruffalo,_Jackson,_Johannson,_Hiddleston,_Smulders_more!
Emmy winner Jake Hamilton sits down with the stars of THE AVENGERS -- Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Scarlett Johannson (Black Widow), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson) and director Joss Whedon -- only on JAKE'S TAKES! Follow Jake around the world at twitter.com/jakestakes
- published: 15 Apr 2012
- views: 157652
- author: jakethemovieguy
Phil Donahue on Robert H. Jackson
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:10
- Updated: 12 Nov 2012
Aug. 23, 2006, Phil Donahue was interviewed at the Robert H. Jackson Center on various subjects by Center President Greg Peterson. In this vignette Mr. Donahue discusses the story of West Virginia v. Barnette and the majority opinion written by Justice Robert H. Jackson. For further information, see www.roberthjackson.org. c copyright, Robert H.Jackson Center 2006
http://wn.com/Phil_Donahue_on_Robert_H_Jackson
Aug. 23, 2006, Phil Donahue was interviewed at the Robert H. Jackson Center on various subjects by Center President Greg Peterson. In this vignette Mr. Donahue discusses the story of West Virginia v. Barnette and the majority opinion written by Justice Robert H. Jackson. For further information, see www.roberthjackson.org. c copyright, Robert H.Jackson Center 2006
- published: 03 Oct 2009
- views: 82837
- author: RobertHJacksonCenter
Brooklyn Nets Want Phil Jackson? | Ep1c Discussion | Will He Take The Job?
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:27
- Updated: 15 Jan 2013
The Nets want Phil and his rings to come to Brooklyn. His agent says he's not interested! Hmmm, I thinks Philly J wants more than to coach, he's looking to the deep pockets of the Nets owner, Mikhail Prokhorov. Let's discuss this...
http://wn.com/Brooklyn_Nets_Want_Phil_Jackson?_|_Ep1c_Discussion_|_Will_He_Take_The_Job?
The Nets want Phil and his rings to come to Brooklyn. His agent says he's not interested! Hmmm, I thinks Philly J wants more than to coach, he's looking to the deep pockets of the Nets owner, Mikhail Prokhorov. Let's discuss this...
- published: 29 Dec 2012
- views: 58
- author: Th3Ep1cINC
NBA Finals: All Access Game 5
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:56
- Updated: 08 Jan 2013
Visit www.nba.com for more highlights. The Lakers are the 2009 NBA Champions. Check out some of the best highlites and access from Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals.
http://wn.com/NBA_Finals_All_Access_Game_5
Visit www.nba.com for more highlights. The Lakers are the 2009 NBA Champions. Check out some of the best highlites and access from Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals.
- published: 15 Jun 2009
- views: 273819
- author: NBA
A Triangle Offense Clinic
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:42
- Updated: 08 Jan 2013
See all of the basic actions of the Triangle Offense broken down by: key passes, their options, solos, and setups to initiate the offense. Visit thetriangleoffense.blogspot.com to learn the basics of the Triangle Offense. Visit NBABreakdownBlog.blogspot.com to learn about other basketball systems.
http://wn.com/A_Triangle_Offense_Clinic
See all of the basic actions of the Triangle Offense broken down by: key passes, their options, solos, and setups to initiate the offense. Visit thetriangleoffense.blogspot.com to learn the basics of the Triangle Offense. Visit NBABreakdownBlog.blogspot.com to learn about other basketball systems.
- published: 29 Jan 2011
- views: 97087
- author: JoonKim00
Mike Brown Fired As Lakers Coach
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 22:38
- Updated: 13 Jan 2013
Coach Nick sits down with Drew Garrison of SilverScreenAndRoll.com to talk about the reasons he got fired and who will replace him. Jerry Sloan? Mike D'Antoni? Phil Jackson?
http://wn.com/Mike_Brown_Fired_As_Lakers_Coach
Coach Nick sits down with Drew Garrison of SilverScreenAndRoll.com to talk about the reasons he got fired and who will replace him. Jerry Sloan? Mike D'Antoni? Phil Jackson?
- published: 10 Nov 2012
- author: bballbreakdown
Giants of The Game: Russell and Chamberlain Part 2/2
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 11:00
- Updated: 14 Jan 2013
Bob Costas interviews Wilt Chamberlain & Bill Russell. The big men talk about their rivalry, how they approached the game and their views on the NBA at that time. (1997)
http://wn.com/Giants_of_The_Game_Russell_and_Chamberlain_Part_2_2
Bob Costas interviews Wilt Chamberlain & Bill Russell. The big men talk about their rivalry, how they approached the game and their views on the NBA at that time. (1997)
- published: 24 Mar 2010
- views: 75342
- author: LakersDynasty42
8:35
Phil Jackson's documentary (Short film)
Phil Jackson's Legacy NBA TV takes a look back at the winningest coach in NBA Finals histo...
published: 02 Jan 2012
author: KOBEBRYANT8AND24
Phil Jackson's documentary (Short film)
Phil Jackson's Legacy NBA TV takes a look back at the winningest coach in NBA Finals history: Phil Jackson.
- published: 02 Jan 2012
- views: 64793
- author: KOBEBRYANT8AND24
14:50
Phil Jackson's Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech
Phil Jackson delivers his speech upon being enshrined to the Naismith Memorial Basketball ...
published: 18 Feb 2012
author: OfficialHoophall
Phil Jackson's Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech
Phil Jackson delivers his speech upon being enshrined to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2007. At the end of Phil's speech Kobe Bryant sends his congratulations on this honor. To learn more about Phil Jackson take a look at his official Hall of Fame bio at www.hoophall.com
- published: 18 Feb 2012
- views: 64632
- author: OfficialHoophall
9:06
Did Lakers Mistreat Phil Jackson?
Marcellus Wiley, Rob Parker and Skip Bayless discuss the Lakers' treatment of Phil Jackson...
published: 13 Nov 2012
author: ESPN
Did Lakers Mistreat Phil Jackson?
Marcellus Wiley, Rob Parker and Skip Bayless discuss the Lakers' treatment of Phil Jackson.
- published: 13 Nov 2012
- views: 29834
- author: ESPN
2:52
HBO Real Sports: Phil Jackson
Andrea Kremer goes to Phil Jackson's rarely-seen home in Montana to discuss what's ahead i...
published: 26 Jun 2012
author: FoxSports
HBO Real Sports: Phil Jackson
Andrea Kremer goes to Phil Jackson's rarely-seen home in Montana to discuss what's ahead in his life and whether a return to an NBA team is in his future. Real Sports debuts Tues., June 19 at 10pm ET/PT on HBO
- published: 26 Jun 2012
- views: 9246
- author: FoxSports
3:49
Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard doing Charles Barkley, Shaq and Phil Jackson Impressions
Orland Magic Center Dwight Howard in one of the funniest interviews ever given by a pro at...
published: 08 Mar 2012
author: foxchicagosports
Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard doing Charles Barkley, Shaq and Phil Jackson Impressions
Orland Magic Center Dwight Howard in one of the funniest interviews ever given by a pro athlete...talking to the Chicago media before the Magic-Bulls game...March 8, 2012. He did a very good Charles Barkley impression, did a little Shaq, and a little Phil Jackson for Scottie Pippen who was walking by the interview.
- published: 08 Mar 2012
- views: 57581
- author: foxchicagosports
6:46
Would Phil Jackson Coach The Clippers?
Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith debate whether Phil Jackson would coach the Clippers if ...
published: 28 Nov 2012
author: ESPN
Would Phil Jackson Coach The Clippers?
Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith debate whether Phil Jackson would coach the Clippers if he was offered the job.
- published: 28 Nov 2012
- views: 28280
- author: ESPN
9:21
2008 Lakers Exit Interviews - Phil Jackson Part 1
Just two days after being eliminated in the NBA Finals by the Boston Celtics, Lakers playe...
published: 21 Jun 2008
author: ZemunasuX24
2008 Lakers Exit Interviews - Phil Jackson Part 1
Just two days after being eliminated in the NBA Finals by the Boston Celtics, Lakers players were back at the team's training facility in El Segundo to meet with management and talk to the media about the past season, what needs to be worked on in the offseason, and what is expected of them heading into the 2008-09 campaign that starts in October.
- published: 21 Jun 2008
- views: 1405
- author: ZemunasuX24
1:26
*NEW* Phil Jackson compares Jordan and Kobe (2009)
Phil Jackson explains to Magic the differences between Jordan and Kobe....
published: 11 Feb 2009
author: mikester8821
*NEW* Phil Jackson compares Jordan and Kobe (2009)
Phil Jackson explains to Magic the differences between Jordan and Kobe.
- published: 11 Feb 2009
- views: 641562
- author: mikester8821
2:20
Phil Jackson compares Jordan and Kobe (2008)
CLICK MORE INFO FOR MY THOUGHTS: This interview took place early 2008 (Summary of Phil's c...
published: 15 Jul 2008
author: mikester8821
Phil Jackson compares Jordan and Kobe (2008)
CLICK MORE INFO FOR MY THOUGHTS: This interview took place early 2008 (Summary of Phil's comments) -Kobe has better skills -Jordan had amazing hands and was stronger -Jordan would save his best scoring performances for better competition -Kobe scores at random, and goes on scoring streaks -Jordan was a more efficient scorer -Kobe is probably a better ouside shooter -Jordan was probably the best inside player ever -Jordan had more control of the ball That's my summary, if you think It is not right, just tell me. Now for my thoughts. I think this is a very interesting video, however we will not know Phil's full thoughts on the two players until he is done coaching Kobe. For example, if Phil thought Jordan was far superior to Kobe, he wouldn't want to say it while he is still coaching him, because that could harm the relationship they have. Also, Jordan had already been in the league for five seasons before Phil started coaching the Bulls, but I doubt it would change Phil's view on Jordan at all had he been his coach since the '85 season. I do not agree with Phil on Kobe having a better skillset. Jordan just was not as flashy. He used simpler moves to produce on either offense or defense more effectively. I also think Jordan had just as good of an outside shot as Kobe, but did not get to show it off until later in his career, because 3's were not used nearly as much as they are today. Please give your comments, and rate!
- published: 15 Jul 2008
- views: 840373
- author: mikester8821
14:45
THE JAM!! Phil X and Paul Jackson Jr. The Evil*Robot Interviews..Part 4
www.frettedamericana.com In the 4th part of this 4 part special interview, Phil sits down ...
published: 10 Jan 2012
author: frettedamericana
THE JAM!! Phil X and Paul Jackson Jr. The Evil*Robot Interviews..Part 4
www.frettedamericana.com In the 4th part of this 4 part special interview, Phil sits down with EVIL ROBOT enthusiast Paul Jackson Jr. (In addition to being a recording artist in his own right, Jackson is a highly accomplished LA session player, with a career spanning multiple decades. He has supported artists ranging from Michael Jackson (on the albums Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, History and Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix) to Whitney Houston, Thomas Anders, Patti LaBelle and Luis Miguel, to rockers such as Chicago and Elton John, to jazz greats such as George Duke, Dave Koz, Al Jarreau, David Benoit, Marcus Miller and Kirk Whalum, and to Christian artists such as Leon Patillo and Don Moen. Jackson can be seen playing guitar in a wide variety of styles on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.) Phil and Paul discuss career, musical interest, experience, and most importantly The Evil Robot and why it is so MAGICAL!
- published: 10 Jan 2012
- views: 23682
- author: frettedamericana
23:47
Michael Jordan vs Jerry Krause vs Phil Jackson THE DEMISE OF THE BULLS
The 1990's Chicago Bulls was a fun team to observe, most of the time. It was a real roller...
published: 06 Mar 2011
author: theAIRJORDANblitz
Michael Jordan vs Jerry Krause vs Phil Jackson THE DEMISE OF THE BULLS
The 1990's Chicago Bulls was a fun team to observe, most of the time. It was a real rollercoaster ride being a 90's Bulls fan living in Chicago. This is a segment I found on an old VHS tape that pretty much explains it all. Sorry for the poor quality, but this is worth watching for anyone.
- published: 06 Mar 2011
- views: 47665
- author: theAIRJORDANblitz
7:11
Phil Jackson Shows Off The Axiom Pro
An added video to compliment the review of the Axiom Pro by Russ....
published: 06 Jan 2010
author: airusersblog
Phil Jackson Shows Off The Axiom Pro
An added video to compliment the review of the Axiom Pro by Russ.
- published: 06 Jan 2010
- views: 75294
- author: airusersblog
2:17
Phil Jackson Interview
Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson talks about winning championships with Chicago and Los Ange...
published: 04 Aug 2009
author: Rezorn SG
Phil Jackson Interview
Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson talks about winning championships with Chicago and Los Angeles.
- published: 04 Aug 2009
- views: 9771
- author: Rezorn SG
0:52
Reports: Mike Brown To Succeed Phil Jackson as Coach of Lakers
Mike Brown is trending on reports that he will be named head coach of the Los Angeles Lake...
published: 25 May 2011
author: slatester
Reports: Mike Brown To Succeed Phil Jackson as Coach of Lakers
Mike Brown is trending on reports that he will be named head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, taking the place of Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, who just retired. Brown coached the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals but was fired in 2010 after failing to win a championship with LeBron James. Brown is getting some preliminary boos and hisses from Lakers fans. EyeCandy2 tweeted: "The Lakers cannot be serious about this Mike Brown head coach situation. Do they really think he can coach Kobe?" No word yet on what Jack Nicholson thinks. Brown has some serious shoes to fill, given Jackson's run of championships. But the bitter end to the Lakers' most recent season buys Brown a little wiggle room, at least until October when the next season gets under way. ;
- published: 25 May 2011
- views: 4042
- author: slatester
Vimeo results:
3:40
Commotion - The Hundred in the Hands
Taken from the album 'The Hundred In the Hands'
warp.net/the-hundred-in-the-hands
Produc...
published: 15 Oct 2010
author: DANIELS
Commotion - The Hundred in the Hands
Taken from the album 'The Hundred In the Hands'
warp.net/the-hundred-in-the-hands
Produced by
Gaetano Crupi
Directed by DANIELS
(daniel scheinert & daniel kwan)
Director of Photography
Jackson Hunt (http://vimeo.com/user4897994)
2nd Unit/Band Photography
Pat Scola
Executive Producer
Laura Tunstall
Starring
Phil Hamilton
David Craft
Eleanore Pienta
Benjamin Sloane
Sunita Mani
and many more
Machina Pictures (http://www.machinapictures.com/)
property of WARP films 2010
www.danieldaniel.us
1:00
Smirnoff / Pharrell Williams: Start Pure
AEAF 2012 • Finalist (TVC/VFX)
APDG 2012 • Finalist (Design on an Advertisement) • Finali...
published: 28 Aug 2011
author: Scott Geersen
Smirnoff / Pharrell Williams: Start Pure
AEAF 2012 • Finalist (TVC/VFX)
APDG 2012 • Finalist (Design on an Advertisement) • Finalist (Visual Effects)
“How you start is everything,” says the stoic Pharrell, standing in a white, spaceship-like room. “I start pure — with a blank canvas."
Featuring his track 'Truth or Dare', Pharrell shows us how he creates layer after layer of sound to mix a track. First he adds adds the beat, trying out a round of percussionists, then the “groove”. As Pharrell sleepily points his finger, visions of instrumentalists - personified audio samples - spring to life, filling the room. “Then, the vocals,” he commands, and the white space is transformed into a packed club, its imperturbable creator above, looking on calmly at the crowd. The result: a perfectly mixed, full impact sound. The parallels to a Smirnoff mixed drink are obvious enough.
Directed by Darryl Ward of Curious Films, Cutting Edge had two weeks to create a minute-long VFX heavy piece for Smirnoff and Leo Burnett Sydney, as well as 30' and 15' versions. From the architectural pre-vis to the transitions to the rotoscoping and compositing, it was a tight turn-around.
An added feature of the campaign will be that smart phone users will be able to "Shazam" the commercial to access additional footage and further information on the campaign from an exclusive micro-website. This is a first for a TV commercial in Australia.
Says Pharrell: "I like how Smirnoff present a pure vodka, perfect for mixing - this is what I try to do with my music, so I agreed to be a part of this campaign."
For the music afficianados, watch closely for appearances of actual musicians (not actors!) such as Prescott Ellison, Stevie Starlight, and blues great Roy Gaines.
Watch the Making Of here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRxS4DLvL8s&hd;=1
Credits:
Post Production: Cutting Edge
VFX Supervisor: Ron Roberts
Creative Director: Brent Grayburn
Lead Compositor: Scott Geersen
Compositors: Jeff Gaunt, Tim Walker & Lars Andersen
3D Artist Fluid Simulation: Phil Jackson
3D Artists: Tom King, David Brown, Lyle Carroll, Rob Conn, Ben Swinbanks & Jostein Finnekaasa
Nuke Artists: Daniel Loui, Genevieve Serna, Adam Jones and Sandeep Vengsarkar
Producer: Abby Buick
Assistant VFX Producer: Flavia Riley & Katherine Webb
Production Company: Curious Film
Director: Darryl Ward
DOP: Christophe Lanzenberg
Producer: Tara Riddell
Executive Producer: Peter Grasse
Editor: Patrick Fileti
Agency: Leo Burnett Sydney
Executive Creative Director Andy DiLallo
Creative Director: Tim Green
Art Director: Chris Moreira
Copywriter: Mark Schoeller
Head of Client Services: Peter Bosilkovski
Agency Producers: Rita Gagliardi & Tim Denton
Featured on:
Fubiz (http://www.fubiz.net/2011/08/31/smirnoff-pharrell-williams/)
AdWeek.com Ad of the Day (http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ad-day-smirnoff-134482)
Trendhunter (http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pharrell-williams-smirnoff)
20:23
Phil Jackson Teaches the Triangle Offense
Learning the Triangle Offense ....
published: 08 Aug 2008
author: Good Feather
Phil Jackson Teaches the Triangle Offense
Learning the Triangle Offense .
2:37
FOCALPOINT // HAVE FUN WITH IT PROMO
The first in a series of mix tape style DVD's released every five months.
Riders featured...
published: 03 Feb 2011
author: FOCALPOINTBMX
FOCALPOINT // HAVE FUN WITH IT PROMO
The first in a series of mix tape style DVD's released every five months.
Riders featured are... Marnold, Daniel Johnson, Cooper Brownlee, Sam Illman, Big Salad, Lachy Swanton, Flagz, Luke Vandenberg, Jack Kelly, Mick Bayzand, Troy Jackson, Dylan Kneebone, Nick Harris, Kym Grosser, Mitchell McDonald, Codie Ryan, Phil Del Tito, Polly, Graham Stott, and Rhys Yeomans.
Available in stores or online at www.focalpointbmx.com
Youtube results:
14:19
Best/Funniest Sport Interviews of ALL-TIME [Original]
Best Sport Interview Ever! sorry if i forgot some, but i got most of them. Please subscrib...
published: 19 Apr 2012
author: JNguyen620
Best/Funniest Sport Interviews of ALL-TIME [Original]
Best Sport Interview Ever! sorry if i forgot some, but i got most of them. Please subscribe/comment/rate/like it took a long time to make this! lol ENJOY! These clips were filmed by ESPN/NBA/ABC/TNT/.. etc.. I do not own anything and all rights go to them.
- published: 19 Apr 2012
- views: 17136
- author: JNguyen620
9:18
Lakers Coach Phil Jackson on Game 5 103-101 victory over Phoenix Suns
Lakers Coach Phil Jackson on Game 5 103-101 victory over Phoenix Suns...
published: 28 May 2010
author: losangelestimes
Lakers Coach Phil Jackson on Game 5 103-101 victory over Phoenix Suns
Lakers Coach Phil Jackson on Game 5 103-101 victory over Phoenix Suns
- published: 28 May 2010
- views: 2347
- author: losangelestimes
13:37
THE AVENGERS Interviews: Evans, Hemsworth, Ruffalo, Jackson, Johannson, Hiddleston, Smulders & more!
Emmy winner Jake Hamilton sits down with the stars of THE AVENGERS -- Chris Evans (Captain...
published: 15 Apr 2012
author: jakethemovieguy
THE AVENGERS Interviews: Evans, Hemsworth, Ruffalo, Jackson, Johannson, Hiddleston, Smulders & more!
Emmy winner Jake Hamilton sits down with the stars of THE AVENGERS -- Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Scarlett Johannson (Black Widow), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson) and director Joss Whedon -- only on JAKE'S TAKES! Follow Jake around the world at twitter.com/jakestakes
- published: 15 Apr 2012
- views: 157652
- author: jakethemovieguy
8:10
Phil Donahue on Robert H. Jackson
Aug. 23, 2006, Phil Donahue was interviewed at the Robert H. Jackson Center on various sub...
published: 03 Oct 2009
author: RobertHJacksonCenter
Phil Donahue on Robert H. Jackson
Aug. 23, 2006, Phil Donahue was interviewed at the Robert H. Jackson Center on various subjects by Center President Greg Peterson. In this vignette Mr. Donahue discusses the story of West Virginia v. Barnette and the majority opinion written by Justice Robert H. Jackson. For further information, see www.roberthjackson.org. c copyright, Robert H.Jackson Center 2006
- published: 03 Oct 2009
- views: 82837
- author: RobertHJacksonCenter
photo: AP / Ariel Schalit
31 Jan 2013
Zeenews Bureau. Damascus. The Syrian Army has confirmed that Israeli Air Force fighter planes carried out strikes in its territory, but denied reports of a convoy carrying weapons to Lebanon was bombed. The Syrian Army statement says that the IAF jet fighters’ target was a military research centre near the border with Lebanon. Two people have been reported to be dead and five others injured in the attack ... First Published ... ....(size: 2.6Kb)
photo: AP / Aleppo Revolution Against Assad Regime
29 Jan 2013
By Alexander Dziadosz and Oliver Holmes. BEIRUT, Jan 29 (Reuters) - At least 65 people were found shot dead with their hands bound in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday in a "new massacre" in the near two-year revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, activists said. Opposition campaigners blamed the government but it was impossible to confirm who was responsible ... The U.N ... State media did not mention the incident ... STALEMATE ... ....(size: 9.0Kb)
photo: AP / Korea Aerospace Research Institute
30 Jan 2013
Launch of 140-tonne rocket likely to anger North Korea, which incurred tougher UN sanctions after December launch. The rocket takes off from its launchpad at Naro, south of Seoul. South Korea has twice before failed to put a satellite into space. Photograph. Kari/AFP/Getty Images ... Relief greeted the Naro rocket's flawless liftoff from a space centre on the south coast at 4pm local time ... ....(size: 3.1Kb)
photo: AP / ESPN Images, Eric Lards Bakke
31 Jan 2013
A freestyle snowmobile rider hurt in a crash at last week's Winter X Games in Colorado has died at the age of 25. Caleb Moore was attempting a backflip when his snowmobile caught the edge of a landing area, sending him over the handlebars. The 450-lb (204-kg) snowmobile rolled over him ... 'Deeply saddened' ... ....(size: 1.7Kb)
photo: AP / Patrick Semansky
30 Jan 2013
LAS VEGAS -- Seizing an opening to rewrite the nation's immigration laws, President Barack Obama challenged Congress on Tuesday to act swiftly to put 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States on a clear path to citizenship ... The response suggests that reaching consensus on immigration law changes remained difficult despite a new bipartisan push since the November elections ... Mr ... Sen ... He continued ... Although Mr ... Mr ... Mr ... ....(size: 5.5Kb)
Sporting News
01 Feb 2013
MINNEAPOLIS — Ricky Rubio is standing up for his fellow Spaniard Pau Gasol, saying he doesn't think it's fair that the Los Angeles Lakers are bringing Gasol off the bench this season. Rubio was asked about his close friend Gasol on Thursday, one day before his Minnesota Timberwolves were scheduled to host the Lakers ... (AP Photo) ... Mike Brown was fired five games into the season, with D'Antoni getting the job over Phil Jackson ... ....(size: 4.7Kb)
San Francisco Chronicle
31 Jan 2013
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ricky Rubio is standing up for his fellow Spaniard Pau Gasol, saying he doesn't think it's fair that the Los Angeles Lakers are bringing Gasol off the bench this season. Rubio was asked about his close friend Gasol on Thursday, one day before his Minnesota Timberwolves were scheduled to host the Lakers ... "He can pass ... Mike Brown was fired five games into the season, with D'Antoni getting the job over Phil Jackson ... ___....(size: 3.9Kb)
Huffington Post
31 Jan 2013
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ricky Rubio is standing up for his fellow Spaniard Pau Gasol, saying he doesn't think it's fair that the Los Angeles Lakers are bringing Gasol off the bench this season. Rubio was asked about his close friend Gasol on Thursday, one day before his Minnesota Timberwolves were scheduled to host the Lakers ... "He can pass ... Mike Brown was fired five games into the season, with D'Antoni getting the job over Phil Jackson ... ___ ... ....(size: 7.1Kb)
Denver Post
31 Jan 2013
A serving of sports commentary each weekday near noontime. CU football coach Mike MacIntyre (Denver Post file) ... 10 ... In 1999, Gary Barnett was hired away from Northwestern extremely late in the recruiting process, on Jan. 20 ... Translation ... offensive lineman Karl Allis; wide receivers Derek McCoy and John Donahoe; defensive backs Phil Jackson and Medford Moorer; linebackers Joey Johnson and Kory Mossoni; and defensive lineman Gabe Oderberg ... ....(size: 4.3Kb)
Sporting News
31 Jan 2013
February is all but upon us, and of all the surprises that have come around the league, none has been as significant as what the Chicago Bulls have been able to do without Derrick Rose ... Bullish in Chicago ... He has to be impressed with the job Carlesimo has done, and for all the bluster of ex-Lakers/Bulls coach Phil Jackson—or another big name—perhaps being targeted for the Nets job, Carlesimo has gotten the most out of his best players....(size: 6.6Kb)
Business Journal
31 Jan 2013
Andy Giegerich Business Journal staff writer- Portland Business Journal Email . Twitter . Google. In tomorrow’s Portland Business Journal print edition, we’re running part of an interview I did this week with new Portland Trail Blazers President and CEO Chris McGowan ... That doesn’t happen in McGowan's former home of Los Angeles (unless it’s a Magic Johnson or Phil Jackson type). Portland Business Journal ... McGowan ... ....(size: 11.2Kb)
U~T San Diego
31 Jan 2013
Los Ángeles (EEUU), 31 ene (EFE) ... "Ha habido un poquito de todo, así es la vida", manifestó Gasol a Efe ... Con Gasol a bordo, los Lakers de Phil Jackson alcanzaron esa misma temporada las Finales de la NBA, aunque perdieron por 42 en la lucha por el título contra Boston Celtics en unos enfrentamientos que le granjearon al jugador la etiqueta de "blando" por parte de algunos sectores críticos con su juego ... Antonio Martín Guirado ... ....(size: 4.7Kb)
CBS Sports
30 Jan 2013
Back when the San Antonio Spurs were left as the last team standing following a chaotic 50-game season in 1999, then Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson tried to dismiss the Spurs' first NBA championship by saying it deserved an asterisk ... Phil Jackson said before the 2011 lockout ended.“I always kind of term that as an asterisk season out of this fun at poking fun at San Antonio....(size: 5.1Kb)
LA Daily News
30 Jan 2013
By Mark Medina Staff Writer. Posted. 01/29/2013 11.21.06 PM PST. Updated. 01/29/2013 11.52.20 PM PST. NBA. Nash sees his scoring rise as he gets comfortable with Lakers' offense ... The reasons went beyond the medication he took after having knee replacement surgery and surprisingly becoming the Lakers head coach over Phil Jackson....(size: 1.7Kb)
Sporting News
30 Jan 2013
Brooklyn Nets general manager Billy King and team owner Mikhail Prokhorov are meeting this week to discuss interim coach P.J. Carlesimo's future, according to multiple media reports ... — NBA scoreboard. Wednesday games, plus scores, stats, more ... But Prokhorov, enamored with adding a big-name coach, is expected to pursue someone such as Phil Jackson or Jeff Van Gundy in the offseason, the website's sources said ... « OLDER ... ....(size: 2.6Kb)
noodls
30 Jan 2013
(Source ... SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan ... Incorporating Thompson's book Elevating Your Game ... "It will help us and those who support our work-such as Phil Jackson, Steve Young, Doc Rivers, and Summer Sanders-to reinforce our message that 'winning' is not defined just by scoreboard results, and that it is critically important to train young athletes to honor the game by respecting rules, opponents, officials, teammates, and self." ... 408-554-5121....(size: 7.4Kb)
The Guardian
29 Jan 2013
The star-studded LA Lakers have stumbled through injuries, defeats and Dwight Howard speculation. But the players believe they can reach the playoffs. Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant battles against the Utah Jazz. Photograph. Mark J Terrill/AP ... That's the bad news ... Mike D'Antoni, known for his high-octane offensive style, was brought in when many fans and media were clamoring for a third Phil Jackson term ... "It wasn't easy ... Photograph ... ....(size: 8.4Kb)
ESPN
29 Jan 2013
LOS ANGELES -- Earlier this month, Phil Jackson said the would need to have a "come to Jesus" moment if they were to make the playoffs. If you ask and , they'd say that moment came last week when the Lakers held a team meeting in Memphis. Bryant acknowledged during the meeting that he could be hard to play with and asked Howard if he disliked playing alongside him, according to The Los Angeles Times. “ ... ” -- Dwight Howard ... ....(size: 4.0Kb)
This article is about the basketball coach. For other people with the same name, see Philip Jackson (disambiguation).
 |
|
| No. 18, 17 | |
|---|---|
| Forward / Center | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1945-09-17) September 17, 1945 (age 66) Deer Lodge, Montana |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Williston HS (Williston, North Dakota) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | North Dakota (1964–1967) |
| NBA Draft | 1967 / Round: 2 / Pick: 17th overall |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Pro career | 1967–1980 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1967–1978 | New York Knicks |
| 1978–1980 | New Jersey Nets |
| As coach: | |
| 1989–1998 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1999–2004 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2005–2011 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
As player: As coach:
|
|
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 5,428 (6.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,454 (4.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 898 (1.1 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as coach | |
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is a retired American professional basketball coach and former player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1][2] His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998; during his tenure, Chicago won six NBA titles. His next team, the Los Angeles Lakers, won five NBA titles from 2000 to 2010. In total, Jackson has won 11 NBA titles as a coach, surpassing the previous record of nine set by Red Auerbach. He holds the record for the most championships in NBA history as a player and a head coach, after breaking the tie with Bill Russell when the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2009 NBA Finals. He also has the highest winning percentage of any NBA coach (.704). Jackson was a player on the 1970 and 1973 NBA champion New York Knicks.
Jackson is known for his use of Tex Winter's triangle offense as well as a holistic approach to coaching that is influenced by Eastern philosophy, earning him the nickname "Zen Master". Jackson cites Robert Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as one of the major guiding forces in his life. He also applies Native American spiritual practices as documented in his book Sacred Hoops.[3] He is the author of several candid books about his teams and his basketball strategies. Jackson is also a recipient of the state of North Dakota's Roughrider Award. In 2007 Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.[4]
In 1996, as part of celebrations for the National Basketball Association's 50th anniversary, Jackson was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history.[1]
Contents |
Early years[link]
Jackson was born in Deer Lodge, Montana. Both of his parents, Charles and Elisabeth Funk[5] Jackson, were Assemblies of God ministers. Elisabeth came from a long line of Mennonites before her conversion to the Assemblies of God. In the churches that they served, his father generally preached on Sunday mornings and his mother on Sunday evenings. Eventually, his father became a ministerial supervisor.[5] Phil, his two brothers, and his half-sister grew up in a remote area of Montana in an austere environment, in which no dancing or television was allowed. Jackson did not see his first movie until he was a senior in high school, and went to a dance for the first time in college.[5] Growing up, he assumed he would become a minister.
Jackson attended high school in Williston, North Dakota where he played varsity basketball and led the team to two state titles. He also played football, was a pitcher on the baseball team, and threw the discus in track and field competitions.[5] The high school now has a sports complex named after him. His brother Chuck speculated years later that the three Jackson sons threw themselves passionately into athletics because it was the only time they were allowed to do what other children were doing.[5] Jackson attracted the attention of several baseball scouts. Their notes found their way to future NBA coach Bill Fitch, who had previously coached baseball, and had been doing some scouting for the Atlanta Braves. Fitch took over as head basketball coach at the University of North Dakota in the spring of 1962, during Jackson's junior year of high school.[5]
Bill Fitch successfully recruited Jackson to UND, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.[5][6] Jackson did well there, helping the Fighting Sioux to third- and fourth-place finishes in the NCAA Division II tournament in his sophomore and junior years (1965 and 1966). Both years, they were beaten by Southern Illinois.[5] Jackson's future Knicks teammate Walt Frazier was the Salukis' biggest star, but the two only faced off in 1965, as Frazier was academically ineligible in 1966.
NBA playing career[link]
In 1967, Jackson was drafted in the second round by the New York Knicks. While he was a good all-around athlete, with unusually long arms, he was limited offensively and[5] compensated with intelligence and hard work on defense.[5] Jackson eventually established himself as a fan favorite and one of the NBA's leading substitutes. He was a top reserve on the Knicks team that won the NBA title in 1973. Jackson missed being part of New York's 1970 championship season due to spinal fusion surgery; however, he authored a book entitled "Take It All," a photo diary of the Knicks' 1970 Championship run.
Soon after the 1973 title, several key starters retired, creating an opening for Jackson in the starting lineup.[5] In the 1974-75 NBA season, Jackson and the Milwaukee Bucks' Bob Dandridge shared the lead for total personal fouls, with 330 each.[7] Jackson lived in Leonia, New Jersey during this time.[8] After going across the Hudson in 1978 to play two seasons for the New Jersey Nets, he retired from play in 1980.
Coaching[link]
In the following years, he mainly coached in lower-level professional leagues, notably the Continental Basketball Association and Puerto Rico's National Superior Basketball (BSN). While in the CBA, he won his first coaching championship, leading the Albany Patroons to their first CBA title in 1984. In Puerto Rico, he coached the Piratas de Quebradillas (1984 and 1987) and the Gallitos de Isabela (1984–1986), both teams with great tradition in the league. He regularly sought an NBA job, but was invariably turned down. He had acquired a reputation for being sympathetic to the counterculture during his playing years, which may have scared off potential NBA employers.[5]
Chicago Bulls[link]
Jackson was hired as assistant coach, under Doug Collins, for the Bulls in 1987, and promoted to head coach in 1989. It was around this time that he met Tex Winter and became a devotee of Winter's triangle offense.[9][10] Over 9 seasons, Jackson coached the Bulls to 6 championships in impressive fashion, twice winning three straight championships over separate three year periods. The "three-peat" was the first since the Boston Celtics won eight titles in a row from 1959 through 1966.
Jackson and the Bulls made the playoffs every year, and failed to win the title only three times. Michael Jordan's first retirement after the 1993 season marked the end of the first "three-peat," and although Jordan returned just before the 1995 playoffs, it was not enough to prevent a playoff exit to the Orlando Magic.
Despite the Bulls' success, tension between Jackson and Bulls general manager Jerry Krause grew. Some believed that Krause felt under-recognized for building a championship team and believed that Jackson was indebted to him for giving him his first NBA coaching job. In the summer of 1997, Jackson was not invited to the wedding of Krause's stepdaughter, although all of the Bulls' assistant coaches were, as was Tim Floyd, then head coach at Iowa State, Jackson's eventual successor.[5] After contentious negotiations, Jackson was signed for the 1997–98 season only. Krause announced the signing by emphasizing that Jackson would not be rehired even if the Bulls won the 1997–98 title. Jackson then told Krause that he seemed to be rooting for the other side, to which Krause responded, "I don't care if it's 82-and-0 this year, you're fucking gone."[5] Krause publicly portrayed Jackson as a two-faced character who had very little regard for his assistant coaches. At the height of the controversy in the spring of 1998, one of Krause's staff went to press row in Chicago's United Center to explain to a reporter the insidious nature of Jackson's ego.
After the Bulls' final title of the Jordan era in 1998, Jackson left the team vowing never to coach again.[11] However, after taking a year off, he decided to give it another chance with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999.
Los Angeles Lakers[link]
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This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011) |
Jackson took over a talented Lakers team and immediately produced results as he did in Chicago. In his first year in L.A., the Lakers went 67–15 during the regular season to top the league. Reaching the conference finals, they dispatched the Portland Trail Blazers in a tough seven-game series and then won the 2000 NBA championship by beating the Indiana Pacers.
With the talented superstar duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the strong supporting cast of Glen Rice, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Devean George, A. C. Green, Robert Horry, and Brian Shaw, and the assistance of former Bulls Horace Grant, Ron Harper, and John Salley, Jackson would lead the Lakers to two additional titles in 2001 and 2002, against the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, adding up to his third three-peat as head coach. The main serious challenge the Lakers faced was from their conference rival, the Sacramento Kings.
However, injuries, weak bench play, and full-blown public tension between Bryant and O'Neal eventually slowed the team down, and they were beaten in the second round of the 2003 NBA Playoffs by the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs. Afterward, Jackson clashed frequently with Bryant. While remarkably efficient in Jackson's "triangle offense", Bryant had a personal distaste for Jackson's brand of basketball and subsequently called it "boring." In games, Bryant would often disregard the set offense completely to experiment with his own one-on-one moves, incensing the normally calm Jackson. Bryant managed to test Jackson's patience enough that the "Zen Master" even demanded that Bryant be traded, although Laker management rejected the request.
Prior to the 2003–04 season, the Lakers signed NBA star veterans Karl Malone and Gary Payton, who had been franchise players for the Utah Jazz and the Seattle SuperSonics, respectively, leading to predictions by some that the team would finish with the best record in NBA history. But from the first day of training camp, the Lakers were beset by distractions. Bryant's trial for alleged sexual assault, continued public sniping between O'Neal and Bryant, and repeated disputes between Jackson and Bryant all affected the team during the season. Despite these distractions, the Lakers beat the defending champion Spurs en route to advancing to the 2004 NBA Finals and were heavy favorites to regain the title. However, they were stunned by the Detroit Pistons, who used their strong defense to dominate the Lakers, winning the title four games to one. This marked the first time in 10 attempts as head coach that Jackson had lost in the NBA Finals.
On June 18, 2004, three days after the loss to the Pistons, the Lakers announced that Jackson would leave his position as Lakers coach. Jackson was seeking to double his salary from $6 million to $12 million on his expiring contract. He had a contract offer outstanding from the Lakers, but he had not acted on it.[12] Winter said Jackson announced at the All-Star break that he would not want to return to the Lakers if Bryant returned.[12] Many fans attributed Jackson's departure directly to the wishes of Bryant, as Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss reportedly sided with Bryant. Jackson, Bryant and Buss all denied that Bryant had made any explicit demand regarding Jackson. However, O'Neal, upon hearing General Manager Mitch Kupchak's announcement of the team's willingness to trade O'Neal and its intention to keep Bryant, indicated that he felt the franchise was indeed pandering to Bryant's wishes with the departure of Jackson. O'Neal's trade to the Miami Heat was the end of the "Trifecta" that had led the Lakers to three championship titles.
That fall, Jackson released The Last Season, a book which describes his point of view of the tensions that surrounded the 2003–04 Lakers team. The book was pointedly critical of Kobe Bryant.
Without Jackson and O'Neal the Lakers were forced to become a faster paced team on the court. Though they achieved some success in the first half of the season, injuries to several players including stars Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom forced the team out of contention, going 34–48 in 2004–05 and missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. Rudy Tomjanovich, Jackson's successor as coach, resigned midway through the season after coaching just 41 games, citing health issues not relating to his past bout with bladder cancer, which immediately led to speculation that the Lakers might bring Jackson back.
On June 15, 2005, the Lakers rehired Jackson. Jackson took a Laker squad that was mediocre, aside from Bryant, and led them to a seventh-seed playoff berth. Once again promoting the notion of selfless team play embodied by the triangle offense, the team achieved substantial results, especially in the last month of the season. Jackson also worked seamlessly with Bryant, who had earlier shown his desire to bring back Jackson to the bench. Bryant's regular-season performance won him the league scoring title and made him a finalist in MVP voting. However, the Lakers faced a tough 2006 first-round matchup against the second-seeded Phoenix Suns, who were led by eventual MVP winner Steve Nash. It was the first time that Jackson's team had failed to reach the second round of the playoffs. The Lakers jumped out to a 3–1 lead following a dramatic last second shot by Bryant in overtime to win game four, but the Suns recovered to win the last three and take the series.
On January 7, 2007, Jackson won his 900th game, then placing him 9th on the all-time win list for NBA coaches. With this win, Jackson became the fastest to reach 900 career wins, doing so in only 1,264 games and beating Pat Riley's previous record of 900 in 1,278 games.
On December 12, 2007, after announcing he would return to his position as coach just a few days prior, Jackson inked a 2-year contract extension to continue his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers through the end of the 2009–2010 season.
During the 2007–08 season, the Lakers were able to obtain Pau Gasol in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. With another star to pair with Bryant, Jackson coached the Lakers to an appearance in the 2008 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Boston went on to win the series 4–2, in the process handing Jackson and the Lakers their worst playoff loss ever in Game 6, a 39 point defeat. It was only the 2nd time in 11 appearances that Jackson had lost an NBA Finals.
On December 25, 2008, Jackson became the sixth coach to win 1,000 games, with the Lakers defeating the Celtics in their first matchup since the last year's finals. He was the fastest to win 1,000 games, surpassing Pat Riley, who had taken 11 more games than Jackson.
Jackson again coached the Lakers to the NBA Finals in 2009, defeating the Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets in the process. In the Finals, the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 4–1, clinching Jackson's 10th NBA championship as head coach and surpassing the record for most championships won by a head coach previously held by Red Auerbach.
On February 3, 2010, Jackson recorded his 534th win as Lakers head coach, surpassing Pat Riley to become the most successful coach in franchise history. The Lakers would go on to a fifth consecutive playoff berth in 2010. They defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns in the playoffs before defeating the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals, earning Jackson his eleventh NBA championship as head coach and his fifth with the Lakers.[13] He tied original Lakers head coach John Kundla's record for most championships won by a head coach in franchise history.
On July 1, 2010, Jackson, after giving it tremendous thought and consulting with his doctors over health concerns, announced that he would return to coach the Lakers for the 2010–11 season.[14]
On August 2, 2010, Jackson signed a new contract with the Lakers to return for what he mentioned was "his last stand", meaning the 2010–11 season would be his last. In January 2011, he reiterated that it would be his final season, explaining that in the past there was the possibility that maybe he would reconsider. "This year, there's no maybe," said Jackson.[15] He reasserted that position after the Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by that season's eventual NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks, in the conference semifinals.[16]
Awards[link]
![[icon]](http://web.archive.org./web/20130201054927/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} |
This section requires expansion. |
In 2002 the United States Sports Academy awarded Jackson the Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award.[17]
Motivational techniques[link]
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This section requires expansion. |
Along with being called the "Zen Master," Jackson is known as the master of mind games.
In the 2001 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, Jackson had Tyronn Lue, a player on the Lakers who was comparable in size and height to Sixers star Allen Iverson, wear a sock on his arm during Lakers practice to simulate Iverson's use of a compression arm sleeve as part of his regular gametime attire. Philadelphia media considered this to be a mind game tactic of Jackson's, but the main idea was to simulate what a game against Iverson is like, right down to the tattoos and cornrows (which Lue also had).[18]
Head coaching record[link]
Jackson has had a winning record every year as a head coach, and currently has the highest winning percentage of any Hall of Fame coach. Along with his NBA-record eleven championships, he is the only coach to win at least ten championships in any of North America's major professional sports.
| Legend | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win-loss % | |
| Post season | PG | Playoff Games | PW | Playoff Wins | PL | Playoff Losses | PW–L % | Playoff Win-loss % | |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHI | 1989–90 | 82 | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2nd in Central | 16 | 10 | 6 | .625 | Lost in Conf. Finals |
| CHI | 1990–91 | 82 | 61 | 21 | .744 | 1st in Central | 17 | 15 | 2 | .882 | Won NBA Championship |
| CHI | 1991–92 | 82 | 67 | 15 | .817 | 1st in Central | 22 | 15 | 7 | .682 | Won NBA Championship |
| CHI | 1992–93 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 1st in Central | 19 | 15 | 4 | .789 | Won NBA Championship |
| CHI | 1993–94 | 82 | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2nd in Central | 10 | 6 | 4 | .600 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| CHI | 1994–95 | 82 | 47 | 35 | .573 | 3rd in Central | 10 | 5 | 5 | .500 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| CHI | 1995–96 | 82 | 72 | 10 | .878 | 1st in Central | 18 | 15 | 3 | .833 | Won NBA Championship |
| CHI | 1996–97 | 82 | 69 | 13 | .841 | 1st in Central | 19 | 15 | 4 | .789 | Won NBA Championship |
| CHI | 1997–98 | 82 | 62 | 20 | .756 | 1st in Central | 21 | 15 | 6 | .714 | Won NBA Championship |
| LAL | 1999–00 | 82 | 67 | 15 | .817 | 1st in Pacific | 23 | 15 | 8 | .652 | Won NBA Championship |
| LAL | 2000–01 | 82 | 56 | 26 | .683 | 1st in Pacific | 16 | 15 | 1 | .938 | Won NBA Championship |
| LAL | 2001–02 | 82 | 58 | 24 | .707 | 2nd in Pacific | 19 | 15 | 4 | .789 | Won NBA Championship |
| LAL | 2002–03 | 82 | 50 | 32 | .610 | 2nd in Pacific | 12 | 6 | 6 | .500 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| LAL | 2003–04 | 82 | 56 | 26 | .683 | 1st in Pacific | 22 | 13 | 9 | .591 | Lost in NBA Finals |
| LAL | 2005–06 | 82 | 45 | 37 | .549 | 3rd in Pacific | 7 | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in First Round |
| LAL | 2006–07 | 82 | 42 | 40 | .512 | 2nd in Pacific | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | Lost in First Round |
| LAL | 2007–08 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 1st in Pacific | 21 | 14 | 7 | .667 | Lost in NBA Finals |
| LAL | 2008–09 | 82 | 65 | 17 | .793 | 1st in Pacific | 23 | 16 | 7 | .696 | Won NBA Championship |
| LAL | 2009–10 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 1st in Pacific | 23 | 16 | 7 | .696 | Won NBA Championship |
| LAL | 2010–11 | 82 | 57 | 25 | .695 | 1st in Pacific | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | Lost in Conf. Semifinals |
| Career | 1640 | 1155 | 485 | .704 | 333 | 229 | 104 | .688 |
Personal life[link]
Jackson is divorced with five children and seven grandchildren.[19] Jackson has been dating Jeanie Buss, the daughter of Lakers owner Jerry Buss, since 2001.[19] He owns homes in Playa del Rey, Los Angeles, and Lakeside, Montana.[20]
Books by Phil Jackson[link]
- Take It All!. 1970. ISBN 0-02-029190-6.
- Maverick. 1975. ISBN 0-87223-439-8.
- Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior. 1995. ISBN 0-7868-6206-8.
- More than a Game. 2001. ISBN 1-58322-060-7.
- The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul. 2004. ISBN 1-59420-035-1.
- The Los Angeles Lakers: 50 Amazing Years in the City of Angels (Foreword by Phil Jackson). 2009. ISBN 0-9823242-0-0.
- Journey to the Ring: Behind the Scenes with the 2010 NBA Champion Lakers. 2010. ISBN 0-9823242-2-7. http://www.journeytothering.com/.
References[link]
- ^ a b "Top 10 Coaches in NBA History". NBA.com. http://www.nba.com/history/top_10_coaches.html. Retrieved August 29, 2009.
- ^ Auerbach vs Jackson
- ^ Online NewsHour: Court Zen- June 16, 2000
- ^ "RealGM: Wiretap Archives: Jackson And Williams Lead HOF Class". http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/45442/20070402/jackson_and_williams_lead_hof_class/.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Halberstam, David (1999). Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made. New York: Random House. pp. 252–53. ISBN 0-679-41562-9.
- ^ Facts and History, Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
- ^ 1974–75 NBA Player Register, basketball-reference.com
- ^ Adamek, Steve; and Iannazzone, Al. "Lakers Notebook", The Record (Bergen County), June 5, 2002. Accessed March 30, 2011. "Phil Jackson's memories of New Jersey are fond and forgetful. He finished his playing career with the Nets when they played their home games at Rutgers, about an hour trip from where he lived in Leonia."
- ^ "Former K-State basketball star dies at 72". ABC News. KTKA.com. February 22, 2007. http://www.ktka.com/news/2007/feb/22/Former_K_State_basketball/. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
- ^ "Candidates for the 2007 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame announced". Canada Basketball. May 25, 2007. http://www.basketball.ca/en/hm/inside.php?sid=87&id=1161&PHPSESSID=1f02554bda44c6de62046f6a3f345ec6. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
- ^ "The head Bull rides off into the sunset". CNN.com (Associated Press). June 22, 1998. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/news/1998/06/22/jackson_update/. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
- ^ a b Lazenby 2006, p.423
- ^ "Bryant, Artest rally Lakers to 16th championship". ESPN. June 17, 2010. http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300617013. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ Phil Jackson returning to coach Lakers next season Yahoo Sports. July 1, 2010. Accessed July 5, 2010.
- ^ McMenamin, Dave (February 28, 2011). "Phil Jackson still plans to retire". ESPNLosAngeles.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5wRLD9RTl.
- ^ Howard-Cooper, Scott (May 11, 2011). "Phil Jackson is Retired … Maybe". NBA.com. http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/05/11/phil-jackson-is-retired-maybe/. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
- ^ http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=12389&html=basketball/men/news/20070717060100.html&sport=baskm
- ^ NBA Finals 2001
- ^ a b Goudreau, Jenna. Forbes. http://blogs.forbes.com/jennagoudreau/2011/01/24/la-lakers-jeanie-buss-doesnt-play-by-the-rules-gayle-king-phil-jackson-boy-toy-playboy.
- ^ Retirement can't come soon enough for Phil Jackson
Additional reading[link]
- Lazenby, Roland (2006). The Show: The Inside Story of the Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers in the Words of Those Who Lived It. New York City: McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-143034-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=HiH8z6EmSIsC&lpg=PA121&vq=balloons&dq=the%20show%20roland%20lazenby&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
External links[link]
 |
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Phil Jackson |
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Phil Jackson |
- Phil Jackson player file at NBA.com
- Phil Jackson coach profile at NBA.com
- Phil Jackson InsideHoops.com profile
- Phil Jackson at the Internet Movie Database
- National Basketball Hall of Fame
- NBA career stats as a coach at Basketball-Reference
- NBA career stats as a player at Basketball-Reference
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jackson, Phil |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | American basketball player |
| Date of birth | September 17, 1945 |
| Place of birth | Deer Lodge, Montana |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Phil_Jackson
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Jackson
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
 Howard in 2011 |
|
| No. 12 – Orlando Magic | |
|---|---|
| Center | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1985-12-08) December 8, 1985 (age 26) Atlanta, Georgia |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall |
| Selected by the Orlando Magic | |
| Pro career | 2004–present |
| Career history | |
| 2004–present | Orlando Magic |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Dwight David Howard (born December 8, 1985)[1] 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 six-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA team selection, five-time All-Defensive member, and three-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.
Contents |
Early life[link]
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.[1] A devout Christian since his youth, Howard became serious about basketball around the age of nine; when in the eighth grade, he resolved to be selected as the number one pick in the NBA Draft one day.[2][3] Despite his large frame, Howard was quick and versatile enough to play the guard position.[3] He elected to attend Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy for high school, and in his four years he played mostly as power forward, averaging 16.6 points per game (ppg), 13.4 rebounds per game (rpg) and 6.3 blocks per game in 129 appearances.[1][3] As a senior, Howard led his team to the 2004 state title.[3] He averaged 25 points, 18 rebounds, 8.1 blocks and 3.5 assists per game.[3] That same year, Howard was widely recognized as the best American high school basketball player, and he was awarded the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award, the Morgan Wootten High School Player of the Year Award, Gatorade National Player of the Year and the McDonald's National High School Player of the Year honor.[4] He was also co-MVP (with J. R. Smith) of the McDonald's High School All-American Game that year.[4] On January 31, 2012, Howard was also honored as one of the 35 greatest McDonald's All-Americans.[5]
NBA career[link]
Early years (2004–2007)[link]
Following his high school successes, Howard chose to forego college and declared for the 2004 NBA Draft—a decision partly inspired by his idol Kevin Garnett who had done the same in 1995—where the Orlando Magic selected him first overall over UConn junior Emeka Okafor.[1][3] He took the number 12 for his jersey, in part because it was the reverse of Garnett's 21 when he played for Minnesota.[6] 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.[3] Howard, however, made an immediate impact. He finished his rookie season with an average of 12.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg,[7] setting several NBA records in the process. He became the youngest player in NBA history to average a double double in the regular season.[4] He also became the youngest player in NBA history to average at least 10 rebounds in a season and youngest NBA player ever to record at least 20 rebounds in a game.[4] Howard's importance to the Magic was highlighted when he became the first player in NBA history directly out of high school to start all 82 games during his rookie season.[4] For his efforts, he was selected to play in the 2005 NBA Rookie Challenge, and was unanimously selected to the All-Rookie Team.[4] He also finished third to fellow center Emeka Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats and guard Ben Gordon of the Chicago Bulls for the Rookie of the Year award.[8]
Howard reported to camp for his second NBA campaign having added 20 pounds of muscle during the off-season.[3] Orlando coach Brian Hill—responsible for grooming former Magic superstar Shaquille O'Neal—decided that Howard should be converted into a full-fledged center.[3] Hill identified two areas where Howard needed to improve: his post-up game, and his defense. He exerted extra pressure on Howard, saying that the Magic would need him to emerge as a force in the middle before the team had a chance at the playoffs.[3] Even though the big man played tentatively at times, he was able to build on his strong rookie year with an impressive sophomore season. On November 15, 2005, in a home game against the Charlotte Bobcats, Howard scored 21 points and 20 rebounds, becoming the youngest player ever to score 20 or more points and gather 20 or more rebounds in the same game.[9] He was selected to play on the Sophomore Team in the 2006 Rookie Challenge during the All-Star break,[1] and on April 15, 2006, he recorded a career-high 26 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers; his 28 points in that game also brought him close to an NBA rarity, a 30–30 game.[3][7] Overall, he averaged 15.8 points and 12.5 rebounds[7] per game, ranking second in the NBA in rebounds per game, offensive rebounds, and double doubles; and sixth in field goal percentage.[1] Despite Howard's improvement, the Magic finished the season with a 36–46 win-loss record and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season since Howard's arrival.[10]
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.[7] On February 1, 2007, he received his first NBA All-Star selection as a reserve on the Eastern Conference squad for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.[1] Howard finished the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds.[11] Less than a week later, he recorded a career-high 32 points against the Toronto Raptors.[12] 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.[13] As the push for playoff spots intensified, Howard was instrumental, recording another career-high 35 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 14, 2007.[14] 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.[15] However, the Magic were swept by the eventual Eastern Conference finalist Detroit Pistons in the first round.[16] 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.[17]
Leader of consecutive division champions (2007–2010)[link]
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).[18][19] 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.[20] Howard led the Magic to their first division title in 12 years and to the third seed for the 2008 NBA Playoffs,[19] and in the first-round match-up against the Toronto Raptors, Howard's dominance (three 20 point/20 rebound games) and point guard Jameer Nelson's strong play ensured that Orlando prevailed over five games.[21] Howard's series total of 91 rebounds was also greater than the total rebounds collected by the entire Toronto frontcourt.[22] 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.[23] In that same week, the center was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time,[19] and subsequently, the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.[24] 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.[25]
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.[26] 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.[27] On March 25, 2009, Howard led Orlando to its second straight Southeast Division title with 11 games of the regular season left to play,[28] and eventually the third seed for the 2009 NBA Playoffs with a 59–23 record.[29] 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.[6] The Magic went into the playoffs without its injured starting point guard Jameer Nelson, and in the first round against the 76ers, Howard recorded 24 points and 24 rebounds in Game 5 to give Orlando a 3–2 lead, before the Magic closed out the series in six games. On May 6, 2009, the center was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team,[30] and a week later, to the All-NBA First Team.[31]
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.[32] 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.[33] 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.[34] The Lakers went on to win Game 5, and the NBA Finals.[35]
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.[36] 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.[37] 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.[37] During the playoffs, the Magic defeated both Charlotte and Atlanta 4 games to none, in the first and second rounds respectively. In reaching the Conference Finals again, the Magic faced Boston—who had upset Cleveland in the Semifinals—Orlando lost the first three games, took the next two, but finally succumbed in Game 6.
Frustration (2010–present)[link]
In the 2010–11 regular season, Howard posted career-highs in points and shooting percentages, but the Magic were unable to win their division for the fourth straight year. Although the Miami Heat won the division, the Magic won 52 games, and finished as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. However, the Magic lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first-round of the playoffs.[38] Howard led the NBA in technical fouls with 18 in the regular season, and received one-game suspensions after his 16th and 18th technicals.[39]
Due to a lockout, the 2011–12 regular season was shortened to 66 games. Not long after the lockout ended, Howard, who was eligible to become a free agent at the end of the season, demanded a trade to either the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers or Dallas Mavericks.[40] Howard stated that although his preference was to remain in Orlando, he did not feel the Magic organization was doing enough to build a championship contender.[41] He would later meet with Magic officials and agree to back off his trade demands, but that he also felt the team needed to make changes to the roster if they wanted to contend for a championship.[42]
On January 12, 2012, Howard attempted an NBA record 39 free throws against the Golden State Warriors. Howard entered the game making 42 percent of his free throws for the season and just below 60 percent for his career. The Warriors hacked Howard intentionally throughout the game, and he broke Wilt Chamberlain's record of 34 set in 1962. Howard made 21 of the 39 attempts, and he finished with 45 points and 23 rebounds in the Magic's 117–109 victory.[43] On January 24, 2012, Howard became the Magic's all-time scoring leader, surpassing Nick Anderson's 10,650 points.[44]
On March 15, 2012, on the day of the trading deadline for the 2011–12 NBA season, Howard signed an amendment to his contract, waiving his right to opt out at the end of the season and committing to stay with the Magic through the 2012–13 season. He had previously asked to be traded to the New Jersey Nets, and the Magic were prepared to trade him had Howard not signed the amendment, to avoid losing him as a free agent.[45]
On April 19, 2012, Howard's agent said that Howard would undergo surgery to repair a hernitated disk in his back, and would miss the rest of the 2011–12 season, as well as the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.[46]
Honors, awards and achievements[link]
Main article: List of career achievements by Dwight Howard
Howard has amassed several NBA and franchise records and awards during his NBA career. He has led the league in rebounds per game three times, blocks per game twice, and double-doubles twice. He is also the youngest player in NBA history to reach one, two, three, four, five, six and seven thousand career rebounds, and the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding and blocks. Following Howard's 2009–10 season, he became the first NBA player ever to lead the league in total rebounds for five consecutive seasons. He surpassed Wilt Chamberlain's record of four from 1959–60–1962–63, and again from 1965–66–1968–69. He became the first player to lead the league in rebounding and blocks in consecutive seasons, and was also the first player ever to lead the league in rebounding, blocks, and field goal percentage in the same season. On April 18, 2011, Howard won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award, becoming the first player in league history to have won the award in three consecutive seasons.
Statistics[link]
Regular season[link]
| Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | Orlando | 82 | 82 | 32.6 | .520 | .000 | .671 | 10.0 | .9 | .9 | 1.7 | 12.0 |
| 2005–06 | Orlando | 82 | 81 | 36.8 | .531 | .000 | .595 | 12.5 | 1.5 | .8 | 1.4 | 15.8 |
| 2006–07 | Orlando | 82 | 82 | 36.9 | .603 | .500 | .586 | 12.3 | 1.9 | .9 | 1.9 | 17.6 |
| 2007–08 | Orlando | 82 | 82 | 37.7 | .599 | .000 | .590 | 14.2[47] | 1.3 | .9 | 2.2 | 20.7 |
| 2008–09 | Orlando | 79 | 79 | 35.7 | .572 | .000 | .594 | 13.8[48] | 1.4 | 1.0 | 2.9[49] | 20.6 |
| 2009–10 | Orlando | 82 | 82 | 34.7 | .612[50] | .000 | .592 | 13.2 [51] | 1.8 | .9 | 2.8[52] | 18.3 |
| 2010–11 | Orlando | 78 | 78 | 37.5 | .593 | .000 | .596 | 14.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 22.9 |
| 2011–12 | Orlando | 54 | 54 | 38.3 | .577 | .000 | .491 | 14.5 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 20.6 |
| Career | 621 | 620 | 36.2 | .577 | .030 | .588 | 13.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 18.4 | |
| All-Star | 6 | 5 | 26.3 | .636 | .100 | .450 | 8.7 | 1.5 | .8 | 1.5 | 13.3 | |
Playoffs[link]
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Orlando | 4 | 4 | 41.8 | .548 | .000 | .455 | 14.8 | 1.8 | .5 | 1.0 | 15.3 |
| 2008 | Orlando | 10 | 10 | 42.1 | .581 | .000 | .542 | 15.8[53] | .9 | .8 | 3.4[53] | 18.9 |
| 2009 | Orlando | 23 | 23 | 39.3 | .601[54] | .000 | .636 | 15.3[54] | 1.9 | .9 | 2.6 | 20.3 |
| 2010 | Orlando | 14 | 14 | 35.5 | .614 | .000 | .519 | 11.1 | 1.4 | .8 | 3.5[55] | 18.1 |
| 2011 | Orlando | 6 | 6 | 42.8 | .630[56] | .000 | .682 | 15.5[56] | 0.5 | .7 | 1.8 | 27.0 |
| Career | 57 | 57 | 39.4 | .600 | .000 | .588 | 14.4 | 1.4 | .8 | 2.8 | 19.9 | |
United States national team[link]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's basketball | ||
Competitor for the  United States |
||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 2008 Beijing | Team competition |
| FIBA World Championship | ||
| Bronze | 2006 Japan | Team competition |
| FIBA Americas Championship | ||
| Gold | 2007 Las Vegas | Team competition |
Howard was named on 5 March 2006 to the 2006–2008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program.[1] As the team's regular starting center, he helped lead the team to a 5–0 record during its pre-World Championship tour, and subsequently helped the team win the bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.[1] During the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, Howard was on the team which won its first nine games en route to qualifying for the finals and a spot for the 2008 Olympics.[57] 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.[58] In the finals, he made all seven of his shots and scored 20 points as the USA defeated Argentina to win the gold medal.[59]
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.[60] 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.[61] Howard averaged 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the tournament.[62]
Player profile[link]
Howard is considered the "franchise player" of the Magic.[63][64] He led the NBA in rebounding for three consecutive seasons from 2007 to 2010. Howard's rebounding is in part facilitated by his extraordinary athleticism; his running vertical leap was tested at 39.5 inches in 2011, rare for a player of his size (6'11").[65][66] He demonstrated this skill in the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest, where he completed an alley oop dunk from teammate Jameer Nelson while slapping a sticker onto the backboard at 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) high.[67] 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.[68] Howard's leaping reach of 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) is the highest documented in NBA history, 1 inch (2.5 cm) higher than Shaquille O'Neal's previous record of 12 ft 5 in (3.78 m).[65] As of April 2012, Howard's career average of 13.0 rebounds per game (in the regular season) ranked 12th in NBA history.[69] He has also remained largely injury-free in his NBA career, playing in 351 consecutive games before missing his first game.[70]
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."[71] 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."[71] Subsequent to a game in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, Philadelphia 76ers swingman Andre Iguodala said: "It's like he can guard two guys at once. He can guard his guy and the guy coming off the pick-and-roll, which is almost impossible to do... If he gets any more athletic or jumps any higher, they're going to have to change the rules."[6] As early as December 2007, ESPN writer David Thorpe declared Howard to be the most dominant center in the NBA.[72]
While many sports pundits have been rating Howard as one of the top young prospects in the NBA since 2006,[66][73][74] 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.[75] Like many centers, he has a low free throw conversion percentage.[7] As a result, he is often a target of the Hack-a-Shaq defense and is annually among the league leaders in free throw attempts. During the 2007–08 regular season, Howard led the NBA with 897 free throw attempts while shooting only 59% from the free throw line.[76] Also in that season, outside of layups and dunks, his shooting percentage was only 31.6%.[22] In the 2008–09 season, he led the NBA again with 849 free throw attempts and in 2009–10, he was second in the NBA with 816.
Off the court[link]
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".[77] He has stated he believes in reaching out to his community and fans and thus contributes substantially in the field of philanthropy.[2] An avid listener of Gospel music, he attends the Fellowship of Faith Church when he is back home in Atlanta and is involved and active with the youth programs at the church.[78] Together with his parents, Howard also established the Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc. in 2004.[79] 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.[79] The Foundation also organizes summer basketball camps for boys and girls, and together with high school and college coaches and players, fellow NBA players are invited to be on hand at the camp.[80] For his contributions in the Central Florida community, Howard received in 2005 the Rich and Helen De Vos Community Enrichment Award.[78] Within the NBA itself, Howard has participated in several NBA "Read to Achieve" assemblies encouraging children to make reading a priority.[78] In November 2009, the center was named one of the 10 finalists for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service, which awards athletes for their charitable work.[81] In 2009, Howard, along with several other NBA players, joined the Hoops for St. Jude charity program benefitting the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.[82]
Elsewhere, Howard appeared as a special guest on an episode of the ABC series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that aired April 2, 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.[83] He made another appearance on the show in the October 9, 2011 episode.
Along with Sam Worthington and Jonah Hill, Howard appeared in a commercial for the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.[84]
On November 18, 2007, Howard's ex-girlfriend and former Magic dancer Royce Reed gave birth to their son, Braylon.[85] Howard won a defamation judgment against Reed in 2010, when a Florida judge ruled that she violated a court order prohibiting her from mentioning him in the media.[86] He had initially sought $550,500,000 in damages, claiming that she had disparaged him through Twitter and her appearances on the reality television show, Basketball Wives, as the couple's paternity agreement stipulated a $500 fine for each time she mentioned him in public.[87]
Howard guest starred on an episode of Pair of Kings on April 9, 2012.[88]
See also[link]
- List of career achievements by Dwight Howard
- List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
- List of National Basketball Association season rebounding leaders
- List of National Basketball Association season blocks leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most blocks in a game
Notes[link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dwight Howard, usabasketball.com, accessed February 24, 2008.
- ^ a b Smith, Aran, "adidas Superstar Camp Asia: Dwight Howard Interview", nbadraft.net, May 27, 2006, accessed July 11, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Dwight Howard Biography, jockbio.com, accessed August 2, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f Dwight Howard Info Page – Bio, nba.com, accessed July 11, 2007.
- ^ "Wilkins Honored as One of 35 Greatest McDonald's All Americans". NBA. 2012-01-31. http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/wilkins-honored-one-35-greatest-mcdonalds-all-americans. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
- ^ a b c Howard becomes youngest to win Defensive Player of the Year, nba.com, April 21, 2009, accessed April 22, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f Dwight Howard Info Page – Career Stats and Totals, nba.com, accessed December 5, 2007.
- ^ 2005 Award Winners, nba.com, accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ Howard's 20/20, nba.com/magic, November 16, 2005, accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ 2005–06 DIVISION STANDINGS, nba.com/standings, accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ Box Score, nba.com, accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ Raptors win sixth straight home game, tsn.ca, February 7, 2007, accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ Greatest Moment in Amway Arena History, nba.com, accessed October 27, 2010.
- ^ Howard Carries Magic Past Sixers, nba.com, April 14, 2007, accessed April 19, 2007.
- ^ Long, Mark, Magic Top Heat, Draw Pistons in First Round, nba.com, April 19, 2007, accessed April 19, 2007.
- ^ At a Glance 2007, nba.com/playoffs2007, accessed May 1, 2007.
- ^ Phoenix Duo Highlights All-NBA First Team, nba.com, May 10, 2007, accessed May 12, 2007.
- ^ Medeiros, Andrew, "Around the Association presented by T-Mobile: February 13", nba.com, February 13, 2008, accessed February 15, 2008.
- ^ a b c MVP Kobe Bryant Highlights All-NBA First Team, nba.com, May 8, 2008, accessed May 9, 2008.
- ^ Schuhmann, John, "All-Star Saturday Dwight", nba.com, February 17, 2008, accessed February 17, 2008.
- ^ Magic Beat Raptors, Move to Second Round, nba.com, April 29, 2008, accessed May 1, 2008.
- ^ a b Feschuk, Dave, "Nelson dangerous, Howard kills", thestar.com, November 18, 2008, accessed November 19, 2008.
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- ^ Kobe, Garnett Headline All-Defensive Team, nba.com, May 12, 2008, accessed May 13, 2008.
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- ^ 2008–09 NBA Season Summary, basketball-reference.com, accessed April 16, 2009.
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- ^ James a unanimous pick for All-NBA First Team, nba.com, May 13, 2009, accessed May 14, 2009.
- ^ Howard's 20–20 night forces game 7 in Boston, sports.espn.go.com, May 14, 2009, accessed May 14, 2009.
- ^ Withers, Tom, "Howard scores 40 as Magic make finals", nba.com, May 30, 2009, accessed May 31, 2009.
- ^ Lakers and Magic tied at 87 at end of regulation in Game 4, nba.com, June 12, 2009, accessed June 12, 2009.
- ^ 2009 NBA Finals Composite Box Score, basketball-reference.com, accessed November 1, 2009.
- ^ All-Star starters announced Thursday, sports.espn.go.com, January 21, 2010, accessed January 22, 2010.
- ^ a b Howard wins Kia Defensive Player of Year honors again, nba.com, April 20, 2010, accessed April 21, 2010.
- ^ Joe Johnson scores 23 points as Hawks eliminate Magic, espn.go.com, accessed December 4, 2011.
- ^ Robbins, Josh, "Dwight Howard's technical foul in Game 1 of playoffs will stand as called", orlandosentinel.com, April 18, 2011, accessed March 12, 2012.
- ^ http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7351542/sources-new-jersey-nets-serious-talks-get-orlando-magic-dwight-howard
- ^ Windhorst, Brian, "Dwight Howard explains trade demands", espn.go.com, December 12, 2011, accessed January 26, 2012.
- ^ Dunlap, Evan, "NBA Rumors: Dwight Howard "By Far" Wants to Stay with Orlando Magic; Shane Battier on Magic's Radar", orlandopinstripedpost.com, accessed March 12, 2012.
- ^ Dwight Howard breaks FT attempts mark as Magic top Warriors, scores.espn.go.com, January 12, 2012, accessed March 12, 2012.
- ^ Dwight Howard becomes Magic's all-time leading scorer in win sports.espn.go.com, accessed January 26, 2012.
- ^ Berger, Ken (March 16, 2012). NBA Insider (CBS Sports). http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/ken-berger/17814675/magic-await-key-meeting-to-decide-howards-future.
- ^ Bucher (April 20, 2012). "Dwight Howard out for season". ESPN.com.
- ^ NBA Player Rebounds Statistics – 2007–08, espn.go.com/nba, accessed June 16, 2011.
- ^ NBA Player Rebounds Statistics – 2008–09, espn.go.com/nba, accessed June 16, 2011.
- ^ NBA Player Blocks Statistics – 2008–09, espn.go.com/nba, accessed June 16, 2011.
- ^ NBA Player Field Goals Statistics – 2009–10, espn.go.com/nba, accessed June 16, 2011.
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- ^ NBA Player Blocks Statistics – 2009–10, espn.go.com/nba, accessed June 16, 2011.
- ^ a b NBA Statistics – 2008, espn.go.com/nba, accessed June 16, 2011.
- ^ a b NBA Statistics – 2009, espn.go.com/nba, accessed June 16, 2011.
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- ^ a b NBA Statistics – 2011, espn.go.com/nba, accessed June 16, 2011.
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- ^ USA, usabasketball.com, accessed 25 August 2008.
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- ^ Reed, Travis, "Pistons keep hope for Billups, but ready to go with Stuckey", nba.com, May 9, 2008, accessed May 10, 2008.
- ^ a b ESPN Sport Science: Superman, espn.go.com, November 3, 2011, accessed November 4, 2011.
- ^ a b Bucher, Rich, "The man who just can't wait to be king", sports.espn.go.com, December 10, 2006, accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ Just a 42 for 12'6" sticker slap? Bigs get no respect, espn.go.com, accessed March 7, 2009.
- ^ Abbot, Henry, "Howard's sticker slam wins buzz but not contest", sports.espn.go.com, February 17, 2007, accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ All Time Leaders: Rebounds Per Game, nba.com, accessed April 15, 2011.
- ^ Without Howard, Magic beat Jazz in Utah, nba.com, December 13, 2008, accessed December 15, 2008.
- ^ a b Chat Transcript: Dwight Howard, nba.com/magic, accessed 28 March 2007.
- ^ Thorpe, David, "Scouting Report: What makes Dwight Howard so dominant?", ESPN Insider, December 11, 2007.
- ^ Anthony, Greg, "Biggest man, biggest honors", sports.espn.go.com, December 15, 2006, accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ Neel, Eric, "No ceiling in sight", ESPN Insider, 19 December 2006
- ^ 2006–07 TURNOVERS LEADERS: Turnovers Per Game, nba.com, accessed May 9, 2008.
- ^ NBA Free-Throw Shooting: Total Free Throws Att., sports.espn.go.com, accessed April 21, 2008.
- ^ Rovell, Darren, On a mission from God, sports.espn.go.com, May 25, 2004, accessed January 5, 2010.
- ^ a b c UP CLOSE & PERSONAL, dwight-howard.com, accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ a b Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc. WHAT WE DO, dwight-howard.com, accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ 2006 Howard & Howard Basketball Camps, dwight-howard.com, accessed 28 March 2007.
- ^ Santich, Kate, Accolades pile up for Dwight Howard’s good deeds, orlandosentinel.com, November 25, 2009, accessed January 5, 2010.
- ^ Berger, Ken (March 4 2010). "St. Jude utilizes power of Love, NBA in fight against cancer". CBSsports.com. http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/13009170/st-jude-utilizes-power-of-love-nba-in-fight-against-cancer. Retrieved 2012-03-20.
- ^ Extreme Makeover: Magic Style, nba.com/nbabuzz, accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ Modern Warfare 3 Advert with Sam Worthington, Jonah Hill and Dwight Howard
- ^ Povtak, Tim (March 29, 2008). "Howard faces paternity suit". Orlando Sentinel. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2008-03-29/sports/mnotes29_1_orlando-magic-van-gundy-paternity-suit.
- ^ Saad, Nardine (April 25 2011). "Dwight Howard goes after Royce Reed in California court to collect on Florida defamation judgment". Ministry of Gossip (LATimes.com). http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/04/dwight-howard-royce-reed-lawsuit.html.
- ^ McCann, Zach (September 17, 2010). "More information from Dwight Howard's lawsuit against Royce Reed". Orlando Sentinel. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-09-17/sports/os-orlando-magic-dwight-howard-lawsuit-extra_1_royce-reed-dwight-howard-confidentiality-agreement.
- ^ http://kids.aol.com/2012/04/06/dwight-howard-on-pair-of-kings/
External links[link]
- Dwight Howard Official Site
- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com, or Basketball-Reference.com
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Howard, Dwight David |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | American basketball player |
| Date of birth | 1985-12-08 |
| Place of birth | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_Howard
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
For other people named Charles Barkley, see Charles Barkley (disambiguation).
 Barkley in 2010 |
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| No. 34, 32, 14, 4 | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Nickname(s) | Sir Charles, The Round Mound of Rebound |
| Born | (1963-02-20) February 20, 1963 (age 49) Leeds, Alabama |
| High school | Leeds HS (Leeds, Alabama) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 252 lb (114 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Auburn (1981–1984) |
| NBA Draft | 1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall |
| Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Pro career | 1984–2000 |
| Career history | |
| 1984–1992 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1992–1996 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1996–2000 | Houston Rockets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 23,757 (22.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 12,546 (11.7 rpg) |
| Assists | 4,215 (3.9 apg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is a former American professional basketball player and current analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's (NBA's) most dominating power forwards. He was selected to the All-NBA First Team five times, the All-NBA Second Team five times, and once to the All-NBA Third Team. He earned eleven NBA All-Star Game appearances and was named the All-Star MVP in 1991. In 1993, he was voted the league's Most Valuable Player and during the NBA's 50th anniversary, named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic games and won two gold medals as a member of the United States' Dream Team. In 2006, Barkley was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[1]
Barkley was popular with the fans and media and made the NBA's All-Interview Team for his last 13 seasons in the league.[2] He was frequently involved in on- and off-court fights and sometimes stirred national controversy, as in March 1991 when he mistakenly spat on a young girl, and as in 1993 when he declared that sports figures should not be considered role models. Short for a power forward, Barkley used his strength and aggressiveness to become one of the NBA's most dominant rebounders. He was a versatile player who had the ability to score, create plays, and defend. In 2000, he retired as the fourth player in NBA history to achieve 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists.[3]
Since retiring as a player, Barkley has had a successful career as a television NBA analyst. He works with Turner Network Television (TNT) as a studio pundit for its coverage of NBA games.[4] In addition, Barkley has written several books and has shown an interest in politics; in October 2008, he announced that he would run for Governor of Alabama in 2014,[5] but he changed his mind in 2010.[6]
Contents |
Early life[link]
Barkley was born and raised in suburban Leeds, Alabama, ten miles (16 km) outside of Birmingham, and attended Leeds High School. As a junior, Barkley stood 5'10" (1.78 m) and weighed 220 pounds (99.8 kg). He failed to make the varsity team and was named as a reserve. However, during the summer Barkley grew to 6'4" and earned a starting position on the varsity team in his senior year. He averaged 19.1 points and 17.9 rebounds per game and led his team to a 26–3 record en route to the state semifinals.[7] Despite his improvement, Barkley garnered no attention from college scouts until the state high school semifinals, where he scored 26 points against Alabama's most highly recruited player, Bobby Lee Hurt.[7] An assistant to Auburn University's head coach, Sonny Smith, was at the game and reported seeing, "a fat guy... who can play like the wind".[8] Barkley was soon recruited by Smith and majored in business management while attending Auburn University.[7]
College[link]
Barkley played collegiate basketball at Auburn University for three years. Although he struggled to control his weight, he excelled as a player and led the SEC in rebounding each year.[2] He became a popular crowd-pleaser, exciting the fans with dunks and blocked shots that belied his lack of height and overweight frame. It was not uncommon to see the hefty Barkley grab a defensive rebound and, instead of passing, dribble the entire length of the court and finish at the opposite end with a two-handed dunk. His physical size and skills ultimately earned him the nickname "The Round Mound of Rebound."[4]
During his college career, Barkley played the center position, despite being shorter than the average center. His height, officially listed as 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), is stated as 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) in his book, I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It. He became a member of Auburn's All-Century team and still holds the Auburn record for career field goal percentage with 62.6%.[9] He received numerous awards, including Southeastern Conference (SEC) Player of the Year (1984), three All-SEC selections and one Second Team All-American selection.[10] Later, Barkley was named the SEC Player of the Decade for the 1980s by the Birmingham Post-Herald.[9]
In Barkley's three-year college career, he averaged 14.8 points on 68.2% field goal shooting, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.7 blocks per game.[9] In 1984, he made his only appearance in the NCAA Tournament and finished with 23 points on 80% field goal shooting, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.[11] Auburn retired Barkley's No. 34 jersey on March 3, 2001.[9]
Barkley later admitted to receiving money from an agent during his years at Auburn.[12]
NBA career[link]
Philadelphia 76ers[link]
Barkley left before his final year at Auburn and made himself eligible for the 1984 NBA Draft. He was selected with the fifth pick in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers, two slots after the Chicago Bulls drafted Michael Jordan. He joined a veteran team that included Julius Erving, Moses Malone and Maurice Cheeks, players who took Philadelphia to the 1983 NBA championship. Under the tutelage of Malone, Barkley was able to manage his weight and learned to prepare and condition himself properly for a game. He averaged 14.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game during the regular season and earned a berth on the All-Rookie Team.[3] In the postseason, the Sixers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals but were defeated in five games by the Boston Celtics.[13] As a rookie in the postseason, Barkley averaged 14.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.[2]
During his second year, Barkley became the team's leading rebounder and number two scorer, averaging 20.0 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.[3] He became the Sixers' starting power forward and helped lead his team into the playoffs, averaging 25.0 points on .578 shooting from the field and 15.8 rebounds per game.[3] Despite his efforts, Philadelphia was defeated 4–3 by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team.[2]
Before the 1986–87 season, Moses Malone was traded to the Washington Bullets and Barkley began to assume control as the team leader. He earned his first rebounding title, averaging 14.6 rebounds per game and also led the league in offensive rebounds with 5.7 per game.[3] He averaged 23.0 points on .594 shooting,[3] earning his first trip to an NBA All-Star game and All-NBA Second Team honors for the second straight season. In the playoffs, Barkley averaged 24.6 points and 12.6 rebounds in a losing effort,[14] for the second straight year, to the Bucks in a five-game first round playoff series.[15]
The following season, Julius Erving announced his retirement and Barkley became the Sixers' franchise player.[2] Playing in 80 games and getting 300 more minutes than his nearest teammate, Barkley had his most productive season, averaging 28.3 points on .587 shooting and 11.9 rebounds per game.[3] He appeared in his second All-Star Game and was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career. His celebrity status as the Sixers' franchise player led to his first appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated.[2] For the first time since the 1974–75 season, however, the 76ers failed to make the playoffs.[2] In the 1988–89 season, Barkley continued to play well, averaging 25.8 points on .579 shooting and 12.5 rebounds per game.[3] He earned his third straight All-Star Game appearance and was named to the All-NBA First team for the second straight season.[4] Despite Barkley contributing 27.0 points on .644 shooting, 11.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game,[14] the 76ers were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the New York Knicks.[16]
During the 1989–90 season, despite receiving more first-place votes,[17] Barkley finished second in MVP voting behind the Los Angeles Lakers' Magic Johnson.[18] He was named Player of the Year by The Sporting News and Basketball Weekly.[2] He averaged 25.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game and a career high .600 shooting.[3] He was named to the All-NBA First Team for the third consecutive year and earned his fourth All-Star selection.[4] He helped Philadelphia win 53 regular season games, only to lose to the Chicago Bulls in a five-game Eastern Conference Semifinals series.[19] Barkley averaged 24.7 points and 15.5 rebounds in another postseason loss.[14] His exceptional play continued into his seventh season, where he averaged 27.6 points on .570 shooting and 10.1 rebounds per game.[3] His fifth straight All-Star Game appearance proved to be his best yet. He led the East to a 116–114 win over the West with 17 points and 22 rebounds, the most rebounds in an All-Star Game since Wilt Chamberlain recorded 22 in 1967.[2] Barkley was presented with Most Valuable Player honors at the All-Star Game and, at the end of the season, named to the All-NBA First Team for the fourth straight year.[2] In the postseason, Philadelphia lost again to Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with Barkley contributing 24.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.[14]
The 1991–92 season was Barkley's final year in Philadelphia. In his last season, he wore number 32 instead of his 34 to honor Magic Johnson,[20] who had announced prior to the start of the season that he was HIV-positive. Although the 76ers initially retired the number 32 in honor of Billy Cunningham, it was unretired for Barkley to wear. Following Johnson's announcement, Barkley also apologized for having made light of his condition. Responding to concerns that players may contract HIV by contact with Johnson, Barkley stated, "We're just playing basketball. It's not like we're going out to have unprotected sex with Magic."[21]
In his final season with the Sixers, averaging 23.1 points on .552 shooting and 11.1 rebounds per game,[3] Barkley earned his sixth straight All-Star appearance and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, his seventh straight appearance on either the first or second team. He ended his 76ers career ranked fourth in team history in total points (14,184), third in scoring average (23.3 ppg), third in rebounds (7,079), eighth in assists (2,276) and second in field-goal percentage (.576).[2] He led Philadelphia in rebounding and field-goal percentage for seven consecutive seasons and in scoring for six straight years.[3] However, Barkley demanded a trade out of Philadelphia after the Sixers failed to make the postseason with a 35–47 record.[4][22] On July 17, 1992, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry and Andrew Lang.[4]
During Barkley's eight seasons in Philadelphia, he became a household name and was one of the few NBA players to have a figure published by Kenner's Starting Lineup toy line. He also had his own signature shoe line with Nike. His outspoken and aggressive play, however, also caused a few scandals; notoriously a fight with Detroit Pistons center Bill Laimbeer in 1990, an event which drew a record total $162,500 fine,[23] and the infamous spitting incident.
Spitting incident[link]
In March 1991, during an overtime game in New Jersey, a courtside heckler had been yelling racial epithets throughout the game at Barkley.[24] Upset by the heckler's remarks, Barkley turned to spit at him, but, as he later described, did not "get enough foam", missed and mistakenly spat on a young girl.[24] Rod Thorn, the NBA's president of operations at the time, suspended Barkley without pay and fined him $10,000 for spitting and using abusive language at the fan.[25] It became a national story and Barkley was vilified for it.[24] Barkley, however, eventually developed a friendship with the girl and her family.[4] He apologized and, among other things, provided tickets to future games.[26]
Upon retirement, Barkley was later quoted as stating, "I was fairly controversial, I guess, but I regret only one thing—the spitting incident. But you know what? It taught me a valuable lesson. It taught me that I was getting way too intense during the game. It let me know I wanted to win way too bad. I had to calm down. I wanted to win at all costs. Instead of playing the game the right way and respecting the game, I only thought about winning."[27]
Phoenix Suns[link]
The trade to Phoenix in the 1992–93 season went well for both Barkley and the Suns. He averaged 25.6 points on .520 shooting, 12.2 rebounds and a career high 5.1 assists per game,[3] leading the Suns to an NBA best 62–20 record.[28] For his efforts, Barkley won the league's Most Valuable Player Award,[29] and was selected to play in his seventh straight All-Star Game. He became the third player ever to win league MVP honors in the season immediately after being traded, established multiple career highs and led Phoenix to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1976.[2] Despite Barkley's proclamation to Jordan, that it was "destiny" for the Suns to win the title, they were defeated in six games by the Bulls.[30] He averaged 26.6 points and 13.6 rebounds per game during the whole postseason,[14] including 27.3 points, 13.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game throughout the championship series.[31] In the fourth game of the Finals, Barkley recorded a triple-double after collecting 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.[32]
As a result of severe back pains, Barkley began to speculate his last year in Phoenix during the 1993–94 season.[2] Playing through the worst injury problems of his career, Barkley managed 21.6 points on .495 shooting and 11.2 rebounds per game.[3] He was selected to his eighth consecutive All-Star Game, but did not play because of a torn right quadriceps tendon,[2] and was named to the All-NBA Second Team. With Barkley fighting injuries, the Suns still managed a 56–26 record and made it to the Western Conference Semifinals. Despite holding a 2–0 lead in the series,[33] however, the Suns lost in seven games to the eventual champion Houston Rockets.[33] Despite his injuries, in Game 3 of a first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Barkley hit 23 of 31 field-goal attempts and finished with 56 points, the then-third-highest total ever in a playoff game.[2][14] After contemplating retirement in the offseason,[2] Barkley returned for his eleventh season and continued to battle injuries.[4] He struggled during the first half of the season,[2] but managed to gradually improve, earning his ninth consecutive appearance in the All-Star Game. He averaged 23 points on .486 shooting and 11.1 rebounds per game,[3] while leading the Suns to a 59–23 record.[34] In the postseason, despite having a 3–1 lead in the series,[34] the Suns once again lost to the defending champion Rockets in seven games.[34] Barkley averaged 25.7 points on .500 shooting and 13.4 rebounds per game in the postseason,[14] but was limited in Game 7 of the semifinals by a leg injury.[2]
The 1995–96 season was Barkley's last on the Phoenix Suns. He led the team in scoring, rebounds and steals, averaging 23.3 points on .500 shooting, 11.6 rebounds and a career high .777 free throw shooting.[3] He earned his tenth appearance in an All-Star Game as the top vote-getter among Western Conference players and posted his 18th career triple-double on November 22.[14] He also became just the tenth player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in their career.[2][3] In the postseason, Barkley averaged 25.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game in a four-game first round playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs.[14][35] After the Suns closed out the season with a 41–41 record and a first-round playoff loss, Barkley was traded to Houston in exchange for Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, Mark Bryant and Chucky Brown.[36]
During his career with the Suns, Barkley excelled as a player, earning All-NBA and All-Star honors in each of his four seasons. The always outspoken Barkley, however, continued to stir up controversy during the 1993 season, when he claimed that sports figures should not be role models.[37]
Role model controversy[link]
Throughout his career, Barkley had been arguing that athletes should not be considered role models.[4] He stated, "A million guys can dunk a basketball in jail; should they be role models?" In 1993, his argument prompted national news when he wrote the text for his "I am not a role model" Nike commercial. Dan Quayle, the former Vice President of the United States, called it a "family-values message" for Barkley's oft-ignored call for parents and teachers to quit looking to him to "raise your kids" and instead be role models themselves.[37]
Barkley's message sparked a great public debate about the nature of role models. He argued,
I think the media demands that athletes be role models because there's some jealousy involved. It's as if they say, this is a young black kid playing a game for a living and making all this money, so we're going to make it tough on him. And what they're really doing is telling kids to look up to someone they can't become, because not many people can be like we are. Kids can't be like Michael Jordan.[36]
Houston Rockets[link]
The trade to the Houston Rockets in the 1996–97 season was Barkley's last chance at capturing an NBA championship title. He joined a veteran team that included two of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. To begin the season, Barkley was suspended for the season opener and fined $5,000 for fighting Charles Oakley during an October 25, 1996 preseason game. After Oakley committed a flagrant foul on Barkley, Barkley responded by shoving Oakley.[38] In his first game with the Houston Rockets, Charles Barkley had a career-high thirty-three rebounds.[39] He continued to battle injuries throughout the season and played only 53 games, missing fourteen because of a laceration and bruise on his left pelvis, eleven because of a sprained right ankle and four due to suspensions.[2] He became the team's second leading scorer, averaging 19.2 points on .484 shooting;[3] the first time since his rookie year that he averaged below 20 points per game. With Olajuwon taking most of the shots, Barkley focused primarily on rebounding, averaging 13.5 per game, the second best in his career.[3] The Rockets ended the regular season with a 57–25 record and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they were defeated in six games by the Utah Jazz.[2] Barkley averaged 17.9 points and 12.0 rebounds per game in another postseason loss.[40]
The 1997–98 season was another injury-plagued year for Barkley. He averaged 15.2 points on .485 shooting and 11.7 rebounds per game.[3] The Rockets ended the season with a 41–41 record and were eliminated in five games by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs. Limited by injuries, Barkley played four games and averaged career lows of 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game.[14] During the league-lockout-shortened season, Barkley played 42 regular-season games and managed 16.1 points on .478 shooting and 12.3 rebounds per game.[3] He became the second player in NBA history, following Wilt Chamberlain, to accumulate 23,000 points, 12,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists in his career.[2] The Rockets concluded the shortened season with a 31–19 record and advanced to the playoffs.[41] In his last postseason appearance, Barkley averaged 23.5 points on .529 shooting and 13.8 rebounds per game in a first-round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.[14] He concluded his postseason career averaging 23 points on .513 shooting, 12.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in 123 games.[42]
The 1999–2000 season would be Barkley's final year in the NBA. Initially, Barkley averaged 14.5 points on .477 shooting and 10.5 rebounds per game.[3] Along with Shaquille O'Neal, Barkley was ejected from the November 10, 1999 game against the Los Angeles Lakers. After O'Neal blocked a layup by Barkley, O'Neal shoved Barkley, who then threw the ball at O'Neal.[43] Barkley's season and career seemingly ended prematurely at the age of 36 after rupturing his left quadriceps tendon on December 8, 1999 in Philadelphia, where his career began.[44] Refusing to allow his injury to be the last image of his career, Barkley returned after four months for one final game. On April 19, 2000, in a home game against the Vancouver Grizzlies, Barkley scored a memorable basket on an offensive rebound and putback, a common trademark during his career. He accomplished what he set out to do after being activated from the injured list, and walked off the court to a standing ovation.[45] He stated, "I can't explain what tonight meant. I did it for me. I've won and lost a lot of games, but the last memory I had was being carried off the court. I couldn't get over the mental block of being carried off the court. It was important psychologically to walk off the court on my own."[45] After the basket, Barkley immediately retired and concluded his sixteen-year NBA Hall of Fame career.
Olympics[link]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Member of United States |
||
| men's national basketball team | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 1992 Barcelona | men's basketball |
| Gold | 1996 Atlanta | men's basketball |
| FIBA Americas Championship | ||
| Gold | 1992 Portland | men's basketball |
Barkley competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic games and won two gold medals as a member of the United States men's basketball team. International rules which had previously prevented NBA players from playing in the Olympics were changed in 1992, allowing Barkley and fellow NBA players to compete in the Olympics for the first time. The result was the legendary Dream Team, which went 6–0 in the Olympic qualifying tournament and 8–0 against Olympic opponents. The team averaged an Olympic record 117.3 points a game and won games by an average of 43.8 points.[46] Barkley led the team with 18.0 points on 71.1% field goal shooting and set a then-Olympic single game scoring record with 30 points in a 127–83 victory over Brazil.[46] He also set a U.S. Men's Olympic record for highest three point field goal percentage with 87.5% and added 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game.[47] Barkley was also part of an ugly moment in the 1992 Olympics when he intentionally elbowed Angola player Herlander Coimbra in the chest during a 116–48 rout of that team.[48]
At the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games, Barkley led the team in scoring, rebounds, and field goal percentage. He averaged 12.4 points on 81.6% field goal shooting, setting a U.S. Men's Olympic record.[47] In addition, he also contributed 6.6 rebounds per game. Under Barkley's leadership, the team once again compiled a perfect 8–0 record and captured gold medal honors.[49]
Player profile[link]
Barkley played the power forward position but on some occasions he would play the small forward and center positions. He was known for his unusual build as a basketball player, stockier than most small forwards, yet shorter than most power forwards he faced. However, Barkley was still capable of outplaying both taller and quicker opponents because of his strength and agility.[2]
Barkley was a prolific scorer who averaged 22.1 points-per-game for his season career and 23.0 points-per-game for his playoff career.[14] He was one of the NBA's most versatile players and accurate scorers capable of scoring from anywhere on the court and established himself as one of the NBA's premier clutch players.[2] During his NBA career, Barkley was a constant mismatch because he possessed a set of very uncommon skills and could play in a variety of positions. He would use all facets of his game in a single play; as a scorer, he had the ability to score from the perimeter and the post, using an array of spin moves and fadeaways, or finishing a fast break with a powerful dunk. He was one of the most efficient scorers of all-time, scoring at 54.13% total field goal percentage for his season career and 51.34% total field goal shooting for his playoff career (including a career-high season average of 60% during the 1989–90 NBA season).[14]
Frequently listed as 6 feet 6 inches, but measuring slightly under 6 feet 5 inches (1.95 mt),[50][51] Barkley is the shortest player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding when he averaged a career high 14.6 rebounds per game during the 1986–87 season.[52] His tenacious and aggressive form of play built into an undersized frame that fluctuated between 284 pounds (129 kg) and 252 pounds (114 kg) helped cement his legacy as one of the greatest rebounders in NBA history, averaging 11.7 rebounds per game in the regular season for his career and 12.9 rebounds per game in his playoff career and totaling 12,546 rebounds for his season career.[14] Barkley topped the NBA in offensive rebounding for three straight years[4] and was most famous among very few power forwards who could control a defensive rebound, dribble the length of the court and finish at the rim with a powerful dunk.[52]
Barkley also possessed considerable defensive talents led by an aggressive demeanor, foot speed and his capacity to read the floor to anticipate for steals, a reason why he established his career as the second All-Time leader in steals for the power forward position[53] and leader of the highest all-time steal per game average for the power forward position.[53] Despite being undersized for both the small forward and power forward positions, he also finished among the all-time leaders in blocked shots.[54] His speed and leaping ability made him one of the few power forwards capable of running down court to block a faster player with a chase-down block.[52]
In a SLAM magazine issue ranking NBA greats, Barkley was ranked among the top 20 players of All-Time. In the magazine, NBA Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton commented on Barkley's ability. Walton stated, "Barkley is like Magic [Johnson] and Larry [Bird] in that they don't really play a position. He plays everything; he plays basketball. There is nobody who does what Barkley does. He's a dominant rebounder, a dominant defensive player, a three-point shooter, a dribbler, a playmaker."[4]
Legacy[link]
During his 16-year NBA career, Barkley was regarded as one of the most controversial, outspoken and dominating players in the history of basketball. His impact on the sport went beyond his rebounding titles, assists, scoring and physical play.[26] His larger than life persona and confrontational mannerisms often led to technical fouls and fines and sometimes gave rise to national controversy, such as when he was featured in ads that rejected pro athletes as role models and declared, "I am not a role model."[55] Although his words often led to controversy, according to Barkley his mouth was never the cause because it always spoke the truth.[26] He stated, "I don't create controversies. They're there long before I open my mouth. I just bring them to your attention."[4]
Besides his on-court fights with other players, he has exhibited confrontational behavior off-court. He was arrested for breaking a man's nose during a fight after a game with the Milwaukee Bucks[56] and also for throwing a man through a plate-glass window after being struck with a glass of ice.[57] Notwithstanding these occurrences, Barkley continued to remain popular with the fans and media because of his sense of humor and honesty.
As a player, Barkley was a perennial All-Star who earned league MVP honors in 1993.[4] He employed a physical style of play that earned him the nicknames "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound".[58] He was named to the All-NBA team eleven times and earned two gold medals as a member of the United States Olympic Basketball team. He led both teams in scoring and was instrumental in helping the 1992 "Dream Team" and 1996 Men's Basketball team compile a perfect 16–0 record.[46][49] He retired as one of only four players in NBA history to record at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists in their career,[4] although a fifth player, Kevin Garnett, has since accomplished that feat.
In recognition of his collegiate and NBA achievements, Barkley's number 34 jersey was officially retired by Auburn University on March 3, 2001. In the same month, the Philadelphia 76ers also officially retired Barkley's jersey.[50] On 20 March 2004, the Phoenix Suns honored Barkley as well by retiring his jersey and including him in the "Suns Ring of Honor".[59] In recognition of his achievements as a player, Barkley was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.[1]
NBA career statistics[link]
Averages[link]
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984–85 | Philadelphia | 82 | 60 | 28.6 | .545 | .167 | .733 | 8.6 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 14.0 |
| 1985–86 | Philadelphia | 80 | 80 | 36.9 | .572 | .227 | .685 | 12.8 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 20.0 |
| 1986–87 | Philadelphia | 68 | 62 | 40.3 | .594 | .202 | .761 | 14.6 | 4.9 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 23.0 |
| 1987–88 | Philadelphia | 80 | 80 | 39.6 | .587 | .280 | .751 | 11.9 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 28.3 |
| 1988–89 | Philadelphia | 79 | 79 | 39.1 | .579 | .216 | .753 | 12.5 | 4.1 | 1.6 | .9 | 25.8 |
| 1989–90 | Philadelphia | 79 | 79 | 39.1 | .600 | .217 | .749 | 11.5 | 3.9 | 1.9 | .6 | 25.2 |
| 1990–91 | Philadelphia | 67 | 67 | 37.3 | .570 | .284 | .722 | 10.1 | 4.2 | 1.6 | .5 | 27.6 |
| 1991–92 | Philadelphia | 75 | 75 | 38.4 | .552 | .234 | .695 | 11.1 | 4.1 | 1.8 | .6 | 23.1 |
| 1992–93 | Phoenix | 76 | 76 | 37.6 | .520 | .305 | .765 | 12.2 | 5.1 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 25.6 |
| 1993–94 | Phoenix | 65 | 65 | 35.4 | .495 | .270 | .704 | 11.2 | 4.6 | 1.6 | .6 | 21.6 |
| 1994–95 | Phoenix | 68 | 68 | 35.0 | .486 | .338 | .748 | 11.1 | 4.1 | 1.6 | .7 | 23.0 |
| 1995–96 | Phoenix | 71 | 71 | 37.1 | .500 | .280 | .777 | 11.6 | 3.7 | 1.6 | .8 | 23.2 |
| 1996–97 | Houston | 53 | 53 | 37.9 | .484 | .283 | .694 | 13.5 | 4.7 | 1.3 | .5 | 19.2 |
| 1997–98 | Houston | 68 | 41 | 33.0 | .485 | .214 | .746 | 11.7 | 3.2 | 1.0 | .4 | 15.2 |
| 1998–99 | Houston | 42 | 40 | 36.3 | .478 | .160 | .719 | 12.3 | 4.6 | 1.0 | .3 | 16.1 |
| 1999–00 | Houston | 20 | 18 | 31.0 | .477 | .231 | .645 | 10.5 | 3.2 | .7 | .2 | 14.5 |
| Career | 1,073 | 1,012 | 36.7 | .541 | .266 | .735 | 11.7 | 3.9 | 1.5 | .8 | 22.1 | |
| Playoffs | 123 | 39.4 | .513 | .255 | .717 | 12.9 | 3.9 | 1.6 | .9 | 23.0 | ||
| All-Star | 9 | 7 | 23.2 | .495 | .250 | .625 | 6.7 | 1.8 | 1.3 | .4 | 12.6 | |
Career highs[link]
| Stat | High | Team | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 47 | Philadelphia 76ers | at Atlanta Hawks | 01988-02-09February 9, 1988 |
| Points (Playoffs) | 56 | Phoenix Suns | at Golden State Warriors | 01994-05-04May 4, 1994 |
| Field goals made, none missed | 10—10 | Philadelphia 76ers | vs. San Antonio Spurs | 01989-03-24March 24, 1989 |
| Field goals made (Playoffs) | 23 | Phoenix Suns | at Golden State Warriors | 01994-05-04May 4, 1994 |
| Field goal attempts (Playoffs) | 31 | Phoenix Suns | at Golden State Warriors | 01994-05-04May 4, 1994 |
| Free throws made, none missed | 15—15 | Philadelphia 76ers | vs. Golden State Warriors | 01991-11-08November 8, 1991 |
| Free throws made | 22 | Phoenix Suns | vs. Washington Bullets | 01995-12-20December 20, 1995 |
| Free throw attempts | 27 | Phoenix Suns | vs. Washington Bullets | 01995-12-20December 20, 1995 |
| Three-point field goals made, none missed | 6—6 | Philadelphia 76ers | at Miami Heat | 01989-02-22February 22, 1989 |
| Three-point field goal attempts | 11 | Houston Rockets | at Toronto Raptors | 01996-12-02December 2, 1996 |
| Rebounds | 33 | Houston Rockets | at Phoenix Suns | 01996-11-02November 2, 1996 |
| Offensive rebounds | 16 | Philadelphia 76ers | vs. New York Knicks | 01987-03-04March 4, 1987 |
| 16 | Philadelphia 76ers | vs. Denver Nuggets | 01987-03-20March 20, 1987 | |
| Defensive rebounds | 25 | Houston Rockets | at Phoenix Suns | 01996-11-02November 2, 1996 |
| Assists | 14 | Philadelphia 76ers | at Indiana Pacers | 01986-11-04November 4, 1986 |
| Steals (Playoffs) | 7 | Phoenix Suns | vs. San Antonio Spurs | 01993-05-13May 13, 1993 |
| Steals | 7 | Philadelphia 76ers | at New York Knicks | 01987-01-27January 27, 1987 |
| 7 | Philadelphia 76ers | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 01990-01-12January 12, 1990 | |
| 7 | Phoenix Suns | at Milwaukee Bucks | 01996-01-26January 26, 1996 | |
| Blocked shots | 7 | Philadelphia 76ers | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | 01986-11-28November 28, 1986 |
| Turnovers | ||||
| Minutes played | 58 | Houston Rockets | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 01996-11-12November 12, 1996 |
NBA records[link]
Regular season[link]
Three-point field goals made, none missed, game: 6—6, Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat, 01989-02-22February 22, 1989
- Broken by Terry Porter on 01992-11-14November 14, 1992
Offensive rebounds, half: 13, Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks, 01987-03-04March 4, 1987
Offensive rebounds, quarter: 11, Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks, 01987-03-04March 4, 1987
- tied with Larry Smith (Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets, 01986-03-23March 23, 1986)
Playoffs[link]
Free throws made, half: 19, Phoenix Suns vs. Seattle SuperSonics, 01993-06-05June 5, 1993
Free throw attempts, 7-game series: 100, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 1986 Eastern Conference Semifinals
Free throw attempts, half: 17, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls, 01990-05-11May 11, 1990
- Broken by Earvin "Magic" Johnson on 01991-05-08May 8, 1991
- Barkley later had a game with 20 free throw attempts in a half, on 01993-06-05June 5, 1993, but it was not a record at the time.
Free throw attempts, quarter: 13, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls, 01990-05-11May 11, 1990
- Broken by Michael Jordan on 01991-05-21May 21, 1991
Defensive rebounds, one postseason: 233, Phoenix Suns, 1993
- Broken by Shaquille O'Neal in 2000
Turnovers, 7-game series: 37, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 1986 Eastern Conference Semifinals
All-Star Game[link]
Defensive rebounds, game: 14 (1991)
- Broken by Dikembe Mutombo in 2001
Ranks 2nd in NBA history[link]
Regular season[link]
Defensive rebounds, quarter: 12, Houston Rockets at Philadelphia 76ers, 01997-01-10January 10, 1997
Turnovers, quarter: 6, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Sacramento Kings, 01988-03-11March 11, 1988
Playoffs[link]
Points, half: 38, first half, Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 01994-05-04May 4, 1994
Points, quarter: 27, first quarter, Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 01994-05-04May 4, 1994
Field goals made, game: 23, Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 01994-05-04May 4, 1994
Field goals made, half: 15, first half, Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 01994-05-04May 4, 1994
Field goals made, quarter: 11, first quarter, Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 01994-05-04May 4, 1994
Offensive rebounds, 5-game series: 35, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls, 1990 Eastern Conference Semifinals
Turnovers, 5-game series: 28, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Washington Bullets, 1986 Eastern Conference First Round
All-Star[link]
Offensive rebounds, game: 8 (1991)
Ranks 3rd in NBA history[link]
Regular season[link]
Seasons leading the league in offensive rebounds: 3 (Philadelphia 76ers, 1986–87—1988–89)
- Trailing Moses Malone and Dennis Rodman
Consecutive seasons leading the league in offensive rebounds: 3 (Philadelphia 76ers, 1986–87—1988–89)
- Trailing Moses Malone and Dennis Rodman
Highest average, offensive rebounds per game, career: 4.0 (4,260/1,073)
- Trailing Moses Malone and Dennis Rodman
Steals by a forward, career: 1,648
- Trailing Scottie Pippen and Karl Malone
Playoffs[link]
Points, game: 56, Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 01994-05-04May 4, 1994
Steals, game: 7, Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs, 01993-05-13May 13, 1993
Turnovers, game: 9, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 01991-04-30April 30, 1991
Ranks 4th in NBA history[link]
Regular season[link]
Defensive rebounds, game: 25, Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns, 01996-11-02November 2, 1996
Playoffs[link]
Highest average, offensive rebounds per game, career: 4.1 (510/123)
Offensive rebounds, 4-game series: 24, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Washington Bullets, 1985 Eastern Conference First Round
Steals, game: 6, Philadelphia 76ers at Milwaukee Bucks, 01986-04-29April 29, 1986
Barkley's career total (4,260) and career high (16) for offensive rebounds both rank fifth in NBA history
His career high for defensive rebounds (25) also ranks fifth in NBA history
Post-basketball life[link]
Television analyst[link]
Since 2000, Barkley has served as a studio analyst for Turner Network Television (TNT).[4][60] He appears on the network's NBA coverage during pre-game and halftime shows, in addition to special NBA events. He also appears on an original program for the network entitled Inside the NBA, a post-game show during which Barkley, Ernie Johnson Jr. and Kenny Smith recap and comment on NBA games that have occurred during the day and also on general NBA affairs.[60] During the broadcast of a game, in which Barkley was courtside with Marv Albert, Barkley poked fun at NBA official Dick Bavetta's age. Albert replied to Barkley, "I believe Dick would beat you in a footrace." In response to that remark, Barkley went on to challenge Bavetta to a race at the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend for $5,000. The winner was to choose a charity to which the money would be donated. The NBA agreed to pitch in an additional $50,000, and TNT threw in $25,000. The pair raced for three and a half lengths of the basketball court until Barkley ultimately won. After the event, the two embraced in a show of good sportsmanship.[61]
In 2011, Barkley was a studio analyst for the joint coverage of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament between Turner Sports and CBS. He also served as a guest commentator for NBC's coverage of the NFL Wild Card playoffs on January 7, 2012; the same night he hosted Saturday Night Live, which is taped next door to the Football Night in America studio in Manhattan's GE Building.[62]
Gambling[link]
Barkley is known for his compulsive gambling. In an interview with ESPN's Trey Wingo, Barkley revealed that he lost approximately $10 million through gambling.[63] In addition, he also admitted to losing $2.5 million, "in a six-hour period", while playing blackjack.[63] Although Barkley openly admits to his problem, he claims it is not serious since he can afford to support the habit.[63] When approached by fellow TNT broadcaster Ernie Johnson about the issue, Barkley replied, "It's not a problem. If you're a drug addict or an alcoholic, those are problems. I gamble for too much money. As long as I can continue to do it I don't think it's a problem. Do I think it's a bad habit? Yes, I think it's a bad habit. Am I going to continue to do it? Yes, I'm going to continue to do it."[64]
Despite suffering big losses, Barkley also claims to have won on several occasions. During a trip to Las Vegas, he claims to have won $700,000 from playing blackjack and betting on the Indianapolis Colts to defeat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.[63] He went on to state, however, "No matter how much I win it ain't a lot. It's only a lot when I lose. And you always lose. I think it's fun, I think it's exciting. I'm gonna continue to do it but I have to get to a point where I don't try to break the casino 'cause you never can."[64]
In May 2008, the Wynn Las Vegas casino filed a civil complaint against Barkley, alleging that he had failed to pay a $400,000 debt stemming from October 2007. Barkley responded by taking blame for letting time lapse on the repayment of the debt and promptly paid the casino.[65] After repaying his debt, Barkley stated during a pregame show on TNT, "I've got to stop gambling...I am not going to gamble anymore. For right now, the next year or two, I'm not going to gamble... Just because I can afford to lose money doesn't mean I should do it."[66]
Politics[link]
Barkley spoke for many years of his Republican Party affiliation. In 1995, he considered running as a Republican candidate for Alabama's governorship in the 1998 election.[67] However, in 2006, he altered his political stance.[68] At a July 2006 meeting of the Southern Regional Conference of the National School Boards Association in Destin, Florida, Barkley lent credence to the idea of running for Governor of Alabama, stating:
I'm serious. I've got to get people to realize that the government is full of it. Republicans and Democrats want to argue over stuff that's not important, like gay marriage or the war in Iraq or illegal immigration... When I run — if I run — we're going to talk about real issues like improving our schools, cleaning up our neighborhoods of drugs and crime and making Alabama a better place for all people.[69]
In September 2006, Barkley once again reiterated his desire to run for Governor. He noted, "I can't run until 2014 ... I have to live there for seven years, so I'm looking for a house there as we speak."[70] In July 2007, he made a video declaring his support for Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election.[71] In September 2007, during a broadcast on Monday Night Football, Barkley announced that he bought a house in Alabama to satisfy residency requirements for a 2014 campaign for governor. In addition, Barkley declared himself an Independent and not a Democrat as previously reported. "The Republicans are full of it," Barkley said, "The Democrats are a little less full of it."[70]
In February 2008, Barkley announced that he would be running for Governor of Alabama in 2014 as an Independent. On October 27, 2008, he officially announced his candidacy for Governor of Alabama in an interview with CNN, stating that he planned to run in the 2014 election cycle,[5] but he began to back off the idea in a November 24, 2009 interview on The Jay Leno Show.[72] In 2010, he confirmed that he was not running in 2014.[6]
Barkley is an outspoken supporter of gay rights. In 2006, he told Fox Sports: "I'm a big advocate of gay marriage. If they want to get married, God bless them."[73] Speaking to Wolf Blitzer on CNN two years later, he said: "Every time I hear the word 'conservative,' it makes me sick to my stomach, because they're really just fake Christians, as I call them. That's all they are. ... I think they want to be judge and jury. Like, I'm for gay marriage. It's none of my business if gay people want to get married. I'm pro-choice. And I think these Christians, first of all, they're not supposed to judge other people. But they're the most hypocritical judge of people we have in the country. And it bugs the hell out of me. They act like they're Christians. They're not forgiving at all."[73] During a 2011 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day double-header on TNT, Barkley responded to a statement by Dr. King's daughter Bernice by saying, "People try to make it about black and white. [But] he talked about equality for every man, every woman. We have a thing going on now, people discriminating against homosexuality in this country. I love the homosexuality people. God bless the gay people. They are great people."[73]
Books[link]
In 2000, Barkley wrote the foreword for Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly's book The Life of Reilly. In it, Barkley quipped, "Of all the people in sports I'd like to throw through a plate glass window, Reilly's not one of them. It's a shame though, skinny white boys look real aerodynamic."[74] In 2002, Barkley released the book I May Be Wrong, But I Doubt It, which included editing and commentary by close friend Michael Wilbon.[75] Three years later, Barkley released Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man?, which is a collection of interviews with leading figures in entertainment, business, sports, and government. Michael Wilbon also contributed to this book and was present at many of the interviews.[75]
DUI conviction[link]
On December 31, 2008, Barkley was pulled over in Scottsdale, Arizona, for initially running a stop sign.[76] Officers smelled alcohol on Barkley's breath and proceeded to administer field sobriety tests, which he failed. He was arrested on drunk driving charges and had his vehicle impounded. Barkley refused to submit a breath test and was given a blood test.[77] He was then cited and released.[76] Gilbert police noted Barkley was cooperative and respectful during the entire incident, adding that he was treated no differently than anyone arrested on DUI charges.[77] The police report of the incident stated that Barkley told police he was in a hurry to receive oral sex from his female passenger when he ran through a stop sign early Wednesday.[77] Test results released by police showed that Barkley had a blood-alcohol level at .149, nearly twice the legal limit of .08 in Arizona.[78] Two months after his arrest, Barkley pleaded guilty to two DUI-related counts and one count of running a red light. He was sentenced to ten days in jail and fined $2,000.[79] The sentence was later reduced to three days after Barkley entered an alcohol treatment program.[80]
As part of the fallout of his arrest, Barkley took a two-month hiatus from his commentating duties for TNT.[81] During his absence, T-Mobile elected not to air previously scheduled ads that featured Barkley, stating, "Given the recent developments, for the time being, we've replaced TV ads featuring Mr. Barkley with more general-market advertising."[82] On February 19, 2009, Barkley returned to TNT and spent the first segment of the NBA pregame show discussing the incident and his experiences.[83] Shortly after his return, T-Mobile once again began airing ads featuring Barkley.
The Haney Project[link]
Barkley is well known for his fondness of golf. However, his swing is often regarded as one of the most bizarre and broken swings in the sport.[84] Barkley's swing unravels after he brings his club back. He starts to take it forward then jerks to a stop, throwing his body off balance, before wildly striking at the ball.[85] Once a 10-handicap golfer who could break 80, Barkley can no longer break 100 and finished last at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in July 2008.[85]
A reality series known as "The Haney Project" premiered on The Golf Channel starring Charles Barkley and Hank Haney, one of the world's top golf instructors.[86] The show centers on Hank Haney attempting to use his renowned expertise and teaching methods to fix Barkley's swing.[86] Haney believes he can help Barkley lower his handicap and notes that Barkley's short game is strong and that his putting is even stronger.[85]
Weight Watchers[link]
In 2011, Barkley became a spokesman for Weight Watchers, promoting their "Lose Like a Man" program.[87]
Personal life[link]
Barkley married Maureen Blumhardt in 1989. The couple have a daughter together, Christiana, born the same year.[88]
See also[link]
- List of members of the Basketball Hall of Fame
- List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders
- Barkley Shut Up and Jam!
- Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden
- Godzilla vs. Charles Barkley
- Space Jam
References[link]
- ^ a b "Hall of Famers". Basketball Hall of Fame. http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/tag/charles-barkley. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x nba.com, Charles Barkley: Original Bio, accessed March 6, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v nba.com, Charles Barkley Career Statistics, accessed March 7, 2007
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o nba.com, Charles Barkley: Historical Biography, accessed March 5, 2007.
- ^ a b cnn.com, Charles Barkley tells Brown racism is a cancer, accessed October 28, 2008
- ^ a b cnbc.com, Twitter Users Are "Idiots", accessed July 21, 2010
- ^ a b c Charles Barkley. (n.d.). Contemporary Black Biography. Answers.com, Charles Barkley, accessed May 16, 2007
- ^ Michael Wilbon, "Barkley: the Great Wide Hope", The Washington Post, April 23, 1984
- ^ a b c d auburntigers.cstv.com, Official Site of Auburn Athletics: Men's Basketball, accessed April 5, 2007.
- ^ auburntigers.cstv.com, Auburn All-American Charles Barkley To Be Inducted Into National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Sunday, accessed May 16, 2009
- ^ espn.com, Richmond Spiders vs. Auburn Tigers – Box Score – January 01, 1984, accessed May 17, 2009
- ^ http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Charles-Barkley-admits-he-received-money-from-ag?urn=ncaab-270502
- ^ databasebasketball.com, 76ers 1984–85 Game Log and Scores, accessed March 11, 2007
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n basketballreference.com, Charles Barkley Career Stats, accessed February 10, 2007
- ^ databasebasketball.com, 76ers 1986–87 Game Log and Scores, accessed March 11, 2007
- ^ databasebasketball.com, Philadelphia 76ers 1988–89 Game Log and Scores, accessed, November 11, 2007.
- ^ espn.com, MVP Controversy, accessed March 27, 2007
- ^ basketball-reference.com, 1989–90 NBA MVP Voting, accessed May 22, 2008.
- ^ databasebasketball.com, 76ers 1989–90 Game Log and Scores, accessed March 11, 2007
- ^ nytimes.com, Sports People: Pro Basketball; Barkley Will Switch To Johnson's No. 32, accessed November 18, 2007.[dead link]
- ^ Chris Weiskopf, Return of HIV-positive Magic Johnson -Column, National Review, April 22, 1996, accessed March 6, 2007 Archived November 20, 2004 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ databasebasketball.com, Philadelphia 76ers: 1991 Stats, History, Awards, and More, accessed April 30, 2007
- ^ Goldaper, Sam (April 21, 1990). "Pistons and 76ers receive $162,500 and 3 bans". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/21/sports/basketball-pistons-and-76ers-receive-162500-fine-and-3-bans.html. Retrieved March 6, 2007.
- ^ a b c Larry Platt, People: Charles Barkley, accessed March 8, 2007.
- ^ nytimes.com, Pro Basketball: Barkley Fined and Suspended accessed March 8, 2007.
- ^ a b c nba.com, title=You're a Good Man Charles Barkley!, accessed March 8, 2007.
- ^ sportsillustrated.com, SI's Jack McCallum: Sir Charles speaks, accessed March 8, 2007
- ^ "1992–93 Season in Review". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/history/season/19921993.html. Retrieved June 1, 2007.
- ^ "1992–93 NBA MVP Voting". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_1993.html#mvp. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
- ^ nytimes.com, PRO BASKETBALL; Suns Shake and Roll; Bulls Rattle, accessed May 25, 2009.
- ^ "1993 NBA Finals Composite Box Score". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1993_finals.html. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
- ^ "Game 4 Box Score". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199306160CHI.html. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
- ^ a b databasebasketball.com, Phoenix Suns 1993–94 Game Log and Scores, accessed March 6, 2007
- ^ a b c databasebasketball.com, Suns 1994–95 Game Log and Scores, accessed March 11, 2007
- ^ databasebasketball.com, Suns 1995–96 Game Log and Scores, accessed March 6, 2007
- ^ a b "Barkley Confirms His Trade To Rockets". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). August 19, 1996. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9803E2DE1430F93AA2575BC0A960958260. Retrieved March 31, 2008.
- ^ a b Platt, Larry (May 30, 2000). "Charles Barkley". Salon. http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2000/05/30/barkley/print.html. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
- ^ Wise, Mike (October 29, 1996). "Barkley Fight Costs Oakley Two Games and $11,000". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F07E6DD1539F93AA15753C1A960958260. Retrieved March 31, 2008.
- ^ Numbelivable!, p.101, Michael X. Ferraro and John Veneziano, Triumph Books, Chicago, Illinois, 2007, ISBN 978-1-57243-990-0
- ^ databasebasketball.com, Barkley Stats, accessed March 16, 2007
- ^ basketballreference.com, 1998–99 Season: Houston Rockets, accessed March 29, 2007
- ^ "Barkley's NBA Career Stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/barklch01.html. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
- ^ "Shaq, Barkley scuffle, are ejected". Associated Press. November 11, 1999. http://assets.espn.go.com/nba/news/1999/1110/163531.html. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ nba.com, Charles Barkley Bio, accessed May 17, 2007
- ^ a b sportsillustrated.cnn.com, Barkley Retires, accessed April 5, 2007
- ^ a b c usabasketball.com, USA Basketball: Men's Olympics History (1992), accessed May 16, 2009
- ^ a b usabasketball.com, USA Basketball: USA Men's Olympic Records, accessed May 16, 2009
- ^ Araton, Harvey (July 27, 1992). "Barcelona: Basketball; Barkley's Elbow Fouls a U.S. Rout". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE6D61F3FF934A15754C0A964958260. Retrieved August 11, 2008.
- ^ a b usabasketball.com, USA Basketball: Men's Olympic History (1996), accessed May 16, 2009
- ^ a b "Sixers History retired numbers". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/sixers/history/retired_index.html. Retrieved May 2, 2007.
- ^ sportsillustrated.com, The day after Barkley 'down and depressed' after injury ends career, accessed May 2, 2007
- ^ a b c hoophall.com, Charles Barkley Hall of Fame Bio, accessed March 6, 2007 Archived September 30, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Career Leaders for Steals". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/STL_career.html. Retrieved March 28, 2007.
- ^ "Career Leaders for Blocks". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/BLK_career.html. Retrieved April 8, 2007.
- ^ Bob Carter, Sir Charles led the NBA in dunks, interviews, accessed April 15, 2007
- ^ "Barkley Arrested After Fight". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). December 23, 1991. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE4D71E38F930A15751C1A967958260. Retrieved April 15, 2007.
- ^ "Barkley arrested after bar scuffle". The Augusta Chronicle. Associated Press. October 27, 1997. http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/1997/10/27/oth_216637.shtml. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
- ^ "Charles Barkley". The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University
- ^ "Phoenix Suns Legends: Ring of Honor". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/suns/history/00826007.html. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
- ^ a b tnt.tv, Charles Barkley: Announcer, accessed November 11, 2007.
- ^ Misener, Darren (February 19, 2007). "Bavetta vs. Barkley: Sir Charles Reigns". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/allstar2007/news/bavettabarkley_taletape.html. Retrieved March 6, 2007.
- ^ Semigran, Aly (January 8, 2012). "'Saturday Night Live' recap: Charles Barkley's third hosting gig was a missed shot". PopWatch. Entertainment Weekly. http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/01/08/saturday-night-live-recap-charles-barkley/. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ a b c d espn.com Barkley admits huge losses, big gains while gambling (AP report), accessed March 6, 2007
- ^ a b espn.com, Barkley: Gambling has cost me $10M, accessed July 22, 2007
- ^ Ken Ritter, Barkley says he'll pay huge gambling debt, accessed May 16, 2009
- ^ usatoday.com, Barkley: 'I've got to stop gambling' – USATODAY.com, accessed August 9, 2008
- ^ msnbc.com, Barkley renews talk of running for Ala. governor (AP article), accessed January 12, 2007
- ^ rollingstone.com, Charles Barkley: "I Was a Republican Until They Lost Their Minds", accessed May 17, 2009
- ^ Lisovicz, Edan. Busted Barkley: Sir Charles's DUI, Colgate Maroon-News. accessed May 20, 2009
- ^ a b espn.com, Barkley serious about running for Alabama governor (AP article), accessed January 12, 2007
- ^ motherjones.com, More Charles Barkley Blogging, accessed March 26, 2008
- ^ Snyder, Whitney (November 25, 2009). "Charles Barkley On "Jay Leno" VIDEO: Trashes Reporters, Talks Sammy Sosa, Politics And More". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/25/charles-barkley-on-jay-le_n_371077.html. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
- ^ a b c Zirin, Dave (2011-01-19) Invoking Dr. King, Charles Barkley Stands Strongly for LGBT Rights, Huffington Post
- ^ thesportstruth.com, The Sports Truth, accessed November 11, 2007
- ^ a b usatoday.com, Charles Barkley's 'Black Man' talks about racism, accessed November 11, 2007
- ^ a b cbssportsline.com, Barkley arrested on suspicion of DUI in Arizona, sportsline.com, accessed December 31, 2008
- ^ a b c azcentral.com, Police report: Barkley in hurry to get oral sex, accessed January 1, 2009
- ^ usatoday.com, Test results show Barkley impaired at time of arrest, January 9, 2009, accessed February 13, 2009
- ^ espn.com, Charles Barkley receives 5 days in jail for DUI, accessed May 17, 2009
- ^ nba.com, Barkley's DUI sentence reduced to 3 days in jail, accessed May 17, 2009
- ^ msnbc.com, Barkley to Take Leave of Absence, accessed January 12, 2009.
- ^ msn.foxsports.com, T-Mobile Drops Barkley from Ad Campaign accessed January 14, 2009.
- ^ sportsillustrated.com, Barkley set to return to TNT, accessed May 25, 2009.[dead link]
- ^ latimes.com, Charles Barkley's golf swing is a major project, accessed April 19, 2009.
- ^ a b c golf.com, Tiger's coach seeks to fix Barkley's golf swing, accessed April 19, 2009.
- ^ a b thegolfchannel.com, The Haney Project: Charles Barkley, accessed April 19, 2009.
- ^ Charles Barkley teaming up with Weight Watchers, accessed May 21, 2012.
- ^ Carter, Bob (May 1, 2006). "Barkley was chairman of the boards". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
Bibliography[link]
- Barkley, Charles; Michael Wilbon (2002). I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It. Random House. ISBN 0-375-50883-X.
- Barkley, Charles; Michael Wilbon (2005). Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man?. Penguin Press. ISBN 1-59420-042-4.
External links[link]
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Charles Barkley |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Charles Barkley |
- Charles Barkley: Official Website
- Charles Barkley profile at NBA.com
- Charles Barkley historical playerfile historical page at NBA.com
- Charles Barkley: NBA.com Historical Biography
- Charles Barkley at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Charles Barkley at DatabaseBasketball.com
- Charles Barkley at the Internet Movie Database
- Charles Barkley article, Encyclopedia of Alabama
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Barkley, Charles |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | Basketball player |
| Date of birth | February 20, 1963 |
| Place of birth | Leeds, Alabama, U.S. |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Charles_Barkley
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Barkley
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Skip Bayless | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | John Edward Bayless II (1951-12-04) December 4, 1951 (age 60) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Education | Vanderbilt University |
| Occupation | Television Sports Commentator (ESPN) commentator, sportswriter, sportswriter |
| Notable credit(s) | ESPN First Take (see Cold Pizza) 1st and 10 |
| Website | |
| http://www.espnmediazone.com/bios/Talent/SkipBayless-Bio.htm Skip Bayless on ESPN | |
Skip Bayless (born John Bayless II on December 4, 1951) is a sports journalist and television personality. Bayless regularly appears on ESPN2's ESPN First Take and its afternoon show 1st and 10. Bayless previously wrote regular columns for ESPN.com and its "Page 2" section. He is perhaps best known for his strong opinions and sometimes controversial stances on professional athletes.
Contents |
Schooling and family[link]
Bayless was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The first child of John and Levita Bayless, he was named John Edward Bayless II on his birth certificate, but his father immediately began calling him Skip or Skipper. The name stuck, and Skip Bayless was never called John by his parents. He eventually had his name legally changed to Skip. His brother is the chef, restaurateur and TV personality Rick Bayless.
Bayless as a junior, along with Jerry Waugh, Jim Hill, and Tony Robinson led Junior Varsity (JV)'s Northwest Classen High School basketball team. [1]
Bayless averaged 1.4 points per game as a senior playing basketball at Northwest Classen High School. [2]
Bayless graduated from Northwest Classen High School and Vanderbilt University where he majored in English and History and was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma.
Bayless is a member of the inaugural class of the Vanderbilt Student Media Hall of Fame.[3]
Writing career[link]
Bayless went directly from Vanderbilt to The Miami Herald, where he wrote sports features for two years before being hired away by the Los Angeles Times. There, he was best known for investigative stories on the Dodgers' clubhouse resentment of "golden boy" Steve Garvey and his celebrity wife Cyndy and on Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom's behind-the-scenes decisions to start different quarterbacks each week (James Harris, Pat Haden or Ron Jaworski). Bayless also won the Eclipse Award for his coverage of Seattle Slew's Triple Crown.
At 25, Bayless was hired by The Dallas Morning News to write its lead sports column, and two years later, the rival Dallas Times Herald hired him away by making him one of the country's highest paid sports columnists—prompting The Wall Street Journal to do a story on the development. Bayless was voted Texas sportswriter of the year three times.
In 1989, Bayless wrote God's Coach, about the rise and fall of Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys. Following the Cowboys' Super Bowl victory in 1993, Bayless wrote The Boys, which broke the story that coach Jimmy Johnson and owner Jerry Jones were not "best friends" and correctly predicted that Jones would fire Johnson no matter how much success the team had. (Jones fired Johnson after the Cowboys won another Super Bowl the following year.)[clarification needed]
Following a third Cowboys Super Bowl win in four seasons, Bayless wrote the third and final book of his Cowboys trilogy, Hell-Bent: The Crazy Truth About the "Win or Else" Dallas Cowboys. After covering the Cowboys through the 1996 season, Bayless chose to leave Dallas after 17 years and become the lead sports columnist for the Chicago Tribune. In his first year in Chicago, Bayless won the Lisagor Award for excellence in sports column writing and was voted Illinois sportswriter of the year.
Bayless eventually had a highly publicized dispute with the Tribune's executive editor, Ann Marie Lipinski, over limiting all Tribune columns to just 650 or so words. Bayless quit over the policy and was immediately hired by Knight Ridder Corporation to write for its flagship newspaper, the San Jose Mercury News.[4] While in San Jose, Bayless became a fixture on ESPN's Rome is Burning and in a weekly Sunday Morning SportsCenter debate with Stephen A. Smith, "Old School/Nu Skool." ESPN hired Bayless full-time in 2004 to team with Woody Paige on ESPN2's Cold Pizza and to write columns for ESPN.com. In 2007, Bayless stopped writing columns to concentrate on what is now called ESPN First Take (formerly Cold Pizza) and on ESPN's afternoon show, First and 10.
Radio and television[link]
Skip Bayless has occasionally substituted as host for syndicated radio program The Jim Rome Show. He has also previously contributed to ESPN as a recurring panelist on The Sports Reporters, NFL Prime Monday (now ESPN Monday Night Countdown) in the 1990s, and Jim Rome is Burning. For three years (1998–2001), Bayless was a contributor at major championships for the Golf Channel.
KTCK Sports Radio 1310 "The Ticket"[link]
In 1994 Bayless left his show at KLIF in Dallas to help start the city's first sports talk radio station, KTCK Sports Radio 1310, "The Ticket." For two years Bayless was the primary host on the 6–9 a.m. morning show as "the Ticket" became one of the country's most successful sports stations. Bayless also was an original investor and when the ownership decided to accept a lucrative offer to sell the station, the new owners bought out Bayless' contract. He immediately became a regular on ESPN Radio's first national show, The Fabulous Sports Babe, and later co-hosted a weekend show on ESPN Radio with Larry Beil. He was also a regular on Chet Coppock's show on Sporting News Radio.
[edit] Cold Pizza/ESPN First Take
Bayless is featured in debate segments on what is now known as ESPN First Take (formerly Cold Pizza), and the segments are re-aired as First and 10 in the afternoons. Bayless debates the day's 10 hottest sports topics with a rotation of sportswriters and ex-athletes including Stephen A. Smith, Rob Parker, Jon Ritchie, Lomas Brown, Hugh Douglas, Kordell Stewart, Greg Anthony, Jalen Rose, Marcellus Wiley, Shaun King, and 2 Live Stews (Ryan and Doug Stewart). Terrell Suggs, Donovan McNabb, Chad Ochocinco, Donnie Wahlberg, and rappers Lil Wayne, Bow Wow, Wale have also taken on Bayless. Recently, Bayless has been tagged with the nickname "Skip Tebow" by many of his guests based on his unrelenting support of New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow. Bayless openly embraces the nickname.
Bayless is a regular twitter user, and he tweets on the topics and points he made on the ESPN First Take show. He also posts the Podcast from the show regularly from his twitter account.
Bayless has a "I Heart @RealSkipBayless" shirt. This shirt is given to the fans of the show, or if someone who comes to the show and loses a bet to Bayless. The person who loses the bet has to appear on the show and wear the shirt. So far, the shirt is undefeated.
Bayless lists his top five NBA players as of June 15, 2011: Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Carmelo Anthony.[5]
Cultural references[link]
Bayless, along with Woody Paige and Jay Crawford, appeared in a cameo role in the film Rocky Balboa. The three are seen on their First and 10 segment discussing a possible fight between a retired Balboa and current heavyweight champion Mason Dixon. Bayless opines that Balboa "was completely overrated" and mocks his age.
He appears in the ESPN 30 for 30 film Pony Excess, the story about the Southern Methodist University football scandal, covering the Mustangs while writing for both Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Times Herald.
Bibliography[link]
- God's Coach: The Hymns, Hype, and Hipocrisy of Tom Landry's Cowboys, Simon and Schuster, 1990. ISBN 0-671-70581-4.
- The Boys: The Untold Story of the Dallas Cowboys' Season on the Edge, Simon and Schuster, 1993. ISBN 0-671-79359-4.
- Hell-Bent: The Crazy Truth About the "Win or Else" Dallas Cowboys, HarperCollins Publishers, 1996. ISBN 0-06-018648-8.
See also[link]
- Rick Bayless – celebrity chef and brother of Skip Bayless
References[link]
- ^ http://www.thelostogle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/skip-bayless-jv-article.jpg
- ^ http://www.thelostogle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/skip-bayless-varsity-high-school-basketball-stats.jpg
- ^ Student Media Hall of Fame's inaugural class named | myVU | Vanderbilt University: myVU. Vanderbilt.edu (2009-08-18). Retrieved on 2011-11-08.
- ^ http://thestartingfive.net/2009/02/24/the-skip-bayless-interview-part-i-colorful-conscious-and-of-course-controversial/
- ^ "Skip Bayless' Twitter". http://twitter.com/#!/RealSkipBayless/status/80756407581941760. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
External links[link]
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bayless, Skip |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | sportswriter |
| Date of birth | December 4, 1951 |
| Place of birth | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Skip_Bayless
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Bayless
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
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| College: Columbia | |||||||||
| NFL Draft: 1997 / Round: 2 / Pick: 52 | |||||||||
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Marcellus Vernon Wiley, (born November 30, 1974 in Compton, California) is a retired American football defensive end who played 10 seasons in the National Football League for four different teams. He was selected with the 22nd pick of the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft out of Columbia University by the Buffalo Bills. After four seasons with the Bills, he played for the San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars. He was selected to the AFC Pro Bowl team in 2001, as a member of the San Diego Chargers.
He currently works as an NFL analyst on ESPN.
Contents |
Biography[link]
Early life[link]
At Saint Monica Catholic High School in Santa Monica, California, Wiley starred in both football and track and field. In football, he was an All-Conference pick. Wiley was a teammate of Adrian Klemm. He was his school's Valedictorian and a member of the National Honor Society. He was the 1988 National type-writing champion with 82 words per minute.[1]
College career[link]
At Columbia University, Wiley played tailback, defensive end, and kick returner for the Lions. He was a first team All-American, and All-Ivy League pick.
Professional career[link]
Wiley started his professional career primarily as a situational pass rusher, recording nine sacks through his first three years. In 2000, when the legendary Bruce Smith left for the Washington Redskins, Wiley replaced him at defensive end for the Bills.[2]
He was voted to the Pro Bowl once (2001) in his ten-year career.
Post NFL career[link]
He is cofounder of Prolebrity.com. Prolebrity (a portmanteau of pro and celebrity) is a sports community where pro athletes can express viewpoints, publicize their businesses, charities & events and connect with other athletes, fans & business opportunities.
He works for ESPN's NFL Live and is a substitute co-host for Mike and Mike in the Morning and SportsNation. Wiley co-hosts Winners Bracket with Michelle Beadle.
He currently co-hosts Max and Marcellus with Max Kellerman on ESPN LA
Millionaire Matchmaker[link]
Wiley appeared on a November 2011 episode of Bravo's Millionaire Matchmaker. Episode 12: The Player and the Piano Player ended when Wiley successfully found a romantic interest.
External links[link]
- Marcellus Wiley's Official Site
- Marcellus Wiley's Blog on Prolebrity.com
- Marcellus Wiley's ESPN Bio
- [2]
References[link]
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wiley, Marcellus |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | American football player |
| Date of birth | November 30, 1974 |
| Place of birth | Compton, California |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Marcellus_Wiley
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcellus_Wiley
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
