Basketball

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)April 16, 1947 Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), hall of fame basketball player, coach, actor and author, was born in New York City. Abdul-Jabbar began his record breaking basketball accomplishments in high school when he led Power Memorial Academy to three straight New York City Catholic championships. Abdul-Jabbar played college basketball at the University of – Read More

Charles Wade Barkley

Charles Wade Barkley

Charles Wade BarkleyFebruary 20, 1963 Charles Wade Barkley, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Leeds, Alabama. Barkley played college basketball at Auburn University where he was a three-time All-SEC selection and Conference Player of the Year in 1984. Barkley was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1984 NBA Draft and over his 16 year – Read More

Manute Bol

Manute Bol

Manute BolJune 19, 2010 Manute Bol, former basketball player and human rights activist, died. Bol was born October 16, 1962 in Sudan. He started playing basketball in 1978 and was selected by the Washington Bullets in the 1985 NBA Draft. Bol was one of the tallest players to play in the NBA and over his ten – Read More

Wilton Norman “Wilt” Chamberlain

Wilton Norman “Wilt” Chamberlain

Wilton Norman ChamberlainOctober 12, 1999 Wilton Norman “Wilt” Chamberlain, hall of fame professional basketball player, died. Chamberlain was born August 21, 1936 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was 6 feet 11 inches when he entered high school and used that advantage as a prolific scorer throughout his high school and college career. After his junior year of college, – Read More

Joe Dumars

Joe Dumars

Joe Dumars IIIMay 24, 1963 Joe Dumars III, hall of fame basketball player and basketball executive, was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. Dumars played college basketball at McNeese State University and was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 1985 NBA Draft. Dumars played his entire 14-season professional career with the Pistons and was a six-time All-Star and – Read More

Julius Winfield "Dr. J" Erving, Jr.

Julius Winfield “Dr. J” Erving, Jr.

Julius Winfield “Dr. J” Erving, Jr.February 22, 1950 Julius Winfield “Dr. J” Erving, Jr., hall of fame basketball player, was born in Roosevelt, New York. Erving played college basketball at the University of Massachusetts and is one of only five players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds in NCAA Men’s Basketball. In 1971, he began his professional – Read More

Artis Gilmore

Artis Gilmore

Artis GilmoreSeptember 21, 1949 Artis Gilmore, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Chipley, Florida but raised in Dothan, Alabama. Gilmore played two years at Jacksonville University and led the team to the 1970 NCAA Division I championship game. He led the NCAA in rebounding both years and his career average of 22.7 rebounds per – Read More

Spencer Haywood

Spencer Haywood

Spencer HaywoodApril 22, 1949 Spencer Haywood, retired basketball player, was born in Silver City, Mississippi. Haywood moved to Detroit, Michigan and in 1967 led Pershing High School to the Michigan State Basketball Championship. In 1968, Haywood was the leading scorer on the United States’ Gold Medal winning Olympic team in Mexico City. Later that year, he – Read More

Vincent "Vinnie" Johnson

Vincent “Vinnie” Johnson

Vincent JohnsonSeptember 1, 1956 Vincent Johnson, retired professional basketball player, was born in Brooklyn, New York. Johnson played college basketball at Baylor University and was a two-time All-American. He holds the Baylor record for most points scored in a game. Johnson was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1979 NBA Draft and traded to the – Read More

Dennis Wayne Johnson

Dennis Wayne Johnson

Dennis Wayne JohnsonFebruary 22, 2007 Dennis Wayne Johnson, hall of fame basketball player, died. Johnson was born September 18, 1954 in Los Angeles, California. Johnson played college basketball at Los Angeles Harbor College and Pepperdine University. He was selected by the Seattle Supersonics in the 1976 NBA Draft and over his 15 season professional career was a – Read More

Michael Jeffrey “Air” Jordan

Michael Jeffrey “Air” Jordan

Michael Jeffrey “Air” JordanFebruary 17, 1963 Michael Jeffrey “Air” Jordan, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Brooklyn, New York. In 1981, Jordan earned a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina who he led to a National Championship in 1982 and where he won the Naismith and Wooden College Player of the Year Awards in – Read More

Robert Jerry Lanier

Robert Jerry Lanier

Robert Jerry Lanier, Jr.September 10, 1948 Robert Jerry Lanier, Jr., hall of fame basketball player, was born in Buffalo, New York. Lanier played college basketball at St. Bonaventure University and was a three-time All-American. He graduated from St. Bonaventure with a B. A. degree in Business Administration in 1970. Lanier was selected number one overall by the Detroit — Read More

Robert Lee Parish

Robert Lee Parish

Robert Lee ParishAugust 30, 1953 Robert Lee Parish, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. Parish played college basketball at Centenary College of Louisiana and earned his B. A. degree in 1976. Parish was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 1976 NBA Draft and traded to the Boston Celtics in 1980. – Read More

Scottie Maurice Pippen

Scottie Maurice Pippen

Scottie Maurice PippenSeptember 25, 1965 Scottie Maurice Pippen, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Hamburg, Arkansas. Pippen played college basketball at the University of Central Arkansas. He was selected by the Seattle Supersonics in the 1987 NBA Draft but is best known for his time with the Chicago Bulls. Over his 17 season professional career, – Read More

David Maurice “The Admiral” Robinson

David Maurice “The Admiral” Robinson

David Maurice “The Admiral” RobinsonAugust 6, 1965 David Maurice “The Admiral” Robinson, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Key West, Florida. Robinson played college basketball for the United States Naval Academy where he was an All-American in 1986 and 1987 and won the Naismith and Wooden Awards as the College Basketball Player of the Year in 1987. – Read More

Maurice Stokes

Maurice Stokes

Maurice StokesApril 6, 1970 Maurice Stokes, hall of fame basketball player, died. Stokes was born June 17, 1933 in Rankin, Pennsylvania. He played basketball for Saint Francis University and graduated in 1955. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1955 National Invitational Basketball Tournament. In the 1955 NBA Draft, he was selected by the – Read More

Wayman-Lawrence-Tisdale

Wayman-Lawrence-Tisdale

Wayman Lawrence TisdaleMay 15, 2009 Wayman Lawrence Tisdale, professional basketball player and jazz bass guitarist, died. Tisdale was born June 9, 1964 in Fort Worth, Texas and played guitar at his father’s church. As a college player at the University of Oklahoma, Tisdale was the first player in history to be named a first-team All American in – Read More

Westley Sissel “Wes” Unseld

Westley Sissel “Wes” Unseld

Westley Sissel “Wes” UnseldMarch 14, 1946 Westley Sissel “Wes” Unseld, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Unseld played college basketball for three years beginning in 1965 with the University of Louisville where he was an All-American. He was selected in the first round of the 1968 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets. That year, – Read More

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamuntombo

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamuntombo

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques WamuntomboJune 25, 1966 Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamuntombo, retired professional basketball player, was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Mutombo attended Georgetown University on a United States Agency for International Development scholarship and in 1991 earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in linguistics and diplomacy. Mutombo was selected by the Denver Nuggets in – Read More