Bobby Lee Hurt

Last updated

Bobby Lee Hurt
Personal information
Born (1961-12-06) December 6, 1961 (age 62)
Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school S. R. Butler (Huntsville, Alabama)
College Alabama (1981–1985)
NBA draft 1986: 6th round, 121st overall pick
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Playing career1986–1994
Position Power forward / center
Career history
1986–1988 Tofaş
1988–1989 Wichita Falls Texans
1989 Auxilium Torino
1989–1990 Tenerife AB
1990–1991 Trapani
1991–1992Auxilium Torino
1992–1993Trapani
1993–1994Tofaş
Career highlights and awards
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at Basketball-Reference.com

Bobby Lee Hurt (born December 6, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. A strong and athletic big man, he was one of the top high school prospects of the 1981 class. After a controversial recruitment, Hurt committed to Alabama and played 4 seasons with the Crimson Tide: he holds the Alabama record for highest field goal percentage in a season (.664 in 1983–84) and in a career (.631). After a successful college career he was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the 1985 NBA draft, and then again in 1986. However, he failed to reach an economical agreement with the Warriors and went on to play professionally in Europe in the top divisions of Turkey, Italy and Spain.

Contents

High school career

Hurt was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, where he attended S. R. Butler High School. Growing up he showed athleticism and a predisposition for sports: he reportedly ran the 100-meter dash in under 10 seconds and high jumped 7 ft in his high school years. [1] He also started playing basketball in his school's varsity team under coach Jerry Rice, and soon experienced success in state competitions: as a sophomore in 1979 he was named MVP of the 4A state tournament [2] and was named in the All-Tournament team. [3]

During his senior year he averaged 20.2 points and 13.3 rebounds while shooting 69% from the field. [4] Butler ended the season with a 33–3 record and competed in the Class 4A state tournament, finishing at second place after losing 60–58 to Hayes in the final game. [5] In that tournament, Hurt scored 103 points in four games and recorded 68 rebounds, 26 blocks and 17 games. [6] He won the tournament MVP award for the second time in his career, [2] and again was named in the All-Tournament team. [7] Hurt was selected in the Parade All-America Second Team and earned a spot in the McDonald's All-American team: in the 1981 McDonald's All-American Boys Game he played 17 minutes and he recorded 12 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals; [8] he also scored 19 points, shooting 9/11 from the field and 1/4 from the free throw line. [9] Hurt's 2,288 points at Butler during his 4-year career from 1977 to 1981 are a school record. [10]

College career

Hurt was heavily recruited by many colleges during his high school career, since he was the top ranked recruit in the state of Alabama. [8] He considered Alabama, Indiana, Louisville, Maryland and North Carolina, and later South Alabama and Hawaii. [4] During his recruitment he was also under investigation from the NCAA: during his high school career it was alleged that he had received money for various reasons, including $1,100 to pay for dentist bills, from his high school principal Edward Seal. [4] Seal later resigned from his position at Butler. [11] It was also reported that Hurt had contracted a car loan together with Cotton Johnson, a local business owner and Alabama supporter, and that Johnson threatened to make Hurt pay the whole loan and an extra $3,400 had he not signed to play with Alabama. [4] Hurt ultimately signed with Alabama on April 30, 1981, after having restricted his final choice between Alabama, Hawaii and Maryland. [4]

At Alabama he chose to wear jersey number 34 [12] and during his freshman year he was one of the first options off the bench [13] for coach Wimp Sanderson, who had been hired the previous season. During his first year of college basketball he led the Crimson Tide for field goal percentage [14] and blocks with a total of 45. [15] He started 8 games of that season, and he averaged 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 61.8%. The Crimson Tide reached the Sweet Sixteen during the 1982 NCAA tournament, losing to North Carolina.

Hurt was promoted to a starting role in his sophomore year, and he became the starting center of the team. [13] His numbers improved significantly, and he was selected in the All-SEC 2nd team by UPI and third team by AP; [16] he led his team in scoring (15.3), rebounding (8.9) [17] and blocks with 50 (1.6 per game, a career high). [15] He started all 32 games, playing a total of 1,133 minutes (35.4 per game). [18] The Alabama team was eliminated in the first round of the 1983 NCAA tournament by Lamar.

In his junior year Hurt recorded career-highs in several major statistical categories: he was second on the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game behind Buck Johnson's 17.0, and he led the team in rebounds with a 9.1 average. [17] He also recorded 41 blocks, [15] a team high, and shot .664 from the field, which set the all-time record for Alabama. He started all 30 of his games and he played 36.1 minutes on average. He was selected in the All-SEC 1st team by UPI, and in 2nd team by AP. [16] Alabama was the number 9 seed in the Midwest, and lost in the round of 48 to Illinois State during the 1984 NCAA tournament.

Hurt's senior year saw him start all 33 games, and he averaged 12.8 points and 8.6 rebounds: he was second in both categories to junior Buck Johnson. [19] He recorded a total 51 blocks, a career high, and for the fourth year in a row he led the team in blocks per game. [15] He was selected in the 2nd team All-SEC by both AP and UPI. [16] Alabama was the 7th seed in the West and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, where they lost to no. 3 NC State.

Hurt is Alabama all-time leader for field goal percentage in a season (.664, 168 of 255 field goals) in 1983–84 and in a career (.631, 646 of 1024). [20] He also holds the record for highest field goal percentage (100%) when he went 11 for 11 on December 20, 1982, against Texas Southern. [20] He led Alabama for 4 straight years for field goal percentage [14] and blocks. [15] He recorded totals of 1,697 points [21] and 1,012 rebounds. [22] He started 103 of his 126 games at Alabama. [23]

College statistics

Source [24]

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
1981–82 Alabama 31825.6.618–.5915.50.4–1.510.2
1982–83 Alabama 323235.4.611–.6948.90.5–1.615.3
1983–84 Alabama 303036.1.664–.7209.10.70.71.415.6
1984–85 Alabama 333335.5.633–.5948.60.30.61.512.8
Career12610333.2.631–.6568.00.50.71.513.5

Professional career

After the end of his senior year of college Hurt was automatically eligible for the 1985 NBA draft. The Golden State Warriors selected him in the second round with the 42nd overall pick. [25] Hurt underwent knee surgery in the offseason, [26] and he and his agent had a disagreement with the Warriors management, since Hurt wanted a contract with guaranteed money which the Warriors did not want to concede. [27] He originally wanted to play in Europe, but he did not and was inactive during the 1985–86 season. [27]

The Warriors selected him again in the sixth round of the 1986 NBA draft, with the 121st overall pick. [28] Again, Hurt and his agent could not find an arrangement with the franchise, thinking that the money offer was insufficient: therefore, Hurt turned down the Warriors' offer and decided to play in Turkey. [5] He signed for Tofaş S.K., a team based in Bursa, and spent two seasons in the Turkish Basketball League.

In 1988 he came back to the United States and signed for the Wichita Falls Texans in the Continental Basketball Association: in 21 games he averaged 16.2 points and 12.5 rebounds on 55.4% from the field in 34.5 minutes per game. [29] He then moved to Italy, where he joined Auxilium Torino (which was named Ipifim Torino for sponsorship reasons): he played 21 games, averaging 18.9 points and 11.3 rebounds on 68% shooting in 37.1 minutes per game.

He transferred to Spanish team Tenerife AB for the 1989–90 season: in the Liga ACB he played 36 regular season games, starting 31, and averaged 17.2 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 39.8 minutes per game; he also played 9 games in the playoffs, averaging 13.8 points and 10.6 rebounds. He went back to Italy for the 1990–91 season, signing for Birra Messina Trapani; in 40 games he averaged a career-high 23.7 points and 12.3 rebounds on 65.1% shooting in 39.1 minutes per game. The following year he joined Auxilium again: the team had changed name to Robe di Kappa Torino. In 32 games he recorded averages of 16.8 points and 9.8 rebounds shooting 62.1% in 38.5 minutes per game.

In 1992–93 he returned to Trapani, which was named Tonno Auriga Trapani: he played 40 games and posted averages of 17.7 points and 10.0 rebounds with a 64.9% field goal percentage in 37.5 minutes per game. He ended his career in 1994 after a season with Tofaş back in Turkey.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald Wallace</span> American basketball player

Gerald Jermaine Wallace is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Crash", he was named an NBA All-Star and voted to the NBA All-Defensive First Team while with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010. He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob McAdoo</span> American basketball player (born 1951)

Robert Allen McAdoo Jr. is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a five-time NBA All-Star and named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1975. He won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s. In 2000, McAdoo was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rony Seikaly</span> Lebanese and American basketball player (born 1965)

Ronald Fred Seikaly is a Lebanese and American former professional basketball player. Seikaly was one of the first internationally born players to make an impact on American basketball. He was considered one of the top college players from the Syracuse basketball program, Seikaly's stellar offense and defense placed him among the school's all-time leaders in rebounds, points and blocks, while earning several nationally recognized awards and honors. His number 4 jersey was retired by Syracuse and raised to the rafters of the Carrier Dome. Drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) by the Miami Heat with the 9th pick of the 1988 draft and the first ever pick for the Heat, Seikaly developed into one of the best centers in the NBA and the team's top offensive and defensive contributors–winning NBA player of the week twice–and also amassing many of the team's records . Seikaly earned the 1990 NBA Most Improved Player Award and later played for the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and New Jersey Nets and in Spain with FC Barcelona. He was also part of the United States national basketball team during the 1986 FIBA World Championship, winning gold. After his retirement from basketball, Seikaly became a successful real estate developer. He also works in electronic music as a producer/DJ, and hosted a radio show, Sugar Free Radio, on Sirius/XM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvin Hayes</span> American basketball player (born 1945)

Elvin Ernest Hayes, nicknamed "the Big E", is an American former professional basketball player and radio analyst for his alma mater Houston Cougars. He is a member of the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams, and an inductee in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Known for both his offensive and defensive prowess, Hayes is often regarded as one of the best power forwards in NBA history. Hayes is also known for his longevity, being third all-time in NBA minutes played, and missing only nine games during his 16-season career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Cardinal</span> American basketball player (born 1977)

Brian Lee Cardinal is an American former professional basketball player. He played 456 games in the NBA between 2000 and 2012, and won an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. Before his NBA career, he was one of the best players in the history of Purdue University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Myers</span> American basketball player and coach

Peter Eddie Myers is an American former professional basketball player and a former assistant coach for the NBA team Chicago Bulls. He is most famous for having been Michael Jordan’s replacement player during Jordan’s stint in baseball.

Joe Barry Carroll is an American former professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After retiring from basketball, he became a wealth advisor, philanthropist, artist, author of the memoir Growing Up... In Words and Images, and recipient of the Hank Aaron Champion for Justice award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Green (basketball)</span> American basketball player (1933–2023)

John Michael "Jumpin' Johnny" Green was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans, earning consensus second-team All-American honors. He was a four-time NBA All-Star.

Matthew Wayne Freije is a Lebanese/ American former professional basketball player. Freije attended Shawnee Mission West High School in Overland Park, Kansas before attending Vanderbilt University where he was an All-SEC performer. He was selected 53rd overall in the 2004 NBA draft by the Miami Heat, was then released and later played for the New Orleans Hornets. He played 19 games for the Atlanta Hawks during the 2006–07 season but was waived in December 2006 to clear a roster spot for Slava Medvedenko.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Landry</span> American basketball player (born 1983)

Carl Christopher Landry is an American former professional basketball player. The 6-foot-9-inch (2.06 m), all-conference power forward played college basketball for the Purdue Boilermakers from 2004 to 2007. He is the older brother of Marcus Landry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonny Parker (basketball)</span> American basketball player

Robert S. "Sonny" Parker is an American former professional basketball player who played small forward and shooting guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted in the first round of the NBA draft after attending and playing basketball at Texas A&M University. After retiring from basketball, Parker created the Sonny Parker Youth Foundation in Chicago to help inner-city students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary McGhee</span> American basketball player

Gary McGhee is an American professional basketball player for Regatas Corrientes of the Liga Nacional de Básquet. He was a member of Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team. In 2009–10, McGhee was selected to the CBE Classic All-Tournament Team, led the Panthers in field goal percentage at 62.3%, and at the end of the season was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year.

Major Leon-Legrant Wingate was an American basketball player. Wingate began playing high school basketball at Wilson High School where he averaged 15 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 blocks as a junior. For his senior year, he moved to North Gwinnett where he was ranked among the top 50 players in the class of 2003 and 10th-best center prospect in the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JaMychal Green</span> American basketball player

JaMychal Green is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Green started his career in the G League and overseas before signing his first NBA contract with the San Antonio Spurs in 2015. He also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990–91 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1990–91 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team represented Georgetown University in the 1990–91 NCAA Division I college basketball season. John Thompson, coached them in his 19th season as head coach. They played their home games at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. They were members of the Big East Conference and finished the season with a record of 19-13, 8-8 in Big East play. Their record earned them a bye in the first round of the 1991 Big East men's basketball tournament, and they advanced to the final before losing to Seton Hall. They were the No. 8 seed in the West Region of the 1991 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament – the 13th of 14 consecutive Georgetown NCAA tournament appearances – and advanced to the second round before losing to West Region No. 1 seed Nevada-Las Vegas. They were ranked No. 23 in the final Coaches' Poll of the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1989–90 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 1989–90 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team represented Georgetown University in the 1989–90 NCAA Division I college basketball season. John Thompson, coached them in his 18th season as head coach. They played their home games at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. They were members of the Big East Conference and finished the season with a record of 24-7, 11-5 in Big East play. Their record earned them a bye in the first round of the 1990 Big East men's basketball tournament, and they advanced to the semifinals before losing to Connecticut. They were the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region of the 1990 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament – the 12th of 14 consecutive Georgetown NCAA tournament appearances – and advanced to the second round before losing to Midwest Region No. 6 seed Xavier. They were ranked No. 8 in the season's final Associated Press Poll and No. 6 in the final Coaches' Poll.

Aubrey D. Sherrod is an American former professional basketball player. A left-handed shooting guard, he was considered one of the top prospects of his class, and was selected as MVP of the 1981 McDonald's All-American Game. He then decided to stay in his hometown to play college basketball, and committed to Wichita State. After 4 years he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, but was waived before the start of the season and had a short professional career in the CBA and in Australia. He was inducted in the Wichita State Hall of Fame in 1994.

Eugene McDowell was an American professional basketball player. A strong big man who primarily played as a center, he was one of the top prospects in the 1981 high school class. He was a 4-year starter playing college basketball for the Florida Gators, and he was a 3rd-round pick in the 1985 NBA draft; however, he never played in the NBA and he had a 7-year career playing professional basketball in Europe and in the CBA. He died in 1995 of an enlarged heart. He was inducted in the SEC Hall of Fame in 2009.

Rudy Dewayne Woods was an American professional basketball player. A tall and strong center, he was one of the top prospects in the 1978 high school class. He played 4 years of college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies, and he was a 4th-round pick in the 1982 NBA draft; however, he never played in the NBA and he had a 5-year career playing professional basketball in Europe and in the CBA.

Geoffrey Groselle is an American professional basketball player for Trefl Sopot of the Polish Basketball League (PLK). A left-handed center, he played high school basketball at Plano West Senior High School, and four seasons in the NCAA Division I with the Creighton Bluejays. After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft, Groselle started a professional career in Europe with German team Löwen Braunschweig of the Basketball Bundesliga. In 2019 he won the bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games.

References

  1. ↑ Strother, Shelby (March 23, 1985). "Bama star still feels the Hurt". Pensacola News Journal. p. 13.
  2. 1 2 "Basketball Tournament Most Valuable Player". Alabama High School Basketball History.
  3. ↑ "1979 All Tournament Basketball Team". Alabama High School Basketball History.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Pomerantz, Gary (July 2, 1981). "BOBBY LEE HURT". The Washington Post .
  5. 1 2 Easterling, Mike (December 26, 2010). "Domination with a thousand-watt smile. Bobby Lee Hurt, Butler". al.com.
  6. ↑ Moran, Malcolm (July 6, 1981). "SCHOLASTIC STARS: ALREADY HEROS". The New York Times .
  7. ↑ "1981 All Tournament Basketball Team". Alabama High School Basketball History.
  8. 1 2 Hicks, Tommy (December 25, 1984). "The Ballad of Bobby Lee". The Anniston Star. p. 33.
  9. ↑ "The Next 48 are up" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 30, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2020. 1981 game and rosters at page 68.
  10. ↑ "Boys Basketball Records". Alabama High School Athletic Association.
  11. ↑ "The principal of Huntsville's Butler High School resigned Tuesday..." UPI.com. June 23, 1981.
  12. ↑ 2013–14 Alabama Basketball Media Guide, University of Alabama, 2013, p. 136.
  13. 1 2 2013–14 Alabama Basketball Media Guide, University of Alabama, 2013, p. 138.
  14. 1 2 2013–14 Alabama Basketball Media Guide, University of Alabama, 2013, p. 101.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 2013–14 Alabama Basketball Media Guide, University of Alabama, 2013, p. 104.
  16. 1 2 3 2013–14 Alabama Basketball Media Guide, University of Alabama, 2013, p. 96.
  17. 1 2 2013–14 Alabama Basketball Media Guide, University of Alabama, 2013, p. 100.
  18. ↑ "Alabama Basketball Superlatives" (PDF). rolltide.com.
  19. ↑ "1984–85 Alabama Crimson Tide Roster and Stats". Sports-Reference.com.
  20. 1 2 Crimson Tide Records Quick Reference in 2013–14 Alabama Basketball Media Guide, University of Alabama, 2013, p. 70.
  21. ↑ 2013–14 Alabama Basketball Media Guide, University of Alabama, 2013, p. 73.
  22. ↑ 2013–14 Alabama Basketball Media Guide, University of Alabama, 2013, p. 78.
  23. ↑ Shugart, Kim (June 15, 1985). "Bobby Lee nears moment of truth". The Montgomery Advertiser. p. 37.
  24. ↑ "Bobby Lee Hurt, Alabama". sportsstats.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  25. ↑ "1985 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.com.
  26. ↑ Murray, William (October 16, 1985). "Warriors woes continue into '85–86". The Press-Tribune. p. 15.
  27. 1 2 The San Francisco Examiner , June 8, 1986, p. 51.
  28. ↑ "1986 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.com.
  29. ↑ "Bobby Lee Hurt Statistics". StatsCrew.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.