Charlie Hentz

Last updated
Charlie Hentz
Personal information
Born (1947-09-13) September 13, 1947 (age 76)
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
College Arkansas–Pine Bluff (1965–1969)
NBA draft 1969: 5th round, 63rd overall pick
Selected by the San Diego Rockets
Position Power forward
Number21
Career history
1970–1971 Pittsburgh Condors
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at Basketball-Reference.com

Charles Hentz (born March 17, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player.

A 6'5" forward from Arkansas AM&N College, Hentz was the 6th pick in the 5th round of the 1969 NBA draft (63rd overall pick), selected by the San Diego Rockets, [1] but he signed with the Pittsburgh Condors of the American Basketball Association. He appeared in 57 games during the 1970–71 ABA season, averaging 6.0 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. [1] He was nicknamed "The Helicopter" for his jumping and dunking abilities.

Hentz is best remembered for his actions in a November 6, 1970 game against the Carolina Cougars in Raleigh, North Carolina. Late in the first half of the game, Hentz went up for a dunk and tore the rim from his team's backboard, destroying the glass backboard in the process. The game was delayed for about an hour until the rim and backboard were replaced with a wooden backboard. With 1:07 left in the game (and the Cougars assured of victory with a 122–107 lead), Hentz destroyed another glass backboard (the one on the other end of the court) while dunking – and since there were no other replacements available, the coaches and referees agreed to end the game. [2] According to teammate Charlie Williams, "the Helicopter just stood there smiling." [3] [4]

A starter early in the season, Hentz was later consigned to the Pittsburgh bench. After signing ex-Boston Celtics forward Rich Johnson, the Condors waived Hentz on February 27, 1971. He never played pro ball again.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Charlie Hentz. basketball-reference.com.
  2. Condors Lose: Big Hentz Breaks Up Court Game, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , November 7, 1970, p. 7
  3. Terry Pluto. Loose Balls . New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990. 102–103
  4. Carolina Cougars Fan Memories at RememberTheABA.com Archived June 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slam dunk</span> Basketball technique

A slam dunk, also simply known as dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one or both hands. It is a type of field goal that is worth two points. Such a shot was known as a "dunk shot" until the term "slam dunk" was coined by former Los Angeles Lakers announcer Chick Hearn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memphis Sounds</span> Basketball team in Memphis, Tennessee

The Memphis Sounds were an American professional sports franchise that played in Memphis, Tennessee from 1970 until 1975 as a member of the American Basketball Association. The team was founded as the New Orleans Buccaneers in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsburgh Condors</span> Defunct professional basketball team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Pittsburgh Condors were a professional basketball team in the original American Basketball Association (ABA). Originally called the Pittsburgh Pipers, they were a charter franchise of the ABA and captured the first league title. The team played their home games in Pittsburgh's Civic Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice Lucas</span> American basketball player and coach (1952–2010)

Maurice Lucas was an American professional basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a four-time NBA All-Star and won an NBA championship with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977. He was named to the ABA All-Time Team.

Darnell "Dr. Dunk" Hillman is a former professional basketball player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stew Johnson</span>

Stewart "Stew" Johnson is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'8" tall forward/center from Murray State University, that was born in New York City, Johnson was selected by the New York Knicks in the third round of the 1966 NBA draft. However, Johnson never played in the NBA, joining the rival American Basketball Association instead.

Christopher Vernard Morris is an American former professional basketball player. In his 11-season (1988–1999) National Basketball Association (NBA) career, the 6'8" small forward played for the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns. He is a graduate of Atlanta's Douglass High School where his jersey has been retired, and played collegiately for the Auburn Tigers. He scored 8,184 total points in his NBA career.

Jerome Lane Sr. is an American former professional basketball player who played six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lane played college basketball for the University of Pittsburgh, where he was an All-American and led the NCAA in rebounding as a sophomore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Brisker</span> American basketball player

John Brisker was an American professional basketball player who disappeared on April 11, 1978, after allegedly visiting Uganda. He played college basketball for the Toledo Rockets until he left the team during his senior season in 1968. Brisker began his professional career with the Pittsburgh Pipers / Condors of the American Basketball Association (ABA) where he was a two-time ABA All-Star. He played for the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1972 to 1975. Brisker finished his career with the Cherry Hill Rookies of the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Verga</span> American basketball player

Robert Bruce Verga is an American retired professional basketball player, who played in the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1967 to 1974. He was a 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) guard and played college basketball at Duke University. He was a two-time ABA All-Star, in 1968 and 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim McDaniels</span> American basketball player

James Ronald McDaniels was an American professional basketball player. McDaniels played collegiately for Western Kentucky University and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1971 American Basketball Association Draft. McDaniels was an ABA All-Star.

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

Michael J. Lewis is a retired American professional basketball player.

Randolph Mahaffey is an American former professional basketball player.

A backboard shattering is an accident or stunt in basketball. It occurs when a player performs a slam dunk with sufficient force to shatter the tempered glass of the backboard, often causing the hoop to break off as well. The stunt usually caused games to be canceled or delayed, incurring a foul for the offending player, serious injuries to occur and expensive costs of cleanup and replacement. Shattering a backboard can be dangerous, sending various small pieces of the backboard glass flying over the players, sideline press personnel, referees, and spectators. In the National Basketball Association (NBA), shattering a backboard during a game is penalized with a "non-unsportsmanlike" technical foul and a possible fine towards the player. The player may not be ejected, nor shall the foul count towards a player's total towards either ejection or suspension. The referee also has latitude to waive off the foul, if it is determined the shattering was accidental due to a defect in the backboard or its structure, the board was broken during a rebound of the ball from a jump shot, or if the player had no intentions to dunk with force.

Arvesta Kelly is an American former professional basketball player. A combo guard, he played four seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA), winning a league championship with the Pittsburgh Pipers in 1968.

The 1969–70 Pittsburgh Pipers season was the 2nd season of the team in Pittsburgh in the American Basketball Association. The Pipers, having moved back to Pittsburgh after one season in Minnesota, faltered without Connie Hawkins alongside injuries and middling attendance. The Pipers lost the first 9 games of the 1970 calendar year, with their biggest win streak being 3 games. The team finished 8th in points per game and points allowed. After the season, the team was bought by Haven Industries, Inc. - the owner of the "Jack Frost" brand of sugar products. Subsequently, they decided to rebrand the team as the Pittsburgh Condors for the 1970 season.

The 1970–71 Pittsburgh Condors season was the first season of the Pittsburgh Condors, and third overall season of Pittsburgh's tenure in American Basketball Association.

The 1971–72 Pittsburgh Condors season was the 2nd and final season of the Pittsburgh Condors along with the 4th and final season of Pittsburgh involvement in the American Basketball Association. General manager Mark Binstein took over as coach after a 4–6 start. By the time the season was half over, the team was 17–25. From that point, the team went 8–34, with a losing streak of 12 near the end of the season sealing any hope of getting out of the cellar of the Division. One factor was despite being 1st in points scored at 119.2 per game, they were dead last in points allowed, at 126.4 per game.

The 1972–73 Carolina Cougars season was the 4th season of the Cougars in the American Basketball Association. The Cougars finished 2nd in points per game with 115.6 points per game and 5th in points allowed with 110.7 points per game. By the time the season was half over, the team was 28–14, with a season best eleven game winning streak occurring during that span, while they went 29–13 in the second half. The biggest losing streak was 4, which occurred after they had already won over 50 games. They clinched the best record in the Eastern Division after beating the San Diego Conquistadors on March 25, 1973, with their 57th victory, is tied for 9th most by a team in one ABA season. In the playoffs, they beat the New York Nets in five games to go to the Division Finals with a chance to go to the ABA Finals. But the Cougars failed to advance, losing to the Kentucky Colonels in seven games, with the final one in their home court.

The 1970–71 Virginia Squires season was the first season of the Virginia Squires in the American Basketball Association. After one season each in Oakland and Washington, owner Earl Foreman was convinced by the league to move his team to Virginia. Like the Carolina Cougars and The Floridians, the Squires played as a regional franchise, primarily playing games in Norfolk, Hampton and Richmond, with Salem and Roanoke having occasional games. The Squires started play on October 17, 1970, in Norfolk, winning 133–116 over the Pittsburgh Condors. They proceeded to win their next five games, while having a 30–12 first half of the season, highlighted by a seven-game winning streak. They went 25–17 in the second half, though they never lost more than two games in a row. They finished 1st in points scored at 123.3 per game, but 7th in points allowed at 119.7 per game. In the playoffs, they beat the Kentucky Colonels in six games to advance to the Division Finals, but they were beaten in six games themselves by the New York Nets.