A 6-foot-2-inch (1.88m)guard from Leighton, Alabama, Douglas played basketball at Colbert County High School, two years behind his brother Leon Douglas, who would also play in the NBA. Douglas stayed local initially for his collegiate career, playing basketball at Calhoun Community College where his freshman season saw the Warhawks go 27–3, earning a #3 national ranking. After two excellent seasons at Calhoun, where he still holds numerous scoring records,[1] Douglas transferred to the University of Kansas, scoring 19.2 ppg in his first season in Lawrence. His senior year saw his scoring drop-off (12.7 ppg) on a deeper Kansas squad with two other future NBA players in Darnell Valentine and Paul Mokeski, as Kansas advanced to the 1978 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, losing in the opening round 83–76 to UCLA.[2][3][4][5]
A college highlight for Douglas was his 46 points on the road against Iowa State on February 16, 1977, when he broke the legendary Wilt Chamberlain's record for most points scored by a visiting player in the Big Eight Conference. At Kansas, John earned All Big Eight honors, Honorable Mention All American, Newcomer of the Year and a team MVP for the Jayhawks.[6]
Professional career
Douglas was drafted in the 7th round (118 over pick) by the New Orleans Jazz in the 1978 NBA draft.[7] He was waived by the Jazz in the pre-season and played for the Utah Prospectors of the Western Basketball Association in the 1978–79 season.[8] The WBA would fold at the end of the season.[9][10] Douglas would then spend two seasons in the CBA with the Montana Golden Nuggets,[11] and played for the championship in 1981 (losing to the Rochester Zeniths 4–0) under head coach George Karl, as Douglas averaged a team high 22.8 ppg.[12] He tried out for the Kansas City Kings in the 1980 pre-season, but was released in training camp.[13]
Proving third times a charm, another NBA pre-season audition in 1981 produced the desired result as Douglas made the roster for the San Diego Clippers. He would spend the 1981-82 San Diego Clippers season with the team, averaging 7.0 ppg, 2.3 apg, in 16.1 mpg played in 64 games. He would make the team again for the 1982-83 San Diego season, but was cut after 3 games, bringing his NBA career to a close. In total, he averaged 6.7 ppg and 2.2 apg in the NBA.[13] Douglas would return to Montana and the CBA to finish the season, averaging 22.3 ppg as the team returned again to the CBA championship game, losing to the Detroit Spirits 4–3.[14]
Montana folded the CBA team in 1983, and Douglas then pursued overseas opportunities, heading to Serie A in Italy, with Fortitudo Bologna (1983–87), playing with his brother Leon for three years, and then to Reims in France and LNB Pro A for two season (1987–1989), averaging 24.9 ppg and then 24.8 ppg in his two seasons. Douglas would return briefly to Italy finish his professional career with Virtus Bologna in 1990 before retiring.[15]
John was inducted into the Calhoun County Sports Hall of Fame in 2004[17] and currently lives in Auburn, Alabama with his wife, Xenia and their two kids, Xsuela and GianMarco.
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