M. L. Carr

Last updated

M. L. Carr
M.L.Carr.jpg
Carr in 1977
Personal information
Born (1951-01-09) January 9, 1951 (age 73)
Wallace, North Carolina, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High schoolWallace-Rose Hill
(Teachey, North Carolina)
College Guilford (1969–1973)
NBA draft 1973: 5th round, 76th overall pick
Selected by the Kansas City–Omaha Kings
Playing career1973–1985
Position Small forward / shooting guard
Number30
Career history
As player:
1973–1974Hamilton Pat Pavers
1974–1975Scranton Apollos
1975–1976 Spirits of St. Louis
1976–1979 Detroit Pistons
1979–1985 Boston Celtics
As coach:
1995–1997 Boston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
Career ABA and NBA statistics
Points 6,759 (10.0 ppg)
Rebounds 3,054 (4.5 rpg)
Assists 1,336 (2.0 apg)
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at NBA.com
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at Basketball-Reference.com

Michael Leon Carr (born January 9, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA), and former head coach and General Manager of the Boston Celtics.

Contents

Playing career

In Teachey, North Carolina, Carr was the first African-American member of Wallace-Rose Hill High School's basketball team. [1] Afterwards, he played four years at Guilford College, and was then selected by the Kansas City Kings of the National Basketball Association with the seventh pick of the fifth round of the 1973 NBA draft, though he never played for the team. He subsequently signed with the Kentucky Colonels but was one of the final roster cuts the Colonels made in camp, and was released. [2] The following season, Carr played in Israel for the American-owned Israel Sabras in the short-lived European Professional Basketball League. [3] For leading his team to the championship, leading the league in scoring, and emerging second in rebounding, he was named Most Valuable Player.

During the 1975–76 ABA season, Carr played for the Spirits of St. Louis, averaging 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, and was named to the ABA's All-Rookie Team. [2] The Spirits of St. Louis were one of two ABA teams (the Colonels being the other) that did not join the NBA in the ABA–NBA merger, [2] and as a result Carr joined the NBA as a member of the Detroit Pistons from 1976–79. Upon his arrival in Detroit, he famously delivered the one-liner "Hey, since I'm here, I'm going to change my name from M. L. Carr to Abdul Automobile." [4] During the 1976-77 NBA season, Carr played all 82 games and averaged the second most points of any Piston at 13.3, behind only Bob Lanier. [5] The 1977 NBA Playoffs marked Carr's first postseason appearance, though Detroit, then in the Western Conference, were eliminated in the first round by the Golden State Warriors. On December 27, 1978, Carr set a career high with 36 points scored in a win against the Houston Rockets. [6]

After being selected to the All-Defense second team upon the conclusion of the 1979 season for leading the league in steals at a career best 2.5 steals per game, [7] Carr was signed as a free agent by the rebuilding Boston Celtics. Pistons coach Dick Vitale responded by saying, "We just had the heart and soul ripped from our team." [1] The Carr acquisition was one of the four major additions which immediately propelled the Celtics back to the top of the NBA standings after finishing near the bottom the previous season, along with majority owner Harry Mangurian, head coach Bill Fitch and rookie forward Larry Bird. Carr was instrumental in leading the Celtics' defense past the favored Philadelphia 76ers in the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals, on the way to Boston's 14th NBA championship. Playing for the Celtics until 1985, Carr averaged 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game during his NBA career.

Carr is well known for the steal and dunk he made in overtime of Game 4 of the 1984 NBA Finals versus the Lakers in Los Angeles, which sealed the victory for Boston, and eventually won another title for them. Carr was also famous for waving a towel during crucial situations to fire up the Celtics. [8]

Coaching career

Carr later became the General Manager of the Celtics in 1994. He later took over as coach for the 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons. In his last year as coach, the Celtics had the worst record in team history, winning just 15 games and losing 67 in a tactical effort to get a stronger draft position and poise the team for a comeback under famed college coach Rick Pitino.[ citation needed ] He was replaced at the end of season by Pitino, who was unable to restore the team to the glory of Carr's playing days. After the 1997 season, he became the Celtics' Director of Corporate Development.

Carr later became president of the WNBA's Charlotte Sting as part of a failed attempt to become the owner of an expansion NBA team in Charlotte, along with Steve Belkin and former teammate Larry Bird. He was given a small investment stake in the Charlotte Bobcats when Bob Johnson was selected to have the NBA franchise in Charlotte. Subsequently, Bob Johnson sold the team and Carr no longer has a relationship with the Bobcat franchise.

Carr currently resides in Massachusetts with his wife Sylvia, where he is a partner with New Technology Ventures - a tech-focused venture capital firm based in Newton. [9]

Coaching record

Legend
Regular seasonGGames coachedWGames wonLGames lostW–L %Win–loss %
PlayoffsPGPlayoff gamesPWPlayoff winsPLPlayoff lossesPW–L %Playoff win–loss %
TeamYearGWLW–L%FinishPGPWPLPW–L%Result
Boston 1995–96 823349.4025th in Atlantic————Missed playoffs
Boston 1996–97 821567.1837th in Atlantic————Missed playoffs
Career16448116.293————

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames 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
 † Won an NBA championship  * Led the league

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
1975–76 St. Louis (ABA) 74–29.4.483.375.6656.23.01.70.612.2
1976–77 Detroit 82–32.2.476–.7357.72.22.00.713.3
1977–78 Detroit 79–32.4.455–.7387.12.31.90.312.4
1978–79 Detroit 80–40.1.514–.7437.43.32.5*0.618.7
1979–80 Boston 82724.3.474.293.7394.01.91.50.411.1
1980–81† Boston 41716.0.449.071.7912.01.40.70.46.0
1981–82 Boston 562723.1.450.294.7072.72.31.20.48.1
1982–83 Boston 77011.5.429.158.7411.80.90.60.14.3
1983–84† Boston 6019.8.409.200.8751.30.80.30.13.1
1984–85 Boston 4708.4.416.3911.0000.90.50.40.13.2
Career6784224.2.472.275.7374.52.01.40.410.0

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
1977 Detroit 3–37.3.387–.5715.72.00.31.09.3
1980 Boston 9–19.1.400.400.6673.71.20.70.19.1
1981† Boston 17–16.9.416.000.7501.50.80.60.46.0
1982 Boston 12–25.4.352.000.6523.62.30.90.17.4
1983 Boston 3–7.3.250.0001.0000.30.00.70.02.0
1984† Boston 16–5.1.406.333.9090.50.30.40.02.4
1985 Boston 703.4.267.500–0.30.10.10.01.3
Career67 ?15.0.382.227.7141.91.00.60.15.3

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentucky Colonels</span> American basketball team 1967-1976

The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association (ABA) for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky Colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did not join the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the 1976 ABA–NBA merger. The downtown Louisville Convention Center was the Colonels' venue for their first three seasons before moving to Freedom Hall for the remaining seasons, beginning with the 1970–71 schedule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tayshaun Prince</span> American basketball player and executive

Tayshaun Durell Prince is an American professional basketball executive and former player. The 6-foot-9-inch (2.06 m) small forward graduated from Dominguez High School before playing college basketball for the University of Kentucky. He was drafted 23rd overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2002 NBA draft and went on to win a championship with the team in 2004.

<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">Dave Cowens</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1948)

David William Cowens is an American former professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), he played the center position and occasionally played power forward. Cowens spent most of his playing career with the Boston Celtics. He was the 1971 NBA Rookie of the Year and the 1973 NBA Most Valuable Player. Cowens won NBA championships as a member of the Celtics in 1974 and 1976. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. Cowens has also held coaching positions in the NBA, CBA, and WNBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Silas</span> American basketball player and coach (1943–2022)

Paul Theron Silas was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he was a two-time NBA All-Star and earned five selections to the NBA All-Defensive Team, including twice on the first team. He won three NBA championships: two with the Boston Celtics and one with the Seattle SuperSonics. Silas is the leader in most rebounds per game with 12.1 in Suns franchise history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caldwell Jones</span> American basketball player (1950–2014)

Caldwell "Pops" Jones Jr. was an American professional basketball player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theo Ratliff</span> American basketball player (born 1973)

Theophalus Curtis Ratliff is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Mix</span> American basketball player, coach, and broadcaster

Steven Charles Mix, nicknamed "The Mayor", is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Mix had a thirteen year playing career, was an NBA All-Star and played in the NBA Finals on four occasions. He later had a lengthy career as a broadcaster for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Christopher Joseph Ford was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "The Mad Bomber", Ford played most of his NBA career on the Detroit Pistons, before finishing his playing career at the Boston Celtics. In the Celtics' season opener in 1979–80, he was credited with making the first official three-point shot in NBA history. He won an NBA championship with the Celtics in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Boone</span> American basketball player (born 1946)

Ronald Bruce Boone is an American former professional basketball player. He had a 13-year career in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Boone set a record for most consecutive games played in professional basketball history with 1,041 and claims to have never missed a game from when he started playing basketball in the fourth grade until his retirement. Boone is the current color commentator on Utah Jazz broadcasts.

The 1984–85 NBA season was the 39th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA Championship, beating the Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. This was David Stern's first full season as commissioner.

The 1973–74 NBA season was the 28th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.

The 1967–68 NBA season was the 22nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 NBA playoffs</span> Basketball competition

The 2002 NBA playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This was the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; the 2003 NBA playoffs saw those series expand to a best-of-7 format. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets 4 games to 0 in the 2002 NBA Finals. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP for the third straight year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvin Barnes</span> American professional basketball player

Marvin Jerome "Bad News" Barnes was an American professional basketball player. A forward, he was an All-American at Providence College, and played professionally in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA).

The 1999–00 NBA season was the 54th season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Celtics acquired Danny Fortson, and former Celtics forward Eric Williams from the Denver Nuggets, and signed free agents Calbert Cheaney, and undrafted rookie guard Adrian Griffin. In their third season under head coach Rick Pitino, the Celtics won their first three games, but played below .500 for the first few months, holding a 21–28 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded Fortson to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Alvin Williams, but the trade was voided due to Williams failing his physical exam; Fortson only played 55 games this season due to a stress fracture in his right foot. The Celtics struggled and suffered a ten-game losing streak between March and April, but managed to win five of their final six games, finishing fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 35–47 record, and missing the playoffs again for the fifth straight season.

The 1996–97 NBA season was the 51st season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. Celebrating its 50th anniversary as one of the NBA's original franchises, the Celtics selected Antoine Walker from the University of Kentucky with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft. During the off-season, the team signed free agents Frank Brickowski and Marty Conlon. However, after a 4–8 start to the season, the Celtics lost 13 of their next 14 games as players like Dino Radja, Dana Barros, Dee Brown, Greg Minor and Pervis Ellison were all out for long stretches of the season with injuries. The team suffered through their worst season, holding an 11–35 record at the All-Star break, then posting a 13-game losing streak between February and March, and losing ten straight games near the end of the season. The Celtics lost 34 of their final 38 games, finishing last place in the Atlantic Division with a dreadful 15–67 record, which is the team's worst record in franchise history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kemba Walker</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Kemba Hudley Walker is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is a player enhancement coach for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was picked ninth overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2011 NBA draft. He played college basketball for the Connecticut Huskies. In their 2010–11 season, Walker was the nation's second-leading scorer and was named consensus first-team All-American; he also led the Huskies to the 2011 NCAA championship and claimed the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award. Walker is a four-time NBA All-Star.

The 1975–76 American Basketball Association season saw the Spirits of St. Louis, led by Marvin Barnes, Moses Malone, Ron Boone and Caldwell Jones, drop to sixth place in the ABA, with a record of 35–49. As a result, the Spirits missed the playoffs in their second and final season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1975–76 Phoenix Suns season</span> Professional basketball season

The 1975–76 Phoenix Suns season was the eighth season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. The season included an improbable run to the NBA Finals by a team that had never won a playoff series and made the playoffs only one other season in the franchise's existence.

References

  1. 1 2 Pender County’s M.L. Carr, heart-and-soul NBA champion
  2. 1 2 3 "Remember the ABA: Spirits of St. Louis". Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
  3. ↑ Halpern, Burton (June 5, 1975). "Israel's newest "product" is professional basketball". The Sentinel. Retrieved January 2, 2020– via Jpress.NLI.org.il.
  4. ↑ "Carr's signing angers many GM," Daily Press (Escanaba, MI), Monday, December 27, 1976, Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  5. ↑ "1976-77 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats". Basketball Reference.
  6. ↑ "M.L. Carr Career High 36 Points". Statmuse.
  7. ↑ "M.L. Carr Per Game Averages". Basketball Reference.
  8. ↑ McManis, Sam (June 4, 1985). "M. L. Carr--He's Celtic That You Love to Hate". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  9. ↑ McCarter, Mark (May 31, 2010). "M.L. Carr recalls 'unbelievable' NBA rivalry". al.com. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
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.