Lowell Gibbs "Cotton" Fitzsimmons was an American college and NBA basketball coach. A native of Bowling Green, Missouri, he attended and played basketball at Hannibal-LaGrange Junior College in Hannibal, Missouri and Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. He coached the Phoenix Suns three times, was named the NBA Coach of the Year twice, and is often credited as the architect of the Suns' success of the late 1980s and early to middle 1990s. Fitzsimmons won 1,089 games in his coaching career: 223 games at the junior college level, 34 at the Division I college level and 832 in the NBA.
Artis Gilmore Sr. is an American former professional basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Gilmore was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on August 12, 2011.
Terry Porter is an American former college basketball coach and former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was most recently the head men's basketball coach at the University of Portland. A native of Wisconsin, he played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point before being drafted 24th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1985 NBA draft. In Portland, he played ten seasons with two All-Star Game appearances. Porter spent 17 years in the NBA as a player. Following his retirement as a player in 2002, he began coaching in the league. Porter has twice been a head coach, first with his hometown Milwaukee Bucks and then with the Phoenix Suns.
Mario Antoine Elie is an American former professional basketball coach and player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Elie grew up in New York City and played college basketball at American International College, before being drafted in the seventh round of the 1985 NBA draft as the 160th overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Richard Leonard Adelman is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He coached 23 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Adelman served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the class of 2021.
Anthony Eugene Peeler is an American former professional basketball player, having played for a number of National Basketball Association (NBA) teams from 1992 to 2005. He was most commonly known for his defense and athleticism. He later became an assistant coach at NCAA Division II Virginia Union University.
Mychal George Thompson is a Bahamian sports commentator and former professional basketball player. The top overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft, Thompson played the center position for the University of Minnesota and center and power forward for the National Basketball Association's Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, and Los Angeles Lakers. Thompson won two NBA championships with the Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s. He is the father of basketball players Klay Thompson and Mychel Thompson, and baseball player Trayce Thompson.
Swen Erick Nater is a Dutch former professional basketball player. He played primarily in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA), and is the only player to have led both the NBA and ABA in rebounding. Nater was a two-time ABA All-Star and was the 1974 ABA Rookie of the Year. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, winning two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles.
Antoine Labotte Carr is an American former basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Dawg", he played power forward for six different teams in the National Basketball Association across 16 seasons.
Alvin Harris Gentry is an American professional basketball executive who is the vice president of basketball engagement for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A former basketball player and coach, Gentry has served as the head coach of six NBA teams. He served as an interim head coach for the Miami Heat at the end of the 1994–95 season, and later coached the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans and Kings.
Paul Arthur Griffin is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Kevin Gilbert "Big Bird" Restani was an American professional basketball player from San Francisco, California.
Thomas James Copa is an American former professional basketball player. After graduating from Marquette he went on to play professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and in Europe. Born in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, he was named Minnesota Mr. Basketball in 1983.
James William Nettles is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball, between 1970 and 1981, for the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics. In 1975, he played for the Nankai Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball. Following his playing career, Nettles managed in the minor leagues from 1983 until 1996. He is the younger brother of Graig Nettles.
Steven Rodney Lingenfelter is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'9" power forward, he played collegiately at for the Minnesota Golden Gophers before transferring to South Dakota State University.
The 1975-76 American Basketball Association season saw the San Diego Sails fold due to weak home attendance and other financial pressures; the team folded 11 games into the season.
Donald David Newman was an American professional athlete in basketball and Canadian football. Following his playing career, he was the head basketball coach at Arizona State for the 1997–98 season, and Sacramento State from 1992 to 1997. He also was an assistant coach in the NBA with the New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, and Washington Wizards.
Dennis Van Zant is an American former basketball player. He played college basketball for the Azusa Pacific University for four years before embarking on a short professional career, including in the American Basketball Association with the San Antonio Spurs.
Keldon Wilder Johnson is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. Johnson attended Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. In 2021, he won an Olympic gold medal in basketball as a member of the United States national team.
Tre Isiah Jones is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Like his older brother, fellow NBA player Tyus Jones, he played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.
