 |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 23, 1941 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) |
| College | Villanova (1960–1962) |
| NBA draft | 1963: 1st round, 6th overall pick |
| Selected by the Syracuse Nationals | |
| Playing career | 1962–1970 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 23, 12, 24, 41, 10 |
| Career history | |
| 1962–1963 | Camden Bullets |
| 1963–1965 | New York Knicks |
| 1965–1967 | Wilmington Blue Bombers |
| 1967 | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1967–1968 | Denver Rockets |
| 1968 | Houston Mavericks |
| 1968 | Minnesota Pipers |
| 1968–1969 | New York Nets |
| 1969–1970 | Wilmington Blue Bombers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
| Points | 1,311 (5.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,388 (6.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 237 (1.1 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Thomas Lee Hoover Jr. (born January 23, 1941) is an American former professional basketball player.
Contents
Hoover was born in Washington, D.C. A 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) forward/center from Villanova University, Hoover played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1963 to 1967 as a member of the New York Knicks and St. Louis Hawks. He jumped to the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967, and played two seasons there with the Denver Rockets, Houston Mavericks, Minnesota Pipers, and New York Nets. Known for his bruising, brawling play, Hoover often was cast in an enforcer role as one of the bad boys of pro basketball. In his NBA/ABA career, he averaged 5.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. [1]
Hoover played in the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) for the Camden Bullets during the 1962–63 season and Wilmington Blue Bombers from 1965 to 1967 and during the 1969–70 season. [2] He won EPBL championships with the Blue Bombers in 1966 [3] and 1967. [4]
Since his basketball career ended, Hoover has worked in a wide variety of fields. With former NFL player Lane Howell, he ran an employment program for teenagers in New York City. Afterward, he turned to the entertainment industry, and worked as a road manager for Richard Pryor, The Spinners and Natalie Cole. He had a brief career acting in television commercials, then channeled his interest in boxing into a job with the New York State Athletic Commission. He later ran the Adopt-A-School Program in New York City. [5]