Albert King (basketball)

Last updated
Albert King
Albert king 1975.jpg
King playing with the Fort Hamilton High School varsity team in 1974–75
Personal information
Born (1959-12-17) December 17, 1959 (age 64)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school Fort Hamilton (Brooklyn, New York)
College Maryland (1977–1981)
NBA draft 1981: 1st round, 10th overall pick
Selected by the New Jersey Nets
Playing career1981–1991
Position Small forward / shooting guard
Number55, 17, 15
Career history
1981–1987 New Jersey Nets
1987–1988 Philadelphia 76ers
1988–1989 San Antonio Spurs
1989 Olimpia Milano
1990 Hapoel Holon
1990–1991 Albany Patroons
1991 Washington Bullets
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points 6,470 (12.1 ppg)
Rebounds 2,262 (4.2 rpg)
Assists 1,171 (2.2 apg)
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at NBA.com
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at Basketball-Reference.com

Albert King (born December 17, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. The younger brother of former NBA scoring champion, Hall of Famer Bernard King, Albert played at Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn and is regarded as one of the nation's greatest high school players of all time. He was rated the top prep player in the nation over Magic Johnson and Gene Banks during his senior year. A 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) guard-forward from the University of Maryland, King was selected by the New Jersey Nets in the first round (10th overall) of the 1981 NBA draft. King played in nine NBA seasons for four teams. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life

King attended Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, New York. [3] He was named to the inaugural McDonald's All-American team, which played in the 1977 Capital Classic. [4] [5]

College career

In the 1979–80 college season, King was named the ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice during the 1980 season. [6] One of the highlights of his ACC career was a thundering dunk over Duke center Mike Gminski during a Maryland home game at Cole Field House. Duke was the first-seeded team in the nation at the time, and King went on to lead the Terrapins in scoring that night and helped defeat the Blue Devils 101–82. [7] His no. 55 jersey was retired by the Maryland basketball program. In 2002, King was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team as one of the fifty greatest players in Atlantic Coast Conference history.

Professional career

King played in nine NBA seasons for four teams. He played for the New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Bullets. King's best years as a professional came during his playing days with the Nets from 1981 to 1987. During the 1982–83 season, he appeared in 79 games and averaged 17.0 points per game and 3.7 assists per game. In his NBA career, he played in 534 games and scored a total of 6,470 points.

At the end of the 1988–89 season, he was signed by Olimpia Milano of the Italian Basketball League [8] to replace Billy Martin. In Milan he played the last two games of the regular season and the following 12 of the postseason. Alongside some very experienced players such as Bob McAdoo, Mike D'Antoni and Dino Meneghin, he gave an essential contribution for winning the title in a very contested last game of the finals, scoring a season-high 22 points.

During the second half of the 1989–90 season, King played for Hapoel Holon of the Israeli Basketball League. [8] In just 11 games he scored an average of 22.8 points per game including a 23-point game against Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv. The team finished the season in the seventh place and King left.

King spent the 1990–1991 season playing in the Continental Basketball Association with the Albany Patroons, coached by George Karl, [9] [10] where he was named the CBA Newcomer of the Year.

He returned to the NBA again in September 1991, when he signed with the Washington Bullets. [11] He was waived by the Bullets in November after appearing in 6 games where he averaged 5.2 points per game.

Personal life

He is the younger brother of former NBA scoring champion, Bernard King. [12] [13] They grew up in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. [14] Two of his older brothers also played college basketball, Thomas for West Virginia Wesleyan and Ronald for Miami Dade Junior College. [15]

He is also one of the central personalities in Rick Telander's acclaimed book Heaven is a Playground . [6]

In the 1990s, he hosted Nets Slammin' Planet with Evan Roberts, Brandon Scoop B Robinson and Chris Carrino. [16]

Following his basketball career, King opened several Wendy's restaurants. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Stackhouse</span> American basketball player (born 1974)

Jerry Darnell Stackhouse is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores men's team. Stackhouse played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels and played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was a two-time NBA All-Star. He was the head coach of Raptors 905 and an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies. Additionally, he has worked as an NBA TV analyst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Blake</span> American basketball player (born 1980)

Steven Hanson Blake is an American professional basketball coach and former player. After winning the 2002 NCAA Championship with Maryland, Blake was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 38th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. Over his 13-year NBA career, Blake had stints with the Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, and three stints with the Portland Trail Blazers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Thompson (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1954)

David O'Neil Thompson is an American former professional basketball player. He played with the Denver Nuggets of both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA. He was previously a star in college for North Carolina State, leading the Wolfpack to its first NCAA championship in 1974. Thompson is one of the eight players to score 70 or more points in an NBA game. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard King</span> American basketball player (born 1956)

Bernard King is an American former professional basketball player at the small forward position in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 14 seasons with the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Washington Bullets. King is a four-time NBA All-Star, four-time All-NBA selection and led the NBA in scoring in the 1984–85 season. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 8, 2013. His younger brother, Albert, also played in the NBA during his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Len Elmore</span> American lawyer

Leonard J. Elmore is an American sportscaster, lawyer and former National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Elmore has served as a college basketball analyst for ESPN and Fox Sports and has served in the same capacity for CBS Sports' coverage of the NCAA Tournament and NBA. He played in the NBA from 1974-1984 for various teams, including the Indiana Pacers, Kansas City Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, and New York Knicks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buck Williams</span> American basketball player and coach

Charles Linwood "Buck" Williams is an American former professional basketball player and former assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was well known for his rebounding ability and trademark goggles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lance Thomas</span> American basketball player

Lance Thomas is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils where he started at power forward for the national champion 2010 team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike O'Koren</span> American basketball player (born 1958)

Michael F. O'Koren is an American basketball coach and former player and broadcaster originally from Jersey City, New Jersey. O'Koren was last an assistant coach at Rutgers University, serving under head coach Eddie Jordan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greivis Vásquez</span> Venezuelan basketball player and coach

Greivis Josué Vásquez Rodríguez is a former Venezuelan professional basketball player, who spent six seasons in the NBA. He is currently a coach, most recently working as the associate head coach for the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League. Vásquez also represented the Venezuela national team in international competitions, as he was born in Caracas and moved to the United States to attend high school at Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deron Washington</span>

Deron Washington is an American basketball player who last played for Mitteldeutscher of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). He played in college for the Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team. He was selected with the 59th overall selection in the 2008 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donté Greene</span> American basketball player (born 1988)

Donté Dominic Greene is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange for one year before being selected with the 28th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2008 NBA draft.

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

Tyler Paul Zeller is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of North Carolina, where as a freshman he played on their 2009 national championship team and as a senior was an All-American and the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. He is the nephew of former NBA player Al Eberhard, and the brother of fellow NBA players Cody Zeller and Luke Zeller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Booker</span> American basketball player (born 1987)

Trevor Fitzgerald Booker is an American former professional basketball player who played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted 23rd overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2010 NBA draft, but was immediately traded to the Washington Wizards. Booker primarily played the power forward position.

The 1992–93 NBA season was the Bullets' 32nd season in the National Basketball Association. In the 1992 NBA draft, the Bullets selected Tom Gugliotta out of North Carolina State with the sixth overall pick. In the off-season, the team acquired rookie forward Don MacLean from the Los Angeles Clippers, who had acquired him from the Detroit Pistons, and signed free agents Buck Johnson, and rookie guard Doug Overton. However, Ledell Eackles would miss the entire season due to weight problems. The Bullets got off to a 7–10 start to the season, but then struggled posting a nine-game losing streak in December, and held a 15–36 record at the All-Star break. In January, All-Star forward Bernard King was released to free agency, and later on signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets. The team struggled with injuries as Pervis Ellison only played just 49 games due to a knee injury, Rex Chapman only played 60 games due to an ankle injury, and Overton only played just 45 games due to a thumb injury. The Bullets lost ten of their final eleven games, finishing last place in the Atlantic Division with a 22–60 record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Williams (basketball, born 1990)</span> American basketball player

Jordan Williams is an American former professional basketball player. He played two seasons of college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lucas II</span> American basketball player (born 1953)

John Harding Lucas II is an American professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played basketball and tennis at the University of Maryland, College Park and was an All-American in both.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane Larkin</span> American-Turkish basketball player

DeShane Davis Larkin is an American, formerly naturalized Turkish, professional basketball player for Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketball Super League and the EuroLeague. He also represented the senior Turkish national team in international competition. He played college basketball for the University of Miami. He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 18th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, where he was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He last played in the NBA in 2018 with the Boston Celtics. Larkin is the son of Hall of Fame baseball player Barry Larkin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Harris (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1991)

Joseph Malcolm Harris is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers, before being selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, He spent one-and-a-half seasons with the team before being traded and waived due to injury. He was signed by the Brooklyn Nets in 2016, and is one of three players to make 200 three-pointers in one season in the history of the Nets franchise. The longest-tenured Net as of 2021, Harris led the NBA in three-point shooting accuracy in 2018–19 and repeated the feat in 2020–21. Also in 2021, Harris surpassed Dražen Petrović as the Nets' all-time leader in three-point field goal percentage, and surpassed Jason Kidd as the Nets' all-time leader in three-point field goals made. Harris also ranks fourth in NBA history in career three-point field goal percentage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Anderson (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1993)

Justin Lamar Anderson is an American professional basketball player for Valencia of the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers before being selected with the 21st overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alondes Williams</span> American basketball player

Alondes Louis Williams is an American professional basketball player for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Triton Trojans, the Oklahoma Sooners, and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

References

  1. ↑ "Former NBA Star Albert King Succeeding In Business After Basketball". Observer-Dispatch . 8 November 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Part 2 - Life After NBA And Working With Wendy's - Albert King's Story". Observer-Dispatch . 10 November 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  3. ↑ Kent Hannon (7 February 1977). "Everybody is courting the King". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "The Origin of the McDonalds All American Game". ESPN. February 26, 2003. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Prep Al-America revealed". The Herald Journal. March 20, 1977. p. 14. Retrieved April 3, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 Seth Davis (17 March 1997). "Catching up with...Maryland forward Albert King - March 17, 1980". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  7. ↑ Dunleavy, Kevin (January 8, 2011). "Top 10: Maryland wins over Duke". Washington Examiner. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  8. 1 2 Sandra McKee (17 July 1990). "Albert King happy to get high-caliber Bullet shot". The Evening Sun . pp. C1, C6 . Retrieved 11 January 2024– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. ↑ Bob Sansevere (26 July 1991). "Albert King hopes for NBA comeback like his brother". The Indianapolis Star . p. D7. Retrieved 11 January 2024– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  10. ↑ Ken Denlinger (28 March 1991). "Albert King time's of the essence". The Washington Post . Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  11. ↑ "Back again". Winston-Salem Journal . Associated Press. 7 November 1991. p. 22. Retrieved 11 January 2024– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  12. ↑ Roy S., Johnson (9 November 1982). "Sibling Rivalry in the N.B.A." The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  13. ↑ TenleyAnn Jackson (13 February 1983). "Two NBA Kings: Brothers First". The Washington Post . Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  14. ↑ Sullivan, Sady (November 4, 2009). "Oral History Interview with Albert King" (PDF). brooklynhistory.org. Retrieved August 23, 2018. I grew up in an area called Fort Greene, New York. I mean, Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
  15. ↑ Al Harvin (9 June 1981). "Albert King ready and eager to make own name in pros". The New York Times . Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  16. ↑ "He's Scoop, He Scores, the Journey of Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson". Front Office Sports. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  17. ↑ Jeff Roberts (8 June 2011). "He knows when it's real". The Record . p. S6. Retrieved 9 January 2024– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
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.