George Gervin
Banco di Roma | |
1989 | Quad City Thunder |
---|---|
1989–1990 | TDK Manresa |
As coach: | |
1992–1994 | San Antonio Spurs (assistant) |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
Points | 26,595 (25.1 ppg) |
Rebounds | 5,602 (5.3 rpg) |
Assists | 2,798 (2.6 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 |
George Gervin (/ˈɡɜːrvɪn/ GHUR-vin; born April 27, 1952),[1] nicknamed "the Iceman", is an American former professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls. Gervin averaged at least 14 points per game in all 14 of his ABA and NBA seasons, and finished with an NBA career average of 26.2 points per game. Widely regarded as one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history, in 1996 Gervin was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History,[2] and in 2021, Gervin was named as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history.[3]
Early life
George Gervin was born on April 27, 1952, in
College career
Gervin received a scholarship to play under Coach Jerry Tarkanian at California State University, Long Beach, but he had such a culture shock that he returned home before the first semester was over.[6] He transferred to Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan and averaged 29.5 points as a sophomore forward in 1971–72.[7]
While competing in an NCAA College Division national semifinal game in
Professional career
Pontiac Chaparrals (1972–1973)
In 1972–73, Gervin initially played in Michigan for the
Virginia Squires (1973–1974)
While playing with Pontiac, Gervin was spotted by Johnny Kerr, a Vice President, Basketball Operations for the Virginia Squires of the ABA.[7] In January 1973, Kerr signed Gervin to the Squires for a $40,000 a year contract.[9][10]
Gervin's time in Virginia would be short-lived, however. The Squires' finances had never been stable, and they had been forced to start trading their best players to get enough money to stay alive. In the space of only four months, they traded
San Antonio Spurs (1974–1985)
After two seasons in the ABA, Gervin became NBA eligible in time for the 1974 NBA draft. The Phoenix Suns selected Gervin in the third round with the 40th pick, however Gervin elected to stay in the ABA and kept playing for the Spurs.[11][12][13] With Gervin as the centerpiece, the Spurs transformed from a primarily defense-oriented team into an exciting fast-breaking team that played what coach
Gervin's first NBA scoring crown came in the 1977–78 season, when he narrowly edged
Despite disappointing playoff eliminations and not making it to the finals, Gervin was committed to the Spurs, showing no frustration towards his teammates, thus living up to his nickname and went on to lead the NBA in scoring average three years in a row from 1978 to 1980 (with a high of
Chicago Bulls (1985–1986)
Right before the 1985–86 season, Gervin was traded to the Chicago Bulls for forward David Greenwood after missing multiple preseason workouts amid the possibility of being relegated to the bench by new head coach, Cotton Fitzsimmons.[16] The Bulls' rising star Michael Jordan stated he was "unhappy" after the trade.[16] This season would be Gervin's last season in the NBA before retiring from the league. Although by this time he was aging and no longer at an all-star level, Gervin was still effective on the Bulls roster, averaging 16.2 ppg, had another 40-point game performance (a season-high 45 points against the Dallas Mavericks) and played all 82 games. The Bulls finished 30–52 but it was enough for a playoff berth clinching the number 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. The last NBA game of Gervin's career was April 20, 1986, Jordan's remarkable 63 point game against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the first round. Gervin recorded an assist and a personal foul in five minutes of play and the Bulls would later get swept by the Celtics in the first round.
Banco di Roma (1986–1987)
When he left the NBA, Gervin played for several years in Europe: In Italy for
Quad City Thunder (1989)
In between his years of playing in Europe, Gervin also played for the Quad City Thunder of the now defunct Continental Basketball Association (different from the CBA he began his career with).[17]
TDK Manresa (1989–1990)
Gervin played in the Spanish National Basketball League for TDK Manresa team (he was 38 years old at the time).[2][18] At this point in his career he had lost some of his quickness, but his scoring instinct remained; he averaged 25.5 points, 5 rebounds and 1.2 assists, and in his last game he scored 31 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to keep Manresa in the first Spanish division.[2]
Coaching career
San Antonio Spurs (1992–1994)
Gervin coached for the Spurs from 1992 to 1994 and participated in the 1992 NBA All-Star Legends Game, where he scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 16 minutes.[19]
Legacy
Nicknamed "Iceman" for his cool demeanor on the court, Gervin was primarily known for his scoring talents. He had also received the nickname because of his rare ability to play the game of basketball at a high level without sweating.[20][21][22]
Gervin's trademark move was the finger roll, which he executed with unusual delicacy, touch, and range. Typically used by others to shoot short layups, Gervin's effectiveness with the shot extended all the way to the free-throw line.
Gervin's legacy has inspired other athletes. Basketball great Gary Payton has stated his childhood idol was Gervin and that he was his favorite player to watch.[23] Gervin was also idolized by former NFL and Heisman-winning quarterback Ty Detmer. Detmer records in his autobiography that he was elated to receive Gervin's autograph one day as a youth in San Antonio.
In 2021, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Gervin as the 42nd greatest player in NBA history.[24]
Awards and records
Gervin was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996; additionally, his #44 jersey has been retired by the Spurs and he was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.[2] In 2009, Gervin was ranked #45 on SLAM Magazine's Top 50 NBA Players of All Time. In 2021, he was also named as one of the 75 greatest player in NBA history.[3]
He remains active in the San Antonio community with his seven organizations designed specifically for underprivileged kids, including the George Gervin Youth Center. Gervin has said that his own experience as an underprivileged child in Michigan inspired him to get involved.[14]
At the time of his trade to the Bulls, he held nearly every significant scoring record in Spurs history. Many of his records have been surpassed by
Though an NBA and ABA All-Star and Hall of Famer, Gervin never made an appearance with a team in either an NBA or ABA championship series during his 13-year career in American professional basketball.
- One of three players in NBA history to average 30 PPG and shoot 50 percent on field goals in a season as a guard.[26]
- Includes Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Post-playing career
Since retiring from professional basketball, George Gervin has been active in the San Antonio community by designing organizations for underprivileged children. In 1991, he established the George Gervin Youth Center.[27][28]
Personal life
Gervin was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan.
In 1976, Gervin married Joyce King. The couple divorced in 1984 then remarried in 1985.
Career statistics
GP | Games 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 |
* | Led the league |
Regular season
Season | Team | GP | GS | MIN | FG% | 3P% | FT% | OFF | DEF | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1972–73 | Virginia (ABA) | 30 | — | 23.0 | .472 | .231 | .814 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 1.1 | — | — | 1.8 | 2.4 | 14.1 |
1973–74 | Virginia (ABA) | 49 | — | 35.3 | .472 | .160 | .799 | 2.2 | 6.3 | 8.5 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 25.4 |
1973–74 | San Antonio (ABA) | 25 | — | 31.3 | .468 | .000 | .853 | 2.5 | 5.8 | 8.2 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 19.4 |
1974–75 | San Antonio (ABA) | 84* | — | 37.1 | .474 | .309 | .830 | 2.9 | 5.4 | 8.3 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 23.4 |
1975–76 | San Antonio (ABA) | 81 | — | 33.9 | .499 | .255 | .857 | 2.2 | 4.5 | 6.7 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 21.8 |
1976–77 | San Antonio | 82 | — | 33.0 | .544 | — | .833 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 1.3 | — | 3.5 | 23.1 |
1977–78 | San Antonio | 82 | — | 34.8 | .536 | — | .830 | 1.4 | 3.7 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 27.2* |
1978–79 | San Antonio | 80 | — | 36.1 | .541 | — | .826 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 29.6* |
1979–80 | San Antonio | 78 | — | 37.6 | .528 | .314 | .852 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 5.2 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 33.1* |
1980–81 | San Antonio | 82 | — | 33.7 | .492 | .257 | .826 | 1.5 | 3.6 | 5.1 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 27.1 |
1981–82 | San Antonio | 79 | 79 | 35.7 | .500 | .278 | .864 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 32.3* |
1982–83 | San Antonio | 78 | 78 | 36.3 | .487 | .364 | .853 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 26.2 |
1983–84 | San Antonio | 76 | 76 | 34.0 | .490 | .417 | .842 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 25.9 |
1984–85 | San Antonio | 72 | 69 | 29.0 | .508 | .000 | .844 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 21.2 |
1985–86 | Chicago | 82 | 75 | 25.2 | .472 | .211 | .879 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 16.2 |
NBA career | 791 | 377 | 33.5 | .511 | .297 | .844 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 4.6 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 26.2 | |
ABA career | 269 | — | 33.7 | .480 | .234 | .831 | 2.3 | 5.1 | 7.4 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 21.9 | |
Total career | 1,060 | 377 | 33.6 | .504 | .271 | .841 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 5.3 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 25.1 |
Playoffs
Season | Team | GP | GS | MIN | FG% | 3P% | FT% | OFF | DEF | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1973 | Virginia (ABA) | 5 | — | 40.0 | .442 | .200 | .706 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 7.6 | 1.6 | — | — | 3.6 | 3.0 | 18.6 |
1974 | San Antonio (ABA) | 7 | — | 32.3 | .496 | 1.000 | .935 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 7.4 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 20.6 |
1975 | San Antonio (ABA) | 6 | — | 46.0 | .462 | .250 | .827 | 5.7 | 8.3 | 14.0 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 34.0 |
1976 | San Antonio (ABA) | 7 | — | 41.1 | .499 | .000 | .812 | 3.3 | 5.9 | 9.1 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 27.1 |
1977
|
San Antonio | 2 | — | 31.0 | .432 | — | .800 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | — | 4.5 | 25.0 |
1978
|
San Antonio | 6 | — | 37.8 | .549 | — | .768 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 5.7 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 33.2 |
1979
|
San Antonio | 14 | — | 36.6 | .536 | — | .808 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 5.9 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 28.6 |
1980
|
San Antonio | 3 | — | 40.7 | .500 | .000 | .867 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 6.7 | 4.0 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 33.3 |
1981
|
San Antonio | 7 | — | 39.1 | .500 | .000 | .800 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 27.1 |
1982
|
San Antonio | 9 | — | 41.4 | .452 | .000 | .831 | 2.1 | 5.2 | 7.3 | 4.6 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 29.4 |
1983
|
San Antonio | 11 | — | 39.7 | .487 | .000 | .884 | 1.9 | 4.8 | 6.7 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 25.2 |
1985
|
San Antonio | 5 | 5 | 36.6 | .532 | .000 | .794 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 22.2 |
1986
|
Chicago | 2 | 0 | 5.5 | .000 | — | — | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 |
Total career | 84 | 5 | 38.0 | .501 | .147 | .820 | 2.4 | 4.5 | 6.9 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 26.5 |
Source:[36]
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most points in a game
- List of individual National Basketball Association scoring leaders by season
References
- ISBN 978-0-313-28987-3.
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- ^ NBA.com. Archivedfrom the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ George Gervin Archived March 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine at ESPN.go.com
- ^ "All-NBA Selections". DetroitPSLBasketball.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
- ^ Foster, Chris (February 11, 2015). "Jerry Tarkanian's greatest loss might have been George Gervin". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 7, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c Moran, Malcolm (January 29, 1979). "Gervin, No. 1 In Both Polls: 'I've Seen a Lot'; Gervin: 'I've Seen a Lot'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ "Legends profile: George Gervin". NBA.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sports Glory days". San Antonio Current. May 12, 2005. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ "Five Players You Didn't Know the Suns Drafted | Phoenix Suns". Nba.com. June 13, 2014. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ "Phoenix Suns Best Draft Picks That Never Suited up for the Suns". May 20, 2016. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^ Howard, Scott (June 20, 2011). "Phoenix Suns NBA Draft Awards: Best And Worst Picks Ever – SB Nation Arizona". Arizona.sbnation.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ a b Kent, Austin. "Man and the Monument: How George Gervin Became Champion of the People". TheGoodPoint.com. Archived from the original on November 21, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2008.
- ^ "1982-83 San Antonio Spurs Roster and Stats". Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Sakamoto, Bob (October 25, 1985). "Bulls Get Gervin, Jordan Unhappy". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
- ^ JIM LITKE | ASSOCIATED PRESS (December 18, 1989). "'Iceman' Out in the Cold, Battles for Comeback – latimes". Articles.latimes.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "George Gervin". Archived from the original on October 28, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Pickman, Ben (March 6, 2021). "What Ever Happened to the NBA Legends Game?". ESPN. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ Amino Apps. "The Iceman: A tribute | Hoops Amino". Aminoapps.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ HAL BOCK | ASSOCIATED PRESS (June 8, 1997). "There Was No Sweat With This Iceman – latimes". Articles.latimes.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Chat: Chat with George Gervin – SportsNation". ESPN. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ DePaula, Nick (March 4, 2016). "Hall of Famer Gary Payton still jawing after all these years". Yahoo.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
- ^ "NBA 75: At No. 42, George 'Iceman' Gervin was a cool scoring machine famous for his finger roll and body control". Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ Ranking: Total Career Blocks by NBA Player Archived November 16, 2018, at the Wayback Machine at basketball-reference.com
- ^ "ESPN Stats & Info on Twitter". Twitter. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ^ "Life After Basketball | George Gervin Official Website | Contact George Gervin Agent". Georgegervin44.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ "George Gervin Youth Center: Home". Gervin-school.org. Archived from the original on June 3, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ http://marriage-divorce-records.mooseroots.com/d/c/George-Gervin [dead link]
- ^ "George Gervin". Nndb.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ Kent Demaret (February 4, 1980). "There's No One Hotter in Pro Basketball Than Texas 'Iceman' George Gervin". People.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ "The All-Time Roster of Harlem Globetrotters". HarlemGlobetrotters.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ a b "Norrköping – Gervin tillbaks i Dolphins" (in Swedish). November 6, 2007. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
- ^ Black, Ariel (February 11, 2015). "Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, president and CEO of the George Gervin Youth Center". Crain's Detroit Business. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
- ^ Clarke, Deven (February 4, 2019). "Former NBA player uses skills to inspire youth beyond sports". KSAT-TV. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
- ^ "George Gervin". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on May 30, 2010. Retrieved February 25, 2020.