Tom Chambers (basketball)
San Diego Clippers | |
1983–1988 | Seattle SuperSonics |
---|---|
1988–1993 | Phoenix Suns |
1993–1995 | Utah Jazz |
1995–1996 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
1997 | Charlotte Hornets |
1997 | Philadelphia 76ers |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career NBA statistics | |
Points | 20,049 (18.1 ppg) |
Rebounds | 6,703 (6.1 rpg) |
Assists | 2,283 (2.1 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Thomas Doane Chambers (born June 21, 1959) is an American former professional
Early life
Thomas Doane Chambers was born on June 21, 1959, in
College career
At Utah, Chambers played center with star forward Danny Vranes. The two led successful teams in the Western Athletic Conference. He ran the floor well and had good shooting range. At the NBA level he would move to power forward. On Feb. 5, 2022, Chambers' jersey and number, 42, was retired during the Utes' game against Oregon.
Professional career
San Diego Clippers (1981–1983)
Chambers was drafted by the-then
The following season, on October 29, 1982, Chambers scored 29 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in San Diego’s home opener, a loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Seattle SuperSonics (1983–1988)
Teaming with center Jack Sikma and guard Gus Williams, Chambers became a key piece to a winning team in his third NBA season. He played all 82 games and averaged 18.1 points per game.
The following year, though, Williams was traded, and the point guard who emerged was Gerald Henderson. After posting a team-high 21.5 points per game the season before, Chambers fell to third-most on the team in shot attempts, taking only 28 more shots more than Henderson that season. He still led the team at 18.5 points per game, but felt he was being passed around in the offense.
1986–87, however, was a big season for Chambers. Rookie Nate McMillan took over Henderson's spot and Chambers became one of three key scorers for the Sonics. He posted 23.3 points per game to reach All-Star status for the first time. Chambers hit 85% of 630 free throw tries that season. He also again played all 82 games.
He was the star of the 1987 NBA All-Star Game, played in Seattle. He scored 34 points on 13 of 25 shooting and was named Game's Most Valuable Player. With the SuperSonics, he averaged 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.[8]
Phoenix Suns (1988–1993)
An avid hunter and horseback rider, Chambers had no interest in playing outside of his native West. He accepted a then-very pricey offer to join the Phoenix Suns in June 1988. Seattle declined to match the offer. He would go onto make three All-Star appearances as a Suns player.
In Phoenix, coach Cotton Fitzsimmons expected Chambers to shoot the ball. In 1988–89 Chambers scored 25.7 points per game. In 1989–90 his total rose to 27.2 points per game. Just as his scoring hit new highs his team also improved. Point guard Kevin Johnson was the passer Chambers had long-awaited, and the duo became an outstanding NBA tandem. On March 24, 1990, Chambers scored a Suns-franchise-record 60 points during a win over his former team the Sonics,[9] while playing through a hamstring injury.[10]
Former Seattle teammate, Xavier McDaniel, joined the team in 1990–91, and the now 31-year-old Chambers again accepted a more team-oriented role for the Suns. His scoring, and the team's success, declined. He had been twice named All-NBA Second Team, but now just tried to fit in.
In 1992–93, the fifth and final season in Phoenix, Charles Barkley arrived to give the team the rebounder the team had long needed to truly contend. The now 33-year-old Chambers accepted a role as sixth man, while Barkley and Dan Majerle were the team's key scorers.
That team made it to the 1993 NBA Finals, where they lost 4 games to 2 to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. In the last game of the series, and what would be the last game of his Suns tenure, Chambers scored 12 points in a 99–98 Game 6 loss.[11]
Utah Jazz
Chambers still felt he had more to contribute, and accepted an offer to join the Utah Jazz in August 1993. He would back up star Karl Malone, and re-team with Jeff Hornacek from the Suns. The Jazz improved immediately and made it to the 1994 Western Conference Finals. Now age 35, Chambers had one more year to give before ending his first stint in the NBA as a 20,024-point NBA scorer.
Maccabi Tel Aviv (1995–1996)
Chambers joined
Charlotte Hornets (1997)
After his stint in Israel, Chambers decided to reunite with the Phoenix Suns. However, before playing a single game of a second run there, he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets. He played twelve games with the Hornets but was then waived.
Philadelphia 76ers (1997)
Chambers would play in one more NBA game, with the Philadelphia 76ers, during the 1997–98 regular season,[7] before retiring. In the last game of his career, played on November 26, 1997, he had six points, two rebounds, and two steals for the 76ers, against the Cleveland Cavaliers, in his only appearance with the team.[14]
Player profile
Chambers appeared in 16 NBA seasons as a member of the
Legacy
Chambers was inducted into the
NBA 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 |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1981–82 | San Diego | 81 | 58 | 33.1 | .525 | .000 | .620 | 6.9 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 17.2 |
1982–83 | San Diego | 79 | 79 | 33.7 | .472 | .000 | .723 | 6.6 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 17.6 |
1983–84 | Seattle | 82 | 44 | 31.3 | .499 | .000 | .800 | 6.5 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 18.1 |
1984–85 | Seattle | 81 | 60 | 36.1 | .483 | .273 | .832 | 7.1 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 21.5 |
1985–86 | Seattle | 66 | 26 | 30.6 | .466 | .271 | .836 | 6.5 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 18.5 |
1986–87 | Seattle | 82 | 82 | 36.8 | .456 | .372 | .849 | 6.6 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 23.3 |
1987–88 | Seattle | 82 | 82 | 32.7 | .448 | .303 | .807 | 6.0 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 20.4 |
1988–89 | Phoenix | 81 | 81 | 37.1 | .471 | .326 | .851 | 8.4 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 25.7 |
1989–90 | Phoenix | 81 | 81 | 37.6 | .501 | .279 | .861 | 7.0 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 27.2 |
1990–91 | Phoenix | 76 | 75 | 32.6 | .437 | .274 | .826 | 6.4 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 19.9 |
1991–92 | Phoenix | 69 | 66 | 28.2 | .431 | .367 | .830 | 5.8 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 16.3 |
1992–93 | Phoenix | 73 | 0 | 23.6 | .447 | .393 | .837 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 12.2 |
1993–94 | Utah | 80 | 0 | 23.0 | .440 | .311 | .786 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 11.2 |
1994–95 | Utah | 80 | 4 | 15.3 | .457 | .167 | .807 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 6.2 |
1996–97 | Charlotte | 12 | 5 | 6.9 | .226 | .667 | .750 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.6 |
1997–98 | Philadelphia | 1 | 0 | 10.0 | 1.000 | — | 1.000 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 6.0 |
Career | 1,107 | 734 | 30.6 | .468 | .307 | .807 | 6.1 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 18.1 | |
All-Star | 4 | 1 | 21.0 | .518 | .400 | .773 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 19.3 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1984
|
Seattle
|
5 | — | 38.2 | .475 | .000 | .667 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 13.6 |
1987
|
Seattle
|
14 | 14 | 35.6 | .449 | .333 | .808 | 6.4 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 23.0 |
1988
|
Seattle
|
5 | 5 | 33.6 | .549 | .000 | .829 | 6.2 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 25.8 |
1989
|
Phoenix
|
12 | 12 | 41.3 | .459 | .409 | .859 | 10.9 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 26.0 |
1990
|
Phoenix
|
16 | 16 | 38.3 | .425 | .263 | .879 | 6.7 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 22.2 |
1991
|
Phoenix
|
4 | 4 | 35.5 | .409 | .000 | .737 | 5.8 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 17.0 |
1992
|
Phoenix
|
7 | 0 | 27.7 | .459 | .571 | .844 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 15.6 |
1993
|
Phoenix
|
24 | 1 | 15.7 | .388 | .400 | .815 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 7.3 |
1994
|
Utah
|
16 | 0 | 20.3 | .361 | .000 | .793 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 5.8 |
1995
|
Utah
|
5 | 0 | 12.0 | .500 | .333 | .692 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 6.4 |
Career | 108 | 52 | 28.3 | .440 | .303 | .827 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 15.4 |
Personal life
After his playing career ended, Chambers bought a ranch in North Ogden for himself and family which became known as Shooting Star Ranch. Soon after, he became a community relations representative for the Suns, sold his ranch in Ogden, and moved permanently to Scottsdale, Arizona, with his family.
He won a Rocky Mountain Emmy alongside senior editor Tommy Arguelles for their work on Sunderella Suns, a film commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1975–76 Phoenix Suns season and the impact that season had on the state of Arizona as a whole.[20]
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association retired numbers
- List of National Basketball Association single-game scoring leaders
References
- NBA.com.
- ^ "Phoenix Suns forward Tom Chambers nominated for Basketball Hall of Fame". KNXV. December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
- ^ Rankin, Duane (February 18, 2022). "Tom Chambers fails to make Naismith Hall of Fame 2022 finalists list as a first-time nominee". AZ Central. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ Clarke, Norm (February 25, 1990), "Colorado's All Time Top Prep Star? Tom Chambers – By A Spurt", The Seattle Times
- ^ Harris, Curtis M. (March 31, 2020). "From Double TC to Zero Hope". Prohoopshistory.substack.com. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ a b "Portland Trail Blazers at San Diego Clippers Box Score, April 15, 1982". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ a b "Tom Chambers Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ "Tom Chambers: The First Unrestricted Free Agent". www.nba.com. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- ^ (1990) Tom Chambers scored a franchise high 60 points vs the Sonics
- ^ THROWBACK: CHAMBERS DROPS FRANCHISE RECORD 60
- ^ SUNS ROAD TO 1993 NBA FINALS: THE FINISH LINE
- ^ "ISRAEL BASKETBALL SUPER LEAGUE | Israel Basketball | 1995-96 Season | Maccabi Tel-Aviv | Tom Chambers". Basket.co.il. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ "Thomas Doane Chambers | European Championship for Men's Clubs (1996) | FIBA Europe". Fibaeurope.com. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ "Tom Chambers 1997-98 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ a b "Chambers, Tom." 2005–06 Official NBA Player Register. 2005. 338–339.
- ^ "Single Game Bests: Points". 2006–2007 Official NBA Guide. 2006. 167.
- ^ Gilmartin, Joe (April 22, 1999). "Suns Honor Chambers". Phoenix Suns. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Nov. 16, Rod Zundel | Posted-; P.m, 2010 at 8:36. "5 inducted into Utah Sports Hall Of Fame". www.ksl.com. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Hall inducted into Arizona Sports Hall of Fame". MLB.com. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ "Marquese Chriss comfortable with preseason Phoenix Suns impact". Azcentral.com. Retrieved February 5, 2022.