Sam Perkins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Power forward/Center |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Born | June 14, 1961 Brooklyn, New York City |
| Nationality | USA |
| College | University of North Carolina |
| Draft | 4th overall, 1984 Dallas Mavericks |
| Pro career | 1984–2001 |
| Former teams | Dallas Mavericks (1984–1990) Los Angeles Lakers (1990–1993) Seattle SuperSonics (1993–1998) Indiana Pacers (1998–2001) |
| Awards | NCAA 1982 championship 1984-85 All Rookie Team |
| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's Basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1984 Los Angeles | Basketball | |
Samuel Bruce Perkins (born June 14, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York) is a retired American professional basketball player, also known by the nickname "The Big Smooth." Sam Perkins was named VP of player relations for the Indiana Pacers with whom he played with from 1999-2001.[1] The Dallas Mavericks chose him with the fourth overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, one slot after the Chicago Bulls drafted Michael Jordan. Sam Perkins has enjoyed a wealth of success on the basketball court. He owns an NCAA championship ring and an Olympic gold medal, and he has reached the NBA Playoffs in 13 of his 15 pro seasons. Once tough inside, Perkins developed into more of an outside player in the latter stages of his career, a center who could hit the three-point shot and pass out of the high post.
As a rookie with the Mavericks in 1984-85, Perkins averaged 11.0 points and 7.4 rebounds (18.8 ppg in the playoffs) and made the NBA All-Rookie Team. For the next five years in Dallas he averaged between 14.2 and 15.9 points and between 7.5 and 8.6 rebounds. The Mavericks made the playoffs in four of those seasons, and in 1987-88 the team advanced to the Western Conference Finals. That squad had a fearsome frontcourt in Perkins, Mark Aguirre, and Roy Tarpley.
In 1990 Perkins opted for free agency and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. Reunited with college teammate James Worthy on a team that was led by Magic Johnson, the veteran Lakers finished second in the Pacific Division. They then went on a surprising run in the playoffs, reaching the 1991 NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls. In the Lakers' only win in that series, Perkins nailed a last-second three-point shot for the victory.
He was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics during the 1992-93 season and continued to prosper as a three-point-shooting center on the talented Sonics squads. In 1995-96, as a reserve and spot starter, he was one of only two Seattle players to appear in all 82 games and helped the Sonics represent the Western Conference in the 1996 NBA Finals.
Following his successful seasons with the SuperSonics, "The Big Smooth" went to free agency and decided to sign with the Indiana Pacers. Sam Perkins did not have the scorers role with Indiana and only averaged 5.3ppg in 193 regular season games. Perkins contributed to the Indiana team that went 56-26 during the regular season and reached the NBA finals. Following the 2000-2001 season, Perkins decided to hang up his sneakers after a very solid NBA career.
In June 2008, Perkins returned to the Pacers as Vice President of player relations.
[edit] Career highlights
- Member of the 1982 NCAA Champion North Carolina Tar Heels.
- Co-captain of the gold-medal winning 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team.
- Named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1984-85.
- Has appeared in 164 career playoff games averaging 11.3 ppg and 5.7 rpg.
- Recorded the only 30-20 game in Mavericks history, with 31 points and a career-high 20 rebounds, against the Houston Rockets on 12/12/86.
- Scored a career-high 45 points, for the Mavericks, against the Golden State Warriors on 4/12/90.
- Appeared against the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 NBA Finals with the L.A. Lakers and again in 1996 with the Seattle SuperSonics.
- Tied an NBA record by hitting 8 three-pointers without a miss against the Toronto Raptors on 1/15/97.
- Participated in the AT&T Shootout during the 1997 NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.
- Posted a 1997-98 season-high 21 points, on perfect shooting (5-5 FG, 4-4 3FG, 7-7 FT), and 3 steals against the L.A. Clippers on 12/14/97.
[edit] Personal
- He has his degree in communications from North Carolina.
- Favorite charities are the United Negro College Fund, the Lupus Foundation and Big Brothers & Big Sisters.
- Started a production company in Seattle called "848 Productions", which produced unique music and sporting events to raise money for charities in the Pacific Northwest.
- He owns NEO Soul in Dallas.
- Hosts "Big Smooth's Coolout" at Golden Gardens Park in Seattle to raise money for the Pediatric AIDS Program at Children's Hospital.
- Hosts his own local radio show every Sunday night and would like to go into broadcasting or broadcast production after his playing career.
- Likes to play softball, tennis and pool during the off-season.
- Says Hakeem Olajuwon and Chris Mullin were the two of the most difficult players in the NBA to guard.
- Favorite cities to play in are New York, Toronto and Los Angeles.
- He had a unique jump shot form in which, no matter how far away the basket was, he would shoot practically flat-footed.
- He shoots a basketball left-handed and writes right-handed.
- Went to High School at Shaker High in Loudenvile, NY playing under legendary coach Girmindl
[edit] External links
- nba.com historical playerfile
- Sam Perkins at Basketball-Reference.com
- Sam Perkins on NBA.com
- Sam Perkins' UNC Tar Heels 1982 NCAA Champions Basketball Pennant
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