Albert King (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Albert King is a retired American professional basketball
player. King 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 6'6" guard-forward from the University of Maryland
, King was selected by the New Jersey Nets
in the 1st round (10th overall) of the 1981 NBA Draft
. King played in nine NBA seasons for four different teams.
. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice during the 1980 season. 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 No. 1 in the nation at the time, and King went on to lead the Terps in scoring that night and help topple the Blue Devils in the process. His jersey #55 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.
, San Antonio Spurs
and Washington Bullets
. King's best years as a professional came during his playing days with the Nets from 1981–1987. 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 1988-1989 season, he was signed for Olimpia Milano
of the Italian Basketball League to replace Billy Martin
: in Milan
he played the last two games of the regular season and the following 12 of the post-season, 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.
.
He is also one of the central personalities in Rick Telander's acclaimed book Heaven is a Playground
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. King played at Fort Hamilton High School
Fort Hamilton High School
Fort Hamilton High School is a public high school in Brooklyn, New York, USA, under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Education. Students in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park and Dyker Heights are zoned to Fort Hamilton HS. It has stood overlooking the Narrows and Lower New York Bay since...
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
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
and Gene Banks
Gene Banks
Eugene Lavon "Gene" Banks is a retired American professional basketball player. He is one of a handful of players to make high school All-America three times.-College & NBA Years:...
during his senior year. A 6'6" guard-forward from the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, King was selected by the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the 1st round (10th overall) of the 1981 NBA Draft
1981 NBA Draft
The 1981 NBA Draft was the 35th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 9, 1981, before the 1981–82 season. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the USA Network. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
. King played in nine NBA seasons for four different teams.
College career
In the 1979–1980 college season, King was named the ACC Men's Basketball Player of the YearACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the men's basketball player in the Atlantic Coast Conference voted by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association as the most outstanding player...
. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice during the 1980 season. 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 No. 1 in the nation at the time, and King went on to lead the Terps in scoring that night and help topple the Blue Devils in the process. His jersey #55 was retired by the Maryland basketball program. In 2002, King was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team
ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team
In 2002 the Atlantic Coast Conference selected 50th anniversary teams for most of its sports. The 50-member men's basketball team was voted on by a 120-member blue-ribbon committee that was selected by the league's 50th Anniversary Committee....
as one of the fifty greatest players in Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
history.
Professional career
King played in nine NBA seasons for four different teams. He played for the Nets, Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
, San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
and Washington Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. King's best years as a professional came during his playing days with the Nets from 1981–1987. During the 1982–83 season
1982-83 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Terry Cummings, San Diego Clippers*Defensive Player of the Year: Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee Bucks...
, 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 1988-1989 season, he was signed for Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
of the Italian Basketball League to replace Billy Martin
Bill Martin (basketball)
William Martin is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'7" 205 lb forward and played collegiately at Georgetown University from 1981–85....
: in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
he played the last two games of the regular season and the following 12 of the post-season, alongside some very experienced players such as Bob McAdoo, Mike D'Antoni
Mike D'Antoni
Michael Andrew "Mike" D'Antoni is an Italian-American former basketball player and is currently the head coach of the NBA's New York Knicks. While head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he won NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 2004–05 NBA season after the Suns posted 33 more wins than the previous...
and Dino Meneghin
Dino Meneghin
Dino Meneghin is an Italian former professional basketball player. He is widely considered as the best Italian player ever, as well as one of Europe's all time greats. A 2.06 m tall center, Meneghin was born in Alano di Piave, Veneto...
: he gave an essential contribution for winning the title in a very contested last game of the finals, scoring a season-high 22 points.
Personal
He is the younger brother of former NBA scoring champion, Bernard KingBernard King
Bernard King is a retired American professional basketball player at the small forward position in the NBA...
.
He is also one of the central personalities in Rick Telander's acclaimed book Heaven is a Playground
Heaven Is a Playground
Heaven Is a Playground is a 1976 book by Rick Telander. It describes Telander's observations of the streetball culture in Brooklyn during the summer of 1974. Among the players featured in the book are Fly Williams and Albert King...
.
External links
- Albert King NBA stats @ basketball-reference.com
- Basketballreference.com page