Jim McIlvaine
Encyclopedia
James Michael McIlvaine (born July 30, 1972 in Racine
, Wisconsin
) is a retired American
professional basketball
player who spent seven seasons in the National Basketball Association
with the Washington Bullets
, Seattle SuperSonics
and New Jersey Nets
. The 7-foot-1 shot-blocking
specialist never made a major impact in the NBA, and is perhaps best remembered for the fall-out that occurred after he signed with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1996.
McIlvaine is married to Gwendolyn, a 6'7" center of the North Carolina's 1994 championship women's basketball team. He currently works as a radio color analyst for Marquette
men's basketball and also as part of the online support staffer for Optima Batteries in Milwaukee.
in Racine (averaging 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 8.1 blocked shots as a senior) and blocked a school-record 399 shots at Marquette University
, McIlvaine was named NABC Defensive Player of the Year
and was drafted with the fifth pick in the second round of the 1994 draft
by the Washington Bullets (now Washington Wizards
). He spent two years for the team, primarily in a backup role to Gheorghe Muresan
. In limited playing time, McIlvaine exhibited tremendous defensive potential, although he was never given enough playing time to really prove himself in a full-time capacity (he averaged fewer than 15 minutes a game during his "breakout" second year). The young and inexperienced Bullets team displayed tremendous up-side in the 1995-96 NBA season
, McIlvaine and young star Juwan Howard
's second year in the league. However, the team's roster was already crowded with potential, and in 1996, Jim McIlvaine entered free agency
.
appearance, was looking for something that would put them over the hump and enable them to defeat the Chicago Bulls
team led by Michael Jordan
. The team had one of the league's most respected duos in All-Stars
Gary Payton
and Shawn Kemp
, and a solid group of scorers in the middle of the lineup with shooting guard
Hersey Hawkins and small forward
Detlef Schrempf
. However, the center position was lacking in depth, and currently being filled by 6-foot-9 Sam "Big Smooth" Perkins
, who was too small for his position and was falling from his physical peak (Perkins averaged only 26.5 minutes per game in 1996). McIlvaine is said to have been hired as a "Shaq Stopper" and did perhaps as well as anyone else in the league at the time. The team's young backup center, Ervin Johnson
, had not yet proven that he could play competitively at the professional level. Hoping to fill the void, Sonics management offered a seven-year, $33.6 million free-agent contract to McIlvaine, who was at the time an unproven second-year player coming off a season in which he averaged only 2.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and two blocks per game for the Washington Bullets.
Seattle fans were upset, and so was superstar forward Kemp, who had been asking for a contract increase after leading the team to a franchise-record 64 wins and its best postseason performance in 17 years. The decision by Seattle's front office to deny Kemp a salary increase and to award a largely uncoveted, unproven center with such a large-scale offer is widely thought to have hurt the team's chemistry. Following the 1997 season in which McIlvaine averaged 3.8 points and 2.00 blocks per game, Seattle would be the authors of a league-altering three-team trade that effectively sent Kemp to the Cleveland Cavaliers
in exchange for the Milwaukee Bucks
' Vin Baker
, with the Cavaliers' Terrell Brandon
and Tyrone Hill
going to Milwaukee.
The blockbuster deal is often viewed as a disastrous one, taking the wind out of four players who were just entering the prime of their career (they were all between 25 and 29 at the time of the trade). Prior to the trade, the players had a combined 11 All-Star appearances, and all but Hill had active, multi-year streaks. Following the trade, however, Brandon and Hill never appeared in another All-Star game, and after Kemp and Baker's All-Star appearances in the 1997-98 season
immediately following the trade, they too were never again chosen to represent their respective conferences — with both Kemp and Baker undergoing now-legendary declines. Although McIlvaine could not be blamed for pursuing a contract that fit his interests, his detractors consistently point out that his signing led to Kemp's dissatisfaction and eventual departure from Seattle. Over the next four years, despite having one of the league's best point guards (Payton was selected to the All-NBA First Team as the league's best point guard in two of the next three seasons), the Sonics never made it past the second round of the playoffs.
room following the once-promising team's dismantling.
McIlvaine rounded out his career with the Nets, playing three injury-riddled seasons with the team. In 1999-2000
, McIlvaine played 66 games in his best season since leaving Seattle, but injury problems and declining numbers continued to hamper him until his contract was bought out by the Nets after the 2000–01 NBA season.
McIlvaine retired with an average of 2.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.71 blocks in 401 career games. Although his career spanned more years than most second round draft picks, he is widely remembered as a disappointment because of the superstar contract he was offered by Seattle management.
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
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 who spent seven seasons in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
with the 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:...
, Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
and 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...
. The 7-foot-1 shot-blocking
Block (basketball)
In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot...
specialist never made a major impact in the NBA, and is perhaps best remembered for the fall-out that occurred after he signed with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1996.
McIlvaine is married to Gwendolyn, a 6'7" center of the North Carolina's 1994 championship women's basketball team. He currently works as a radio color analyst for Marquette
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
men's basketball and also as part of the online support staffer for Optima Batteries in Milwaukee.
Early career
After he dominated at St. Catherine's High SchoolSt. Catherine's High School (Racine, Wisconsin)
St. Catherine's High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Racine, Wisconsin. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee.-History:St. Catherine's traces its origins to the fall of 1864, when the Racine Dominican Sisters...
in Racine (averaging 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 8.1 blocked shots as a senior) and blocked a school-record 399 shots at Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
, McIlvaine was named NABC Defensive Player of the Year
NABC Defensive Player of the Year
The NABC Defensive Player of the Year is an award given annually by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to recognize the top defensive player in United States college basketball...
and was drafted with the fifth pick in the second round of the 1994 draft
1994 NBA Draft
The 1994 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is notable for the fact that two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season...
by the Washington Bullets (now Washington Wizards
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:...
). He spent two years for the team, primarily in a backup role to Gheorghe Muresan
Gheorghe Muresan
Gheorghe Dumitru Mureşan, , also known as Ghiţă or George, is a retired Romanian professional basketball player. At 7 ft 7 in , he is one of the tallest players in NBA history, along with Sudanese player Manute Bol, who was also 7 ft 7 in. Both Mureşan's parents are of average size, and,...
. In limited playing time, McIlvaine exhibited tremendous defensive potential, although he was never given enough playing time to really prove himself in a full-time capacity (he averaged fewer than 15 minutes a game during his "breakout" second year). The young and inexperienced Bullets team displayed tremendous up-side in the 1995-96 NBA season
1995-96 NBA season
The 1995–96 NBA season was the 50th season of the National Basketball Association , although the league didn't celebrate this anniversary until the following season...
, McIlvaine and young star Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard
Juwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets...
's second year in the league. However, the team's roster was already crowded with potential, and in 1996, Jim McIlvaine entered free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
Seattle SuperSonics signing and fall-out
In 1996, a strong Sonics team, fresh off an NBA FinalsNBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
appearance, was looking for something that would put them over the hump and enable them to defeat the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
team led by Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
. The team had one of the league's most respected duos in All-Stars
National Basketball Association All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. From that year on, the game has matched the best players in the Eastern Conference with the best players in the Western Conference....
Gary Payton
Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton is a former American professional basketball point guard. He is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, and holds Seattle franchise records in points, assists, and steals...
and Shawn Kemp
Shawn Kemp
Shawn T. Kemp is a former American professional basketball player, who played in the National Basketball Association for 14 seasons. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA Second Team member.-Early years:...
, and a solid group of scorers in the middle of the lineup with shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
Hersey Hawkins and small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf is a retired German NBA basketball player.-High school and college career:...
. However, the center position was lacking in depth, and currently being filled by 6-foot-9 Sam "Big Smooth" Perkins
Sam Perkins
Samuel Perkins is a retired American professional basketball player, also known by the nicknames "Sleepy Sam" and "Big Smooth." He attended Samuel J. Tilden High School, Shaker High School and the University of North Carolina, where he was a teammate of Michael Jordan...
, who was too small for his position and was falling from his physical peak (Perkins averaged only 26.5 minutes per game in 1996). McIlvaine is said to have been hired as a "Shaq Stopper" and did perhaps as well as anyone else in the league at the time. The team's young backup center, Ervin Johnson
Ervin Johnson
Ervin Johnson is an American former professional basketball center who played in the National Basketball Association from 1993 to 2006.-Professional career:...
, had not yet proven that he could play competitively at the professional level. Hoping to fill the void, Sonics management offered a seven-year, $33.6 million free-agent contract to McIlvaine, who was at the time an unproven second-year player coming off a season in which he averaged only 2.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and two blocks per game for the Washington Bullets.
Seattle fans were upset, and so was superstar forward Kemp, who had been asking for a contract increase after leading the team to a franchise-record 64 wins and its best postseason performance in 17 years. The decision by Seattle's front office to deny Kemp a salary increase and to award a largely uncoveted, unproven center with such a large-scale offer is widely thought to have hurt the team's chemistry. Following the 1997 season in which McIlvaine averaged 3.8 points and 2.00 blocks per game, Seattle would be the authors of a league-altering three-team trade that effectively sent Kemp to the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
in exchange for the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
' Vin Baker
Vin Baker
Vincent Lamont Baker is a former American professional basketball player who played in the NBA. He appeared in four consecutive All-Star Games before his career was halted due to alcoholism....
, with the Cavaliers' Terrell Brandon
Terrell Brandon
Thomas Terrell Brandon is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . Terrell was known throughout his 10-year career for his passing ability and stealing skills.-Early life:...
and Tyrone Hill
Tyrone Hill
Tyrone Hill is a retired American basketball player and, since 2008–09, assistant coach for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. Hill spent four years playing collegiately at Xavier University, in his last season averaging 20.2 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 58.1% from the field...
going to Milwaukee.
The blockbuster deal is often viewed as a disastrous one, taking the wind out of four players who were just entering the prime of their career (they were all between 25 and 29 at the time of the trade). Prior to the trade, the players had a combined 11 All-Star appearances, and all but Hill had active, multi-year streaks. Following the trade, however, Brandon and Hill never appeared in another All-Star game, and after Kemp and Baker's All-Star appearances in the 1997-98 season
1997-98 NBA season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 1998 NBA Finals...
immediately following the trade, they too were never again chosen to represent their respective conferences — with both Kemp and Baker undergoing now-legendary declines. Although McIlvaine could not be blamed for pursuing a contract that fit his interests, his detractors consistently point out that his signing led to Kemp's dissatisfaction and eventual departure from Seattle. Over the next four years, despite having one of the league's best point guards (Payton was selected to the All-NBA First Team as the league's best point guard in two of the next three seasons), the Sonics never made it past the second round of the playoffs.
Final years
His first season in Seattle ended up being a career year for McIlvaine. He registered career highs in games (82), minutes (1,477), points per game (3.8), rebounds per game (4.0), and steals (39), while also averaging two blocks per game. However, his performance was widely viewed as disappointing in light of his $3 million salary, and following the Kemp trade, McIlvaine was viewed as a bust and used as a scapegoat for the team's ills. His second season in Seattle saw him decline in every major statistical category, although he still posted numbers close to his career bests in most areas. However, the Seattle team was deteriorating, and McIlvaine was dealt to New Jersey in 1998, primarily to open up salary capSalary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
room following the once-promising team's dismantling.
McIlvaine rounded out his career with the Nets, playing three injury-riddled seasons with the team. In 1999-2000
1999-2000 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers*Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...
, McIlvaine played 66 games in his best season since leaving Seattle, but injury problems and declining numbers continued to hamper him until his contract was bought out by the Nets after the 2000–01 NBA season.
McIlvaine retired with an average of 2.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.71 blocks in 401 career games. Although his career spanned more years than most second round draft picks, he is widely remembered as a disappointment because of the superstar contract he was offered by Seattle management.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career blocks leaders
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 13 or more blocks in a game
External links
- College & NBA stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
- Scan of article about cars written by Jim McIlvaine
