Leroy Loggins
Encyclopedia
Leroy Loggins is a former professional basketball
player who played in the Australian National Basketball League
from 1981
to the 2000-01 season. Loggins is a naturalised Australian citizen.
in the US and was drafted by the Detroit Pistons
in the 8th round of the NBA Draft in 1980
.
for his first NBL season helping the team to their second straight NBL Semi-Final. Citing personal, mental and financial reasons, Loggins opted not to continue with the Bullets after 1981.
He signed to play for the West Adelaide Bearcats
in the 1982 NBL season
joining such players as the league's first ever Most Valuable Player
Ken Richardson, Australian Boomers veteran Ray Wood and South Bronx
born guard and 1982 NBL MVP Al Green
. The Bearcats won their only NBL Championship defeating the Geelong Supercats
80-74 in the Grand Final. Although there was no NBL Grand Final MVP named in 1982, Loggins was named player of the match being the games top scorer with 32. He was also selected to his first All NBL First team
.
Following the 1982 season Loggins returned to the Brisbane Bullets where he would play the remainder of his career. The Bullets missed the playoffs in 1983 and 1984 but Loggins continued great form saw him selected to the All NBL First team in both seasons. He was also awarded the ultimate individual accolade when he was voted the NBL's Most Valuable Player for the 1984 NBL season averaging 29.3 points, 3.4 steals and 1.9 blocked shots per game.
1985 would see Loggins win his second and the Bullets win their first NBL championship when they defeated the Adelaide 36ers
120-95 in the Grand Final played on the Bullets home court
. Again there was no Grand Final MVP awarded but Loggins was in top form again being the games high scorer with 41 points. Loggins form saw him selected to his fourth straight All NBL First team.
Leroy Loggins won his second NBL MVP award in 1986 and led the Bullets to a second place finish on the regular season ladder. They would again face Adelaide in the Grand Final this time to be played over three games. Unfortunately for Loggins and the Bullets, the 36ers reversed the 1985 result winning in the final game 103-91. Loggins MVP form saw him selected to his fifth straight All NBL First team in 1986.
In 1987 Leroy Loggins, the wirey 6'5" (196 cm) Swingman
from New Jersey became the first player to win back to back NBL Most Valuable Player awards, sharing the award with Mark Davis
of the Adelaide 36ers. Brisbane finished the regular season in second place behind Adelaide and made it to their third grand final in a row, this time playing the Perth Wildcats
who had upset the defending champion 36ers in three games. Loggins MVP form continued in the grand final series as the Bullets swept the Wildcats 2-0, averaging 26.5 points over the two games. Loggins was named the Grand Final MVP and was also voted as the league's Best Defensive Player
as well as being named to a record sixth straight All NBL First team.
Loggins great form would continue in 1988 and he would be selected to his seventh straight All NBL First team. Unfortunately the Bullets would be beaten Semi-Finalists and in 1989 they dropped to 8th on in the standings and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1983. 1989 also saw Loggins name missing from the All NBL First team for the first time since 1981.
1990 would see Leroy Loggins named as captain of the Bullets. It also saw him return to the All First team and he would also win his second Best Defensive Player award. Brisbane also fought their way into the NBL Grand Final series against the Perth Wildcats couldn't overcome the talented Cats who gained a hard fought 2-1 series victory. Game 2 of the series saw the highest ever NBL crowd in Brisbane when 13,221 fans flocked to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre
to see the Bullets produce a 106-90 victory. Loggins averaged 16.3 points per game over the GF series.
Loggins would continue to captain the Bullets until his retirement following the 2000-01 NBL season. Between 1991 and his retirement, Loggins continued to be one of the best players in the NBL, leading the Bullets to the playoffs every season from 1992-1998-99. He would also be selected to the All NBL First team in 1993 and 1994.
Loggins would eventually retire after 21 seasons in the NBL despite still being an integral part of the Bullets lineup at 43 years of age. The number 30 jersey worn by Loggins throughout his career was retired by the Bullets in his honour.
Leroy Loggins retired with a then record 567 games in the Australian NBL
, although this has since been passed by Andrew Gaze
and Tony Ronaldson
. He also scored 13,106 points during his career, at 23.1 points per game, grabbed 3,897 rebounds at 6.8 per game, another Top 10 in the league achievement and is second in all time steals with 1,221 at 2.1 per game.
Leroy Loggins was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
at the Olympic Games
in Barcelona
where he joined Luc Longley
, Andrew Gaze
, and Mark Bradtke
in helping Australia to 6th place finish with a 4-4 record.
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 played in the Australian National Basketball League
National Basketball League (Australia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
from 1981
1981 NBL Season
Here are the results and statistics from the National Basketball League season of 1981.-End of Season Ladder:This is the ladder at the end of season, before the finals. In all, 132 games were played, 22 for each team.-Finals:...
to the 2000-01 season. Loggins is a naturalised Australian citizen.
College career
Loggins attended Fairmont State UniversityFairmont State University
Fairmont State University is a public university located in Fairmont, West Virginia, USA. Enrollment of the university is about 7,700 and offers masters degrees in business, education, teaching, criminal justice and nursing in addition to 90 baccalaureate and 50 associate degrees...
in the US and was drafted by the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
in the 8th round of the NBA Draft in 1980
1980 NBA Draft
The 1980 NBA Draft was the 34th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 10, 1980, before the 1980–81 season. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
.
Professional career
In 1981 Leroy Loggins joined the Brisbane BulletsBrisbane Bullets
The Brisbane Bullets were, until 2008, a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League. The Bullets were one of only two teams that survived since the NBL's inception in 1979; the only surviving team is now the Wollongong Hawks. The team played in Midnight Navy...
for his first NBL season helping the team to their second straight NBL Semi-Final. Citing personal, mental and financial reasons, Loggins opted not to continue with the Bullets after 1981.
He signed to play for the West Adelaide Bearcats
West Adelaide Bearcats
The West Adelaide Bearcats are a semi-professional basketball team competing in the Australian Basketball Association.-NBL:The West Adelaide Bearcats was a foundation club in the NBL which merged with the Adelaide 36ers in 1985. Founded in 1946, it won the NBL championship 80–74 against the Geelong...
in the 1982 NBL season
1982 NBL Season
The 1982 National Basketball League was the fourth season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 14 teams contested in the league from 6 states and 1 territory across Australia...
joining such players as the league's first ever Most Valuable Player
NBL (Australia) Most Valuable Player
At the conclusion of each NBL game, both coaches award votes to the best players from that game. Each coach has 10 votes to allocate, with no more than 5 to be awarded to one player by each coach....
Ken Richardson, Australian Boomers veteran Ray Wood and South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
born guard and 1982 NBL MVP Al Green
Al Green (basketball)
Al Green is a retired naturalised Australian professional basketball player originally from the United States who played his career in the Australian National Basketball League from 1981 until his retirement in at the end of 1993.-School/College career:Born and bred in the South Bronx, Al Green...
. The Bearcats won their only NBL Championship defeating the Geelong Supercats
Geelong Supercats
The Geelong Supercats are an Australian basketball team, based in the Victorian City of Geelong, that currently plays in the Australian Basketball Association and previously played in the National Basketball League.-NBL History:...
80-74 in the Grand Final. Although there was no NBL Grand Final MVP named in 1982, Loggins was named player of the match being the games top scorer with 32. He was also selected to his first All NBL First team
NBL (Australia) All NBL teams
-NBL First Teams:* 1980 Cal Stamp, Danny Morseu, Brian Banks, Herb McEachin, Ian Davies and Ken Richardson* 1981 Rocky Smith, Danny Morseu, Al Green, David Nelson and Owen Wells* 1982 George Morrow, James Crawford, Leroy Loggins, Phil Smyth and Larry Sengstock...
.
Following the 1982 season Loggins returned to the Brisbane Bullets where he would play the remainder of his career. The Bullets missed the playoffs in 1983 and 1984 but Loggins continued great form saw him selected to the All NBL First team in both seasons. He was also awarded the ultimate individual accolade when he was voted the NBL's Most Valuable Player for the 1984 NBL season averaging 29.3 points, 3.4 steals and 1.9 blocked shots per game.
1985 would see Loggins win his second and the Bullets win their first NBL championship when they defeated the Adelaide 36ers
Adelaide 36ers
The Adelaide 36ers are Adelaide's men's professional basketball team, established as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the National Basketball League in 1982. The Adelaide 36ers tally of four championships is equal with the Melbourne Tigers and second behind the Perth Wildcats as the most...
120-95 in the Grand Final played on the Bullets home court
Chandler Arena
The Chandler Arena is a Brisbane sport venue, located in the suburb of Chandler. It has seating capacity for 2,700, and hosts netball, basketball, indoor soccer, badminton and volleyball....
. Again there was no Grand Final MVP awarded but Loggins was in top form again being the games high scorer with 41 points. Loggins form saw him selected to his fourth straight All NBL First team.
Leroy Loggins won his second NBL MVP award in 1986 and led the Bullets to a second place finish on the regular season ladder. They would again face Adelaide in the Grand Final this time to be played over three games. Unfortunately for Loggins and the Bullets, the 36ers reversed the 1985 result winning in the final game 103-91. Loggins MVP form saw him selected to his fifth straight All NBL First team in 1986.
In 1987 Leroy Loggins, the wirey 6'5" (196 cm) Swingman
Swingman
A Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward and shooting guard positions, and, in essence, swing between the shooting guard and small forward positions." Swingmen males are often between 6'5" and 6'8" .John Havlicek, who played for the Boston Celtics in...
from New Jersey became the first player to win back to back NBL Most Valuable Player awards, sharing the award with Mark Davis
Mark Davis (NBL)
Mark Davis is a naturalised Australian former basketball player who played from 1985 to 2001 with the National Basketball League's Adelaide 36ers, gaining the nickname of "Chairman of the Boards" for his record breaking rebounding achievements.-Professional career:Davis was signed by then Adelaide...
of the Adelaide 36ers. Brisbane finished the regular season in second place behind Adelaide and made it to their third grand final in a row, this time playing the Perth Wildcats
Perth Wildcats
The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the National Basketball League. The Wildcats are the only team in the league representing the state of Western Australia and are based in the state capital, Perth...
who had upset the defending champion 36ers in three games. Loggins MVP form continued in the grand final series as the Bullets swept the Wildcats 2-0, averaging 26.5 points over the two games. Loggins was named the Grand Final MVP and was also voted as the league's Best Defensive Player
NBL (Australia) Best Defensive Player
* 1980 Ray Wood * 1981 Ray Wood * 1982 Phil Smyth * 1983 Phil Smyth * 1984 not awarded* 1985 not awarded* 1986 not awarded* 1987 Leroy Loggins...
as well as being named to a record sixth straight All NBL First team.
Loggins great form would continue in 1988 and he would be selected to his seventh straight All NBL First team. Unfortunately the Bullets would be beaten Semi-Finalists and in 1989 they dropped to 8th on in the standings and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1983. 1989 also saw Loggins name missing from the All NBL First team for the first time since 1981.
1990 would see Leroy Loggins named as captain of the Bullets. It also saw him return to the All First team and he would also win his second Best Defensive Player award. Brisbane also fought their way into the NBL Grand Final series against the Perth Wildcats couldn't overcome the talented Cats who gained a hard fought 2-1 series victory. Game 2 of the series saw the highest ever NBL crowd in Brisbane when 13,221 fans flocked to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Brisbane Entertainment Centre
The Brisbane Entertainment Centre is a centre, located in Boondall, a Brisbane City suburb, in Queensland, Australia.The arena has an assortment of seating plans, which facilitate the comfort of its users, subject to performance. Specific seating plans usually are allocated, depending on the...
to see the Bullets produce a 106-90 victory. Loggins averaged 16.3 points per game over the GF series.
Loggins would continue to captain the Bullets until his retirement following the 2000-01 NBL season. Between 1991 and his retirement, Loggins continued to be one of the best players in the NBL, leading the Bullets to the playoffs every season from 1992-1998-99. He would also be selected to the All NBL First team in 1993 and 1994.
Loggins would eventually retire after 21 seasons in the NBL despite still being an integral part of the Bullets lineup at 43 years of age. The number 30 jersey worn by Loggins throughout his career was retired by the Bullets in his honour.
Leroy Loggins retired with a then record 567 games in the Australian NBL
National Basketball League (Australia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
, although this has since been passed by Andrew Gaze
Andrew Gaze
Andrew Barry Casson Gaze is Australia's best known basketball player, and one of its most successful. He is considered as the greatest player in the history of the NBL....
and Tony Ronaldson
Tony Ronaldson
Anthony Dean "Bear" Ronaldson is a former Australian basketball player who last played for the NZL National Basketball League team, Waikato Pistons.-Playing career:...
. He also scored 13,106 points during his career, at 23.1 points per game, grabbed 3,897 rebounds at 6.8 per game, another Top 10 in the league achievement and is second in all time steals with 1,221 at 2.1 per game.
Leroy Loggins was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
International career
After becoming a naturalised Australian citizen, Loggins was selected in the Australian Boomers team for the 1992Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics
The Basketball games of the 1992 Summer Olympics were played at the Pavelló Olímpic de Badalona. 12 men's teams and 8 women's teams participated in the tournament....
at the Olympic Games
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
where he joined Luc Longley
Luc Longley
Lucien James "Luc" Longley is a retired Australian professional basketball player, who was the first Australian to play in the NBA, where he played for eleven seasons...
, Andrew Gaze
Andrew Gaze
Andrew Barry Casson Gaze is Australia's best known basketball player, and one of its most successful. He is considered as the greatest player in the history of the NBL....
, and Mark Bradtke
Mark Bradtke
Mark Robert Bradtke is a retired Australian professional basketball player who played mainly in Australia's National Basketball League but also had a single stint in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996-97...
in helping Australia to 6th place finish with a 4-4 record.
Awards
- NBL Most Valuable PlayerNBL (Australia) Most Valuable PlayerAt the conclusion of each NBL game, both coaches award votes to the best players from that game. Each coach has 10 votes to allocate, with no more than 5 to be awarded to one player by each coach....
- 3 (1984, 1986, 1987) - All NBL First teamNBL (Australia) All NBL teams-NBL First Teams:* 1980 Cal Stamp, Danny Morseu, Brian Banks, Herb McEachin, Ian Davies and Ken Richardson* 1981 Rocky Smith, Danny Morseu, Al Green, David Nelson and Owen Wells* 1982 George Morrow, James Crawford, Leroy Loggins, Phil Smyth and Larry Sengstock...
- 10 (1982–1988, 1990, 1993, 1994) - NBL Grand Final MVPNBL (Australia) Most Valuable Player - Grand FinalThe Larry Sengstock Medal is awarded to the Most Valuable Player of the Grand Final series.* 1979 Larry Sengstock * 1980 Rocky Smith The Larry Sengstock Medal is awarded to the Most Valuable Player of the Grand Final series.* 1979 Larry Sengstock (St. Kilda Saints)* 1980 Rocky Smith The Larry...
- 1 (1987)* - NBL's Best Defensive PlayerNBL (Australia) Best Defensive Player* 1980 Ray Wood * 1981 Ray Wood * 1982 Phil Smyth * 1983 Phil Smyth * 1984 not awarded* 1985 not awarded* 1986 not awarded* 1987 Leroy Loggins...
- 2 (1987, 1990) - NBL's 20th Anniversary TeamNBL (Australia) 20th Anniversary TeamIn celebration of its twentieth anniversary, a special 20th anniversary team was named by Australia's National Basketball League in 1998.* = active at the time the team was named-See also:* National Basketball League...
- (1998) - NBL's 25th Anniversary TeamNBL (Australia) 25th Anniversary TeamTo mark its 25th anniversary during the 2003-2004 season, the National Basketball League announced its 25th Anniversary All-Time team on December 9, 2003...
- (2003)
- No official Grand Final MVP awarded in 1982 or 1985 but Loggins was named player of the match on both occasions
Brisbane Bullets records
- First in games played (539)
- First in points (11,777)
- First in assists (1,463)
- First in steals (1,194)
- First in blocked shots (463)
- First in offensive rebounds (1,147)
- First in defensive rebounds (2,286)
- First in total rebounds (3,433)
- First in turnovers (1,344)
- Fifth in free-throw percentage (1,769 from 2,114 for 83.2%)
- Tenth in three point percentage (652 from 1,655 for 39.4%)