Leroy Wright
Encyclopedia
James Leroy Wright is a retired American professional basketball player. He played two seasons in the American Basketball Association
(ABA) in 1967–68
and 1968–69
, winning the ABA Finals
in 1968 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pipers.
and graduated from Aycock High School (Rockdale
) in 1956. He was a four-sport star, playing football
, basketball
and track and field
. He won state championships in both football and basketball during his senior
year of 1955–56.
in 1957–58, Wright burst onto the national basketball scene with per game averages of 13.2 points and 17.1 rebounds. A forward, his points per game average increased in each his junior
and senior seasons (14.8 and 15.9, respectively) while his rebounding averages were tops in the nation. Wright's average of 25.1 rebounds per game as a junior and 22.4 per game as a senior are the top two in Pacific
history, and he became the first player ever to repeat as the NCAA Division I season rebounding champion. He was named the West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year
in his final two collegiate seasons as well, first sharing the honors with San Francisco
's Mike Farmer
followed by LaRoy Doss of Saint Mary's
.
by the Boston Celtics
. He never played in the National Basketball Association
, however. He spent two seasons playing in the ABA in 1967–68 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pipers and then in 1968–69 while on the Minnesota Pipers. During his rookie season, Pittsburgh won the ABA Finals
, four games to three, over the New Orleans Buccaneers
. It was the first ABA championship in the league's history. For the season, Wright played in 17 games and averaged 3.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. Thirteen of those games came in the playoffs in which he averaged 2.0 points and 5.6 rebounds en route to the championship.
When the franchise relocated to Minnesota
for the following season, Wright remained on the team but only played in 10 games and averaged a diminished 0.8 points and 3.0 rebounds. Since he was 30 years old at that point, Wright's career came to a close when he was not re-signed after the season.
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
(ABA) in 1967–68
1967–68 ABA season
The 1967–68 ABA season was the first season for the American Basketball Association. The ABA was challenging the National Basketball Association. The ABA introduced a red, white and blue basketball. They also used a 30 second shot clock as opposed to the NBA's 24 second shot clock. The ABA also...
and 1968–69
1968–69 ABA season
The 1968-69 ABA season was the second season for the American Basketball Association. Two teams relocated: Minnesota Muskies became the Miami Floridians. The Pittsburgh Pipers moved to Minnesota and the Minnesota Pipers. Two others relocated within their territory. The Anaheim Amigos became the Los...
, winning the ABA Finals
1968 ABA Playoffs
The 1968 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the American Basketball Association's inaugural 1967-1968 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Pittsburgh Pipers defeating the Western Division champion New Orleans Buccaneers, four games to three in the...
in 1968 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pipers.
Early life
Wright grew up in TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and graduated from Aycock High School (Rockdale
Rockdale, Texas
Rockdale is a city in Milam County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,440 at the 2000 census.Rockdale was the site of a large Alcoa smelting operation, which could produce 1.67 million pounds of aluminum per day. The ALCOA plant was closed in late 2008 - early 2009.Author George Sessions...
) in 1956. He was a four-sport star, playing football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, 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...
and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. He won state championships in both football and basketball during his senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
year of 1955–56.
College
Wright played basketball at the College of the Pacific from 1957–58 to 1959–60 (freshmen were not allowed to play varsity sports according to NCAA rules when he was in college.) When he became eligible as a sophomoreSophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
in 1957–58, Wright burst onto the national basketball scene with per game averages of 13.2 points and 17.1 rebounds. A forward, his points per game average increased in each his junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
and senior seasons (14.8 and 15.9, respectively) while his rebounding averages were tops in the nation. Wright's average of 25.1 rebounds per game as a junior and 22.4 per game as a senior are the top two in Pacific
Pacific Tigers men's basketball
The University of the Pacific Tigers Mens Basketball team are an NCAA Division I basketball team, part of the Big West conference. The team is based in Stockton, California. They play their home games at Alex G. Spanos Center and are led by head coach Bob Thomason.-NCAA Tournament Results:The...
history, and he became the first player ever to repeat as the NCAA Division I season rebounding champion. He was named the West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year
West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the most outstanding men's basketball player in the West Coast Conference. The award was first given following the 1952–53 season, when the conference was known as the California Basketball Association...
in his final two collegiate seasons as well, first sharing the honors with San Francisco
San Francisco Dons men's basketball
The San Francisco Dons basketball team represents the University of San Francisco in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college basketball. The Dons compete in the West Coast Conference, in which they have won sixteen regular season and one conference tournament...
's Mike Farmer
Mike Farmer
Don Michael Farmer is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. A 6'7" forward, he was selected with the 3rd pick in the 1958 NBA Draft by the New York Knickerbockers, after a college career at the University of San Francisco...
followed by LaRoy Doss of Saint Mary's
Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball
The Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball team represents Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California, competing in the West Coast Conference of the NCAA. The team plays home games in the McKeon Pavilion, capacity 3,500; it is one of the smaller gyms in the WCC. The current head coach is Randy...
.
Professional
After his collegiate career ended, Wright was selected in the second round (16th overall) of the 1960 NBA Draft1960 NBA Draft
The 1960 NBA Draft was the 14th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 11, 1960 before the 1960–61 season. In this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college...
by the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
. He never played 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...
, however. He spent two seasons playing in the ABA in 1967–68 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pipers and then in 1968–69 while on the Minnesota Pipers. During his rookie season, Pittsburgh won the ABA Finals
1968 ABA Playoffs
The 1968 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the American Basketball Association's inaugural 1967-1968 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Pittsburgh Pipers defeating the Western Division champion New Orleans Buccaneers, four games to three in the...
, four games to three, over the New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers was a charter member of the American Basketball Association. After three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana the franchise moved to Memphis, Tennessee where it became the Pros, Tams and Sounds for four years before an abortive move to Baltimore in 1975.-Origins:With the...
. It was the first ABA championship in the league's history. For the season, Wright played in 17 games and averaged 3.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. Thirteen of those games came in the playoffs in which he averaged 2.0 points and 5.6 rebounds en route to the championship.
When the franchise relocated to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
for the following season, Wright remained on the team but only played in 10 games and averaged a diminished 0.8 points and 3.0 rebounds. Since he was 30 years old at that point, Wright's career came to a close when he was not re-signed after the season.