Mark Walter Landsberger (born May 21, 1955 in Minot, North Dakota

Minot, North Dakota

Minot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state...

) 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. At 6'8" and 225 pounds, he played as a power forward

Power forward (basketball)

Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...

 and center

Center (basketball)

The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...

.

Career

Landsberger attended Mounds View High School (Arden Hills, Minnesota) where he graduated in 1973 after leading the Mustangs to the 1972 AA State Championship as a junior. In his senior campaign, he averaged 26.1 points per game, and led the Mustangs back to the state tournament and the consolation championship. Over his high school varsity career, he scored 1,290 points and grabbed 910 rebounds.

Landsberger then attended Allan Hancock College

Allan Hancock College

Allan Hancock College is a California public community college located in Santa Maria in northern Santa Barbara County. Approximately 11,000 credit and more than 5,500 noncredit and community services students enroll each semester.-History:...

, where he was the California junior college player of the year, the University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...

, and Arizona State University

Arizona State University

Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...

. At ASU, he set school records for most rebounds in a game (27) and highest rebounds-per game average in a season (14.4). After college, he was selected by 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...

 in the second round of the 1977 NBA Draft

1977 NBA Draft

The 1977 NBA Draft was the 31st annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 10, 1977 before the 1977–78 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...

. He appeared in 196 games for the Bulls from 1977 to 1980, averaging 7.4 points per game and 7.6 rebounds

Rebound (basketball)

A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...

 per game. On January 28, 1979, Landsberger grabbed 29 rebounds in a game against the Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...

. At the time, this was the third-highest single-game rebounding total in Chicago Bulls history. That season, Landsberger ranked seventh in the league in total offensive rebounds, with 292.

On February 13, 1980, the Bulls traded Landsberger to the Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 in exchange for Oliver Mack

Oliver Mack

Oliver Mack is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'3" 185 lb shooting guard and played collegiately at San Jacinto Junior College and East Carolina University.Mack was selected with the 3rd pick of the second round in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers...

 and two second round draft choices. Landsberger remained in Los Angeles until 1983. Playing behind future hall-of-famers like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...

, James Worthy

James Worthy

James Ager Worthy is a retired Hall of Fame American college and professional basketball player. Named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, "Big Game James" was a seven-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA champion...

, and 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...

, he never averaged more than 5.7 points or 5.5 rebounds in a single season with the Lakers. However, he won NBA Championship

NBA Finals

The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....

 rings as a reserve in 1980

1980 NBA Finals

The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1979–80 NBA season.Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league's MVP. But midway through Game 5, the Laker center suffered a severely sprained ankle. He managed to come back in the game in the 4th quarter to lead the Lakers to victory...

 and 1982

1982 NBA Finals

The 1982 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1981-82 NBA season, the top level of competition in men's professional basketball in North America. The series saw the Los Angeles Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers....

.

Landsberger spent the 1983-84 NBA season

1983-84 NBA season

-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics*Rookie of the Year: Ralph Sampson, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee Bucks...

 with the Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...

. He averaged 1.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 35 games. This was his last season in the NBA, and he ended his NBA career with 2,468 total points and 2,681 total rebounds. He played professionally in Europe until the 1990s. Among the highlights of his European career was a 34 rebound game while playing for RB Montecatini Terme

RB Montecatini Terme

RB Montecatini Terme, also known for sponsorship reasons as Agricola Gloria Montecatini is an Italian basketball team from the town of Montecatini Terme....

 in Italy in 1990. That performance set a record for most rebounds in an Italian league game. Landsberger also set Greek league records for most rebounds in a game (37) and highest rebounds-per-game average for a season (17.9).

External links

• NBA career statistics at basketball-reference.com