Phil Ford
Encyclopedia
Phil Jackson Ford Jr. is a retired American professional basketball
player in the National Basketball Association
. He graduated from Rocky Mount Senior High School
in 1974.
. After his sophomore season, Ford started for the U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in 1976. While a senior, he averaged 20.8 points a game during that 1977-78 season. In 1978, Ford finished his career at Carolina as the number 1 all time leading scorer in North Carolina history with 2,290 points. Ford was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in May 1991. On December 18, 2008, Tyler Hansbrough
surpassed Ford's total making Phil the number 2 scorer in Carolina history.
He also finished his career as the only player in Atlantic Coast Conference
history to score over 2,000 points and register at least 600 assists (a record now shared with Travis Best
of Georgia Tech and Greivis Vasquez
of Maryland
). A consensus All-America
n in 1976, 1977, and 1978, he was named college player of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association in 1978, when he also won the Eastman, USBWA College Player of the Year and John R. Wooden Award
s. In 2002 Ford was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team
honoring the fifty best players in ACC history.
with the Kansas City Kings
in 1979
. In 482 NBA games, Ford scored 5,594 points, an 11.6 average, and had 3,083 assists, an average of 6.4 per game. He retired from the NBA in 1985.
as an assistant coach, and helped lead the Tar Heels to the 1993 national title. After Smith retired in 1997, Ford became the top assistant to his successor, Bill Guthridge
.
Ford left the school in 1999-2000 along with the rest of Guthridge's staff when Matt Doherty took over as head coach with his own coaching staff.
Ford currently works for the Educational Foundation, the fund-raising arm of the University of North Carolina athletic department. He also briefly served as color commentator on UNC basketball broadcasts.
After a brief stint as an assistant coach to Isiah Thomas
for the New York Knicks
, Ford was retained in the same position by the Charlotte Bobcats
' new head coach Larry Brown
in June 2008.
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 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...
. He graduated from Rocky Mount Senior High School
Rocky Mount High School
Rocky Mount High School is a public high school in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Established in September 1953, the school is in Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools.It is currently a member of the Big East 3-A Athletic Conference.-History:...
in 1974.
North Carolina
Ford played four years of basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
. After his sophomore season, Ford started for the U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in 1976. While a senior, he averaged 20.8 points a game during that 1977-78 season. In 1978, Ford finished his career at Carolina as the number 1 all time leading scorer in North Carolina history with 2,290 points. Ford was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in May 1991. On December 18, 2008, Tyler Hansbrough
Tyler Hansbrough
Andrew Tyler Hansbrough is an American basketball player for the Indiana Pacers. Hansbrough completed a college basketball career with the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 2009, and was drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th pick of the 1st round of the 2009 NBA...
surpassed Ford's total making Phil the number 2 scorer in Carolina history.
He also finished his career as the only player 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 to score over 2,000 points and register at least 600 assists (a record now shared with Travis Best
Travis Best
Travis Eric Best is an American former professional basketball player, who played in the NBA and in Europe.-High school career:...
of Georgia Tech and Greivis Vasquez
Greivis Vasquez
Greivis Vásquez is a Venezuelan basketball player with the Memphis Grizzlies, who selected him in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft. He was chosen after a stellar U.S. college career with the University of Maryland men's basketball team...
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
). A consensus All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in 1976, 1977, and 1978, he was named college player of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association in 1978, when he also won the Eastman, USBWA College Player of the Year and John R. Wooden Award
John R. Wooden Award
The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los...
s. In 2002 Ford 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....
honoring the fifty best players in ACC history.
NBA career
The second pick in the first round of the draft, Ford was NBA Rookie of the YearNBA Rookie of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
with the Kansas City Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in 1979
1978-79 NBA season
The 1978–79 NBA season was the 33rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Seattle SuperSonics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Washington Bullets 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals, a rematch of the previous year's Finals, but with the opposite...
. In 482 NBA games, Ford scored 5,594 points, an 11.6 average, and had 3,083 assists, an average of 6.4 per game. He retired from the NBA in 1985.
Coaching
In 1988 he returned to North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
as an assistant coach, and helped lead the Tar Heels to the 1993 national title. After Smith retired in 1997, Ford became the top assistant to his successor, Bill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge is a retired American college basketball coach.Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for 30 years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina. Following Dean Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge served as head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons...
.
Ford left the school in 1999-2000 along with the rest of Guthridge's staff when Matt Doherty took over as head coach with his own coaching staff.
Ford currently works for the Educational Foundation, the fund-raising arm of the University of North Carolina athletic department. He also briefly served as color commentator on UNC basketball broadcasts.
After a brief stint as an assistant coach to Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Lord Thomas III , nicknamed "Zeke",is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA...
for the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Ford was retained in the same position by the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
' new head coach Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
in June 2008.
External links
- 1978 Oscar Robertson Trophy USBWA College Player of the Year
- Basketball-reference statistics
- NBA profile
- UNC Coach Ford Guilty Of DUI