Sonny Parker (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Robert S. Parker, known as Sonny (born March 22, 1955) is a retired American
college basketball
forward for Texas A&M University
who was a first-round NBA draft
pick for the Golden State Warriors
. After retiring from basketball, Parker created the Sonny Parker Youth Foundation in Chicago to help inner-city students.
, Illinois
and attended Chicago's Farragut High School, where he was received All-City, All-State, and All-Public League honors. In appreciation of his efforts on the school's basketball team, he has been named to the Farragut Hall of Fame, the Chicago Public Schools Hall of Fame, and the Illinois High School Hall of Fame.
After graduating from high school, Parker spent two years at Mineral Area College. In both of his seasons, Parker was named an All-American, as well as Conference Player of the Year and Region Player of the Year. He was an All-Conference and All-Region pick, and is the Mineral Area College's Leading Career Scorer. He has been inducted into the Junior College Hall of Fame.
, primarily to learn under legendary coach Shelby Metcalf
. The lonely Parker, over 1000 miles from home, was quickly embraced by Metcalf and his family, often accompanying his coach on fishing trips. The men became close enough friends that after Parker was named the most valuable player in one of the many college tournaments in which A&M participated, he gave his reward, a nice watch, to Metcalf as a gift. Metcalf treasured the watch for twenty-five years, before giving it to Parker's son Christian at the ceremony inducting Parker into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame. At Metcalf's funeral in February 2007, Parker gave a eulogy and served as one of the pallbearers.
In his two years at Texas A&M, Parker led the Aggies to back-to-back Southwest Conference titles, earning himself first-team All-Southwest Conference honors both years as well. The team reached the NCAA Tournament in 1974-1975. As a senior, Parker averaged 20.7 points per game, a feat that only two other Aggie players have achieved in the 20 years since he left.
. For 29 years, Parker held the record as the highest an Aggie had ever been drafted, until in 2005 Antoine Wright
was chosen as the 15th overall draft pick by the New Jersey Nets
.
In his rookie season, Parker played in 65 games, scoring a total of 379 points (5.8 points per game), with 2.7 rebounds per game and .9 assists per game. His team reached the playoffs, with Parker contributing 4.2 points per game and 2.8 rebounds, and .9 assists per game.
The following season, Parker played in 82 games, averaging 11.4 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. He ranked 16th in the NBA for Field Goal Percentage, with .519 field goals (406 out of 783). His best season, however, came in 1978-1979, where he averaged 15.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, with 144 steals and 33 blocks.
In a thrilling game in November, 1981, Parker led the Warriors to a 102-100 victory over the Houston Rockets
. At the opening of the final quarter, the Warriors trailed by 10 points before Parker and teammate Joe Hassett
combined to score 13 points and give the Warriors their first lead with 3 minutes left to play. The game was tied at 100 when Parker rebounded a shot by his teammate Lloyd Free
with two seconds remaining and completed a reverse layup to give the Warriors their victory.
After a disappointing 1981-82 season
, where Parker averaged only 3.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, in September 1982 the Warriors waived Parker, ending his NBA career.
For the six years that he played professional basketball, Parker averaged 9.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
through 12th grade. Through after-school and weekend programs, the foundation provides tutoring, ACT/SAT preparation, parents' workshops, job training, mentoring, career planning, and physical education in the hopes of improving the reading and writing skills of the students and preparing them to become more productive citizens. Parker is the president of the organization and is active in its daily activities.
and plays professional basketball overseas.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
forward for Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
who was a first-round NBA draft
NBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
pick for the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. After retiring from basketball, Parker created the Sonny Parker Youth Foundation in Chicago to help inner-city students.
Early years
Parker was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and attended Chicago's Farragut High School, where he was received All-City, All-State, and All-Public League honors. In appreciation of his efforts on the school's basketball team, he has been named to the Farragut Hall of Fame, the Chicago Public Schools Hall of Fame, and the Illinois High School Hall of Fame.
After graduating from high school, Parker spent two years at Mineral Area College. In both of his seasons, Parker was named an All-American, as well as Conference Player of the Year and Region Player of the Year. He was an All-Conference and All-Region pick, and is the Mineral Area College's Leading Career Scorer. He has been inducted into the Junior College Hall of Fame.
Texas A&M University (1974-1976)
Although Parker was recruited by many of the top college basketball programs, he chose to attend Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, primarily to learn under legendary coach Shelby Metcalf
Shelby Metcalf
Shelby Metcalf was the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team for 27 seasons, from 1963 to 1990. He won more games than any other coach in the former Southwest Conference...
. The lonely Parker, over 1000 miles from home, was quickly embraced by Metcalf and his family, often accompanying his coach on fishing trips. The men became close enough friends that after Parker was named the most valuable player in one of the many college tournaments in which A&M participated, he gave his reward, a nice watch, to Metcalf as a gift. Metcalf treasured the watch for twenty-five years, before giving it to Parker's son Christian at the ceremony inducting Parker into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame. At Metcalf's funeral in February 2007, Parker gave a eulogy and served as one of the pallbearers.
In his two years at Texas A&M, Parker led the Aggies to back-to-back Southwest Conference titles, earning himself first-team All-Southwest Conference honors both years as well. The team reached the NCAA Tournament in 1974-1975. As a senior, Parker averaged 20.7 points per game, a feat that only two other Aggie players have achieved in the 20 years since he left.
Honors
- Newcomer of the Year
- SWC Player of the Year
- All Conference
- All Defensive Team
- Texas A&M MVP
- SWC All Decade Team
- All American
- Pizza Hut-Slam Dunk Award
- All Star Game
- Texas A&M Hall of Fame
Professional basketball career
Parker was a first-round draft pick, chosen by the Golden State Warriors as the 17th overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft1976 NBA Draft
The 1976 NBA Draft was the 30th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 8, 1976 before the 1976–77 season. In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
. For 29 years, Parker held the record as the highest an Aggie had ever been drafted, until in 2005 Antoine Wright
Antoine Wright
Antoine Domonick Wright is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Asefa Estudiantes in Spain. He attended preparatory school at Lawrence Academy at Groton; in 2002, he led the Spartans to an Independent School League Basketball Championship...
was chosen as the 15th overall draft pick by the 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...
.
In his rookie season, Parker played in 65 games, scoring a total of 379 points (5.8 points per game), with 2.7 rebounds per game and .9 assists per game. His team reached the playoffs, with Parker contributing 4.2 points per game and 2.8 rebounds, and .9 assists per game.
The following season, Parker played in 82 games, averaging 11.4 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. He ranked 16th in the NBA for Field Goal Percentage, with .519 field goals (406 out of 783). His best season, however, came in 1978-1979, where he averaged 15.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, with 144 steals and 33 blocks.
In a thrilling game in November, 1981, Parker led the Warriors to a 102-100 victory over the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
. At the opening of the final quarter, the Warriors trailed by 10 points before Parker and teammate Joe Hassett
Joe Hassett
Joseph Patrick Hassett is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. A 6'5" 180 lb guard, he played college basketball at Providence College, where he still shares a record with four other players to score at least 500 points in a season in three consecutive years...
combined to score 13 points and give the Warriors their first lead with 3 minutes left to play. The game was tied at 100 when Parker rebounded a shot by his teammate Lloyd Free
World B. Free
World B. Free is an American former professional basketball player who played in the NBA from 1975–1988. Free was known as the "Prince of Midair" as well as "All-World".-Early years:...
with two seconds remaining and completed a reverse layup to give the Warriors their victory.
After a disappointing 1981-82 season
1981-82 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Moses Malone, Houston Rockets*Rookie of the Year: Buck Williams, New Jersey Nets*Coach of the Year: Gene Shue, Washington Bullets*All-NBA First Team:**Larry Bird, Boston Celtics...
, where Parker averaged only 3.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, in September 1982 the Warriors waived Parker, ending his NBA career.
For the six years that he played professional basketball, Parker averaged 9.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
Youth Foundation
In 1990, Parker established the non-profit Sonny Parker Youth Foundation (SPYF) in his hometown of Chicago. The foundation is designed to provide year-round educational, recreational, and multi-cultural programs for inner-city children from kindergartenKindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through 12th grade. Through after-school and weekend programs, the foundation provides tutoring, ACT/SAT preparation, parents' workshops, job training, mentoring, career planning, and physical education in the hopes of improving the reading and writing skills of the students and preparing them to become more productive citizens. Parker is the president of the organization and is active in its daily activities.
Family
Parker and his wife, Lola, have seven children. One of their sons, Jabarri, is following in his father's footsteps. As a nine-year-old in 2005, the boy showed enough talent to earn a spot on his school's eighth-grade basketball team, but the school would not let him play with the older children due to liability issues. He now plays with an elite youth travel team. Parker's eldest son, Darryl, is a graduate of the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
and plays professional basketball overseas.