Steve Stipanovich
Encyclopedia
Stephen Samuel Stipanovich (born November 17, 1960, in St. Louis, Missouri
) is a retired American
professional basketball
player.
A 6-ft 11-inch center
from the University of Missouri
, Stipanovich was selected by the Indiana Pacers
with the second pick of the 1983 NBA Draft
. Knee
problems limited his career to five seasons, and he retired in 1988
with career totals of 5,323 points and 3,131 rebounds. At Missouri, between November 1979 and March 1983, he and Jon Sundvold
helped their coach Norm Stewart
to four consecutive winning seasons and NCAA tournament appearances.
he transferred to De Smet Jesuit High School
in suburban Creve Coeur
. While a member of the Spartans basketball team he led them to back-to-back Missouri Class 4A State Championships and a sixty-game winning streak.
. In a nationally televised game, Stipanovich and teammate Greg Cavener combined to stop future NBA
number one pick Ralph Sampson
and upset top ranked Virginia
. He was both an academic All American and a first team All American selection his senior year. His college team won over 100 games in four years.
The next day Stipanovich recanted the story and admitted that he shot himself by accident.
. He eventually returned to the St. Louis area where he is the owner/operator of a coal mine. Stipanovich and his wife Terri are involved with the Mercy Ministries
program in the St. Louis area, providing temporary home for young women recovering from abuse.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
) 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.
A 6-ft 11-inch 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...
from the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, Stipanovich was selected by the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
with the second pick of the 1983 NBA Draft
1983 NBA Draft
The 1983 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1983 in New York City. A total of 226 players were selected over 10 rounds by the league's 23 teams. At least three players from the 1983 draft now serve as coaches...
. Knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
problems limited his career to five seasons, and he retired in 1988
1987-88 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Mark Jackson, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls...
with career totals of 5,323 points and 3,131 rebounds. At Missouri, between November 1979 and March 1983, he and Jon Sundvold
Jon Sundvold
Jon Thomas "Sunny" Sundvold is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1st round of the 1983 NBA Draft. A 6'2" shooting guard from the University of Missouri, Sundvold played in 9 NBA seasons from 1983–1992...
helped their coach Norm Stewart
Norm Stewart
Norman E. "Norm)" Stewart is a retired American college basketball coach. He coached at the University of Northern Iowa from 1961 to 1967, but is best known for his career with the University of Missouri from 1967 until 1999. He retired with an overall coaching record of 731-375 in 38 seasons...
to four consecutive winning seasons and NCAA tournament appearances.
Early life
Steve "Stipo" Stipanovich, son of Sam and Elaine (Ortmann) Stipanovich, was born and raised in the St. Louis area, where his father ran a funeral home. After attending his freshman year of high school at Chaminade College PrepChaminade College Preparatory School (Missouri)
Founded in 1910, Chaminade College Preparatory School is an independent Catholic Marianist school for boys in grades six through twelve. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis. The school is located in west St. Louis County, Missouri. Chaminade offers 7-day, 5-day, and...
he transferred to De Smet Jesuit High School
De Smet Jesuit High School
De Smet Jesuit High School is a Jesuit Catholic, college preparatory high school Creve Coeur, Missouri in western St. Louis County. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis.The school began classes in the fall of 1967...
in suburban Creve Coeur
Creve Coeur, Missouri
Creve Coeur, derived from French for "heartbreak" , is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in west St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The city derives its name from Creve Coeur Lake, which is shaped like a broken heart. The population was 17,833 at the 2010 census...
. While a member of the Spartans basketball team he led them to back-to-back Missouri Class 4A State Championships and a sixty-game winning streak.
College career
At Mizzou Stipanovich was named Big Eight Newcomer of the Year as a freshman. As a senior in college, Stipanovich averaged over 18 points and almost 9 rebounds per game, and dominated the Big Eight ConferenceBig Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
. In a nationally televised game, Stipanovich and teammate Greg Cavener combined to stop future NBA
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...
number one pick Ralph Sampson
Ralph Sampson
Ralph Lee Sampson, Jr. is a retired American college and professional basketball player.A 7-foot-4 phenom, three-time College Player of the Year, and No...
and upset top ranked Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. He was both an academic All American and a first team All American selection his senior year. His college team won over 100 games in four years.
Gunshot controversy
On the evening of Dec. 27, 1980 Stipanovich accidentally discharged a loaded firearm, hitting himself in the shoulder. He initially told police that a masked intruder, wearing cowboy boots and a flannel shirt broke into his apartment on Sunrise Drive in Columbia, Missouri, and shot him while screaming obscenities about basketball players.The next day Stipanovich recanted the story and admitted that he shot himself by accident.
Post-NBA career
Following his retirement from the NBA Stipanovich tried a variety of careers including real estate sales in OregonOregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. He eventually returned to the St. Louis area where he is the owner/operator of a coal mine. Stipanovich and his wife Terri are involved with the Mercy Ministries
Mercy Ministries
Mercy Ministries is an international, Evangelical, charismatic, Christian, charitable organization that offers a long-term residential program for young women aged 13–28 who struggle with various "life controlling" issues...
program in the St. Louis area, providing temporary home for young women recovering from abuse.