If a man spits on me, I'll probably spit back. He was 74. In 1988, Unseld took over as head coach, leading an 8-19 team to a 30-25 finish and trip to the playoffs. “A lot of people felt I should be the first black to play. Do Not Sell My Personal Information | But if someone isn't nice, well, I believe in talking to them in a language that they will understand. He is the godfather of Cleveland Cavaliers all-star forward, Kevin Love, as Kevin's father Stan Love was a teammate of Unseld's on the Baltimore Bullets. NBA Privacy Center | As a player, Unseld broke every mold. Wes Unseld - Career stats, game logs, biographical info, awards, and achievements for the NBA and NCAA. His importance to the game that made him famous is easy misplaced because you will not find him in any low-def dunk-contest highlights and because the majority of his career preceded the Magic/Bird renaissance of the 1980s. Players like Wiz guard Bradley Beal and Cavs forward Kevin Love, whose father Stan was Unseld's teammate, remembered Wes and his contributions to the game. Unseld’s career and accomplishments span off the court as well, as he and his wife, Connie, opened the Unselds’ School in Baltimore in 1978. I feel if someone is nice to me, then I'll be nice to them. Wes Unseld was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets with the second overall pick in 1968 out of Louisville, where he finished his senior season as a consensus All-American selection. Feeling like that, I didn't think I'd make a very good barrier breaker.”.

That will be enough to make sure he doesn't win the game for his team.". Privacy Act, please use the links below to visit each company’s privacy center. Unseld’s number 41 jersey was retired in 1981 and is currently one of five jerseys hanging in the rafters at Capital One Arena. WarnerMedia Privacy Center | If a player can impose his will when seven-footers like Wilt and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar roam the hardwood, he definitely deserves his place on the list of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.

It is safe to say there never was a basketball superstar quite like Wes Unseld, in so many different ways.

https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/1c/3c/wes-unseld-ftr-getty-082015_1dvy4smlmqt4o1ihmsoincl479.jpg?t=1346667535&w=500&quality=80. He was as quiet and modest then as he was the day he retired.". In his first season in Baltimore in 1968-69, Unseld turned the Bullets around by leading them to 21 more victories than the year prior and the team’s first ever playoff appearance. "He always should be remembered as the most important recruit in Kentucky basketball history.

He was not the first African-American in either position, but it was uncommon enough that he became a barrier-breaker, anyway. Unseld was voted Finals MVP, averaging 9.0 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists during the championship series. Unseld helped lead Baltimore to five consecutive playoff appearances and continued the streak when the team moved to Washington in 1973. 4 seed in the East. Toward the end of his playing career, Unseld and his wife, Connie, a teacher in Baltimore’s city schools, established Unselds School, a private school in southwest Baltimore that has been in operation through more than four decades. Despite being undersized at the center position, Unseld was known for his relentlessness in the paint and bruising nature, as well as his outlet passing and screening ability. The two-time NCAA All-American didn't go unnoticed, as the Baltimore Bullets and Kentucky Colonels both selected him second overall in the 1968 NBA and ABA drafts, respectively.

His son, Wes Unseld Jr., is currently the assistant coach of the Denver Nuggets. the NBA Privacy Center, it will apply to data controlled independently by the NBA. He was a runner-up in rebounding to either Chamberlain or Elvin Hayes in each of his first four years — 18.2, 16.7, 16.9, 17.6 rpg — before finally claiming the title in 1974-75 (14.8). One could say he's the OG undersized center. By the time Unseld called it a career, he finished sixth in all-time leaders for rebounds per game with 13.99. All rights reserved. If you make a request through the WarnerMedia Privacy Center, The school is one of the few fully-accredited, black-owned, non-church-affiliated elementary schools in Maryland, with Connie serving as the principal, his daughter, Kim, serving as one of the primary teachers at the school, and Wes occasionally serving as the bus driver.

Unseld retired from the NBA as a five-time All-Star, playing in 75 or more games in 11 of his 13 seasons, all with the Bullets organization. Unseld chose not to become an integration pioneer because he believed he did not have the temperament for it. Adolph Rupp wanted him to break the color barrier at Kentucky. He won two state championships in high school, then averaged 20.6 points and … To opt out of the sale of your personal information as permitted by the California Consumer For his franchise-altering first year (13.8 markers and career-high 18.2 boards per game), he was named both the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player — the second player since Wilt Chamberlain to do so. Even after his playing days, he joined the front offices of the Bullets, and then Wizards. But he was an NBA rookie of the year, most valuable player, NBA Finals MVP, first-ballot entrant to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and member of the NBA’s official list of its 50 greatest players. He nearly was a half-foot shorter than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Wilt Chamberlain, but no one ever questioned his credibility as a big man. https://www.2kratings.com/wes-unseld-all-time-washington-wizards But he picked Louisville, giving the Cardinals unprecedented national credibility and providing the foundation on which Denny Crum built. Unseld's best individual performances say a lot about his blue-collar style of play. While sustaining his rebounding prowess, he showcased another underrated facet of his game. He averaged 20.6 points and 18.9 rebounds in three seasons at Louisville, leading the Cardinals to consecutive Missouri Valley Conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. Wes Unseld didn't necessarily fill up a basketball stat sheet.

This site is operated jointly by NBA and WarnerMedia. In an era of basketball that featured legendary players standing 7-0 or taller manning the center position, Wes Unseld somehow managed to become a giant at just 6-7. Arguably the greatest player to ever wear a Washington jersey, Wes Unseld, passed away peacefully on Wednesday (Manila). Unseld once told The Washington Post: "I know that night in and night out the guy I play against will have more physical ability. Wes Unseld is a former MVP, NBA champion and did it all for the Washington franchise — player, coach, executive — on his way to the @Hoophall. According to his family's statement via the Wizards, the legendary NBA big man succumbed to "lengthy health battles, most recently with pneumonia." The Wizards came closest to a 50-piece in 2016-17, when John Wall and Co. won 49 as the No. He instead chose to stay home and play for the Cardinals, where he became a two-time All-American. By continued use, you agree to our privacy policy and accept our use of such cookies. If you make a request through He was inducted into The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1988 and was voted as a top 50 player in league history in 1996. More than four decades later, Washington has yet to do it again. And it wasn't like he had to man the middle out of necessity; it was his natural position. Copyright © 2020 NBA Media Ventures, LLC. "Wes Unseld always was a quiet warrior. © 2020 SPIN.ph - Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Find out more here. He had at least four dimes per outing from 1974-80, highlighted by a 5.2 assist average in 1975-76. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. Unseld returned to a front office position in 1996, serving as General Manager until 2003 (excluding a brief one-year stint as Michael Jordan took over the duties). “His physical prowess, undeniable talent and on-court demeanor may have struck fear in opponents throughout the NBA, but he will be remembered best as a mentor, leader and friend.”. Accessibility and Closed Caption |, Basketball reacts to the passing of Wes Unseld, Bob Dandridge remembers the late Wes Unseld, Wizards/Mystics to honor franchise legend Wes Unseld.

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