Sam Lacey

Samuel Lacey (March 8, 1948 – March 14, 2014) was an American basketball player.

Sam Lacey
Lacey in 1971
Personal information
Born(1948-03-08)March 8, 1948
Indianola, Mississippi
DiedMarch 14, 2014(2014-03-14) (aged 66)
Kansas City, Missouri
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolGentry (Indianola, Mississippi)
CollegeNew Mexico State (1967–1970)
NBA draft1970 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall
Selected by the Cincinnati Royals
Playing career1970–1983
PositionCenter
Number44, 40, 52
Career history
1970–1981Cincinnati Royals / Kansas City-Omaha Kings / Kansas City Kings
1981–1982New Jersey Nets
1982–1983Cleveland Cavaliers
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points10,303 (10.3 ppg)
Rebounds9,687 (9.7 rpg)
Blocks1,160 (1.5 bpg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Early life

Lacey grew up in Indianola, Mississippi and played basketball at Gentry High School.

College career

Lacey was a 6'10" center who played college basketball at New Mexico State University.[1] The Aggies had a combined record of 74–14 during his three seasons there. In the 1969–70 post-season, he and star guard Jimmy Collins led the Aggies to their first and only Final Four appearance. The Aggies defeated Rice University, Kansas State University and Drake University before falling to eventual national champion UCLA. However, the Aggies won the third-place game over St. Bonaventure to finish 27–3. Lacey earned first-team All-American honors from Basketball News.[2]

In 2007–08, Lacey was among the first inductees into the Aggies Ring of Honor. As of 2014, Lacey still holds many New Mexico State rebounding records for both single seasons and career.[3]

NBA career

Lacey was drafted in the first round (fifth overall) of the 1970 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals. He played 13 seasons (1970–1983) in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Royals, Kansas City Kings, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged over 10 rebounds per game in his first six seasons, and was the NBA's third leading rebounder in the 1974–75 season. Lacey's most productive NBA season came in 1973–74 when he averaged 14.2 points and 13.4 rebounds per game. He was named an All-Star in 1975, and finished the season averaging 11.5 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.[4]

Lacey is one of only five NBA players (along with Hakeem Olajuwon, Julius Erving, David Robinson and Ben Wallace) to have registered 100 blocks and 100 steals in six consecutive seasons.[5] His #44 jersey was retired by the Sacramento Kings. He is also one of three NBA players (along with Wes Unseld and Reggie Evans) to total at least 30 rebounds and fewer than 10 points in the first two games of the season.[6]

When Lacey retired in 1983, he had accumulated 9,687 rebounds and a total of 10,303 points.[4] As of 2014, Lacey ranks 40th overall for total rebounds in NBA history.[7]

Death

Lacey died in his home in Kansas City, Missouri on March 14, 2014, six days after his 66th birthday.[8]

NBA career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1970–71 Cincinnati 81–32.7.418–.68711.31.4––13.5
1971–72 Cincinnati 81–35.0.422–.70412.02.1––11.6
1972–73 Kansas City–Omaha 79–37.1.474–.70811.82.4––13.5
1973–74 Kansas City–Omaha 79–39.3.476–.74913.43.81.62.314.2
1974–75 Kansas City–Omaha 81–41.7.427–.75414.25.31.72.111.5
1975–76 Kansas City 81–38.1.401–.75912.64.71.61.712.8
1976–77 Kansas City 82–31.6.422–.7629.04.71.51.610.6
1977–78 Kansas City 77–27.7.449–.7178.33.91.61.48.6
1978–79 Kansas City 82–32.0.502–.7398.65.21.31.710.6
1979–80 Kansas City 81–29.8.448.000.7418.05.71.41.39.2
1980–81 Kansas City 82–27.2.442.200.7867.14.91.21.56.9
1981–82 Kansas City 2110.0.600–.0002.02.01.0.53.0
1981–82 New Jersey 54612.0.430.000.7711.91.4.4.72.9
1982–83 Cleveland 603320.5.420.222.7843.92.0.5.44.2
Career 1,0024031.8.441.188.7389.73.71.31.510.3
All-Star 1017.0.333–1.0007.01.02.01.06.0

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1975 Kansas City–Omaha 6–44.0.377–.61115.75.02.01.59.5
1979 Kansas City 5–35.2.381–.78910.24.21.82.09.4
1980 Kansas City 3–33.7.3811.000.7507.34.32.3.76.7
1981 Kansas City 15–35.5.420.000.8578.05.31.91.510.0
Career 29–37.0.401.250.7769.95.01.91.59.4

See also

References
  1. http://kennymister.blogspot.com/2011/07/sunday-conversation-withindianola.html
  2. http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/73f4b1ed?ATCLID=208668361&SPSID=9966&SPID=602&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=1900#/73f4b1ed/10
  3. http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/73f4b1ed?ATCLID=208668361&SPSID=9966&SPID=602&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=1900#/73f4b1ed/22
  4. basketball-reference.com. "Sam Lacey stats". Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  5. "Chicago – Chicago : News : Politics : Things To Do : Sports". Chicago Sun-Times.
  6. Rondo's triple-double is one for the ages - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN
  7. http://www.nba.com/kings/blogs/history_sam_lacey.html
  8. Goldstein, Richard (March 18, 2014), "Sam Lacey, a Top Center in the N.B.A., Dies at 66", The New York Times
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