Alex English facts for kids
English in 2019
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 5, 1954 Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
| High school | Dreher (Columbia, South Carolina) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | South Carolina (1972–1976) |
| NBA Draft | 1976 / Round: 2 / Pick: 23rd overall |
| Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Pro career | 1976–1992 |
| Coaching career | 2002–2013 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1976–1978 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1978–1980 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1980–1990 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1990–1991 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1991–1992 | Basket Napoli |
| As coach: | |
| 2002–2003 | Atlanta Hawks (assistant) |
| 2003–2004 | Philadelphia 76ers (assistant) |
| 2004–2011 | Toronto Raptors (assistant) |
| 2012–2013 | Sacramento Kings (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 25,613 (21.5 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 6,538 (5.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 4,351 (3.6 apg) |
Alexander English (born January 5, 1954) is a famous American former professional basketball player and coach. He is best known for being a star scorer for the Denver Nuggets in the 1980s.
English played the small forward position. During his time with the Nuggets, the team made it to the NBA playoffs nine times in a row. He was the top scorer in the entire NBA during the 1980s. Over his 15-season career, he averaged 21.5 points per game.
Because of his amazing talent, English was chosen for eight NBA All-Star teams. The Denver Nuggets retired his number 2 jersey in his honor. In 1997, he was welcomed into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors for a basketball player. After retiring as a player, he coached for several NBA teams and became an NBA ambassador, helping to promote basketball around the world.
Contents
Early Life and College
Alex English was born and grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. He faced challenges as a child but worked hard to succeed. He attended Dreher High School, which later retired his number 22 jersey to celebrate his achievements.
From 1972 to 1976, English played for the University of South Carolina. He was a star player, starting in every game for four years. He set a school record by scoring 1,972 points. He was also a great student and graduated with a degree in English. He developed a love for art, sculpture, and poetry, which he still enjoys today.
Professional Career
Starting in the NBA
English was chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1976 NBA draft. He did not get much playing time at first. He then signed with the Indiana Pacers, where he became a starter and showed his talent for scoring.
Star Player for the Denver Nuggets
In 1980, English was traded to the Denver Nuggets. This is where he became a superstar. In his first full season, he averaged an amazing 23.8 points per game.
The next season, he averaged 25.4 points and was named to the All-Star Team. In the 1982–83 season, English won the NBA scoring title, meaning he scored more points per game than any other player in the league. He averaged 28.4 points that year.
For the rest of the 1980s, English continued to be one of the best scorers in the NBA. He led the Nuggets to the playoffs every year he was with them. In the 1985 playoffs, he averaged over 30 points per game, leading his team to the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Unfortunately, he injured his thumb and could not finish the series.
In 1988, English received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for his excellent work in the community.
Final Seasons
After ten incredible seasons with the Nuggets, English played one year for the Dallas Mavericks. He then played one season in Italy for Basket Napoli before ending his playing career in 1992.
Legacy as a Player
Alex English left a huge mark on the Denver Nuggets. He holds team records for the most career points (21,645), assists (3,679), and games played (837). His number 2 jersey was retired by the team in 1992 to honor his contributions.
Across his entire NBA career, English scored 25,613 points. He was the first player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in eight straight seasons. His amazing skill and sportsmanship earned him a place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997.
Life After Playing
Coaching Career
After his playing days were over, English became a coach. He was an assistant coach for several NBA teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, and Sacramento Kings. He used his knowledge of the game to help develop new players.
Other Activities
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English has been involved in many other projects. He has worked as a TV analyst for the SEC Network. He is also an NBA ambassador and participates in programs like Basketball Without Borders. He travels the world to teach basketball to young people.
English has also tried acting. He appeared in the movie Amazing Grace and Chuck and the TV show Midnight Caller. He even played a basketball coach in the movie Eddie.
He and his wife have owned businesses in South Carolina. Today, English lives in Blythewood, South Carolina, and continues to be an important figure in the world of basketball.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976–77 | Milwaukee | 60 | 6 | 10.8 | .477 | – | .767 | 2.8 | .4 | .3 | .3 | 3.2 |
| 1977–78 | Milwaukee | 82 | 4 | 18.9 | .542 | – | .727 | 4.8 | 1.6 | .5 | .7 | 9.6 |
| 1978–79 | Indiana | 81 | 69 | 33.3 | .511 | – | .752 | 8.1 | 3.3 | .9 | 1.0 | 16.0 |
| 1979–80 | Indiana | 54 | 15 | 28.3 | .504 | .000 | .814 | 7.0 | 2.6 | .8 | .6 | 14.9 |
| 1979–80 | Denver | 24 | 24 | 36.5 | .485 | .667 | .762 | 9.4 | 3.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 21.3 |
| 1980–81 | Denver | 81 | 81 | 38.2 | .494 | .600 | .850 | 8.0 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 23.8 |
| 1981–82 | Denver | 82 | 82 | 36.8 | .551 | .000 | .840 | 6.8 | 5.3 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 25.4 |
| 1982–83 | Denver | 82 | 82 | 36.4 | .516 | .167 | .829 | 7.3 | 4.8 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 28.4* |
| 1983–84 | Denver | 82 | 77 | 35.0 | .529 | .143 | .824 | 5.7 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 26.4 |
| 1984–85 | Denver | 81 | 81 | 36.1 | .518 | .200 | .829 | 5.7 | 4.2 | 1.2 | .6 | 27.9 |
| 1985–86 | Denver | 81 | 81 | 37.3 | .504 | .200 | .862 | 5.0 | 4.0 | .9 | .4 | 29.8 |
| 1986–87 | Denver | 82 | 82 | 37.6 | .503 | .267 | .844 | 4.2 | 5.1 | .9 | .3 | 28.6 |
| 1987–88 | Denver | 80 | 80 | 35.2 | .495 | .000 | .828 | 4.7 | 4.7 | .9 | .3 | 25.0 |
| 1988–89 | Denver | 82 | 82 | 36.5 | .491 | .250 | .858 | 4.0 | 4.7 | .8 | .1 | 26.5 |
| 1989–90 | Denver | 80 | 80 | 27.6 | .491 | .400 | .880 | 3.6 | 2.8 | .6 | .3 | 17.9 |
| 1990–91 | Dallas | 79 | 26 | 22.1 | .439 | .000 | .850 | 3.2 | 1.3 | .5 | .3 | 9.7 |
| Career | 1,193 | 753 | 31.9 | .507 | .217 | .832 | 5.5 | 3.6 | .9 | .7 | 21.5 | |
| All-Star | 8 | 4 | 18.5 | .500 | .000 | .500 | 2.3 | 1.9 | .8 | .5 | 9.1 | |
- The NBA adopted the three-point line in the 1979–80 season.
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Milwaukee | 9 | – | 23.1 | .615 | – | .781 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .7 | .8 | 13.4 |
| 1982 | Denver | 3 | – | 39.3 | .473 | .000 | .857 | 7.7 | 5.7 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 19.3 |
| 1983 | Denver | 7 | – | 38.6 | .447 | .000 | .887 | 6.3 | 6.0 | .6 | 1.0 | 25.9 |
| 1984 | Denver | 5 | – | 40.6 | .588 | .000 | .893 | 8.0 | 5.6 | .6 | .4 | 29.0 |
| 1985 | Denver | 14 | 14 | 38.3 | .536 | .000 | .890 | 6.6 | 4.5 | 1.2 | .4 | 30.2 |
| 1986 | Denver | 10 | 10 | 39.4 | .463 | .000 | .859 | 3.5 | 5.2 | .4 | .4 | 27.3 |
| 1987 | Denver | 3 | 3 | 25.3 | .510 | .000 | .857 | 4.7 | 3.3 | .0 | .0 | 18.7 |
| 1988 | Denver | 11 | 11 | 39.8 | .455 | .000 | .814 | 5.4 | 4.4 | .6 | .3 | 24.3 |
| 1989 | Denver | 3 | 3 | 36.0 | .516 | .000 | .875 | 4.3 | 3.7 | .3 | .0 | 26.0 |
| 1990 | Denver | 3 | 3 | 25.3 | .568 | .000 | .818 | 3.0 | 3.0 | .7 | .3 | 19.7 |
| Career | 68 | 44 | 35.7 | .503 | .000 | .862 | 5.5 | 4.3 | .7 | .5 | 24.4 | |
- The NBA adopted the three-point line in the 1979–80 season.
- Incomplete statistics.
See also
In Spanish: Alex English para niños
- List of National Basketball Association career games played leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association franchise career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association annual scoring leaders
