Alton Lister facts for kids

Alton Lavelle Lister, born on October 1, 1958, is a former American professional basketball player. He was known for his strong defense and ability to block shots. After his playing career, he became a coach. He is currently an assistant coach for the TNT Tropang Giga in the Philippine Basketball Association and the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Lister went to Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, Texas. He graduated in 1976. During his time there, he was a star player. He helped his team win many games. He was even named an All-American and made the All-State team. In 1990, he was honored by being added to Woodrow Wilson's Hall of Fame.

College Basketball Journey

Alton Lister, who stands 7 feet tall, started his college basketball career at San Jacinto Junior College. There, he played alongside Oliver Mack, who also later played in the NBA. Lister was a top rebounder for his team, the Dragons, and earned All-American honors.

Playing for Arizona State

After San Jacinto, Lister moved to Arizona State University. He joined future NBA player Byron Scott on the team. In his final year, the 1980–1981 season, Lister averaged 15.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. His strong play helped the Sun Devils achieve an amazing record of 16 wins and 2 losses in their conference. Overall, they had 24 wins and only 4 losses. The team was even ranked fifth in the entire country!

That season ended with a big win against the top-ranked Oregon State team. Lister received special honors, including being named All-Pac-10. He also won his team's Most Improved Player award.

Hall of Fame and Olympic Dream

Lister played for Arizona State for three years, starting in two of them. He was inducted into the Arizona State Hall of Fame in 2000. During his college career, he averaged 8.2 rebounds and blocked 148 shots.

He was also chosen to be part of the 1980 USA Olympic basketball team. This was a huge honor, making him the second player from Arizona State to be selected for the U.S. Olympic team. However, he could not play in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. The United States decided to boycott the games. Even though he couldn't compete, he received a special Congressional Gold Medal created for the athletes who missed out.

Professional Basketball Career

Alton Lister was picked by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 1981 NBA draft. He was the 21st player chosen overall. During his five years with the Bucks, he learned a lot from his teammate Bob Lanier, who became his mentor. Lister played about 24 minutes per game and averaged around 8.1 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks.

Success with the Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks were very successful during Lister's time there. They won their division every year. In the 1982–83 season, Lister even received some votes for the NBA MVP award. This showed how important he was to his team, even though he only averaged 8.4 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Moving to Other Teams

After the 1986 season, Lister was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics. His best year as a professional player was the 1986–87 season with the SuperSonics. He played in 75 games and averaged 11.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game.

After three seasons in Seattle, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors. He played four more years with the Warriors, but injuries sometimes limited his playing time. He later returned to the Milwaukee Bucks for a short period. Then, in 1995, he joined the Boston Celtics. He played two seasons in Boston. Alton Lister finished his NBA career playing seven games for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Career Highlights

In his entire NBA career, Alton Lister played in 953 games. He scored a total of 6,298 points. He wore jersey number 53 for his whole career. He was best known for being a strong rebounder and an excellent shot blocker.

Coaching Career

After his playing days, Alton Lister started coaching. In 2000, he became the head coach at Mesa Community College. Before he arrived, the team had a record of 9 wins and 21 losses. But with Lister as coach, they had five straight seasons with 20 or more wins! In his seven years there, 30 of his players went on to play for top college teams (NCAA Division I).

NBA and Philippine Coaching

Lister also spent six summers at Pete Newell's Big Man's Camp, which helps tall players improve their skills. The Atlanta Hawks were impressed by his work there. In 2007, they hired him as an assistant coach for their NBA team.

In November 2008, he moved to the Philippines. He was hired as a skills coach for the San Miguel Beermen in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). In January 2016, he joined Tropang TNT (now TNT Tropang Giga) as an assistant coach. He also coaches for the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

Personal Life

Alton Lister lives in the Philippines with his daughter, Avery. He works as a skills coach for the Meralco Bolts. He also has four other children in the United States: Alton Jr., Alexa, JRoss, and Amari.

Even though he is retired from playing, Lister has coached young basketball players in the San Diego, California area. On July 17, 2015, he was the main speaker at the California State Games in San Diego.

Alton's brother, James, was also a basketball player. He was a 6'9" center who was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1973. James never played in the NBA, but he played professionally in the Philippines and Belgium for many years.

See also

In Spanish: Alton Lister para niños

• List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders