Bill Bridges (basketball) facts for kids
Bill Bridges at the University of Kansas
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 4, 1939 Hobbs, New Mexico |
| Nationality | American |
| Died | September 25, 2015 (aged 76) Santa Monica, California |
| High school | Hobbs (Hobbs, New Mexico) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 228 lb (103 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Kansas (1958–1961) |
| NBA Draft | 1961 / Round: 3 / Pick: 32nd overall |
| Selected by the Chicago Packers | |
| Pro career | 1961–1975 |
| Career history | |
| 1961–1963 | Kansas City Steers |
| 1963–1971 | St. Louis / Atlanta Hawks |
| 1971–1972 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1972–1974 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1975 | Golden State Warriors |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 11,012 (11.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 11,054 (11.9 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,553 (2.8 apg) |
William C. (Bill) Bridges (born April 4, 1939 – died September 25, 2015) was an American basketball player. He was a champion in the NBA. He was also chosen for the NBA All-Star team many times.
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Early Life and High School
Bill Bridges was born on April 4, 1939, in Hobbs, New Mexico. He grew up there and went to Hobbs High School. He played basketball for the Hobbs Eagles. Their coach was the famous high school coach Ralph Tasker. Bill helped his team win the New Mexico state high school basketball championships. They won in both 1956 and 1957.
College Basketball Career
In 1957, Bill Bridges started at the University of Kansas. He joined the team as a "walk-on." This means he didn't have a scholarship at first. Freshmen could not play on the main varsity team back then.
During his first year, Bill practiced against Wilt Chamberlain. Wilt was a very famous player for the Jayhawks. Bill played so well in practice that he earned a scholarship. He got the scholarship for his next three years at Kansas.
From 1958 to 1961, Bill played for the Kansas Jayhawks. He scored about 13.2 points per game. He also grabbed about 13.9 rebounds per game. He was chosen for the All-Big Eight team all three seasons. In 1961, he was named an honorable mention All-American.
Professional Basketball Career
After college in 1961, Bill Bridges was picked in the 1961 NBA Draft. The Chicago Packers chose him as the 32nd player. But Bill did not sign with them right away.
Instead, he played for the Kansas City Steers. This team was in the American Basketball League (ABL). Bill was the best rebounder in the ABL for both seasons he played. In his second season, he also led the league in scoring. On December 9, 1962, he scored 55 points in one game. This was an ABL record! The league ended in 1962, and the Steers were named champions.
After the ABL, Bill joined the NBA. He played for 13 seasons, from 1962 to 1975. He played for the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors.
Bill Bridges won an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors in 1975. He was also picked for the NBA All-Star team three times. These were in 1967, 1968, and 1970.
Bill was 6 feet 6 inches tall. This was a bit short for his position as a power forward. But he was an amazing rebounder. Throughout his NBA career, he averaged a double-double. This means he averaged 11.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.
Bill Bridges grabbed 11,054 rebounds in his career. This puts him among the top 30 rebounders in NBA history. He is one of only four players to get more than 35 rebounds in an NBA playoff game. In 1971, playing for the Atlanta Hawks, he had 36 rebounds in a playoff game.
After Basketball
After he stopped playing basketball in 1975, Bill Bridges became an environmental consultant. He lived and worked in Santa Monica, California. Bill Bridges passed away in Los Angeles, California, at age 76. He had been battling cancer.
Awards and Honors
Bill Bridges received many honors for his basketball skills.
- In 1962, the University of Kansas basketball team created an award. They named their yearly rebounding award the "Bill Bridges Rebounding Award." Bill said this was his greatest honor.
- In 2002, Bill was honored at Allen Field House. He was the first Jayhawk player to get 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his college career.
- In 2004, the University of Kansas retired Bill's jersey. This means his number 32 will never be worn by another Kansas player.
- In 2014, Bill Bridges was added to the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.
- In 2016, he was also added to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Bill Bridges para niños
- List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders
