Bird Averitt facts for kids
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 22, 1952 Hopkinsville, Kentucky |
| Nationality | American |
| Died | December 12, 2020 (aged 68) Hopkinsville, Kentucky |
| High school | Hopkinsville (Hopkinsville, Kentucky) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Pepperdine (1971–1973) |
| NBA Draft | 1973 / Round: 4 / Pick: 55th overall |
| Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Pro career | 1973–1978 |
| Career history | |
| 1973–1974 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1974–1976 | Kentucky Colonels |
| 1976–1977 | Buffalo Braves |
| 1977 | New Jersey Nets |
| 1978 | Buffalo Braves |
| 1979 | Rochester Zeniths |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career ABA/NBA statistics | |
| Points | 4,434 (12.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 680 (1.9 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,078 (2.9 apg) |
William Rodney "Bird" Averitt (born July 22, 1952, died December 12, 2020) was a professional basketball player from America. He played in two big leagues: the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bird won a championship with the Kentucky Colonels team in 1975.
Bird was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. He played college basketball for the Pepperdine Waves. He was even named the best player in his college conference, the West Coast Conference. After college, two different basketball leagues wanted him. The Portland Trail Blazers picked him in the NBA draft. The San Diego Conquistadors picked him in the ABA draft.
Bird started his pro career in the ABA. He played for the San Antonio Spurs (1973–74) and the Kentucky Colonels (1974–76). He played 236 games in the ABA. In 1975, he helped the Colonels win the ABA championship. Later, the ABA and NBA leagues joined together. Bird then played in the NBA for the Buffalo Braves (1976–77) and the New Jersey Nets (1977–78). He played 130 games in the NBA.
Bird Averitt passed away when he was 68 years old, on December 12, 2020.
Contents
Bird Averitt's Basketball Career
Playing in College
Bird Averitt played college basketball at Pepperdine University. He was a star player for the Pepperdine Waves. In 1973, he was named the best player in the West Coast Conference. He was also the top scorer in NCAA Division I basketball that year.
Joining the Pros
After college, Bird was chosen by two different pro teams. The Portland Trail Blazers picked him in the 1973 NBA draft. The San Diego Conquistadors picked him in the 1973 ABA draft. He decided to start his professional journey in the ABA.
His Time in the ABA
Bird played for the San Antonio Spurs in the 1973–74 season. Then, he joined the Kentucky Colonels from 1974 to 1976. With the Colonels, he played a big role in their success. In 1975, his team won the ABA championship. This was a major highlight of his career.
Moving to the NBA
In 1976, the ABA and NBA leagues merged. Many ABA teams closed down. Bird Averitt joined the Buffalo Braves through a special draft for ABA players. He played for the Braves during the 1976–77 season. Later, he moved to the New Jersey Nets for the 1977–78 season. He played his final professional games in the NBA.
Career Statistics
Here are some of Bird Averitt's statistics from his time in the ABA and NBA.
| 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 |
| † | Denotes season in which Averitt's team won an ABA championship |
Regular Season Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–74 | San Antonio (ABA) | 74 | – | 22.1 | .376 | .180 | .696 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 11.5 |
| 1974–75† | Kentucky (ABA) | 84 | – | 24.2 | .416 | .149 | .778 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 13.1 |
| 1975–76 | Kentucky (ABA) | 78 | – | 29.1 | .429 | .313 | .769 | 2.7 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 17.9 |
| 1976–77 | Buffalo | 75 | – | 15.1 | .378 | – | .716 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 7.9 |
| 1977–78 | New Jersey | 21 | – | 19.5 | .367 | – | .800 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 8.3 |
| 1977–78 | Buffalo | 34 | – | 19.9 | .436 | – | .667 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 9.5 |
| Career | 366 | – | 22.3 | .405 | .249 | .743 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 12.1 | |
Playoff Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | San Antonio (ABA) | 6 | – | 17.3 | .373 | .000 | .789 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 8.8 |
| 1975† | Kentucky (ABA) | 14 | – | 18.9 | .364 | .200 | .806 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 9.9 |
| 1976 | Kentucky (ABA) | 10 | – | 35.8 | .404 | .154 | .881 | 2.2 | 6.1 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 19.9 |
| Career | 30 | – | 24.2 | .385 | .143 | .837 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 13.0
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See also
In Spanish: Bird Averitt para niños
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season scoring leaders
