Bo Lamar facts for kids
Lamar as a junior at USL
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 7, 1951 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| High school | East (Columbus, Ohio) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Louisiana (1969–1973) |
| NBA Draft | 1973 / Round: 3 / Pick: 44th overall |
| Selected by the Detroit Pistons | |
| Pro career | 1973–1977 |
| Career history | |
| 1973–1975 | San Diego Conquistadors / Sails |
| 1975–1976 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1976–1977 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career ABA and NBA statistics | |
| Points | 4,478 (16.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 739 (2.7 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,063 (3.9 apg) |
Dwight "Bo" Lamar (born April 7, 1951) is a former professional basketball player from Columbus, Ohio. He is famous for his amazing scoring skills in college. He played for the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now called the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). Bo Lamar was a top scorer in college basketball and was the very first player picked in the 1973 American Basketball Association Draft.
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College Career: A Scoring Star
Bo Lamar went to East High School in Columbus, Ohio. After high school, he joined the basketball team at Southwestern Louisiana. The team moved up to Division I in 1971–1972. Even though he didn't score a lot in high school, his college coach, Beryl Shipley, made him the main player. Coach Shipley gave him the freedom to shoot a lot.
Bo Lamar quickly became a star. He averaged 22.8 points per game and was named "Freshman of the Year" in his conference. During his senior year, the basketball program faced some serious issues with the NCAA.
Lamar was named an All-American three times between 1969 and 1973. He was a First-team All-American in 1972 and 1973. Other famous players like Bill Walton and David Thompson were also on these teams.
During his college career, he scored an average of 31.2 points per game. He ended up with 3,493 points in total, which is still one of the highest scores in NCAA basketball history. People remember him for his very high long-range shots.
Hall of Fame Coach Jerry Tarkanian said, "Bo Lamar is the purest shooter I’ve ever seen." His college coach, Beryl Shipley, added, "If there had been a three-point shot in those days, he would’ve averaged 50 points a game."
Bo Lamar helped his team, the Ragin’ Cajuns, win 90 games and lose only 23 during his four seasons. In his last three seasons, their record was 74 wins and 13 losses. Only UCLA had a better record during that time!
Professional Career: From ABA to NBA
In 1973, Bo Lamar was picked by the Detroit Pistons in the third round of the 1973 NBA draft. But he was also the very first player chosen in the 1973 American Basketball Association Draft by the San Diego Conquistadors. He decided to sign with the Conquistadors.
In his first year as a professional (1973–1974), Lamar played for the San Diego Conquistadors. He averaged 20.4 points per game and was named to the ABA All-Rookie team. He even set a team record by scoring 50 points in one game! His coach that year was the legendary Wilt Chamberlain.
In the 1974–1975 season, Lamar averaged 20.9 points per game. He was reunited with his college coach, Beryl Shipley, during this season. After averaging 16.0 points in his third season, he played less for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1976–1977. This was the last year of his basketball career.
Bo Lamar played for three American Basketball Association (ABA) teams:
- The San Diego Conquistadors (1973–1975)
- The San Diego Sails (1975), which was the same team but with a new name. This team stopped playing after only 11 games.
- The Indiana Pacers (1975–1976)
After the ABA and NBA joined together, Lamar moved to the NBA. In the 1976–1977 season, he played 71 games for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Overall, in his professional career, Bo Lamar played 273 games. He averaged 16.4 points and 3.9 assists per game. In the ABA, he averaged 19.7 points and 4.4 assists in 202 games.
Personal Life
After his basketball career, Bo Lamar worked as a color analyst for Louisiana-Lafayette basketball games on the radio. He later retired and moved back to his home state of Ohio.
Honors and Awards
Bo Lamar has received many awards for his amazing basketball career:
- He was inducted into the UL Athletics Hall of Fame.
- One media list ranked him among the Top 100 players in the history of NCAA basketball, placing him at #64.
- In 1984, Lamar was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
- In 2018, he was chosen for induction into the OHSAA’s Circle of Champions by the Ohio State High School Athletic Association.
See also
In Spanish: Bo Lamar para niños
