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 on April 7, 1951, is a former professional basketball player. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio. Bo Lamar went to the University of Southwestern Louisiana. This school is now called the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He was a top scorer in college basketball. In 1973, he was the very first player picked in the American Basketball Association Draft.
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College Basketball Star
Bo Lamar went to East High School in Columbus, Ohio. After high school, he played basketball for Southwestern Louisiana. This team became a top Division I team in 1971–1972.
Becoming a Top Scorer
In high school, Bo Lamar did not score many points per game. But his college coach, Beryl Shipley, made him the main player. Coach Shipley let Lamar shoot the ball a lot. As a freshman, Lamar scored 22.8 points per game. He was named "Freshman of the Year" in the Gulf States Conference.
College Achievements
Bo Lamar was named an All-American three times between 1969 and 1973. He was a First-team All-America player in 1972 and 1973. Other famous players like Bill Walton and David Thompson were also on this list. During his college career, he scored 31.2 points per game. His total of 3,493 points is still one of the highest in NCAA basketball history.
Coaches often talked about his unique long-range shot. Hall of Fame Coach Jerry Tarkanian said Bo Lamar was the "purest shooter" he had ever seen. Coach Beryl Shipley believed that if there had been a three-point shot back then, Lamar would have scored 50 points per game.
Team Success
Lamar helped his college team, the Ragin’ Cajuns, win many games. They had a record of 90 wins and 23 losses in his four years. In his last three seasons, their record was 74 wins and 13 losses. Only UCLA had a better record during that time.
Professional Basketball Career
In 1973, the Detroit Pistons picked Bo Lamar in the third round of the 1973 NBA draft. However, he was the first player picked overall in the 1973 American Basketball Association Draft. He decided to sign with the San Diego Conquistadors in the ABA.
Rookie Season Success
As a rookie in the 1973–1974 season, Lamar played for the San Diego Conquistadors. He scored 20.4 points per game. He was named to the ABA All-Rookie team. His coach that year was the legendary Wilt Chamberlain. Lamar also set a team record by scoring 50 points in one game.
Later Seasons
In the 1974–1975 season, Lamar continued to play well, averaging 20.9 points per game. During this season, his college coach, Beryl Shipley, joined him again. In his third season, he averaged 16.0 points.
Bo Lamar played for three different teams in the American Basketball Association. These were the San Diego Conquistadors (1973–1975), the San Diego Sails (1975), and the Indiana Pacers (1975–1976). The San Diego Sails team stopped playing after only 11 games.
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. This was the final year of his professional career.
Overall, Bo Lamar played 273 professional games. He averaged 16.4 points and 3.9 assists per game. In his 202 ABA games, he averaged 19.7 points and 4.4 assists.
Life After Basketball
After retiring from playing, Bo Lamar worked as a basketball radio analyst. He provided commentary for Louisiana-Lafayette games. Later, he retired and moved back to his home state of Ohio.
Honors and Recognition
Bo Lamar has received several important honors for his basketball career:
- He was inducted into the UL Athletics Hall of Fame.
- One media list ranked him among the top 100 players in NCAA basketball history, placing him at number 64.
- In 1984, Lamar was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
- In 2018, the Ohio State High School Athletic Association chose him for induction into their Circle of Champions.
See also
In Spanish: Bo Lamar para niños
