Bob McAdoo facts for kids

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Bob McAdoo
[[Miami Heat\|Miami Heat]]
McAdoo with the Buffalo Braves in 1973
Scout and community liaison
Personal information
Born	(1951-09-25) September 25, 1951 (age 73) Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
High school	Ben L. Smith (Greensboro, North Carolina)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
College	Vincennes (1969–1971) North Carolina (1971–1972)
NBA Draft	1972 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Buffalo Braves
Pro career	1972–1992
Coaching career	1995–2014
League	NBA
Career history
As player:
1972–1976	Buffalo Braves
1976–1979	New York Knicks
1979	Boston Celtics
1979–1981	Detroit Pistons
1981	New Jersey Nets
1981–1985	Los Angeles Lakers
1986	Philadelphia 76ers
1986–1990	Olimpia Milano
1990–1992	Filanto Forlì
1992	Teamsystem Fabriano
As coach:
1995–2014	Miami Heat (assistant)

Career highlights and awards
As player: 2× NBA champion (1982, 1985) NBA Most Valuable Player (1975) 5× NBA All-Star (1974–1978) All-NBA First Team (1975) All-NBA Second Team (1974) NBA Rookie of the Year (1973) NBA All-Rookie Team (1973) 3× NBA scoring champion (1974–1976) NBA 75th Anniversary Team FIBA Intercontinental Cup champion (1987) 2× EuroLeague champion (1987, 1988) EuroLeague Final Four MVP (1988) EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer (1988) 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008) 2× Italian League champion (1987, 1989) Italian Cup winner (1987) Consensus first-team All-American (1972) First-team All-ACC (1972) NJCAA All American (1971) As assistant coach: 3× NBA champion (2006, 2012, 2013)

Career NBA statistics
Points	18,787 (22.1 ppg)
Rebounds	8,048 (9.4 rpg)
Blocks	1,147 (1.5 bpg)

Robert Allen McAdoo Jr. (born September 25, 1951) is a famous American former professional basketball player and coach. He played for 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was chosen as an NBA All-Star five times and won the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1975.

McAdoo won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s. This was during their "Showtime" era, known for fast-paced, exciting basketball. In 2000, he was added to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which honors the greatest players in NBA history.

He played as a center for most of his career. After 14 seasons in the NBA, he played his last seven seasons in Italy. McAdoo is one of the few players to win both NBA and FIBA European Champions Cup titles. Later, he won three more NBA titles as an assistant coach with the Miami Heat.

Early Life and High School Success
College Basketball Journey
Becoming an NBA Star
Success in the Italian League (1987–1992)
Coaching and Scouting Career
Personal Life and Community Work
Honors and Achievements
NBA Career Statistics
- Regular season
- Playoffs
See also

Early Life and High School Success

Bob McAdoo grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina. His mother was a teacher, and his father worked at a university. Bob went to Ben L. Smith High School. There, he played basketball and ran track. He was also in the marching band, playing the saxophone!

In his final year of high school, he led his basketball team to the state semifinals. He also set a new state record in the high-jump for track and field.

College Basketball Journey

After high school, McAdoo first went to Vincennes University, a junior college, in Indiana. This was from 1969 to 1971. In 1970, Vincennes University won the national junior college basketball championship. McAdoo scored 27 points in that championship game. He was named a Junior College All-American in 1971.

McAdoo in his lone season at UNC

While at Vincennes, McAdoo averaged 19.3 points and 10 rebounds in his first year. In his second year, he averaged 25.0 points and 11.0 rebounds. He also played for Team USA in the 1971 Pan American Games.

In 1971, McAdoo joined the University of North Carolina. He was the only junior college player that famous coach Dean Smith ever recruited. Playing with Bobby Jones, McAdoo helped the Tar Heels achieve a 26–5 record. They reached the Final Four of the 1972 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. McAdoo averaged 19.5 points and 10.1 rebounds. He was named a first-team All-American. He also earned MVP honors at the ACC tournament.

McAdoo decided to leave college early for the 1972 NBA draft. This was allowed under a special "hardship" rule at the time. Coach Dean Smith supported his decision, understanding it would help Bob and his family.

Becoming an NBA Star

McAdoo (11) playing for the Buffalo Braves

Starting Strong with the Buffalo Braves (1972–1976)

The Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) picked Bob McAdoo as the second overall player in the 1972 NBA draft. He quickly became one of the NBA's top players. In 1973, he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

In his second season (1973–74), McAdoo led the NBA in scoring for the first of three times. He averaged 30.6 points per game. He also averaged 15.1 rebounds, which is a rare achievement. That season, he led the NBA in field goal percentage, shooting 54.7%. He was selected for his first of five All-Star games. He helped Buffalo reach the playoffs for the first time.

In the 1974–75 season, McAdoo was named the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. He averaged an amazing 34.5 points, 14.1 rebounds, and 2.12 blocks per game. He is the youngest player ever to have a game with 50 points and 20 rebounds.

McAdoo's playing style was very modern. Even though he was a tall "big man" at 6 feet 9 inches, he could shoot well from far away. This made him very hard to guard on offense. In his time with Buffalo, he averaged 28.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per game.

Moving to Other NBA Teams

On December 7, 1976, McAdoo was traded to the New York Knicks. In 52 games with the Knicks in 1976–77, he averaged 26.7 points and 12.7 rebounds. He played alongside future Hall of Famers like Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe. In 1978, the Knicks made the playoffs.

In February 1979, McAdoo was traded to the Boston Celtics. He played 20 games for them. Later, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons in September 1979. He played 58 games for the Pistons in the 1979–80 season, averaging 21.1 points.

In March 1981, McAdoo signed with the New Jersey Nets for a short time.

Winning Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers (1981–1985)

On December 24, 1981, McAdoo was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. This was a big turning point in his career. He became a key reserve player for the Lakers' famous "Showtime-era" teams. These teams featured superstars like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

McAdoo helped the Lakers win two NBA titles: in 1982 and 1985. Even though he didn't start games, he was a crucial player coming off the bench. He said he was willing to sacrifice his starting role to finally win a championship. In the 1982 NBA Finals, he averaged 16.3 points as the Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers.

He played with a hamstring injury in the 1983 playoffs. In 1984, he averaged 12.5 points as the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. In 1985, he helped the Lakers get revenge and win another championship against the Celtics.

Finishing His NBA Career (1986)

McAdoo finished his NBA career with 29 games for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1985–86 season. He played alongside stars like Julius Erving and Charles Barkley.

NBA Career Totals

In his NBA career, Bob McAdoo scored 18,787 points. He averaged 22.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 steals in 852 games. He played for the Buffalo Braves, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Philadelphia 76ers.

Success in the Italian League (1987–1992)

After his NBA career, McAdoo played in Italy. He became one of the best American players in Europe. He played for Olimpia Milano from 1986 to 1990. He led the club to two straight FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague) titles in 1987 and 1988. He was even named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 1988.

With Olimpia Milano, he also won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in 1987. He won two Italian League championships (1987, 1989) and the Italian Cup (1987).

He later played for other Italian clubs before retiring in 1992 at age 41. In seven seasons in Italy, McAdoo averaged 27.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

Coaching and Scouting Career

In 1995, Bob McAdoo joined the Miami Heat organization. He worked for them for 25 years! He was an assistant coach for 19 seasons. He worked under coaches Pat Riley, Stan Van Gundy, and Erik Spoelstra. As an assistant coach, he won three more NBA championships with the Heat (2006, 2012, 2013).

After coaching, he worked as a scout and community liaison for the Heat.

Personal Life and Community Work

McAdoo in 2009

Bob McAdoo has six children. He and his wife, Patrizia, live in Florida. Their daughter, Rasheeda, played professional tennis. Their son, Ryan, played basketball for the University of North Carolina.

McAdoo has participated in the Basketball Without Borders program. This program uses sports to help with education, health, and wellness around the world. He also went on an NBA Legends Tour to South Africa to promote basketball.

His second cousin, Ronnie McAdoo, is the father of James Michael McAdoo, who also played for the Tar Heels and in the NBA.

Honors and Achievements

Bob McAdoo has received many honors for his amazing basketball career:

In 1993, he was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
He was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.
In 2006, McAdoo was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
In 2008, he was named one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors.
He was inducted into the Olimpia Milano Hall of Fame in 2013.
In 2016, the gymnasium at his old high school, Ben L. Smith High School, was named after him.
In 2019, the University of North Carolina honored him with a banner for being in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
In 2021, McAdoo was chosen for the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

NBA Career Statistics

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

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1972–73	Buffalo	80	—	32.0	.452	—	.774	9.1	1.7	—	—	18.0
1973–74	Buffalo	74	—	43.0	.547*	—	.793	15.1	2.3	1.2	3.3	30.6*
1974–75	Buffalo	82	—	43.2*	.512	—	.805	14.1	2.2	1.1	2.1	34.5*
1975–76	Buffalo	78	—	42.7*	.487	—	.762	12.4	4.0	1.2	2.1	31.1*
1976–77	Buffalo	20	—	38.4	.455	—	.696	13.2	3.3	0.8	1.7	23.7
1976–77	New York	52	—	39.1	.534	—	.757	12.7	2.7	1.2	1.3	26.7
1977–78	New York	79	—	40.3	.520	—	.727	12.8	3.8	1.3	1.6	26.5
1978–79	New York	40	—	39.9	.541	—	.651	9.5	3.2	1.6	1.2	26.9
1978–79	Boston	20	—	31.9	.500	—	.670	7.1	2.0	0.6	1.0	20.6
1979–80	Detroit	58	—	36.2	.480	.125	.730	8.1	3.4	1.3	1.1	21.1
1980–81	Detroit	6	—	28.0	.366	—	.600	6.8	3.3	1.3	1.2	12.0
1980–81	New Jersey	10	—	15.3	.507	.000	.810	2.6	1.0	0.9	0.6	9.3
1981–82†	L.A. Lakers	41	0	18.2	.458	.000	.714	3.9	0.8	0.5	0.9	9.6
1982–83	L.A. Lakers	47	1	21.7	.520	.000	.730	5.3	0.8	0.9	0.9	15.0
1983–84	L.A. Lakers	70	0	20.8	.471	.000	.803	4.1	1.1	0.6	0.7	13.1
1984–85†	L.A. Lakers	66	0	19.0	.520	.000	.753	4.5	1.0	0.3	0.8	10.5
1985–86	Philadelphia	29	0	21.0	.462	—	.765	3.6	1.2	0.3	0.6	10.1
Career		852	1	33.2	.503	.081	.754	9.4	2.3	1.0	1.5	22.1
All-Star		5	3	25.2	.578	—	.737	6.0	1.2	0.8	0.4	17.6

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1974	Buffalo	6	—	45.2	.478	—	.809	13.7	1.5	1.0	2.2	31.7
1975	Buffalo	7	—	46.7*	.481	—	.740	13.4	1.4	0.9	2.7	37.4*
1976	Buffalo	9	—	45.1*	.451	—	.707	14.2	3.2	0.8	2.0	28.0
1978	New York	6	—	39.7	.484	—	.600	9.7	3.8	1.2	2.0	23.8
1982†	L.A. Lakers	14	—	27.7	.564	—	.681	6.8	1.6	0.7	1.5	16.7
1983	L.A. Lakers	8	—	20.8	.440	.333	.786	5.8	0.6	1.4	1.3	10.9
1984	L.A. Lakers	20	—	22.4	.516	.000	.704	5.4	0.6	0.6	1.4	14.0
1985†	L.A. Lakers	19	0	20.9	.472	.000	.745	4.5	0.8	0.5	1.4	11.4
1986	Philadelphia	5	0	14.6	.556	—	.875	2.8	0.4	0.8	1.0	10.8
Career		94	0	28.9	.491	.250	.724	7.6	1.4	0.8	1.6	18.3