Butch Lee facts for kids
Lee as a senior at Marquette
|
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 5, 1956 Santurce, Puerto Rico |
| High school | DeWitt Clinton (The Bronx, New York) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Marquette (1974–1978) |
| NBA Draft | 1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall |
| Selected by the Atlanta Hawks | |
| Pro career | 1975–1990 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1975–1977 | Cardenales de Río Piedras |
| 1978–1979 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1979–1980 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1980 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1984 | Cardenales de Río Piedras |
| 1985 | Brujos de Guayama |
| 1985 | Atléticos de San Germán |
| 1986–1989 | Leones de Ponce |
| 1990 | Polluelos de Aibonito |
| As coach: | |
| 1999 | Indios de Mayagüez |
| 2001–2002 | Tiburones de Aguadilla |
| 2002–2004 | Gigantes de Carolina |
| 2009 | Cangrejeros de Santurce |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Alfred "Butch" Lee Jr. (born December 5, 1956) is a famous former professional basketball player from Puerto Rico. He made history as the first person born in Puerto Rico and the first from Latin America to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This happened after he was chosen in the first round of the 1978 NBA draft.
Butch Lee started his basketball journey in college, playing for Marquette University. There, he won many "Player of the Year" awards. He was also named an All-American player during his junior and senior years. In 1977, Lee was chosen as the Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four tournament. He led his team, the Marquette Warriors, to win their first national championship. To honor his achievements, Marquette University retired his jersey number.
After college, Lee played in the NBA for teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers. He finished his playing career in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN), which is Puerto Rico's top basketball league. Butch Lee is special because he is the only Puerto Rican basketball player to win championships in the NCAA, NBA, and BSN. He also played for the Puerto Rican national team.
Contents
Butch Lee's Basketball Journey
Early Life and College Years
Butch Lee was born in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. When he was young, his family moved to Harlem, New York, in the U.S. In New York, he became a top basketball player at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. He was also a good student.
Lee showed amazing basketball skills from a young age. Many college scouts were very impressed by how he played. He decided to play for Marquette University from 1974 to 1978. In 1974, Lee wanted to play for the U.S. Olympic basketball team. However, his coach had already sent someone else. So, Lee went to Puerto Rico and joined the Puerto Rican national basketball team.
At the 1976 Summer Olympics, Puerto Rico played against the U.S. team. Lee scored 35 points in that game, making 15 out of 18 shots. Even with his great performance, the U.S. team won by just one point, 95–94.
In 1977, Lee led Marquette to the Final Four. This was a special year because his coach, Al McGuire, had announced it would be his last season. In the semifinal game, the Warriors beat UNC-Charlotte 51–49. Lee made a long pass to Jerome Whitehead for a score right before the buzzer, winning the game. In the championship game against North Carolina, Lee scored 19 points. He helped the Warriors come back and win 67–59, securing the national championship. Lee was named the tournament's most outstanding player for his amazing performance.
Playing in the NBA
After his successful college career, Butch Lee became the first Puerto Rican player to join the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was picked in the first round of the 1978 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks.
During his first NBA season (1978-79), Lee played 49 games for the Hawks. He averaged 7.7 points per game. Later that season, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the Cavaliers, he played some of his best games, scoring 11.5 points per game in 33 games. He finished his first NBA season averaging 9.6 points per game. Lee also played in all 82 games that season, which was the most in the league.
In the 1979-1980 season, after playing only three games with the Cavaliers, Lee suffered a serious knee injury. This injury needed surgery and made it very hard for him to continue his basketball career. He only scored 1.3 points per game in those three games. Before the season ended, he was traded again, this time to the Los Angeles Lakers.
With the Lakers, Lee played alongside famous players like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He played in eleven games before his knee injury returned, forcing him to stop playing. Even though his time with the Lakers was short, he won an NBA championship ring. The Lakers went on to beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals that season.
Butch Lee's Coaching Career
After his time as an NBA player, Butch Lee returned to Puerto Rico. He speaks Spanish fluently. He became a well-known and respected head coach for many teams in the BSN.
In 1992, Lee led the Capitanes de Arecibo team to the BSN Finals. They played against the Leones de Ponce but lost in 6 games. He also coached other teams like Aguadilla, Ponce, and the Gigantes de Carolina.
In January 2009, he was announced as the new coach for the Cangrejeros de Santurce. However, he was let go during the playoffs after his team lost two games in a row.
Butch Lee continued to help out with basketball teams. He also coached some young players at the Guaynabo Basketball Academy (GBA).
Images for kids
-
Lee as a senior at Marquette
See also
In Spanish: Butch Lee para niños
