Calvin Murphy facts for kids
Murphy in 2008
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 9, 1948 Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S. |
| High school | Norwalk (Norwalk, Connecticut) |
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Listed weight | 165 lb (75 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Niagara (1967–1970) |
| NBA Draft | 1970 / Round: 2 / Pick: 18th overall |
| Selected by the San Diego Rockets | |
| Pro career | 1970–1983 |
| Coaching career | 1990–1993 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1970–1983 | San Diego / Houston Rockets |
| As coach: | |
| 1990–1993 | Houston Rockets (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Points | 17,949 (17.9 ppg) |
| Assists | 4,402 (4.4 apg) |
| Steals | 1,165 (1.5 spg) |
Calvin Jerome Murphy (born May 9, 1948) is a former American professional basketball player. He played as a guard for the San Diego/Houston Rockets from 1970 to 1983. Before joining the National Basketball Association (NBA), he had an amazing college career at Niagara. He averaged 33.1 points per game over three years.
Even though he was only 5 feet 9 inches tall, Murphy became the shortest NBA player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also the shortest player to play in an NBA All-Star Game for many years. Today, he works as a broadcast team member for the Houston Rockets.
Contents
Early Life and Talents
Before becoming a basketball star, Calvin Murphy was a world-class baton twirler. He started because his mother and all six of her sisters were twirlers. In 1963, when he was in 8th grade, he won a national championship in baton twirling. His skills as a twirler led to invitations to perform at big sports events. He even performed at the 1964 New York World's Fair. Later, in 1977, while playing basketball professionally, he won the Texas State Men's Twirling Championship.
High School Basketball Success
Murphy played basketball at Norwalk High School. He was named All-State three times and All-America twice. He is a member of the Connecticut Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Norwalk High School even named its address 23 Calvin Murphy Road in his honor.
College Basketball Career
Calvin Murphy attended Niagara University from 1967 to 1970. During his time there, he was named an All-American three times. He scored a total of 2,548 points in just 77 games. This means he averaged an impressive 33.1 points per game.
One of his most memorable games was when he scored 68 points against Syracuse University. In 1970, he led Niagara to the NCAA tournament. They made it to the second round before losing to Villanova. During his college career, he was known as one of "The Three M's." The other two were Pete Maravich and Rick Mount, who were also top college players at the same time. Murphy is also a member of the Alpha Nu Omega chapter of the Iota Phi Theta fraternity.
NBA Career Highlights
The San Diego Rockets (now the Houston Rockets) drafted Calvin Murphy in 1970. He was the 18th player chosen overall. In his first season, he averaged 15.8 points and 4 assists per game. This earned him a spot on the NBA All-Rookie team.
Playing Style and Achievements
Even though he was one of the shortest players at 5 feet 9 inches, Murphy was known for his incredible quickness. He was also a strong defensive player. In the 1975 NBA Playoffs, he averaged 24.4 points and 5.6 assists per game. The Rockets beat the New York Knicks but then lost to the Boston Celtics.
On March 18, 1978, Murphy scored a career-high 57 points in a game against the New Jersey Nets. The next year, in 1979, he was selected for his only NBA All-Star Game.
Reaching the NBA Finals
During the 1980-81 NBA season, Murphy played a big part in the Rockets reaching the NBA Finals. On April 17, 1981, he scored a playoff career-high 42 points. This helped the Rockets win a key game against the San Antonio Spurs. After winning the Western Conference, Murphy and the Rockets faced the Boston Celtics in the 1981 NBA Finals. They lost the series in six games.
Murphy retired in 1983. He was one of the best free-throw shooters in NBA history. He once set NBA records for most consecutive free throws made and the highest free throw percentage in a single season (95.8% in 1980–1981). These records have since been broken. He also held the Rockets' all-time leading scorer record until Hakeem Olajuwon broke it in 1994. Despite his height, Murphy was known for his tough playing style. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
After Basketball
After retiring from playing, Calvin Murphy continued to work with the Rockets team. He has held many different roles, mostly as a television analyst for Rockets games. He is currently the halftime and post-game analyst for local Rockets broadcasts. From 2007 to 2010, he hosted The Calvin Murphy Show on ESPN Radio's Houston station.
Career Statistics
Regular Season Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970–71 | San Diego | 82 | – | 24.6 | .458 | – | .820 | 3.0 | 4.0 | – | – | 15.8 |
| 1971–72 | Houston | 82 | – | 31.0 | .455 | – | .890 | 3.1 | 4.8 | – | – | 18.2 |
| 1972–73 | Houston | 77 | – | 22.0 | .465 | – | .888 | 1.9 | 3.4 | – | – | 13.0 |
| 1973–74 | Houston | 81 | – | 36.1 | .522 | – | .868 | 2.3 | 7.4 | 1.9 | .0 | 20.4 |
| 1974–75 | Houston | 78 | – | 32.2 | .484 | – | .883 | 2.2 | 4.9 | 1.6 | .1 | 18.7 |
| 1975–76 | Houston | 82 | – | 36.5 | .493 | – | .907 | 2.5 | 7.3 | 1.8 | .1 | 21.0 |
| 1976–77 | Houston | 82 | – | 33.7 | .490 | – | .886 | 2.1 | 4.7 | 1.8 | .1 | 17.9 |
| 1977–78 | Houston | 76 | – | 38.2 | .491 | – | .918 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 1.5 | .0 | 25.6 |
| 1978–79 | Houston | 82 | – | 35.9 | .496 | – | .928 | 2.1 | 4.3 | 1.4 | .1 | 20.2 |
| 1979–80 | Houston | 76 | – | 35.2 | .493 | .040 | .897 | 2.0 | 3.9 | 1.9 | .1 | 20.0 |
| 1980–81 | Houston | 76 | – | 26.5 | .492 | .235 | .958* | 1.1 | 2.9 | 1.5 | .1 | 16.7 |
| 1981–82 | Houston | 64 | 0 | 18.8 | .427 | .063 | .909 | 1.0 | 2.5 | .7 | .0 | 10.2 |
| 1982–83 | Houston | 64 | 0 | 22.2 | .447 | .286 | .920 | 1.2 | 2.5 | .9 | .1 | 12.8 |
| Career | 1,002 | – | 30.5 | .482 | .139 | .892 | 2.1 | 4.4 | 1.5 | .1 | 17.9 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 15.0 | .600 | – | – | 1.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | .0 | 6.0 | |
Playoff Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Houston | 8 | – | 38.1 | .462 | – | .895 | 2.4 | 5.6 | 1.8 | .1 | 24.4 |
| 1977 | Houston | 12 | – | 35.0 | .479 | – | .933 | 1.6 | 6.3 | 1.6 | .2 | 19.3 |
| 1979 | Houston | 2 | – | 36.5 | .290 | – | .889 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 4.0 | .5 | 13.0 |
| 1980 | Houston | 7 | – | 37.9 | .537 | .500 | 1.000 | 1.4 | 3.7 | 1.6 | .0 | 18.7 |
| 1981 | Houston | 19 | – | 28.4 | .495 | .286 | .967 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 1.4 | .0 | 18.1 |
| 1982 | Houston | 3 | – | 19.0 | .227 | .000 | .875 | 1.0 | 1.3 | .3 | .0 | 5.7 |
| Career | 51 | – | 32.5 | .475 | .286 | .932 | 1.5 | 4.2 | 1.5 | .1 | 18.5 | |
See also
In Spanish: Calvin Murphy para niños
- List of National Basketball Association career free throw percentage leaders
- List of NBA annual free throw percentage leaders
- List of shortest players in National Basketball Association history
- List of National Basketball Association players with 9 or more steals in a game
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 60 or more points in a game
