Greg Ballard (basketball) facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 29, 1955 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | November 9, 2016 (aged 61) |
| High school | Garey (Pomona, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Oregon (1973–1977) |
| NBA Draft | 1977 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall |
| Selected by the Washington Bullets | |
| Pro career | 1977–1989 |
| Career history | |
| 1977–1985 | Washington Bullets |
| 1985–1987 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1987–1988 | VL Pesaro |
| 1989 | Libertas Forlì |
| 1989 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 9,953 (12.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,858 (6.1 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,733 (2.2 apg) |
Gregory "Greg" Ballard (born January 29, 1955 – died November 9, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. He also worked as an NBA assistant coach. Greg was an All-American player at the University of Oregon. During his eleven years in the NBA, he played for the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, and Seattle SuperSonics. He averaged 12.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Contents
Early Life and Choosing Basketball
Greg Ballard was born in Los Angeles, California. He grew up with three brothers and four sisters. Greg went to Garey High School in Pomona, California. Besides basketball, he was also a talented baseball pitcher. In 1973, a professional baseball team, the Montreal Expos, even picked him in their draft. But Greg chose to play basketball instead.
College Basketball Star
Greg decided to attend the University of Oregon to play college basketball. He played as a forward for Coach Dick Harter from 1973 to 1977. His team was known as the "Kamikaze Kids."
During his time at Oregon, Greg set some amazing records. He grabbed 1,114 rebounds, which is still the most in the school's history. He also scored 1,829 points, making him the fourth-highest scorer ever at Oregon. In one game, he scored 43 points, which is still Oregon's single-game scoring record!
NBA Career Highlights
Starting with the Washington Bullets (1977–1985)
In 1977, the Washington Bullets picked Greg as the 4th player in the NBA draft. As a rookie in the 1977–1978 season, he was a key reserve player. This means he came off the bench to help the team. He played alongside famous players like Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes.
That year, the Bullets had an incredible season. They won the NBA Championship by beating the Seattle SuperSonics! Greg played an important part in their victory.
The next season (1978–1979), the Bullets made it to the NBA Finals again. They faced the SuperSonics once more, but this time they lost. Greg continued to improve his game.
By the 1979–1980 season, Greg became a starter for the Bullets. He averaged 15.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. In the 1981–1982 season, he was the Bullets' top scorer, averaging 18.8 points! He also grabbed 8.0 rebounds and made 3.2 assists per game.
Playing for the Golden State Warriors (1985–1987)
In 1985, Greg was traded to the Golden State Warriors. He played two seasons there as a key reserve. He played alongside players like Chris Mullin.
Final NBA Games and Coaching (1988–1989)
After his time with the Warriors, Greg became a player and assistant coach for the Albany Patroons. This was a team in the Continental Basketball Association. In 1989, he signed a short contract with the Seattle SuperSonics. These were his final two games in the NBA.
Over his 807 career games, Greg averaged 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.1 steals.
Life After Playing Basketball
After his playing career, Greg became a coach and scout. He worked as an assistant coach for a team in Italy in 1989. For 21 seasons, he was an assistant coach and scout for several NBA teams. These included the Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Dallas Mavericks.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977–78† | Washington | 76 | — | 12.3 | .425 | — | .772 | 3.5 | .8 | .4 | .2 | 4.9 |
| 1978–79 | Washington | 82* | — | 18.9 | .465 | — | .692 | 5.5 | 1.4 | .9 | .4 | 7.8 |
| 1979–80 | Washington | 82 | — | 29.7 | .495 | .340 | .753 | 7.8 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .4 | 15.6 |
| 1980–81 | Washington | 82 | — | 31.8 | .463 | .219 | .847 | 7.1 | 2.4 | 1.4 | .5 | 15.5 |
| 1981–82 | Washington | 79 | 79 | 37.3 | .475 | .409 | .830 | 8.0 | 3.2 | 1.7 | .3 | 18.8 |
| 1982–83 | Washington | 78 | 78 | 36.4 | .473 | .351 | .781 | 6.5 | 3.4 | 1.7 | .3 | 18.0 |
| 1983–84 | Washington | 82* | 82 | 32.9 | .481 | .133 | .798 | 6.0 | 3.5 | 1.1 | .4 | 14.5 |
| 1984–85 | Washington | 82* | 77 | 32.5 | .480 | .304 | .795 | 6.5 | 2.5 | 1.2 | .4 | 13.1 |
| 1985–86 | Golden State | 75 | 14 | 23.9 | .477 | .486 | .802 | 5.6 | 1.1 | .9 | .1 | 8.8 |
| 1986–87 | Golden State | 82* | 7 | 19.3 | .440 | .375 | .747 | 4.1 | 1.3 | .6 | .2 | 7.1 |
| 1988–89 | Seattle | 2 | 0 | 7.5 | .125 | .000 | 1.000 | 3.5 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 3.0 |
| Career | 802 | 337 | 27.5 | .472 | .338 | .787 | 6.1 | 2.2 | 1.1 | .3 | 12.4 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978† | Washington | 19 | — | 12.8 | .333 | — | .780 | 4.2 | .9 | .5 | .2 | 3.9 |
| 1979 | Washington | 19* | — | 16.4 | .525 | — | .756 | 4.8 | .9 | .5 | .3 | 7.2 |
| 1980 | Washington | 2 | — | 36.5 | .321 | — | .571 | 7.0 | 3.5 | .5 | .5 | 11.0 |
| 1982 | Washington | 7 | — | 38.3 | .360 | — | .840 | 9.0 | 3.1 | 2.0 | .4 | 13.3 |
| 1984 | Washington | 4 | — | 42.0 | .458 | .000 | .923 | 6.0 | 3.5 | 1.8 | .8 | 16.5 |
| 1985 | Washington | 4 | 0 | 16.3 | .458 | .000 | .889 | 3.5 | 1.5 | .8 | .0 | 7.5 |
| 1987 | Golden State | 10 | 0 | 17.9 | .542 | .400 | .750 | 4.0 | 1.9 | .8 | .0 | 5.9 |
| Career | 65 | 0 | 23.1 | .433 | .308 | .793 | 5.0 | 1.6 | .8 | .2 | 7.4 | |
Personal Life and Legacy
Greg Ballard passed away on November 9, 2016. He was survived by his wife, Donna, and their three children: Lawrence, Gabrielle, and Gregory Jr.
Many people remember Greg as a very humble and kind person. Gary Schmidt, a colleague who worked with Greg as a scout, said that Greg was "one of the most humble people I have ever met in my life." He was always positive and upbeat.
Honors and Achievements
- In 1993, Greg was honored by being inducted into the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame.
- He was also inducted into the state of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
- In 2009, Greg was recognized as a Pac-12 Conference Hall of Honor inductee.
