Greg Kelser facts for kids

Gregory "Greg" Kelser (born September 17, 1957) is a retired American basketball player. After his playing career, he became a television color commentator, explaining games to viewers. Greg Kelser was a very important player for the 1979 NCAA Champion Michigan State Spartans team. He also played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for six seasons.

Early Life and Discipline

Greg Kelser grew up in a military family. He even spent some of his childhood in Okinawa, Japan. His father, Walter Kelser Jr., was a huge influence on him. Greg believes that the discipline he learned from his military background helped him succeed in sports.

He once said that a military background helped him a lot. His parents taught him to respect authority. This respect easily carried over to the basketball court and the classroom. He always knew who was in charge and that his job was to listen and learn. Greg was raised Catholic and went to a Catholic middle school in Boston. He was the only Black student there.

College Basketball Star

After finishing Henry Ford High School in Detroit in 1975, Kelser joined Michigan State. At Michigan State, people started calling him "Special K". This nickname was a fun play on the famous Kelloggs breakfast cereal.

Playing with Magic Johnson

In his junior year, a new player named Earvin "Magic" Johnson joined the team. With coach Jud Heathcote, the Spartans had an amazing season. They won 25 games and only lost 5. They also won the Big Ten Conference title. In the 1978 NCAA tournament, they reached the regional finals. They lost a close game to Kentucky, who later became the champions.

As a senior, Kelser and Johnson led the Spartans to the 1979 NCAA tournament championship. They beat Larry Bird and Indiana State with a score of 75–64. This was the first national title in Michigan State's history. Magic Johnson often threw amazing alley-oop passes to Kelser during games. Kelser later wrote a book about his basketball experiences at Michigan State.

A Memorable Championship Game

Greg Kelser described the 1979 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game as his biggest thrill in basketball. He said it was special because it featured Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. They were two of the greatest players in NBA history. He was proud to be a "difference maker" in that famous game.

Kelser finished his college career at Michigan State with great stats. He averaged 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He was also named a third-team All-American. He was the first player in the Big Ten Conference to score over 2,000 points and get over 1,000 rebounds. He is still the only player in Michigan State basketball history to do this.

NBA Career Highlights

The Detroit Pistons drafted Greg Kelser as the 4th pick in the 1979 NBA draft. He quickly became an important player for the Pistons. In his first season, he averaged 14.2 points per game, which was his career high.

Dealing with Injuries

However, chronic knee injuries started to affect his NBA career. He played only 25 games in the 1980–81 season. The Pistons traded him to the Seattle SuperSonics in December 1981. In return, Detroit got Vinnie Johnson.

Kelser played for the Sonics for almost two seasons, averaging 7.0 points per game. In 1983, he was traded to the San Diego Clippers. There, he averaged 11.0 points per game and played a career-high 80 games. He finished his NBA career with the Indiana Pacers. His knee injuries forced him to retire at the end of the 1984-85 NBA season. In his six NBA seasons, Kelser averaged 9.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Life After Playing

After leaving the NBA, Greg Kelser became a sports announcer and commentator. He works for Detroit Pistons games on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit with his partner George Blaha. He also works for the Big Ten Network.

Education and Recognition

Kelser finished his degree at Michigan State in 1981. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences. His college coach, Jud Heathcote, really encouraged him to complete his degree. Greg was glad he did, and he remembers Coach Heathcote being there to watch him graduate.

Greg Kelser has received many honors. He was named to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. In October 2007, his high school, Henry Ford High School, named its gymnasium the Gregory Kelser Gymnasium. He was also inducted into the Michigan State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996. He lives in Franklin, Michigan with his wife, Donna.

See also

In Spanish: Greg Kelser para niños

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds