James Edwards (basketball) facts for kids
Edwards in 1987
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 22, 1955 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| High school | Roosevelt (Seattle, Washington) |
| Listed height | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) |
| Listed weight | 252 lb (114 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Washington (1973–1977) |
| NBA Draft | 1977 / Round: 3 / Pick: 46th overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Pro career | 1977–1996 |
| Career history | |
| 1977 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1977–1981 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1981–1983 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1983–1988 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1988–1991 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1991–1992 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 1992–1994 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1994–1995 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1995–1996 | Chicago Bulls |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 14,862 (12.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 6,004 (5.1 rpg) |
| Blocks | 867 (0.7 bpg) |
James Franklin Edwards (born November 22, 1955) is a former American professional basketball player. He played as a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 19 seasons. He played for teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Chicago Bulls. James Edwards was known as a strong scorer close to the basket, averaging 12.7 points per game throughout his career. Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Washington Huskies.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
James Franklin Edwards was born in Seattle, Washington, on November 22, 1955. He became a star basketball player at Roosevelt High School. In 1973, during his senior year, he helped his team, the Roughriders, win the state basketball championship for large schools. He was recognized as an All-State and All-Metro player for his skills as a center. James also participated in cross country running when he was a sophomore.
College Basketball Career
Edwards received a basketball scholarship to play for the University of Washington, his hometown university. He played under coach Marv Harshman.
Starting Strong
As a freshman, James quickly became the starting center for his team. He averaged 6.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. In his second year, he improved, scoring 12.3 points and grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game.
Leading the Huskies
During the 1975–76 season, as a junior, James led his team in scoring with 17.6 points per game. He also added 7.1 rebounds per game. His efforts helped the team achieve a great 22–6 record. They also made it to the NCAA basketball tournament for the first time since 1953. The team finished the regular season ranked No. 11 nationally.
In his senior year (1976–1977), James continued to lead the team. He averaged 20.9 points and 10.4 rebounds. He earned All-American honors for his outstanding play. He finished his college career with averages of 14.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Hall of Fame Recognition
James Edwards was honored for his college achievements years later. In 1990, he was inducted into the University of Washington Husky Hall of Fame. In 2015, he was also inducted into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame.
Professional Basketball Career
James Edwards had a long and successful career in the NBA, playing for several teams.
Los Angeles Lakers (1977)
The Los Angeles Lakers drafted James Edwards in the 3rd round (46th overall) of the 1977 NBA draft. Early in his rookie season, he became the starting center. This happened when the team's main center, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was injured. James played well, leading the team with 17.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for a while. In December 1977, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers.
Indiana Pacers (1977–1981)
James Edwards had some of his best years playing for the Indiana Pacers. He became the highest-scoring center in the team's history at that time. Over four seasons, he averaged 15.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. In the 1980–81 season, the Pacers made it to the playoffs for the first time with James on the team.
Cleveland Cavaliers (1981–1983)
In May 1981, James signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played for parts of two seasons with them, averaging 16.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. In February 1983, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns.
Phoenix Suns (1983–1988)
Edwards was an important player for the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 14.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game during his time there. In February 1988, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit Pistons (1988–1991)
James Edwards played four seasons with the Detroit Pistons. He was a key reserve player for the "Bad Boys" Pistons teams. These teams won back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. In 1990, he started most of the team's games. During Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals, James scored 26 points. The Pistons went on to win that championship series in five games. He averaged 11.2 points and 3.6 rebounds as a Piston. His calm look and mustache earned him the nickname "Buddha."
Los Angeles Clippers (1991–1992)
In August 1991, James was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He played one season with the Clippers.
Los Angeles Lakers (1992–1994)
In August 1992, James Edwards returned to the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that first drafted him. He played two more seasons with them.
Portland Trail Blazers (1994–1995)
In September 1994, he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. He played one season with them before being released in September 1995.
Chicago Bulls (1995–1996)
In October 1995, James signed with the Chicago Bulls. This was the 19th and final season of his career. He won his third NBA championship with the Bulls in 1996, playing a limited role off the bench.
James Edwards retired after playing 19 years in the NBA. He finished his career with 14,862 points and 6,004 rebounds.
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 | L.A. Lakers | 25 | – | 28.9 | .459 | – | .640 | 7.2 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 14.8 |
| 1977–78 | Indiana | 58 | – | 29.0 | .450 | – | .649 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 15.4 |
| 1978–79 | Indiana | 82 | – | 31.0 | .501 | – | .676 | 8.5 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 16.7 |
| 1979–80 | Indiana | 82 | – | 28.2 | .512 | .000 | .681 | 7.0 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 15.7 |
| 1980–81 | Indiana | 81 | – | 29.3 | .509 | .000 | .703 | 7.0 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 15.6 |
| 1981–82 | Cleveland | 77 | 75 | 33.0 | .511 | .000 | .684 | 7.5 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 16.7 |
| 1982–83 | Cleveland | 15 | 8 | 25.5 | .487 | – | .623 | 6.4 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 12.3 |
| 1982–83 | Phoenix | 16 | 1 | 17.8 | .487 | – | .660 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 8.8 |
| 1983–84 | Phoenix | 72 | 67 | 26.3 | .536 | .000 | .720 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 14.7 |
| 1984–85 | Phoenix | 70 | 58 | 25.5 | .501 | .000 | .746 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 14.9 |
| 1985–86 | Phoenix | 52 | 51 | 25.3 | .542 | – | .702 | 5.8 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 16.3 |
| 1986–87 | Phoenix | 14 | 9 | 21.7 | .518 | – | .771 | 4.3 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 12.0 |
| 1987–88 | Phoenix | 43 | 42 | 32.0 | .469 | .000 | .635 | 7.8 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 15.7 |
| 1987–88 | Detroit | 26 | 2 | 12.6 | .475 | – | .738 | 3.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 5.4 |
| 1988–89† | Detroit | 76 | 1 | 16.5 | .500 | .000 | .686 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 7.3 |
| 1989–90† | Detroit | 82 | 70 | 27.8 | .498 | .000 | .749 | 4.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 14.5 |
| 1990–91 | Detroit | 72 | 70 | 26.4 | .484 | .500 | .729 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 13.6 |
| 1991–92 | L.A. Clippers | 72 | 11 | 20.0 | .465 | .000 | .731 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 9.7 |
| 1992–93 | L.A. Lakers | 52 | 0 | 11.9 | .452 | – | .712 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 6.3 |
| 1993–94 | L.A. Lakers | 45 | 2 | 10.4 | .464 | – | .684 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 4.7 |
| 1994–95 | Portland | 28 | 0 | 9.5 | .386 | – | .647 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 2.7 |
| 1995–96† | Chicago | 28 | 0 | 9.8 | .373 | – | .615 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 3.5 |
| Career | 1,168 | 467 | 24.3 | .495 | .048 | .698 | 5.1 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 12.7 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Indiana | 2 | – | 28.0 | .292 | – | – | 7.0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 7.0 |
| 1983 | Phoenix | 3 | – | 18.0 | .423 | – | 1.000 | 6.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 9.3 |
| 1984 | Phoenix | 17 | – | 27.2 | .492 | – | .706 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 13.8 |
| 1988 | Detroit | 22 | 2 | 14.0 | .509 | .000 | .659 | 3.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 6.3 |
| 1989† | Detroit | 17 | 0 | 18.6 | .471 | .000 | .784 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 7.1 |
| 1990† | Detroit | 20 | 20 | 26.8 | .494 | .000 | .604 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 14.3 |
| 1991 | Detroit | 15 | 11 | 23.0 | .407 | – | .691 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 10.7 |
| 1992 | L.A. Clippers | 5 | 0 | 17.4 | .417 | – | .632 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 6.4 |
| 1993 | L.A. Lakers | 3 | 0 | 4.7 | .750 | – | – | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| 1995 | Portland | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | .000 | – | – | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1996† | Chicago | 6 | 0 | 4.7 | .444 | – | .750 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| Career | 111 | 33 | 19.9 | .468 | .000 | .682 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 9.3 | |
See also
In Spanish: James Edwards para niños
- List of NBA career personal fouls leaders
- List of NBA seasons played leaders
- List of oldest and youngest NBA players
