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 many teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Chicago Bulls. Even though he never played in an All-Star Game, he was a strong player who scored many points. He averaged 12.7 points per game throughout his career. Before turning pro, he played college basketball at the University of Washington.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
James Edwards was born in Seattle, Washington. He became a basketball star at Roosevelt High School. In his final year, 1973, he helped his team, the Roughriders, win the state basketball championship for big schools. He was recognized as an All-State and All-Metro player for his skills as a center. When he was a sophomore, he also enjoyed cross country running.
College Basketball Career
Edwards received a basketball scholarship to play for the University of Washington in his hometown. He played under coach Marv Harshman.
- Freshman Year: He quickly became the starting center. He averaged 6.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
- Sophomore Year: His performance improved, averaging 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
- Junior Year (1975–76): He led his team in scoring with 17.6 points per game and was second in rebounds with 7.1 per game. His team had a great record of 22 wins and 6 losses. They even made it to the NCAA basketball tournament for the first time since 1953. This team was also the last to beat a team coached by the famous John Wooden.
- Senior Year (1976–77): He was the team leader, averaging 20.9 points and 10.4 rebounds. He earned All-American honors. He finished his college career with averages of 14.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
In 1990, James Edwards was honored by being added to 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 Journey
Starting with the Los Angeles Lakers (1977)
The Los Angeles Lakers picked James Edwards in the 3rd round of the 1977 NBA draft. Early in his first season, he had to step up as the starting center. This happened when the main center, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, broke his hand in a game. Edwards played well, leading the team with 17.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for a while. Later, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers.
Years with the 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. He averaged 15.9 points and 7.5 rebounds over four seasons. In the 1980–81 season, the Pacers made it to the playoffs for the first time with him on the team.
Time with the Cleveland Cavaliers (1981–1983)
In 1981, Edwards joined the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played there for almost two seasons, averaging 16.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. In 1983, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns.
Playing for the Phoenix Suns (1983–1988)
Edwards was an important player for the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 14.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. In 1988, he was traded again, this time to the Detroit Pistons.
Becoming a "Bad Boy" with the Detroit Pistons (1988–1991)
James Edwards spent four seasons with the Detroit Pistons. He was a key player off the bench for the famous "Bad Boys" teams that won back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. In 1990, he even started most of the team's games. During Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals, he scored 26 points, helping his team win the championship series. He averaged 11.2 points and 3.6 rebounds as a Piston. His unique Fu Manchu mustache and calm attitude earned him the nickname "Buddha."
Later Career (1991–1996)
- Los Angeles Clippers (1991–1992): After the Pistons, he played one season for the Los Angeles Clippers.
- Los Angeles Lakers (1992–1994): He then returned to the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that first drafted him, for two more seasons.
- Portland Trail Blazers (1994–1995): Next, he played for the Portland Trail Blazers for one season.
- Chicago Bulls (1995–1996): In his final season, 1996, he joined the Chicago Bulls. There, he won his third NBA championship, playing a smaller role off the bench.
James Edwards retired after playing 19 years in the NBA as a center and power forward. 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
