John Shumate facts for kids
Shumate with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 1973
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 6, 1952 Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | February 3, 2025 (aged 72) |
| High school | Thomas Jefferson (Elizabeth, New Jersey) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Notre Dame (1971–1974) |
| NBA Draft | 1974 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Pro career | 1975–1980 |
| Coaching career | 1983–2010 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1975–1976 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1976–1977 | Buffalo Braves |
| 1977–1979 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1979–1980 | Houston Rockets |
| 1980 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1981 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| As coach: | |
| 1983–1986 | Grand Canyon |
| 1988–1995 | SMU |
| 1995–1998 | Toronto Raptors (assistant) |
| 2003 | Phoenix Mercury |
| 2009–2010 | Phoenix Suns (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As head coach:
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 3,920 (12.3 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,388 (7.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 574 (1.8 apg) |
John Henry Shumate (born April 6, 1952 – died February 3, 2025) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1975 to 1981. His career was affected by health issues. After playing, Shumate became a coach for college teams and also worked as an assistant coach in the NBA and WNBA.
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Early Life and High School
John Shumate was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on April 6, 1952. He grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with his parents and four sisters. His parents were a big inspiration in his life and basketball journey.
Shumate started playing basketball in high school at Thomas Jefferson High School. He was already 6 feet 5 inches tall as a sophomore. His coach, Ron Kelly, encouraged him to join the team. By his senior year, he was an All-American player, scoring over 1,000 points in his high school career.
College Basketball Career
John Shumate received a scholarship to attend the University of Notre Dame. He earned a degree in sociology in 1974. He had a great first year playing for the Fighting Irish.
However, he missed his second year due to serious health problems. He had issues with blood clots in his leg and a viral infection near his heart. He spent nine days in intensive care and lost a lot of weight. These blood clot problems would continue to affect him later in his career.
Shumate returned to play in his junior year, averaging 21 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. In his senior year, he averaged 24.2 points and 11 rebounds. He was a two-time All-American and team captain.
In 1973, his team went to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Shumate was named the NIT's most valuable player. He even made 20 shots in a row over two games during the tournament.
A famous moment in his college career was on January 19, 1974. Shumate was the center for the Notre Dame team that ended UCLA's amazing 88-game winning streak. This was UCLA's first loss in nearly three years! Shumate played a key role in both offense and defense that day.
In 2005, Shumate was named to Notre Dame's All-Century Team. In 2022, he was honored again by being inducted into Notre Dame's Ring of Honor. He holds the record for the best field goal percentage in Notre Dame history, at .610.
Professional Basketball Career
The Phoenix Suns picked John Shumate as the fourth overall player in the 1974 NBA draft. He played as a forward and center. He played five seasons in the NBA for several teams. These included the Phoenix Suns, Buffalo Braves, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Seattle SuperSonics.
He did not play in the 1974-75 season because a blood clot was found in his lung. He also missed the 1978-79 season when the blood clotting issues returned.
In his first season (1975-76), he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. He averaged 11.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He also nearly led the league in field goal percentage, shooting .561. During his rookie year, he was traded to the Buffalo Braves. The Suns hoped this trade would help them win an NBA title, but they lost in the finals.
His best year was the 1976-77 season with the Buffalo Braves. He averaged 15.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He was later traded to the Detroit Pistons.
After missing the 1978-79 season due to blood clots, he was never a full-time player again. He played his last NBA game in 1980. Throughout his NBA career, Shumate averaged 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
John Shumate also appeared in the 1979 basketball movie The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. He was in the film with some of his Detroit Pistons teammates.
Coaching Career
After retiring from playing, Shumate became a volunteer assistant coach at Notre Dame for a few years. Then, he became the head coach at Grand Canyon College. He coached there from 1983 to 1986, leading the team to a 58–33 record. In the 1984-85 season, his team reached the finals of the NAIA District VIII Playoffs.
Shumate later coached the Southern Methodist University Mustangs for seven seasons (1988-95). His most successful season was 1992-93. The Mustangs had a 20–8 record, won the Southwest Conference title, and made it to the NCAA tournament.
He also worked as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA from 1995 to 1998. In 2003, he was the head coach for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. From 2009 to 2010, he was an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns, where he had also worked as a college scout. He continued scouting for the Suns after his assistant coaching role ended.
John Shumate passed away on February 3, 2025, at the age of 72.
See also
In Spanish: John Shumate para niños
