John Shumate facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
John Shumate

Shumate with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 1973
Personal information
Born	(1952-04-06)April 6, 1952 Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.
Died	February 3, 2025(2025-02-03) (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–Template:Nb3ay	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: NBA All-Rookie First Team (1976) Consensus first-team All-American (1974) As head coach: SWC regular season champion (1993)
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) for several teams from 1975 to 1981. These teams included the Phoenix Suns, Buffalo Braves, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Seattle SuperSonics.

Sadly, his playing career ended early because of ongoing health issues with blood clots. After his playing days, Shumate became a basketball coach. He was a head coach for college teams like the Grand Canyon Antelopes and SMU Mustangs. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA and the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.

John Shumate's Early Life and College Career

John Shumate was born on April 6, 1952, in Greenville, South Carolina. His father was a minister. John grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he played high school basketball at Thomas Jefferson High School. In his final year of high school, he was named an All-American, which means he was one of the best players in the country.

Playing for Notre Dame

Shumate received a scholarship to attend Notre Dame University. He graduated in 1974 with a degree in sociology. In his first year at Notre Dame, he played very well for the Fighting Irish men’s basketball team.

However, he missed his second year of college basketball. This was due to serious health problems, including blood clots in his leg and a viral infection near his heart. He had to spend nine days in intensive care and lost a lot of weight. These blood clotting issues would affect his basketball career later on.

He returned to play in his third year, scoring about 21 points and grabbing 12.2 rebounds per game. In his senior year, he averaged 24.2 points and 11 rebounds per game. His coach was Digger Phelps.

The team improved a lot with Shumate. They went from a 6–20 record the year before he returned to an 18–12 record in his junior year. They even made it to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

Shumate was the team captain twice. He was also named an All-American twice, meaning he was recognized as one of the best college players. In his senior year, he was a consensus All-American, chosen by both the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI).

Ending UCLA's Winning Streak

John Shumate was a key player for the Notre Dame team that made history. On January 19, 1974, they ended the UCLA team's amazing 88-game winning streak. This was UCLA's first loss in almost three years!

Shumate was excellent in that game, playing well on both offense and defense. He also led all players in rebounds. That year, the Fighting Irish finished with a fantastic 26–3 record and were ranked 5th in the nation. They also played in the NCAA tournament.

Years later, Shumate was honored by Notre Dame. On March 5, 2005, he was named to Notre Dame's All-Century Team. In 2022, he was inducted into Notre Dame's Ring of Honor. He holds the record for the best field goal percentage in Notre Dame history, at .610.

John Shumate's Professional Basketball Career

The Phoenix Suns picked John Shumate in the first round of the 1974 NBA draft. He was the fourth player chosen overall. Shumate was a 6-foot-9-inch forward and center. He played five seasons (1975–1978; 1979–1981) in the NBA.

He played for the Phoenix Suns, Buffalo Braves, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Seattle SuperSonics. He missed the 1974-75 season because a blood clot was found in his lung. He also missed the 1978-1979 season when the blood clotting problem returned.

Rookie Season and Trades

In his first season, Shumate was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. He averaged 11.3 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game. He also had one of the best field goal percentages in the league, at .561.

In February 1976, during his rookie year, the Suns traded him to the Buffalo Braves. This trade was part of the Suns' plan to try and win an NBA championship that year. The Suns did make it to the NBA finals, but they lost to the Boston Celtics. Shumate finished fifth in the voting for Rookie of the Year.

In the 1976-77 season, Shumate had his best year playing for the Buffalo Braves. He averaged 15.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Early the next season, Buffalo traded Shumate to the Detroit Pistons. He averaged 15.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in 62 games for the Pistons.

Later Career and Movie Appearance

Shumate missed the next season (1978-79) due to his blood clot issues. After that, he was never able to play full-time again. He returned for the 1979-80 season. However, the San Antonio Spurs released him in December 1980, and he did not play in the NBA again.

Throughout his NBA career, Shumate averaged 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Interestingly, Shumate also appeared in a basketball movie called The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh in 1979. He was part of the Detroit team in the film, alongside his Pistons teammates.

Coaching Career and Later Life

After retiring from the NBA, John Shumate became a volunteer assistant coach for his former college coach, Digger Phelps, at Notre Dame. He did this for two and a half years.

Then, he became the head coach at Grand Canyon College (now Grand Canyon University). He coached Grand Canyon from 1983 to 1986, leading them to a 58–33 record. In the 1984-85 season, his team reached the finals of the NAIA District VIII Playoffs.

Coaching College and Professional Teams

Shumate later coached the Southern Methodist University Mustangs for seven seasons (1988-95). His best season with SMU was in 1992-93, when the Mustangs had a 20–8 record. They won the Southwest Conference title and went to the NCAA tournament.

He also worked as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA for three seasons (1995-98). In 2003, he was the head coach for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.

From 2009 to 2010, he was an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. Before that, he had worked as a college scout for the Suns. After his time as an assistant coach, he continued to work as a scout for the team.

John Shumate also appeared in a series of basketball training videos. He passed away on February 3, 2025, at the age of 72.

Head Coaching Record

College

WNBA

See also

In Spanish: John Shumate para niños