Kenny Carr facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kenny Carr

Personal information
Born	(1955-08-15) August 15, 1955 (age 70) Washington, D.C., U.S.
High school	DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Maryland)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	NC State (1974–1977)
NBA Draft	1977 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Pro career	1977–1987
Career history
1977–1979	Los Angeles Lakers
1979–1982	Cleveland Cavaliers
1982	Detroit Pistons
1982–1987	Portland Trail Blazers
Career highlights and awards
2× Third-team All-American – UPI (1976, 1977) Third-team All-American – AP, NABC (1976) 2× First-team All-ACC (1976, 1977) No. 32 jersey honored by NC State Wolfpack First-team Parade All-American (1974)
Career NBA statistics
Points	7,813 (11.6 ppg)
Rebounds	4,999 (7.4 rpg)
Assists	923 (1.4 apg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States Gold 1976 Montreal Team competition

Kenneth Alan Carr (born August 15, 1955) is a former American professional basketball player. He was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 1977 NBA draft. Kenny played for ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall, Kenny Carr played as a forward. He was a star player from North Carolina State University. He even won a gold medal with the United States national basketball team at the 1976 Summer Olympics. During his NBA career from 1977 to 1987, he played for the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trail Blazers. He scored 7,813 points and grabbed 4,999 rebounds in his NBA career.

Kenny's Early Life

When Kenny Carr was young, he grew up in Washington, D.C. He mostly played football. He didn't start playing serious basketball until he was 14 years old.

Kenny once said, "It was kind of by accident, to be honest, but I just fell in love with basketball." He also mentioned it was hard to find football shoes that fit him back then.

He graduated from DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland in 1974. There, he played for a famous coach named Morgan Wootten. In his second year of high school, he hurt his knee. Kenny played with Adrian Dantley, who also became a Hall of Famer. They were teammates in high school and later played together on the Olympic team. They also became rivals in college and the NBA. While at DeMatha, Kenny and Adrian helped their team win 36 games in a row!

College Basketball Career

Kenny Carr played college basketball at North Carolina State from 1974 to 1977. His coach was Norm Sloan.

As a freshman in 1974–1975, Kenny averaged 13.8 points and 7.7 rebounds. NC State finished that season with 22 wins and 6 losses. The team had just won the National Championship. Kenny played alongside other great players like David Thompson.

In the 1975–1976 season, Kenny had amazing stats. He averaged 26.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He also had 2.1 assists. He was the top scorer in the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference). NC State finished 21–9 that year. Kenny was named a Third-team All-American. He was also a First-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference player.

As a junior in 1976–1977, Kenny averaged 21.0 points and 9.9 rebounds. NC State finished 17–11. Kenny led the ACC in scoring again. He was named a Third-team All-American and First-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference. He decided to leave college early for the NBA draft. He felt his body and game were ready for the next level.

In 86 games for North Carolina State, Kenny Carr averaged 20.6 points and 9.2 rebounds. He also had 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals. He shot 51% from the field.

Frank Weedon, a long-time NC State sports information director, said Kenny was a "great, great player." He thought Kenny might be the second-best player ever at NC State, after David Thompson.

Playing in the 1976 Olympics

Kenny Carr was chosen for the 1976 United States men's Olympic basketball team. This team played in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Team USA won the gold medal! The team was coached by Dean Smith.

In six Olympic games, Kenny averaged 6.8 points and 3.2 rebounds. He was the sixth-highest scorer on the team. His high school teammate Adrian Dantley was the top scorer. Other future NBA players on the team included Scott May and Mitch Kupchak.

Kenny said he loved playing with some of the best players in the world. He felt the toughest competition was during their training camp. He said, "That is the most fun I have ever had."

Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers picked Kenny Carr as the 6th overall player in the 1977 NBA draft. In his first year, he broke a bone in his left foot. This made him miss over five weeks of games. He played in 52 games, averaging 6.2 points and 4.0 rebounds.

Before his second season, he broke his right foot in a pick-up game. He still played in 72 games, averaging 7.4 points and 4.1 rebounds.

In the 1979–80 season, the Lakers won the championship. Kenny was a backup player. He played in 5 games before being traded. On October 24, 1979, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his time with the Lakers, he averaged 6.8 points and 4.0 rebounds.

Time with the Cleveland Cavaliers (1979–1982)

In the 1979–80 season with the Cavaliers, Kenny became a starter. His averages went up to 11.8 points and 7.4 rebounds. In the 1980–81 season, he was the sixth-best rebounder in the league. He averaged 10.3 rebounds and scored 15.2 points per game.

On February 16, 1982, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons. He played 201 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers. During this time, he averaged 14.1 points and 9.0 rebounds.

Playing for the Detroit Pistons

Kenny played 28 games with the Detroit Pistons. He averaged 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds. On June 23, 1982, he was traded again. This time, he went to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Years with the Portland Trail Blazers

In the 1983–84 season, Kenny averaged 15.6 points and 7.8 rebounds. In the 1985–86 season, he missed 27 games because of a knee injury. Even with the injury, he still averaged 11.1 points and 8.9 rebounds.

In the 1986–87 season, he averaged 10.8 points and 10.2 rebounds. He played 316 games for the Portland Trail Blazers. His averages there were 12.4 points and 8.1 rebounds. On January 18, 1987, he got a back injury. This made him miss 34 games. On August 31, 1987, he announced his retirement because he couldn't recover from the injury.

Phil Ford, a former rival and Olympic teammate, said Kenny was "ahead of his time." He explained that Kenny had the size and strength to play inside. But he also had the skill to play outside and shoot jump shots.

NBA Career Totals

In his 674 career NBA games, Kenny Carr scored 7,813 points. He also had 4,999 rebounds. He shot 51% from the field and 68% from the free-throw line.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season Games

Playoff Games

Kenny's Life After Basketball

Kenny Carr married his wife, Adrianna, in 1979. They have three children: Cameron, Devon, and Alyx.

He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Education from North Carolina State. He finished his degree while he was a rookie with the Lakers.

After retiring from basketball, Kenny became the CEO of Carr Construction in Portland, Oregon. He started the company from his basement in 1987. Today, it has 110 employees.

Kenny had planned to move back to his hometown of Washington, D.C. However, his business was successful, and his children liked living in Oregon. He said, "Once that happens, you don't necessarily live your life for yourself anymore. You make compromises."

Today, Kenny works with his son, Devon Carr, at Carr Construction. Devon studied engineering at Oregon State University.

Awards and Recognition

• Kenny Carr's #32 jersey is honored by NC State Wolfpack men's basketball. This means no other player on the team will wear that number.
• In 1998, Kenny was added to the DeMatha Catholic High School Hall of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: Kenny Carr para niños