Larry Wright (basketball) facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 23, 1954 Monroe, Louisiana, U.S. |
| High school |
|
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 160 lb (73 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Grambling State (1973–1976) |
| NBA Draft | 1976 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall |
| Selected by the Washington Bullets | |
| Pro career | 1976–1988 |
| Coaching career | 1990–1992, 1999–2008 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1976–1980 | Washington Bullets |
| 1980–1981 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1982–1984 | Banco di Roma |
| 1985–1987 | Fantoni Udine |
| 1987–1988 | Banco di Roma |
| As coach: | |
| 1990–1992 | Grambling State (assistant) |
| 1999–2008 | Grambling State |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 2,824 (8.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 550 (1.6 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,165 (3.4 apg) |
Larry Glenn Wright (born November 23, 1954) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for the Grambling State Tigers. In 1976, he was named the best player in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Larry Wright played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Washington Bullets and the Detroit Pistons. He also spent six seasons playing basketball in Italy. After retiring as a player, Wright became a coach. He worked as an assistant coach and later as the head coach for the Grambling State Tigers.
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Larry Wright's College Basketball Journey
Larry Wright was a very talented basketball player in high school. He played at Western High School in Washington, D.C. He decided to play college basketball for the Grambling State Tigers. This was to honor his mentor, Hershell West. West had played for the Tigers and coached Larry in high school.
From 1973 to 1976, Larry was one of Grambling's most successful players. In 1974, he was named the best freshman in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. He was also chosen for the All-SWAC team twice. Larry was also a two-time first-team NCAA Small College All-America player.
He led Grambling to win the 1976 SWAC Tournament Championship. After being named the SWAC Player of the Year in 1975–76, he decided to join the NBA draft.
Larry Wright's Professional Basketball Career
Playing in the NBA
The Washington Bullets picked Larry Wright as the 14th player in the 1976 NBA draft. He was an important substitute player for the Bullets in the late 1970s. With the Bullets, he helped them win an NBA championship in 1978. They also reached the championship series the next year.
After a tough season, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons. He played only 46 games for them over two seasons. In 1982, he decided to move to Italy to play basketball. He signed with a team called Banco di Roma.
Becoming a Star in Italy
Larry Wright quickly became a star player in Italy. His team, Banco di Roma, finished first in the regular season. They reached the finals against Olimpia Milano. Roma won the series 2 games to 1, earning their first Italian championship.
The next season was even better. Roma played in the FIBA European Champions Cup. Larry Wright played amazingly well in every game. Roma made it to the final game for the European champions cup in Geneva. Larry was the top scorer for his team in the 79–73 win. He scored 27 points. This led Roma to win their first European title. Larry Wright was also named the European player of the year.
After this successful season, Larry left the team. He then played for Fantoni Udine for two seasons. In 1987, he returned to Banco di Roma for one more season.
Larry Wright's Coaching Career
Larry Wright was a player-coach during his last years in Italy. In 1990, he became an assistant coach at Grambling. He stayed in that role for two seasons. Later, he worked as a scout for the Seattle SuperSonics and the Washington Wizards. He was also an assistant coach at Ouachita High School in his hometown.
In 1999, Larry Wright became the head coach at Grambling. He coached the team until April 2008.
Larry Wright's Family Life
Larry Wright is married to Jacqueline Bradford. They got married in May 1977. They have three children: Larry Jr., Ashana, and Lance. Larry Jr. is an NFL scout for the Houston Texans.
Larry also has a daughter named Imani. She is also a talented basketball player. She played college basketball at Baylor and Florida State. All three of Larry and Jacqueline's children were scholarship athletes. Larry Jr. played football at Louisiana Tech University. Ashana played basketball at Grambling State University. Lance played football at Grambling as well.
See also
In Spanish: Larry Wright para niños
