Larry Wright (basketball) facts for kids

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. He was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Player of the Year in 1976. Wright played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Washington Bullets and the Detroit Pistons. He also played for six seasons in Italy. After retiring as a player, Wright became an assistant coach at Grambling from 1990 to 1992. He later returned as the head coach from 1999 to 2008.

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College Basketball Star

Larry Wright was a top basketball player in high school. He played at Western High School in Washington, D.C. He chose to play for the Grambling State Tigers. This was to honor his mentor, Hershell West. West had played for the Tigers and coached Larry in Louisiana.

From 1973 to 1976, Wright was one of Grambling's best players. In 1974, he was named the SWAC Freshman of the Year. He was also chosen for the All-SWAC team twice. He was a two-time first-team NCAA Small College All-America player. He led his university to win the 1976 SWAC Tournament Championship. After being named the SWAC Player of the Year in 1976, he decided to enter the 1976 NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Journey

Playing in the NBA

The Washington Bullets picked Larry Wright as the 14th overall player in the 1976 NBA draft. He played an important role for the Bullets in the late 1970s. He often came off the bench as a substitute. With the Bullets, he helped win an NBA championship in 1978. They also reached the NBA Finals 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 Superstar in Italy

Larry Wright quickly became a star player in Italy. His team, Banco di Roma, finished first in the regular season. They then reached the finals against Olimpia Milano. Roma won the series 2 games to 1. This gave them their first-ever Italian championship.

The next season was even better. Roma played in the FIBA European Champions Cup. This is a big competition for European teams. Wright played amazingly in every game. Roma reached the final game in Geneva. Wright was the top scorer for his team. He scored 27 points in their 79–73 win. This led Roma to their first European title. Wright was also named the European player of the year.

Even after a great season, Wright left the team. He then signed with Fantoni Udine. He played there for two seasons. In 1987, he returned to Banco di Roma for one more season.

Coaching Career

Larry Wright started coaching even while he was still playing in Italy. He became an assistant coach at Grambling in 1990. He stayed in that role for two seasons. After that, he worked as a scout for NBA teams like the Seattle SuperSonics and the Washington Wizards. He also coached at Ouachita High School in his hometown.

In 1999, Wright became the head coach at Grambling. He coached the team until April 2008.

Family Life

Larry Wright married Jacqueline Bradford 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 a talented basketball player. She played college basketball at Baylor and Florida State.

All three of Larry and Jacqueline's children received sports scholarships. Larry Jr. played football at Notre Dame and Louisiana Tech. Ashana played basketball at Grambling State University. She won four conference championships with the Lady Tigers. Lance played football at Grambling as an offensive center.

See also

In Spanish: Larry Wright para niños