Lester Conner facts for kids

Lester Allen Conner (born September 17, 1959) is an American basketball coach and former player. He played for many teams in the NBA (National Basketball Association).

During his college years, Lester was a "swingman," playing both shooting guard and small forward. He was even named the 1982 Pac-10 Player of the Year, which is a big honor!

In 1982, Lester was chosen by his hometown team, the Golden State Warriors, in the NBA draft. He played for them for four years. In the NBA, he was a "combo guard," playing both shooting guard and point guard. After his playing career, Lester became a basketball coach, helping many NBA teams for over 15 years.

Lester Conner's Early Life

Lester Conner was born on September 17, 1959, in Memphis, Tennessee. He grew up in Oakland, California. There, he went to Fremont High School.

Even though he played basketball for the Fremont Tigers, he wasn't a big star back then. He didn't get offers from top college basketball programs. So, Lester found a different way to continue playing his favorite sport.

Lester's College Basketball Journey

Playing at Junior Colleges

In 1978, Lester went to Los Medanos Junior College in Pittsburg, California. His basketball skills grew a lot there! He became a star player, scoring about 25.2 points per game. He led his team to a great record of 24 wins and 7 losses.

After that, he moved to Chabot Junior College in Hayward, California for the 1979–80 season. He did just as well there and was named the California Junior College Player of the Year. From being a less-known high school player, Lester became a top player that many big colleges wanted.

Joining Oregon State University

One of the coaches who wanted Lester was Jerry Tarkanian from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Another was Ralph Miller, a famous coach from Oregon State University. Lester asked Coach Miller to watch him play in person, which was a very bold request!

But Coach Miller agreed and Lester decided to join Oregon State. He quickly became a starter on the team. He played alongside future NBA players like Steve Johnson and Charlie Sitton.

The team was considered one of the best in college basketball. Lester often played as a valuable sixth man (a player who comes off the bench but plays a lot). He was known for his great passing, strong rebounding, and excellent defense.

A Top-Ranked Team

In the 1980–81 season, Oregon State started with seven wins in a row. This made them the #2 team in the country. Soon, they became #1 when another top team lost. The crowd cheered loudly when they heard the news during one of Oregon State's games!

The team almost had a perfect season, winning 26 games in a row. But they lost their last regular season game. Their season ended with a tough loss in the NCAA Tournament. Lester finished that year as the fourth-highest scorer on the team, averaging 7.0 points per game. He also had the second-most rebounds.

Lester's Senior Year Success

For Lester's senior year in 1981–82, many key players had left Oregon State for the NBA. People thought the team might struggle. But the Beavers got a new talented freshman named A.C. Green. With other improved players, the team surprised everyone.

They won their conference title for the third year in a row! Lester mostly played as a shooting guard that year. He was also great at handling the ball under pressure. He led the Pac-10 conference in assists, with 5.1 assists per game.

The Beavers made it to the NCAA Tournament again. They won their first two games before losing to a strong team led by Patrick Ewing. Lester was the team's top scorer, averaging 14.6 points per game. He also led the team in rebounds.

During his two years at Oregon State, Lester helped his team win 52 games and lose only 6. That's a fantastic winning record! He was named the 1982 Pac-10 Player of the Year. His coach, Ralph Miller, said Lester was one of the top five defensive players he ever coached.

Lester's Professional Basketball Career

Lester Conner was chosen in the 1982 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. He played with them for four seasons. He also played for other NBA teams like the Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, and Los Angeles Lakers. He finished his NBA playing career in 1995.

Lester's Coaching Career

After he stopped playing, Lester Conner started coaching in 1998. He became an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics, working with head coach Rick Pitino. Lester says Coach Pitino taught him how to speak loudly from the bench so players could hear him during noisy games.

He also worked as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks twice. Lester is seen as a student of former Indiana Pacers head coach Jim O'Brien. He worked with Coach O'Brien three times.

Once, in 2010, Lester even took over as head coach for one game when Coach O'Brien was away. He made some changes, and the Pacers scored a lot of points, winning the game!

Lester later joined the Atlanta Hawks as a top assistant coach. Then, he became an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets for the 2013–14 season.

Lester has said he would like to coach his old college team, Oregon State University. However, the university said they couldn't hire him as head coach because he didn't have a college degree. Lester was sad about this, saying that not having a degree doesn't change who he is as a coach and a person.

See also

In Spanish: Lester Conner para niños