Lewis Lloyd facts for kids

Lewis Kevin Lloyd (born February 22, 1959 – died July 5, 2019) was an American basketball player. He was 6 feet 6 inches tall and played as a swingman. A swingman is a player who can play both shooting guard and small forward. He spent most of his professional career with the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Lewis Lloyd was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was given the nickname "Black Magic" because of his amazing skills. He played high school basketball at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. This is the same school where famous basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain played.

College Basketball Career

Lewis Lloyd started his college basketball journey at the New Mexico Military Institute. This is a junior college located in Roswell, New Mexico. After two years, he moved to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Achievements at Drake University

At Drake, Lloyd was an outstanding player. In his junior year, he scored an average of 30.2 points per game. He also grabbed 15 rebounds per game. As a senior, he averaged 26.3 points per game.

He was named the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year twice. This award recognizes the best player in the conference. To honor his great achievements, Drake University retired his jersey number, 30. This means no other player at Drake will wear that number again.

Professional Basketball Career

Lewis Lloyd played seven seasons in the NBA. The NBA is the top professional basketball league in North America.

Joining the Golden State Warriors

In 1981, Lewis Lloyd was chosen in the fourth round of the NBA Draft. He was picked by the Golden State Warriors. This was the start of his professional career. He played two seasons with the Warriors.

Playing for the Houston Rockets

After his time with the Warriors, Lloyd joined the Houston Rockets in 1983. He played three full seasons for the Rockets. During this time, he played in all 246 regular season games. He consistently scored double-digit points in these games.

Time with the Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets

In the 1988–89 season, Lewis Lloyd played for the Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets. This team was part of the Continental Basketball Association. He played 18 games for them. During this period, he averaged 18.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

Return to the NBA

Lewis Lloyd returned to the NBA in September 1989. He briefly played for the Houston Rockets again. Later, he joined the Philadelphia 76ers for two games. He retired at the end of the 1989–90 season.

Throughout his NBA career, he played 388 games. He averaged 13 points, three rebounds, and three assists per game. He also played in 20 playoff games in 1986. That year, the Rockets made it to the NBA Finals. They lost to the Boston Celtics in six games.

Life After Basketball

After retiring from playing basketball in the 2000s, Lewis Lloyd stayed involved with the sport. He led youth basketball clinics. He also coached at basketball camps. These camps were held in cities like Philadelphia, Des Moines, and Wichita.

Lewis Lloyd passed away on July 5, 2019.

See also

In Spanish: Lewis Lloyd para niños