Lonnie Wright facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 23, 1945 Newark, New Jersey |
| Nationality | American |
| Died | March 23, 2012 (aged 67) South Orange, New Jersey |
| High school | South Side (Newark, New Jersey) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Colorado State (1963–1966) |
| NBA Draft | 1966 / Round: 6 / Pick: 54th overall |
| Selected by the St. Louis Hawks | |
| Career history | |
| 1967–1971 | Denver Rockets |
| 1971–1972 | The Floridians |
Lonnie Wright was a special American athlete. He played both professional basketball and American football! He even played both sports in the same year for teams in Denver. Later, he focused only on basketball. Lonnie was born on January 23, 1945, and passed away on March 23, 2012.
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Early Life and School Sports
Lonnie Wright was born in Newark, New Jersey. He went to South Side High School, which is now called Malcolm X Shabazz High School. He was amazing at both football and basketball there. He earned many top awards, like All-City, All-County, All-State, and All-American honors. In 1997, he was honored by being added to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
After high school, Lonnie went to Colorado State University. He played basketball for the Colorado State Rams. He was also a strong athlete in track and field, setting a school record in the shot put. In his college basketball career, he scored 1,246 points. His team even made it to the big 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in 1966.
Playing Professional Sports
Lonnie Wright was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks (now the Atlanta Hawks) in the 1966 1966 NBA draft. But he didn't sign with them. Even though he didn't play football in college, the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) were also interested in him.
Football Career
On April 16, 1966, Lonnie signed with the Denver Broncos of the American Football League (AFL). He played for them in 1966 and 1967 as a safety. A safety is a defensive player in football. He caught one interception in 1966 and four more the next year.
Switching to Basketball
After playing football, Lonnie made a big switch. He signed with the Denver Rockets (which later became the Denver Nuggets) on January 5, 1968. He started playing basketball for the Rockets just a few weeks after his football season ended! This was very rare for an athlete to play both sports professionally in the same year.
Lonnie was a 6-foot 2-inch tall guard in basketball. He played for five seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA). He spent four seasons with the Denver Rockets (1967–1971) and one season with The Floridians (1971–1972). Throughout his career, he scored a total of 3,590 points. His best season was 1968–69, when he scored 1,130 points and averaged 16.4 points per game.
Not many athletes have played both professional football and basketball. Before Lonnie, only a few, like Otto Graham and Bud Grant, had done it in the 1940s. After him, only Ron Widby did it through 1999.
Later Life and Legacy
Lonnie Wright was honored for his amazing sports career. He was inducted into the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988. The next year, he was added to the Colorado State University Sports Hall of Fame.
After his sports career, Lonnie worked as the Director of Students at the New Jersey Medical School in Newark. His wife, Johanna, was a successful basketball coach for the girls' team at Columbia High School until 2014.
Lonnie Wright lived in South Orange, New Jersey. He passed away at his home on March 23, 2012, at the age of 67.
