Mack Calvin facts for kids
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 27, 1947 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| High school | Long Beach Polytechnic (Long Beach, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 165 lb (75 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1969 / Round: 14 / Pick: 187th overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Pro career | 1969–1981 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1969–1970 | Los Angeles Stars |
| 1970–1972 | The Floridians |
| 1972–1974 | Carolina Cougars |
| 1974–1975 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1975–1976 | Virginia Squires |
| 1976 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1976–1977 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1977–1978 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1979–1980 | Utah Jazz |
| 1980–1981 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| As coach: | |
| 1975 | Virginia Squires |
| 1992 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career ABA and NBA statistics | |
| Points | 12,172 (16.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,923 (2.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 3,617 (4.8 apg) |
Mack Calvin, born on July 27, 1947, is a former American basketball player. He was a fantastic point guard who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Calvin was chosen as an ABA All-Star five times. He also made the ABA All-Time Team because of his amazing skills. He is especially remembered for having the second-highest number of assists in ABA history.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Mack Calvin was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He grew up and went to high school in Long Beach, California. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he played basketball.
College Basketball Career
After high school, Calvin played college basketball. He first played for Long Beach City College. Later, he moved on to play for the University of Southern California (USC). He was a 6-foot-tall point guard.
In 1969, during his last year of college, Calvin and his USC team achieved a big win. They beat the UCLA Bruins 46–44. This game was special because it ended several long winning streaks for UCLA. These streaks included 17 straight wins against USC, 41 wins in a row overall, and 51 straight wins at their home court.
Professional Basketball Career
Mack Calvin played professional basketball for eleven seasons. He spent seven seasons (1969–1976) in the ABA. The ABA was a major basketball league that no longer exists. He then played four seasons in the NBA.
Starting in the ABA
Calvin began his professional journey with the Los Angeles Stars in the ABA. In his first season, he scored an average of 16.8 points per game. This great start earned him a spot on the ABA All-Rookie Team.
In 1970, Calvin helped the Stars reach the ABA Finals. This was a big surprise for many. During the playoffs, he scored a career-high 44 points in one game. He also made 16 assists in that same game. Even though the Stars lost the finals, Calvin played very well. He averaged 15.8 points and 5 assists per game in the series.
Setting Records and All-Star Appearances
The next season, Calvin played for The Floridians. He had his best scoring season, averaging 27.2 points per game. He also set new ABA records that year. He made 696 free throws and attempted 805 free throws, which were the most in a single season.
During the 1974–75 season, Calvin joined the Denver Nuggets. He helped the team achieve an impressive 65 wins and only 19 losses. He also led the league in assists, averaging 7.7 assists per game. The Nuggets made it to the Western Division Finals but were eliminated in a close seven-game series.
Calvin was a very popular player. He was chosen to play in the ABA All-Star game five times during his career. Overall, in his ABA career, he scored 10,620 points. He also made 3,067 assists. This number of assists was the second-highest in ABA history.
Moving to the NBA
In 1976, the ABA merged with the NBA. Mack Calvin then joined the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. His playing time decreased, but he still played well when he was on the court.
He played for five different NBA teams during his four seasons. These teams included the Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, the Denver Nuggets (who had joined the NBA), the Utah Jazz, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 1978, while playing for the Nuggets again, Calvin helped them reach the Western Conference Finals. They were eventually defeated by the Seattle SuperSonics. Mack Calvin retired from playing basketball in 1981.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Mack Calvin also spent some time coaching. He briefly coached the Virginia Squires in the ABA in 1975–76. He also served as an interim head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA for two games in 1992.
See also
In Spanish: Mack Calvin para niños
