Maurice King (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Maurice King

Personal information
Born	(1934-12-01)December 1, 1934 Kansas City, Missouri
Nationality	American
Died	September 17, 2007(2007-09-17) (aged 72) Kansas City, Missouri
High school	R. T. Coles (Kansas City, Missouri)
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
College	Kansas (1954–1957)
NBA Draft	1957 / Round: 6 / Pick: 48th overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Pro career	1959–1963
Career history
1959	Boston Celtics
1959–1960	Baltimore Bullets
1961–1963	Kansas City Steers
1963	Chicago Zephyrs
Career NBA statistics
Points	226
Rebounds	106
Assists	44

Maurice E. King (born December 1, 1934 – died September 17, 2007) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Boston Celtics when they won the NBA Championship in the 1959-1960 season.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Maurice King was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He went to R. T. Coles High School in Kansas City. In 1952, King led his high school team, the R. T. Coles Jeeps, to win a Missouri state basketball championship. The next year, in 1953, they finished second in the state.

King's amazing basketball skills earned him a scholarship to the University of Kansas. He started there in the 1953-54 school year. King was the second African-American basketball player to play at Kansas. He was also the first African-American starter for the team. He played before the famous player Wilt Chamberlain, who was the third.

College Basketball Career

King started his college career at the University of Kansas. He had to "redshirt" his first year (1953-54). This meant he practiced with the team but couldn't play in games. This was due to the rules at the time for new students.

Playing for the Kansas Jayhawks

In his second year (1954-1955), King played as a reserve for the Kansas Jayhawks. The team finished that season with 11 wins and 10 losses. They placed 5th in the Big 7 Conference.

As a junior in the 1955-1956 season, King became a starter. He was the top scorer for Kansas, averaging 14.0 points per game. Because of his great play, he earned All-Big Seven honors. This season was also Wilt Chamberlain's first year at Kansas. Chamberlain also had to redshirt, meaning he couldn't play in games. King was a valuable friend and mentor to Chamberlain. They were also fraternity brothers in Kappa Alpha Psi.

In King's senior year (1956-57), Wilt Chamberlain joined the varsity team. Chamberlain led the team in scoring and rebounding. King remained a starter and was a key player. He scored 9.7 points per game.

Road to the NCAA Final Four

The Jayhawks were a top team in 1956-57, ranked #1 or #2 all season. They won the Big 7 Conference championship. This allowed them to play in the 1957 NCAA tournament.

In the Midwest Regional, Kansas beat Southern Methodist University and Oklahoma City University. These games were held in Dallas, Texas. King played so well that he was named to the 1957 Midwest Regional all-tournament team. This helped the Jayhawks reach the 1957 Final Four.

In the Final Four, Kansas defeated the University of San Francisco 80-56 in the semi-final game. The Jayhawks then played the University of North Carolina in the championship game. It was a very close game, going into triple overtime. Kansas lost 54-53 in the iconic 1957 NCAA title game. King was second on the team in scoring (11 points) and rebounds (5 rebounds) in that game.

Professional Basketball Career

After college, the Boston Celtics picked Maurice King in the 1957 NBA draft. He was the 48th pick in the 6th round. However, King did not join the Celtics right away. He served two years in the U.S. Army first.

NBA and Other Leagues

After leaving the Army in 1959, King joined the Boston Celtics. He played one game in the 1959-1960 season. Later that season, the Celtics won the NBA title. This meant King earned an NBA championship recognition.

After his time with the Celtics, King played for the Baltimore Bullets. This was in the Eastern Professional Basketball League. In August 1960, the St. Louis Hawks signed King. He played for them in the pre-season but not in any regular season games.

Before the 1961-62 season, King joined the new Kansas City Steers team. This team was part of the ABL. In the ABL's first season, King averaged 7.8 points per game. He also led his team with 3.2 assists per game. In the 1962-63 season, King averaged 14.7 points and 5.7 assists. The ABL league stopped playing on December 31, 1962.

After the ABL closed, King immediately signed with the Chicago Zephyrs. This team is now known as the Washington Wizards. He played in 37 games in the 1962-63 NBA season. He averaged 5.8 points and 3.8 assists per game.

Life After Basketball

After leaving the NBA in 1963, Maurice King started a new career. He worked for the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools. Later, he had a long career as a personnel manager for Hallmark Cards.

King remained very involved with the University of Kansas athletic program. He helped choose new coaches and athletic directors. He was on committees that hired football coaches Mike Gottfried and Glen Mason. He also helped hire basketball coaches Larry Brown and Roy Williams. King also served on the Jackson County, Missouri Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

Family and Legacy

Maurice King had four children: Yasmin Brown, Calvin Wainright, Maurice King III, and Kimberly King-Crawford. Two of his grandsons also played college basketball.

His grandson, Amaad Wainright, played for Kansas State. He was part of their team that reached the Elite Eight in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

Another grandson, Ish Wainright, played basketball for Baylor. He played in four NCAA tournaments. His team reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2014 and 2017. Ish also played college football for one season at Baylor as a tight end. He even joined the Buffalo Bills for their training camp. Ishmail currently plays for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA.

Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Maurice King para niños

• List of second-generation National Basketball Association players