Miles Aiken facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 27, 1941 New York City, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | George Washington (New York City, New York) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | St. Bonaventure (1961–1964) |
| NBA Draft | 1964 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1965–1970 |
| Career history | |
| 1965–1966 | Águilas Escolapios Schuss de Bilbao |
| 1966–1969 | Real Madrid |
| 1969–1970 | Fides Napoli |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Miles Aiken (born December 27, 1941) is an American who used to play professional basketball. He was also a coach for the British Olympic basketball team. Later, he became a sportscaster, talking about basketball and American football on TV.
Miles Aiken played as a center for St. Bonaventure University in college. He scored many points in games. After college, he played as a power forward in the EuroLeague. This is a top basketball league in Europe. He won two championships with Real Madrid, a famous Spanish team. He also won the FIBA Saporta Cup with Partenope Napoli in Italy.
In the 1970s, Aiken coached the British Olympic basketball team. After that, he started a new career as a sportscaster.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
Miles Aiken was born in New York City. He grew up in Harlem, a neighborhood in Manhattan. He started playing basketball on the playgrounds there. This is where he first learned his skills.
College Basketball Career
Aiken went to St. Bonaventure University in New York State. He played center for their basketball team, the Bonnies. In his first year (1960–61), he scored over 20 points per game for the freshman team.
As a sophomore, he became a starter for the main team. He averaged 23.6 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. By December 1961, people thought he was one of the best young players in the United States. On December 16, 1961, he scored 58 points in two games. This broke a tournament record set by Elgin Baylor. In February 1962, he was named to the All-East Basketball Team. He averaged 23 points per game in his first two years.
In early 1963, Aiken got a serious injury. He hurt his left knee during a game. He had surgery and could not play for a long time. This injury affected his career.
Professional Basketball in Europe
After college, Miles Aiken was not chosen in the 1964 NBA draft. So, he decided to go to Europe to play basketball. He had to wear a brace on his injured knee.
Playing in Spain
In the 1965–66 season, Aiken played for Águilas Escolapios Schuss de Bilbao in Spain. He was the top scorer in the Spanish league that year. He also played for the Newcastle Eagles in England. He led that league in scoring too, with 23.9 points per game.
Later, he joined Real Madrid, a very famous team. He helped them win two EuroLeague titles in a row. They won in 1967 and 1968. In 1967, he scored 31 points in the semifinal game. He then scored 23 points in the EuroLeague Final, helping Real Madrid win. In 1968, he was the top scorer in the final game with 26 points. This helped Real Madrid win the title again. In the 1969 European Cup final, Real Madrid lost in double overtime, but Aiken still scored 24 points.
Playing in Italy
After Real Madrid, Aiken joined Partenope Napoli in Italy. He led them to win the Saporta Cup title in 1970. While playing for the team, he also coached. He earned a teaching degree from the University of Southern California through distance learning. After finishing his studies, he worked as a teacher in England.
In 2008, Miles Aiken was nominated for the list of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors. This shows how important he was to European basketball.
Life After Playing Basketball
Miles Aiken did not stop being involved in sports after his playing career.
Coaching and Commentating
In October 1975, he became the coach for Britain's Olympic basketball team. He coached them in 1976.
Later, Aiken started a new career in business and sports commentating. In 1982, he began hosting broadcasts of British basketball games. He was the first black sports presenter on British television. People said he did a lot to make basketball popular in Britain.
He also covered American football games in the 1980s. In 1983, he covered the Super Bowl for a British TV channel. Two million people in Britain watched this broadcast.
Writing Books
Miles Aiken also wrote books. He co-authored the Channel 4 Basketball Guide in 1983. He also co-authored American Football: The Records in 1989. This book covers the history of football, including high school, college, and the National Football League. It also talks about football in Canada and Europe.
See also
In Spanish: Miles Aiken para niños
- EuroLeague Finals Top Scorers
