Nate Archibald facts for kids
Archibald with the Kansas City-Omaha Kings in 1974
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 2, 1948 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| High school | DeWitt Clinton (New York City, New York) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 150 lb (68 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1970 / Round: 2 / Pick: 19th overall |
| Selected by the Cincinnati Royals | |
| Pro career | 1970–1984 |
| Career history | |
| 1970–1976 | Cincinnati Royals / Kansas City-Omaha / Kansas City Kings |
| 1976–1977 | New York Nets |
| 1978–1983 | Boston Celtics |
| 1983–1984 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Points | 16,481 (18.8 ppg) |
| Assists | 6,476 (7.4 apg) |
| Rebounds | 2,046 (2.3 rpg) |
Nathaniel "Tiny" Archibald (born September 2, 1948) is a retired American professional basketball player. He played for 14 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is best known for his time with the Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City–Omaha Kings and the Boston Celtics. In 1991, he was honored by being added to both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.
Archibald was known for his amazing quickness and speed. This made him very hard to guard on the court. He could easily dribble past defenders and drive to the basket. He was also a good passer and could shoot well from mid-range. In the 1972–73 season, Archibald made history. He led the NBA in both scoring and assists in the same year! He was the first player ever to do this.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
Nate Archibald grew up in a tough neighborhood in the South Bronx in New York City. He became a local legend on the playgrounds. He only played high school basketball for about a year and a half. In fact, he was cut from his high school team at DeWitt Clinton High School when he was a sophomore.
During this time, Nate almost dropped out of school. But two mentors, Floyd Layne and Pablo Robertson, helped him turn things around. Pablo Robertson was a famous player from the Harlem playgrounds. He saw Nate's talent and convinced his high school coach to let him back on the team.
Even though he only played a little as a junior, Nate became a high school star. He was named team captain and an All-City player in 1966. Off the court, Nate started going to school regularly. He worked hard to improve his grades. This was important because his earlier poor grades had stopped many colleges from offering him scholarships.
College Basketball Journey
To get a better chance at playing college basketball, Nate first went to Arizona Western College. The next year, he moved to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He had three fantastic seasons there from 1967 to 1970. He played under the famous Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins.
Amazing Professional Career
Playing for the Kings (1970–1976)
The Cincinnati Royals picked Nate Archibald in the second round of the 1970 NBA draft. He was the 19th player chosen overall. In his very first NBA game, Nate scored 17 points and had 7 assists. On March 13, 1971, he scored a career-high 47 points in a game against the Atlanta Hawks.
One of Nate's most incredible games was on November 18, 1972. He scored 51 points and had 14 assists!
The 1972–73 season was historic for Nate. He led the entire NBA in both scoring (with 34 points per game) and assists (with 11.4 assists per game). He played about 46 minutes a game that season. This made him the first player ever to lead the league in both categories in the same year! His 34.0 points per game is still a record for a point guard. His 910 assists that season were also an NBA record at the time. Because of his amazing performance, he was named the Sporting News NBA MVP that season.
Nate made it to the playoffs for the first time in 1975 with the Kansas City Kings. He played well, averaging over 20 points per game. Nate played for the Royals/Kings team from 1970 to 1976.
Short Stays with the Nets and Braves (1976–1978)
Even though Nate was very popular with the Kings, he was traded to the New York Nets in 1976. He played 34 games with the Nets, averaging 20.5 points per game.
Nate got injured for much of the 1976–77 season. Before the next season, he was traded again, this time to the Buffalo Braves. Sadly, he tore his Achilles tendon and never played a regular game for the Braves.
Becoming an NBA Champion with the Celtics (1978–1983)
Before the next season, Nate was traded to the Boston Celtics. His time with the Celtics started a bit slowly, but he quickly got back into shape. He helped lead the Celtics to have the best record in the NBA for three years in a row (1979–1982).
Nate won his first and only NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1980–81 season. He played alongside young superstar Larry Bird. In the final game of the 1981 NBA Finals, Nate had 13 points and 12 assists. This helped the Celtics win the championship against the Houston Rockets.
On February 15, 1982, Nate set a personal best with the Celtics. He recorded an amazing 23 assists in one game!
Final Season with the Bucks (1983–1984)
After leaving the Celtics, Nate played his final season in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1983–84. He started as the point guard in all 46 games he played that year.
Amazing Legacy in Basketball
Nate Archibald was chosen for the All-NBA First Team three times (1973, 1975, 1976). He was also on the All-NBA Second Team twice (1972, 1981). He was picked to play in the NBA All-Star Game seven times (1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, and 1982). In 1981, he was even named the 1981 NBA All-Star Game MVP.
Nate led the NBA in free throws made three times and free throw attempts twice. He played in 876 professional games. He scored 16,841 points (averaging 18.8 points per game) and had 6,476 assists.
In 1996, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In 1991, Nate was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2021, he was honored again as part of the NBA's 75th anniversary team.
Life After Playing: Coaching and Education
After his playing career, Nate Archibald became a basketball coach. He was an assistant coach at the University of Georgia and for two seasons at Texas-El Paso, his old college. He also coached in other leagues, like the USBL and a recreational league in Boston.
Nate also worked for the NBA's community relations department. He even coached the Long Beach Jam in the revived ABA for a short time.
Nate also continued his education. He finished his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas-El Paso by taking classes during three summers. Then, he taught in New York City schools and went to night school at Fordham University. He earned a master's degree from Fordham University in 1990. He hopes to get a doctorate degree in the future.
See also
In Spanish: Nate Archibald para niños
- List of NBA career assists leaders
- List of NBA annual scoring leaders
- List of NBA annual assists leaders
- List of NBA annual minutes leaders
- List of NBA single-game assists leaders
- Bronx Walk of Fame
