Pat Cummings facts for kids

Pat Cummings was an American professional basketball player. He was born on July 11, 1956, and passed away on June 26, 2012. Standing 6 feet 9 inches tall, Pat was a skilled forward. He played for 12 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His best years were with the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks. He often averaged over 12 points and 8 rebounds per game.

Early Life and High School Career

Pat Cummings grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His parents were Charles and Dolores Cummings. He played basketball for Greater Johnstown High School. During his time there, he scored an amazing 1,136 points.

Pat helped his high school team win two District 6 Class A championships. In his senior year, the team had an impressive record of 25 wins and only 1 loss. He was also named first-team all-state. Pat set a school record by scoring 50 points in one game. That year, he averaged 24.3 points and 12 rebounds per game.

College Basketball Journey

After high school, Pat Cummings went to the University of Cincinnati. He played for the Bearcats team. Pat still holds a record for the best field goal percentage in a single season at .642 in 1977–78. His career field goal percentage of .581 is the second best ever for the Bearcats.

He is also second in career field goals made, right behind the legendary Oscar Robertson. In his final college season (1978–79), Pat averaged 24.6 points per game. This is the fifth-highest in Bearcats' history. He also led his team with 11.3 rebounds per game.

Pat's college teams had successful seasons. He missed the 1976–77 season due to a broken leg. He was named the Bearcats' Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice. In 1979, he was honored as the Metro Conference Player of the Year. Pat Cummings was added to the James P. Kelly UC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990.

Pat Cummings' NBA Career

Pat Cummings was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1978. He joined the team in 1979 after finishing his senior year of college.

Playing for the Milwaukee Bucks

Pat played his first NBA game with the Bucks. He scored 4 points in a big win against the Denver Nuggets. In another game, he scored 8 points against the Utah Jazz. He showed his talent by scoring a career-high 25 points against the Los Angeles Clippers in February 1980. Later that season, he scored 30 points against the Nuggets.

For the next three seasons, Pat played limited minutes. However, he shot over 50 percent from the field. He also made over 70 percent of his free throws. He averaged more than six points each year. In March 1981, he tied his career-high of 30 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Time with the Dallas Mavericks

In 1982, the Dallas Mavericks traded for Pat Cummings. He became the starting center for the Mavericks. He averaged 12.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He scored 20 or more points in 10 games that season.

The next season, he had similar great numbers. He scored 20 or more points in 12 games. In the playoffs against the Seattle SuperSonics, he had two games with 16 points each.

Joining the New York Knicks

Pat Cummings signed with the New York Knicks as a free agent in 1984. The 1984–85 season was his best for scoring. He averaged 15.8 points per game. He had 23 games where he scored 20 or more points. He set a new career-high with 32 points against the Clippers. Just two nights later, he scored an even higher 34 points against the Phoenix Suns.

In the 1985–86 season, Pat faced foot problems. He averaged 15.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in 31 games. He tied his career-high of 34 points against the Washington Bullets. However, he had to have surgery on his right ankle. After this, Pat never quite returned to his top form. He played two more seasons with the Knicks.

Moving to the Miami Heat

In 1988, Pat Cummings joined the new Miami Heat team. He started in the Heat's very first game. He spent most of his two years in Miami as a backup player.

On December 14, 1988, Pat scored 15 points. This helped the Heat win their first-ever game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Heat had started the season with 17 straight losses. Pat was released from the Heat in 1990.

Playing in Italy and with the Utah Jazz

After his time with the Heat, Pat played professional basketball in Italy in 1990–91. He then had a short four-game period with the Utah Jazz in the 1990–91 season. Pat was then waived by the Jazz. He was 34 years old when he left the NBA.

After Basketball

After his basketball career, Pat Cummings lived in Loveland, Ohio. This is a suburb of Cincinnati. He earned a real estate license and worked in the real estate business for several years.

Pat Cummings passed away on June 26, 2012, in his Greenwich Village, New York City apartment. He was laid to rest at Grandview Cemetery in Johnstown.

NBA Career Statistics Summary

Pat Cummings played in 683 regular season NBA games. He averaged 9.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game over his career. In the playoffs, he played in 30 games. He averaged 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in playoff games.