Purvis Short facts for kids

Purvis Short, born on July 2, 1957, is a retired American professional basketball player. He played as a small forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was known for his unique "rainbow" jump shot.

Purvis played for the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and New Jersey Nets. His NBA career lasted from 1978 to 1990. He averaged 17.3 points per game during his twelve seasons. He is one of the top scorers in the history of the Golden State Warriors. After his NBA career, he played basketball in Israel for one year. Today, he helps lead programs for NBA players.

Purvis Short's College Days

Purvis Short was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. His older brother, Gene Short, also played basketball professionally. Purvis went to Blair Center Hattiesburg High School. He helped his team win the state championship in 1974.

After high school, many colleges wanted him to play for them. He chose to go to Jackson State University, just like his brother. At Jackson State, Purvis became the school's all-time leading scorer. In 1978, he was the second-highest scorer in the NCAA. He also grabbed about 9 rebounds per game. He was named the best player in the Southwestern Athletic Conference twice, in 1977 and 1978.

Purvis Short's Professional Career

Purvis Short was chosen as the fifth player in the 1978 NBA draft. The Golden State Warriors picked him. In his first year, he scored 10.6 points per game. The next year, he improved to 17.0 points per game.

He was nicknamed "Rainbowman" because of his high-arching jump shots. He said he learned this special shot in high school. For his first few years, Purvis was a key player coming off the bench. By the 1984–85 season, he became a regular starter.

Amazing Scoring Games

Purvis worked hard on his shooting skills during the off-season. This helped him become a much better shooter. On November 17, 1984, he had an amazing game against the New Jersey Nets. He scored a career-high 59 points! This was one of the highest scores in the NBA at that time. It was also the third-highest score in Warriors history.

That season, he also scored 57 points against the San Antonio Spurs. He scored 46 points against the Washington Bullets. Purvis finished the 1984–85 season averaging 28.0 points per game. This made him the fourth-best scorer in the NBA. The next season, he averaged 25.5 points per game, finishing fifth in scoring.

Later NBA Years

In 1987, Purvis was traded to the Houston Rockets. He played two seasons there. He then signed with the New Jersey Nets in 1989. He played in all 82 games for the Nets that season. After that season, he retired from the NBA in 1990.

Playing in Israel

After leaving the NBA, Purvis took a year off. In 1991, he decided to play basketball again. He joined Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel. He helped his team have a great season. They made it to the playoffs but lost in a close series. He retired from playing basketball for good in 1992.

After Basketball

After retiring from playing, Purvis Short started working for the NBA Players Association. This is a group that represents NBA players. He became the director of their Player Programs department in 1999. Before that, he was the vice president of the NBA Players' Union from 1987 to 1990.

In 1999, he was honored by being inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Purvis Short now lives in Houston.

See also

In Spanish: Purvis Short para niños