Reggie Theus facts for kids
Theus in 2008
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| Bethune-Cookman Wildcats | |
|---|---|
| Head coach / Athletic director | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 13, 1957 Inglewood, California, U.S. |
| High school | Inglewood (Inglewood, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | UNLV (1975–1978) |
| NBA Draft | 1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall |
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
| Pro career | 1978–1993 |
| League | Southwestern Athletic Conference |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1978–1984 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1984–1988 | Kansas City / Sacramento Kings |
| 1988–1989 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1989–1990 | Orlando Magic |
| 1990–1991 | New Jersey Nets |
| 1991–1992 | Ranger Varese |
| 1993 | Aris |
| As coach: | |
| 2002 | Las Vegas Slam |
| 2003–2005 | Louisville (assistant) |
| 2005–2007 | New Mexico State |
| 2007–2008 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2009–2011 | Minnesota Timberwolves (assistant) |
| 2012–2013 | Los Angeles D-Fenders |
| 2013–2018 | Cal State Northridge |
| 2021–present | Bethune–Cookman |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 19,015 (18.5 ppg) |
| Assists | 6,453 (6.3 apg) |
Reginald Wayne Theus (born October 13, 1957) is an American basketball coach and former player. He played for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his time as a player, he was chosen for the NBA All-Star Game two times. Today, he is the head coach and athletic director for the men's basketball team at Bethune–Cookman. He has also been a head coach for the NBA's Sacramento Kings and for college teams like the New Mexico State Aggies and the Cal State Northridge Matadors. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Louisville Cardinals.
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Reggie Theus' Early Life
Reggie Theus grew up in Inglewood, California. He was one of four children. When he was four, his parents got divorced. His father owned a cleaning business. Sadly, his father passed away before Reggie's last year of high school. For a short time, Reggie even ran the family business himself. He went to Inglewood High School. In his senior year, Reggie was an amazing player, scoring about 28.6 points and grabbing 15.5 rebounds per game.
College Basketball Career
Reggie Theus played college basketball at UNLV from 1976 to 1978. He played for coach Jerry Tarkanian. In his three years at UNLV, Reggie averaged 12.9 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. He became one of the best players in UNLV history. He scored 1,177 points and had 401 assists in just 91 college games.
When he was a sophomore, Reggie helped UNLV become famous. The team won 29 games and only lost 3. They even made it to the school's first ever Final Four in Atlanta. Even though they lost by just one point to North Carolina, UNLV still set new NCAA records. They scored the most points in a season (3,426) and had the most games where they scored over 100 points (23).
As a junior, Reggie was named a second team All-American. He averaged 18.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. In 1989, Reggie was added to the UNLV Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1997, his jersey number 23 was retired by the Rebels. This means no other UNLV player will wear that number.
Reggie Theus' Professional NBA Career
Playing for the Chicago Bulls
After his successful college career, the Chicago Bulls picked Reggie Theus as the 9th player in the 1978 NBA draft. Reggie was a 6-foot-7-inch guard. In his first season, he averaged 16.3 points per game. He was almost named the 1979 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He was the second-highest scorer on the team, right behind Artis Gilmore.
In his second year, Reggie averaged 20.2 points and 6.3 assists for the Bulls. People in Chicago called him "Rush Street Reggie." This was because he lived on Rush Street and enjoyed the city's social life.
In 1981, Reggie played in his first All-Star Game. The Bulls made it to the 1981 NBA Playoffs. They won their first series against the New York Knicks. Reggie scored 37 points and had 11 assists in the final game of that series. The Bulls then played the Boston Celtics but lost. The Celtics went on to win the NBA Championship that year.
In the 1982–1983 season, Reggie averaged a career-high 23.8 points per game. He was the Bulls' top scorer. On February 14, 1984, Reggie was traded to the Kansas City Kings. Many Chicago fans were sad to see him go. This trade also helped the Bulls later draft Michael Jordan. Reggie played for five and a half seasons in Chicago. He averaged 18.8 points and 5.6 assists in 441 games.
Time with the Kansas City/Sacramento Kings
Reggie continued to play very well with the Kansas City Kings. After he joined, the Kings won 12 of their next 17 games. He averaged 16.4 points and 8.0 assists in 30 games with the Kings. The team made it to the playoffs.
In the 1984–85 season, the Kings team moved to Sacramento, California. In the 1985–86 season, Reggie averaged 18.3 points and a career-high 9.6 assists. The Kings made the playoffs again. They lost to the Houston Rockets, who had star players like Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. Over his four seasons with the Kings, Reggie was a very important player. He averaged 18.8 points and 8.1 assists in 346 games.
Later Years in the NBA
On June 27, 1988, Reggie was traded from the Kings to the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 15.8 points and 4.7 assists for the Hawks in 1988–89. He played alongside famous players like Dominique Wilkins and Moses Malone. Reggie helped the Hawks win 52 games and reach the playoffs.
On June 15, 1989, the new Orlando Magic team picked Reggie in a special draft for new teams. The Magic were a new team and struggled, winning only 18 games. Reggie averaged 18.9 points and 5.4 assists with them.
The New Jersey Nets traded for Reggie on June 25, 1990. In the 1990–1991 season, he led the Nets in scoring with 18.6 points per game. He also had 4.7 assists. This was Reggie's last season in the NBA.
Reggie Theus scored a total of 19,015 points and had 6,453 assists in his NBA career. He played in 1026 NBA games. He averaged 18.5 points and 6.3 assists per game.
After the NBA, he played one season in Italy for Ranger Varese. He also played for Aris in the Greek Cup Final in 1993.
Reggie Theus is one of only two players in NBA history who are 6 feet 6 inches or taller to have more than 750 assists in one season. He had 788 assists in the 1985–86 season. The other player is NBA legend Magic Johnson.
Reggie Theus' Coaching Career
Coaching College Teams
In 2005, Reggie Theus became the head coach for the New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team. In his first year, he helped the Aggies improve a lot. They went from winning only 6 games to winning 16 games. In his second year, Reggie led New Mexico State to their first NCAA tournament since 1999. They also won their conference tournament, which gave them an automatic spot in the NCAA tournament.
In 2013, Reggie became the head coach at California State University Northridge. In his first season, he led them to a 17-18 record. They even made it to the finals of the Big West Conference. However, they lost to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. On March 6, 2018, Cal State Northridge and Theus went their separate ways.
On July 7, 2021, Reggie Theus was named the head men's basketball coach and athletic director at Bethune–Cookman.
Coaching in the NBA
On June 19, 2007, Reggie Theus was hired as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. He felt like his career had come "full circle" because he used to play for the Kings. On December 15, 2008, the Kings fired Theus. Their assistant coach, Kenny Natt, took over. Reggie then worked as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2009 to 2011.
In October 2012, Theus became the head coach of the Los Angeles D-Fenders. This team is part of the NBA D-League, which is a league for players who are developing their skills.
Awards and Honors
- Two-time NBA All-Star (1981, 1983)
- Named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team (1979)
- Inducted into the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989.
- His jersey number 23 was retired by UNLV in 1997.
- His Number 23 jersey was also retired by Inglewood High School in 2014.
Acting and Broadcasting Career
Reggie Theus has hosted different talk shows in cities like Sacramento, Orlando, and Atlanta. For several years, he worked as a studio analyst for Turner Sports and the Los Angeles Lakers.
From 1995 to 1997, Theus played a high school basketball coach named Bill Fuller in the TV show Hang Time. He also provided commentary for the video game NBA Live 2000. Theus has made small appearances in movies like Book of Love, Forget Paris, and Like Mike. He also called Pac-12 basketball games for Fox Sports Net.
Reggie Theus' Personal Life
Reggie Theus is married to Elaine. They have three children named Raquel (Roqui), Reginald, and Rhyan. Reggie also has a son, Brennen Davis, who is a baseball player.
