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Sam Perkins facts for kids

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Sam Perkins
Sam Perkins 2016 (cropped).jpg
Perkins in 2016
Personal information
Born (1961-06-14) June 14, 1961 (age 64)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
High school
Listed height 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight 235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
College North Carolina (1980–1984)
NBA Draft 1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall
Selected by the Dallas Mavericks
Pro career 1984–2001
Career history
1984–1990 Dallas Mavericks
1990–1993 Los Angeles Lakers
1993–1998 Seattle SuperSonics
1999–2001 Indiana Pacers
Career highlights and awards
  • NBA All-Rookie First Team (1985)
  • NCAA champion (1982)
  • 2× Consensus first-team All-American (1983, 1984)
  • Consensus second-team All-American (1982)
  • 3× First-team All-ACC (1982–1984)
  • ACC tournament MVP (1981)
  • ACC Rookie of the Year (1981)
  • No. 41 honored by North Carolina Tar Heels
  • USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (1984)
  • First-team Parade All-American (1980)
  • McDonald's All-American (1980)
Career NBA statistics
Points 15,324 (11.9 ppg)
Rebounds 7,666 (6.0 rpg)
Blocks 933 (0.7 bpg)
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Gold 1984 Los Angeles Team competition
Pan American Games
Gold 1983 Caracas Team competition
FIBA U19 World Championship
Gold 1979 Salvador Team competition

Samuel Bruce Perkins (born June 14, 1961) is a former American professional basketball player. He also worked as an executive after his playing career. Perkins was a top college player, earning All-American honors three times. He helped the North Carolina Tar Heels win the national championship in 1982. Sam also won a gold medal with the 1984 United States men's Olympic basketball team. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 17 seasons.

Sam Perkins' Early Life

Sam Perkins was born in Brooklyn, New York. He went to Samuel J. Tilden High School and later graduated from Shaker High School in Latham, New York. In 1980, he was named the best large-school high school player in New York. He was also chosen for the 35 Greatest Boys McDonald's All-Americans team.

College Basketball Career

Perkins played college basketball for the University of North Carolina from 1980 to 1984. In 1981, he was named ACC Rookie of the Year. He played alongside future NBA stars James Worthy and Michael Jordan. Together, they led the Tar Heels to the 1982 NCAA championship.

Perkins was named an All-American three times during his college career. In 1984, he was honored as the USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. He finished his time at North Carolina as the team's all-time leader in rebounds and blocked shots. He was also the second-highest scorer in the team's history. Perkins graduated from UNC in 1984. He was a co-captain for the U.S. Olympic team that won a gold medal in 1984.

Sam Perkins' Professional Career

The Dallas Mavericks chose Sam Perkins as the fourth overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft. He played as a power forward and center in the NBA from 1984 to 2001. In 1985, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Perkins played for several teams, including the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Indiana Pacers. He once scored a career-high 45 points in a game on April 12, 1990. On January 15, 1997, he tied an NBA record by making eight three-pointers without missing any.

He played in three NBA Finals:

  • The 1991 NBA Finals with the Lakers.
  • The 1996 NBA Finals with the SuperSonics.
  • The 2000 NBA Finals with the Pacers.

Interestingly, all three of these Finals were lost to teams coached by Phil Jackson. In game one of the 1991 NBA Finals, Perkins made a game-winning three-point shot against the Chicago Bulls. He was known by fun nicknames like "Sleepy Sam," "Big Smooth," and "The Big Easy."

Life After Basketball

In 2002, Sam Perkins was recognized as one of the fifty greatest players in Atlantic Coast Conference history. This was part of the ACC's 50th Anniversary men's basketball team.

In 2008, Perkins became the vice president of player relations for the Indiana Pacers. That same year, he was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. He held his position with the Pacers until 2010.

In 2011, Perkins traveled to South Sudan as a Sports Envoy for the U.S. Department of State. He worked with another famous basketball player, Dikembe Mutombo. They led basketball clinics and team-building exercises for young people and coaches. This work helped the State Department's goal of including people with disabilities in society.

Perkins was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. He also runs a summer camp in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for young people. The camp helps them learn basic basketball skills.

Perkins at his basketball camp in 2019
Perkins at his camp in 2019

Personal Life

Sam Perkins was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. During his professional basketball career, he would stand apart from his teammates during the national anthem because of his faith.

Sam Perkins' NBA Career Stats

Sam Perkins played in many playoff games during his career. He has the third-most playoff games played without ever winning an NBA Championship. Only Karl Malone and John Stockton, who played for the Utah Jazz, have played in more playoff games without winning a championship.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sam Perkins para niños

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