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Sean Elliott
Sean Elliott USDHHS 2008 Calendar.jpg
Elliott in 2008
Personal information
Born (1968-02-02) February 2, 1968 (age 57)
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
High school Cholla (Tucson, Arizona)
Listed height 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight 220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College Arizona (1985–1989)
NBA Draft 1989 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the San Antonio Spurs
Pro career 1989–2001
Career history
1989–1993 San Antonio Spurs
1993–1994 Detroit Pistons
1994–2001 San Antonio Spurs
Career highlights and awards
  • NBA champion (1999)
  • 2× NBA All-Star (1993, 1996)
  • NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1990)
  • No. 32 retired by San Antonio Spurs
  • John R. Wooden Award (1989)
  • Adolph Rupp Trophy (1989)
  • NABC Player of the Year (1989)
  • AP Player of the Year (1989)
  • 2× Consensus first-team All-American (1988, 1989)
  • 2× Pac-10 Player of the Year (1988, 1989)
  • 3× First-team All-Pac-10 (1987–1989)
  • 2× Pac-10 tournament MVP (1988, 1989)
  • Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (1986)
  • No. 32 retired by Arizona Wildcats
  • McDonald's All-American (1985)
Career NBA statistics
Points 10,544 (14.2 ppg)
Rebounds 3,204 (4.3 rpg)
Assists 1,897 (2.6 apg)
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA World Championship
Gold 1986 Spain National team
Summer Universiade
Silver 1987 Zagreb National team

Sean Michael Elliott (born February 2, 1968) is a former American professional basketball player. He was a talented small forward in both college and the NBA. Sean Elliott played for the University of Arizona, where he had an amazing college career.

He was named an All-American twice. In 1989, he won several top awards, including the John R. Wooden Award. He was also the Pac-12 Player of the Year in 1988 and 1989.

Sean Elliott was the third player chosen in the 1989 NBA draft. He was part of the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 1990. He was also selected for the NBA All-Star game twice. In 1999, he helped his team win an NBA championship. Both the University of Arizona and the San Antonio Spurs have retired his jersey number 32.

Early Life & School Years

Sean Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona. He was the youngest of three brothers. He went to Tolson Elementary School, where he was part of a special program for gifted students. Later, he played basketball at Cholla High School in Tucson.

College Basketball Career

After finishing high school in 1985, Sean Elliott stayed in Tucson. He decided to play college basketball at the University of Arizona. His coach was Lute Olson.

  • Sean was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in his first year.
  • He was chosen as an All-American during his junior and senior years.
  • In 1988, he led the Wildcats to the Final Four.
  • Elliott broke the all-time Pac-10 scoring record, which was previously held by Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).
  • After a fantastic senior year, he won the Wooden Award.
  • He is still the University of Arizona's top scorer of all time.
Sean Elliott - Arizona Wildcats
Elliott playing for the Arizona Wildcats

Sean also played for the U.S. national team in 1986. They won the gold medal at the 1986 FIBA World Championship.

College Statistics Overview

Here's a quick look at Sean Elliott's college basketball stats:

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1985–86 Arizona 32 ... 33.7 .486 ... .749 5.3 2.2 0.7 0.3 15.6
1986–87 Arizona 30 ... 34.9 .510 .371 .770 6.0 3.7 0.7 0.2 19.3
1987–88 Arizona 38 ... 32.9 .570 .471 .793 5.8 3.6 0.7 0.4 19.6
1988–89 Arizona 33 ... 34.1 .480 .504 .841 7.2 4.1 1.0 0.3 22.3
Career ... 133 ... 33.8 .512 .456 .793 6.1 3.4 0.8 0.3 19.2

NBA Professional Career

Playing for the San Antonio Spurs (1989–1993)

The San Antonio Spurs picked Sean Elliott third in the 1989 NBA draft. In his first season, he started in 69 games and scored 10 points per game. The Spurs made it to the playoffs that year.

In his second season, Elliott became a permanent starter. His scoring improved to 15.9 points per game. The Spurs won 55 games but lost in the first round of the playoffs. In the 1991–92 season, he averaged 16.3 points, but the Spurs were swept in the playoffs.

During the 1992–93 season, Elliott averaged 17.2 points per game. He scored a career-high 41 points against the Dallas Mavericks. He was chosen to play in the 1993 NBA All-Star Game with his teammate David Robinson. The Spurs won their first playoff series that year.

Time with the Detroit Pistons (1993–1994)

Sean Elliott played for the Detroit Pistons during the 1993–94 season. He was traded there in a deal that involved Dennis Rodman. Elliott had a tough time with the Pistons.

A trade to the Houston Rockets fell through because Elliott failed a physical exam. He then announced that he had a kidney problem. Elliott stayed with the Pistons for the rest of the season. After the season, he was traded back to the Spurs.

Returning to the San Antonio Spurs (1994–1998)

In the 1994–95 season, the Spurs won 62 games. This was thanks to Elliott and MVP David Robinson. The Spurs were the top team in the Western Conference. Elliott scored 26 points in a key playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs eventually lost to the Houston Rockets in the conference finals.

The 1995–96 season was Sean Elliott's best. He averaged a career-high 20 points per game. He also made 161 three-pointers, which was a career best. He played in the 1996 NBA All-Star Game. The next two seasons, Elliott faced injuries. These injuries limited him to playing only 39 games and then 36 games.

NBA Championship & Kidney Transplant (1998–2001)

The 1998–99 NBA season was shorter due to a league lockout. The Spurs won 37 of 50 games, led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Elliott started all 50 games, averaging 11.2 points. The Spurs reached the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.

During Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, Elliott made a famous shot. With seconds left, he caught the ball near the sideline. He shot a 21-foot three-pointer over Rasheed Wallace. The shot went in, giving the Spurs a one-point lead and the win. This shot is known as the "Memorial Day Miracle". The Spurs went on to win their first NBA Championship in five games.

Soon after winning the championship, Elliott shared that he had a serious kidney disease. He needed a kidney transplant. On August 16, 1999, he received a kidney from his older brother, Noel.

Sean Elliott March 2000 (cropped)
Elliott (left) at the Alamodome in March 2000

On March 13, 2000, Sean Elliott made history. He became the first professional athlete to return to his sport after a kidney transplant. He played in 19 games that season. In the 2000–01 season, he played in 52 games. The Spurs had the best record in the league but lost in the playoffs.

Retirement from Basketball

Sean Elliott announced his retirement from basketball in 2001. He finished his career with averages of 14.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He is one of the Spurs' top players for three-point shots made and attempted.

NBA Career Statistics

Here are Sean Elliott's career statistics in the NBA:

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular Season Stats

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1989–90 San Antonio 81 69 25.1 .481 .111 .866 3.7 1.9 0.6 0.2 10.0
1990–91 San Antonio 82 82 37.1 .490 .313 .808 5.6 2.9 0.8 0.4 15.9
1991–92 San Antonio 82 82 38.0 .494 .305 .861 5.4 2.6 1.0 0.4 16.3
1992–93 San Antonio 70 70 37.2 .491 .356 .798 4.6 3.8 1.0 0.4 17.2
1993–94 Detroit 73 73 33.0 .455 .299 .803 3.6 2.7 0.7 0.4 12.1
1994–95 San Antonio 81 81 35.3 .468 .408 .807 3.5 2.5 1.0 0.5 18.1
1995–96 San Antonio 77 77 37.7 .466 .411 .771 5.1 2.7 0.9 0.4 20.0
1996–97 San Antonio 39 39 35.7 .422 .333 .755 4.9 3.2 0.6 0.6 14.9
1997–98 San Antonio 36 36 28.1 .403 .378 .718 3.4 1.7 0.7 0.4 9.3
1998–99† San Antonio 50* 50* 30.2 .410 .328 .757 4.3 2.3 0.5 0.3 11.2
1999–2000 San Antonio 19 19 20.6 .358 .351 .781 2.5 1.5 0.6 0.1 6.0
2000–01 San Antonio 52 34 23.6 .434 .426 .714 3.3 1.6 0.4 0.5 7.9
Career 742 712 33.0 .465 .375 .800 4.3 2.6 0.8 0.4 14.2
All-Star 2 0 18.5 .333 .333 .800 3.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 9.0

Playoff Season Stats

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1990 San Antonio 10 10 29.1 .552 .000 .724 4.1 1.8 0.9 0.6 12.7
1991 San Antonio 4 4 33.0 .425 .000 .781 5.5 4.0 1.0 0.3 14.8
1992 San Antonio 3 3 45.7 .475 .625 .889 4.3 2.7 1.0 1.3 19.7
1993 San Antonio 10 10 38.1 .472 .214 .925 4.8 3.6 0.8 0.3 15.8
1995 San Antonio 15 15 38.3 .435 .364 .776 4.8 2.7 0.7 0.5 17.3
1996 San Antonio 10 10 38.9 .402 .294 .797 3.9 2.5 1.1 0.4 15.5
1999† San Antonio 17 17 33.8 .444 .400 .763 3.4 2.6 0.5 0.2 11.9
2000 San Antonio 4 4 29.8 .375 .385 .625 5.5 1.3 0.0 0.5 10.0
2001 San Antonio 12 0 19.9 .373 .364 1.000 2.2 1.2 0.4 0.5 4.8
Career 85 73 33.4 .445 .356 .801 4.0 2.4 0.7 0.4 13.2

Life After the NBA

After retiring from playing basketball, Sean Elliott became a basketball analyst. He worked for The NBA on NBC and later for ABC Sports and ESPN. In 2004, he became the color commentator for the Spurs' local games. He also joined Fox Sports 1 in 2013 to call college basketball games.

On March 6, 2005, the San Antonio Spurs honored Sean Elliott. They retired his jersey number 32. It now hangs in the AT&T Center. The University of Arizona also retired his number 32.

See also

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