Sidney Moncrief facts for kids
Moncrief in 2015
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 21, 1957 Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
| High school | Hall (Little Rock, Arkansas) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Arkansas (1975–1979) |
| NBA Draft | 1979 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall |
| Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Pro career | 1979–1991 |
| Coaching career | 1999–2013 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1979–1989 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1990–1991 | Atlanta Hawks |
| As coach: | |
| 1999–2000 | Arkansas–Little Rock |
| 2006–2007 | Fort Worth Flyers |
| 2007–2008 | Golden State Warriors (assistant) |
| 2011–2013 | Milwaukee Bucks (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 11,931 (15.6 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,575 (4.7 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,793 (3.6 apg) |
Sidney Alvin Moncrief, born on September 21, 1957, is a famous American former basketball player. From 1975 to 1979, he played college basketball for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. He helped them reach the 1978 Final Four tournament. They even won a game against Notre Dame there.
People called him 'Sid the Squid' or 'Sir Sid'. Sidney played 11 seasons in the NBA. Ten of those seasons were with the Milwaukee Bucks. He was chosen for the NBA All-Star team five times. He also won the first two NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1983 and 1984. In 2019, he was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Contents
Sidney Moncrief's Early Life
Sidney Alvin Moncrief was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on September 21, 1957.
College Basketball Career
Sidney Moncrief, along with Marvin Delph and Ron Brewer, were known as "The Triplets." With coaches Eddie Sutton and Gene Keady, they helped make the University of Arkansas basketball team very strong in the 1970s. This team became one of the best college basketball programs in the country.
Moncrief led the Razorbacks to win the Southwest Conference (SWC) championship in 1977, 1978, and 1979. They also won the SWC Tournament in 1977 and 1979. In 1978, Moncrief helped Arkansas reach the Final Four. They lost to Kentucky in the semi-finals but beat Notre Dame in the third-place game. The next year, Moncrief's team lost to Larry Bird and Indiana State in a close game. Sidney's amazing play made people excited about Arkansas basketball again. He started a new winning tradition for the team.
After he graduated, the University of Arkansas retired his jersey number. He was one of only two players to have this honor. Moncrief was the school's top scorer for a long time until Todd Day broke his record in 1992. Even at 6 feet 4 inches tall, he still holds the school record for the most rebounds in a career, with 1015.
On November 10, 2014, Moncrief was added to the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame. On February 7, 2015, Arkansas officially honored him. His name was put on a banner hung in the Razorbacks’ new arena, Bud Walton Arena. He was the first player in Arkansas history to have his number retired. Moncrief is also in the University of Arkansas Hall of Honor.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Milwaukee Bucks (1979–1989)
Sidney Moncrief started his NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1979. He was the 5th player chosen in the 1979 NBA draft. In his very last game as a rookie, he scored 13 points and helped his team win against the Utah Jazz.
During the 1980-81 NBA season, Moncrief helped the Bucks win 60 games. This was the third-best record in the league. He averaged 14 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. The next year, in a playoff game, Moncrief made a last-second shot to beat the Philadelphia 76ers.
On December 5, 1982, Moncrief set a personal best with 7 steals in a game. On February 24, 1983, he scored a career-high 42 points against the Houston Rockets. In the playoffs that year, Moncrief led the Bucks to beat Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics. He averaged 23.2 points per game in that series. The Bucks then played the 76ers, who were the champions that year. Milwaukee was the only team to beat Philadelphia in a playoff game that season.
On November 30, 1983, Moncrief scored 25 points and blocked a career-high 4 shots. The next month, he got his first triple-double. This means he had at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in one game.
On December 5, 1984, Moncrief and his teammates Terry Cummings and Paul Pressey scored 76 points together. This was 67% of Milwaukee's total points in their win against the Detroit Pistons. The Bucks had a great season again, winning 59 games. They beat Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. But they lost to Philadelphia again in the next round.
On March 15, 1986, Moncrief played the entire game, all 48 minutes. He scored 27 points and had a career-high 12 assists against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. In the playoffs that year, Milwaukee beat the Philadelphia 76ers in a tough seven-game series. Moncrief was hurt and could only play in three games. But the Bucks won every game he played in. This helped them reach the Eastern Conference finals for the third time with Moncrief. However, they lost to the Boston Celtics.
During the 1987 NBA Playoffs, Moncrief scored a playoff-career high of 34 points against the Boston Celtics. This was a great performance, especially since Dennis Johnson, a strong defender, was guarding him. The Bucks lost that series in 7 games. This was likely the last healthy playoff series of Moncrief's career. He averaged 20.9 points per game.
By December 1988, Moncrief was often missing games because of knee and foot injuries. He scored 25 points in a win against the Dallas Mavericks. Moncrief retired from the NBA for the first time after the playoffs that year.
Playing for the Atlanta Hawks (1990–1991)
After not playing in the NBA for one year, Moncrief played one season with the Atlanta Hawks. He retired after their playoff run. On May 2, 1991, Moncrief scored 23 points in only 22 minutes during a game against the Detroit Pistons. The Hawks eventually lost that series.
The Bucks retired his number 4 jersey in 1990. They honored him again on January 19, 2008, when the Warriors, where he was a coach, played the Bucks.
Sidney Moncrief's Legacy
In the 1980s, Sidney Moncrief was the main player for the Milwaukee Bucks. His team had the third-best winning record during that decade. Only the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics had better records. Moncrief was known for being able to do many things on the court, even though he was 6 feet 4 inches tall. He was especially famous for his strong defense.
Many people thought he was one of the best shooting guards of his time. However, his team never made it to the NBA Finals. The Bucks often lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. Moncrief won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in both the 1982–83 and 1983–84 seasons. He was also an All-Star for five years in a row. He was named to the All-NBA first team for the 1982–83 season. Moncrief scored over 20 points per game in four seasons. He finished his 11-season NBA career averaging 15.6 points per game. As of 2024, Moncrief still holds the Bucks' record for career offensive rating (119.7).
His career was affected by a knee problem that hurt the cartilage in both of his knees. Starting in 1986, he also often missed games because of a foot injury that kept coming back.
All-Star Michael Jordan admired Moncrief. He once told a reporter, "When you play against Moncrief, you're in for a night of all-around basketball. He'll hound you everywhere you go, both ends of the court. You just expect it."
Another great player, Larry Bird, said Moncrief could defend anyone. He said, "Moncrief does everything you’re supposed to do on defense and doesn’t take any shortcuts, plus he does it every night.”
Moncrief was elected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. He was also added to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. Finally, Moncrief was chosen for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
NBA Career Statistics
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–80 | Milwaukee | 77 | — | 20.2 | .468 | .000 | .795 | 4.4 | 1.7 | .9 | .2 | 8.5 |
| 1980–81 | Milwaukee | 80 | — | 30.2 | .541 | .222 | .804 | 5.1 | 3.3 | 1.1 | .5 | 14.0 |
| 1981–82 | Milwaukee | 80 | 80 | 37.3 | .523 | .071 | .817 | 6.7 | 4.8 | 1.7 | .3 | 19.8 |
| 1982–83 | Milwaukee | 76 | 76 | 35.7 | .524 | .100 | .826 | 5.8 | 3.9 | 1.5 | .3 | 22.5 |
| 1983–84 | Milwaukee | 79 | 79 | 38.9 | .498 | .278 | .848 | 6.7 | 4.5 | 1.4 | .3 | 20.9 |
| 1984–85 | Milwaukee | 73 | 72 | 37.5 | .483 | .273 | .828 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 1.6 | .5 | 21.7 |
| 1985–86 | Milwaukee | 73 | 72 | 35.2 | .489 | .320 | .859 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 1.4 | .2 | 20.2 |
| 1986–87 | Milwaukee | 39 | 30 | 25.4 | .488 | .258 | .840 | 3.3 | 3.1 | .7 | .3 | 11.8 |
| 1987–88 | Milwaukee | 56 | 51 | 25.5 | .489 | .161 | .837 | 3.2 | 3.6 | .7 | .3 | 10.8 |
| 1988–89 | Milwaukee | 62 | 50 | 25.7 | .491 | .342 | .865 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .2 | 12.1 |
| 1990–91 | Atlanta | 72 | 3 | 15.2 | .488 | .328 | .781 | 1.8 | 1.4 | .7 | .1 | 4.7 |
| Career | 767 | 513 | 30.2 | .502 | .284 | .831 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 1.2 | .3 | 15.6 | |
| All-Star | 5 | 2 | 23.8 | .404 | 1.000 | .864 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 | .4 | 11.6 | |
Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Milwaukee | 7 | — | 26.0 | .588 | .000 | .871 | 4.4 | 1.6 | .7 | .1 | 12.4 |
| 1981 | Milwaukee | 7 | — | 39.6 | .435 | .000 | .745 | 6.7 | 2.9 | 1.7 | .4 | 14.0 |
| 1982 | Milwaukee | 6 | — | 42.0 | .419 | .000 | .789 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 1.5 | .3 | 15.3 |
| 1983 | Milwaukee | 9 | — | 41.9 | .437 | .000 | .754 | 6.7 | 3.7 | 2.0 | .3 | 18.9 |
| 1984 | Milwaukee | 16 | — | 38.6 | .518 | .250 | .791 | 6.9 | 4.3 | 1.8 | .6 | 19.1 |
| 1985 | Milwaukee | 8 | 7 | 39.9 | .556 | .400 | .933 | 4.3 | 5.0 | .6 | .5 | 23.0 |
| 1986 | Milwaukee | 9 | 9 | 36.3 | .426 | .286 | .698 | 4.6 | 4.9 | .6 | .6 | 16.9 |
| 1987 | Milwaukee | 12 | 10 | 35.5 | .473 | .286 | .811 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 1.1 | .5 | 19.4 |
| 1988 | Milwaukee | 5 | 5 | 34.6 | .480 | 1.000 | .963 | 3.8 | 5.2 | .6 | .2 | 15.0 |
| 1989 | Milwaukee | 9 | 9 | 20.4 | .396 | .286 | .938 | 2.9 | 1.4 | .6 | .2 | 6.1 |
| 1991 | Atlanta | 5 | 0 | 18.2 | .500 | .167 | .813 | 3.2 | .4 | .6 | .0 | 7.2 |
| Career | 93 | 40 | 34.7 | .475 | .293 | .811 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 1.1 | .4 | 16.0 | |
Coaching Career
Coaching at Arkansas–Little Rock (1999–2000)
Moncrief was the head coach at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock for one season, from 1999 to 2000. His team won 4 games and lost 24.
Coaching the Fort Worth Flyers (2006–2007)
In 2006, Moncrief returned to basketball as the head coach of the Fort Worth Flyers. This was a professional basketball team in the NBA D-League.
Coaching the Golden State Warriors (2007–2008)
He joined the NBA again in October 2007. He became the shooting coach for the Golden State Warriors.
Coaching the Milwaukee Bucks (2011-2013)
In 2011, he went back to the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach.
Broadcasting Career
In July 2013, it was announced that Moncrief would analyze and commentate Bucks games for FSN Wisconsin.
Life After Playing Basketball
Books Written by Sidney Moncrief
- Moncrief: My Journey to the NBA (1990, with Myra McLarey) ISBN: 9780874831139
- Your Passport to Becoming a Valuable Team Player: Your Travel Guide for Peak Performance at Work and Home (2012, with Kisha Wetherall) ISBN: 9780983828518
Sidney Moncrief's Family Life
Moncrief has four sons. His son Brett played football as a wide receiver for two colleges. His nephew Albrey Battle played in the Arena Football League.
After retiring from basketball for the first time in 1989, Moncrief opened a car dealership in Sherwood, Arkansas. He also owned another car dealership later.
Looking back in 2021, Moncrief said he now appreciates his awards more than when he was playing. He said, "When you retire, and you have time to reflect upon your career, I started to have a greater appreciation for what I was able to accomplish."
On May 15, 2021, Moncrief spoke at the Hall of Fame ceremony for his former coach Eddie Sutton.
See also
In Spanish: Sidney Moncrief para niños
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds
