Sleepy Floyd facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | March 6, 1960 Gastonia, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| High school | Hunter Huss (Gastonia, North Carolina) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 172 lb (78 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Georgetown (1978–1982) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1982 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the New Jersey Nets | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1982–1995 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 1982–1983 | New Jersey Nets | |||||||||||||
| 1983–1987 | Golden State Warriors | |||||||||||||
| 1987–1993 | Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | San Antonio Spurs | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | New Jersey Nets | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 12,260 (12.8 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Assists | 5,175 (5.4 apg) | |||||||||||||
| Steals | 1,120 (1.2 spg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Eric Augustus "Sleepy" Floyd (born March 6, 1960) is a former American professional basketball player. He was an NBA All-Star in 1987. Sleepy Floyd is well-known for playing with the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.
Contents
Early Life and Nickname
Floyd was born in Gastonia, North Carolina. He got his famous nickname "Sleepy" when he was playing baseball in the fourth grade. A person watching the game yelled, "Get that kid out of the game. He's sleeping!" And the name stuck!
Sleepy Floyd was a 6-foot-3-inch (1.91 m) guard. He played basketball at Hunter Huss High School in Gastonia. In his junior year, he led his team to win the 1977 North Carolina state basketball championship. They beat rival Ashbrook High, a team that included future basketball star James Worthy.
College Basketball Career
Sleepy Floyd was a fantastic basketball player at Georgetown University. He was even added to the Georgetown University Athletic Hall of Fame later on!
At Georgetown, Floyd was a top player all four years. He led his team in scoring from 1979 to 1982. He was also the team captain in 1981 and 1982. He was chosen for the All-Big East Conference team multiple times. He was also named an All-American in 1981 and 1982.
In his last year at Georgetown, Floyd and his teammate Patrick Ewing helped their team reach the National Championship game. Floyd scored 18 points, had 5 assists, and stole the ball 5 times in a very close 63–62 loss to North Carolina. Sleepy Floyd still holds the record for the most career points at Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball with 2,304 points.
Professional Basketball Career
Sleepy Floyd was chosen by the New Jersey Nets as the 13th pick in the 1982 NBA draft. During his first year, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors.
Floyd quickly became a star player for the Warriors. In his first full season with them, he averaged 16.8 points per game. In the 1984–85 NBA season, he scored a career-high average of 19.5 points per game. Two seasons later, he averaged 18.8 points and 10.3 assists. This earned him a spot on the 1987 NBA All-Star Team. On December 6 of that season, Floyd scored a career-high 41 points in a game against the Dallas Mavericks.
During the 1987 NBA Playoffs, Floyd played a big part in helping the Warriors upset the Karl Malone-led Utah Jazz in the first round. He averaged 21.4 points, 10.2 assists, and 1.8 steals in 10 playoff games. However, in the next round, the Warriors were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers.
In December 1987, Floyd was traded to the Houston Rockets. On February 26, 1991, he scored 40 points in only 24 minutes of play. This was the fewest minutes ever needed for a player to score 40 points in an NBA game! He played 5½ seasons with the Rockets.
After his time with the Rockets, he played one season with the San Antonio Spurs in 1993. He then returned to the New Jersey Nets for his final season. He retired in 1995.
Sleepy Floyd holds an amazing NBA playoff record! In Game 4 of the 1987 Western Conference Semifinals against the Lakers, he scored 29 points in one quarter and 39 points in one half. Both are NBA playoff records! He made 12 shots in a row in the fourth quarter, finishing the game with 51 points. This helped prevent the Warriors from being swept by the Lakers.
Over his career, Sleepy Floyd scored 12,260 points, made 5,175 assists, and had 1,120 steals.
After Basketball
After retiring from the NBA, Sleepy Floyd ran a restaurant for three years. He also started a company that helps people manage their money. From 2004 to 2005, he coached junior varsity boys' basketball at Gaston Day School in his hometown of Gastonia, North Carolina.
In January 2014, Floyd went with a group of basketball players to North Korea for a special game. This event was called "basketball diplomacy". However, less than half a day after arriving, Floyd felt that he had been "misled" about the trip.
See also
In Spanish: Sleepy Floyd para niños
- List of NBA single-game playoff scoring leaders
