Tree Rollins facts for kids
Rollins in 2012
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | June 16, 1955 Winter Haven, Florida, U.S. |
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| High school | Crisp County (Cordele, Georgia) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Clemson (1973–1977) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1977 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Atlanta Hawks | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1977–1995 | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1993–2015 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 1977–1988 | Atlanta Hawks | |||||||||||||
| 1988–1990 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | Detroit Pistons | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Orlando Magic | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 1993–1999 | Orlando Magic (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Washington Wizards (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Indiana Pacers (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Greenville Groove | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Washington Mystics (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Washington Mystics | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Chicago Sky (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 6,249 (5.4 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 6,750 (5.8 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Blocks | 2,542 (2.2 bpg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins (born June 16, 1955) is a former American professional basketball player. He played for 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, and Orlando Magic.
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Playing Career Highlights
Tree Rollins was a very tall player, standing 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 meters) and weighing 235 pounds (107 kg). He played as a center for the Clemson University team before joining the NBA. He was known for his amazing defense, especially for getting rebounds and blocking shots.
On February 21, 1979, while playing for the Atlanta Hawks, Rollins blocked 12 shots in one game. This was his personal best! He was so good at blocking shots that he finished in the top three in the league six times. He even led the entire league in blocked shots during the 1982–83 NBA season. That year, he was also second in voting for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
When he retired in 1995, Tree Rollins was fourth all-time in career blocked shots. Only Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Mark Eaton had more. Today, he is ninth on that list, with a total of 2,542 blocks. Because of his strong defense, he earned the nickname "The Intimidator."
A Memorable Moment
In 1983, during a playoff game, Tree Rollins had a famous moment with Danny Ainge of the Boston Celtics. Rollins elbowed Ainge, and Ainge tackled Rollins. During the struggle, Rollins bit Ainge's finger, which needed stitches. Ainge was removed from the game, but Rollins was not. Even though the Celtics won that series, fans sometimes held up signs that said, "If you can't beat 'em, eat 'em!"
Unique Footwear
Tree Rollins has a small, interesting fact about his playing days. He was the last player in the NBA to wear canvas Converse All Stars shoes. This happened during the 1979–80 season. His shoes were a special version with the famous circle star patch removed.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Rollins became a coach. He was a player-coach for the Orlando Magic, meaning he played a little while also being an assistant coach from 1993 to 1999.
He also worked as an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers. He was the head coach for the Greenville Groove team in the National Basketball Development League (NBDL).
Later, Rollins joined the WNBA. He was an assistant coach for the Washington Mystics in 2006. In 2007, he became the interim head coach for the Mystics. He led them to a good record of 17 wins and 14 losses. He coached the Mystics until July 2008. In 2013, he became an assistant coach for the WNBA's Chicago Sky.
Achievements and Honors
- Tree Rollins was the first athlete in any sport at Clemson University to have his jersey number retired. This means no other player can wear his number 30.
- He is the only Clemson basketball player to average a "double-double" (meaning he got double-digit points and rebounds) for four seasons in a row.
- He was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in the 1982–83 season.
- He was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in the 1983–84 season.
See also
In Spanish: Tree Rollins para niños
- List of NBA career blocks leaders
- List of NBA career personal fouls leaders
- List of NBA annual blocks leaders
- List of NBA single-game blocks leaders
- List of NBA single-season blocks per game leaders
