Walt Wesley facts for kids
Wesley with the Chicago Bulls in 1969
|
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 25, 1945 Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | March 28, 2024 (aged 79) Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| High school | Dunbar (Fort Myers, Florida) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Kansas (1963–1966) |
| NBA Draft | 1966 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall |
| Selected by the Cincinnati Royals | |
| Pro career | 1966–1975 |
| Career history | |
| 1966–1969 | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1969–1970 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1970–1972 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1972–1973 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1973–1974 | Capital Bullets |
| 1974 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1974–1975 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1975 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 5,002 (8.5 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,243 (5.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 385 (0.7 apg) |
Walter "Walt" Wesley was a tall and talented American basketball player. He was born on January 25, 1945, and passed away on March 28, 2024. Walt played as a center in the NBA for many years. He was known for his strong play in college and his exciting time with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Walt Wesley grew up in Fort Myers, Florida. His parents were Leroy and Josie Wesley. He went to Dunbar High School in Fort Myers. He was a great basketball player there.
College Basketball Career
Walt Wesley was a top player in high school. Back then, many university basketball teams were not recruiting African-American players. But Walt was lucky to be recruited by schools in the Midwest. He chose to play for the University of Kansas.
At 6 feet 11 inches tall, Walt was a powerful center. He became a two-time All-American player. This means he was recognized as one of the best college players in the country.
In his first year playing for Kansas (1963–64), he scored about 10.5 points per game. He also grabbed 5.9 rebounds per game. In his second year, he became even better. He averaged 23.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
During his final year (1965–66), Walt averaged 20.7 points and 9.3 rebounds. The Jayhawks, his team, won the Big 8 championship. They had a great record of 23 wins and 4 losses.
A famous game from his college career happened in 1966. Kansas played against Texas Western. Walt's teammate, Jo Jo White, made a shot that seemed to win the game. But a referee called a foul, and Kansas lost in overtime. This game was so important it helped inspire the movie Glory Road.
To honor his amazing career, the University of Kansas retired Walt's jersey. His number 13 hangs on a banner in Allen Fieldhouse. This happened on December 18, 2004.
College 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 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963–64 | Kansas | 16 | - | - | .450 | - | .597 | 5.9 | - | - | - | 10.6 |
| 1964–65 | Kansas | 25 | - | - | .496 | - | .576 | 8.8 | - | - | - | 23.5 |
| 1965–66 | Kansas | 27 | - | - | .478 | - | .607 | 9.3 | - | - | - | 20.7 |
| Career | 68 | - | - | .482 | - | .594 | 8.3 | - | - | - | 19.3 | |
NBA Professional Career
In 1966, Walt Wesley was chosen by the Cincinnati Royals in the NBA draft. He was the sixth player picked overall.
During his first three seasons with the Royals, he played as a backup center. He averaged about 4.9 to 7.6 points per game. He also grabbed around 5 rebounds per game.
Before the 1969–70 season, Walt was traded to the Chicago Bulls. His playing time increased, and he averaged 9.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. These were career bests for him at that time.
His most successful NBA season came in 1970–71 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was chosen by the Cavaliers in a special "expansion draft." As the Cavaliers' starting center, Walt played in all 82 games. He led the team with career-high averages of 17.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
On December 6, 1970, he scored 36 points against the New York Knicks. Even more amazing, on February 19, 1971, Walt scored a career-high 50 points! This incredible game was against his former team, the Cincinnati Royals. He made 20 shots from the field and 10 free throws.
After his time with the Cavaliers, Walt played for several other teams. These included the Phoenix Suns, Capital Bullets, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Lakers. He mostly played as a backup in these later years.
Walt Wesley played 10 seasons in the NBA. He averaged 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game over his entire career.
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
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966–67 | Cincinnati | 64 | - | 14.2 | .393 | - | .423 | 5.1 | 0.3 | - | - | 4.9 |
| 1967–68 | Cincinnati | 66 | - | 13.9 | .465 | - | .500 | 4.3 | 0.5 | - | - | 6.8 |
| 1968–69 | Cincinnati | 82 | - | 16.3 | .459 | - | .647 | 4.9 | 0.6 | - | - | 7.6 |
| 1969–70 | Chicago | 72 | - | 19.5 | .417 | - | .662 | 6.3 | 0.9 | - | - | 9.5 |
| 1970–71 | Cleveland | 82 | - | 29.6 | .455 | - | .687 | 8.7 | 1.0 | - | - | 17.7 |
| 1971–72 | Cleveland | 82 | - | 26.6 | .410 | - | .674 | 8.7 | 0.9 | - | - | 12.4 |
| 1972–73 | Cleveland | 12 | - | 9.2 | .298 | - | .667 | 3.2 | 0.6 | - | - | 3.0 |
| 1972–73 | Phoenix | 45 | - | 8.1 | .406 | - | .529 | 2.5 | 0.5 | - | - | 3.2 |
| 1973–74 | Capital | 39 | - | 10.3 | .470 | - | .605 | 3.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 4.3 |
| 1974–75 | Philadelphia | 4 | - | 8.3 | .556 | - | .500 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| 1974–75 | Milwaukee | 41 | - | 5.2 | .440 | - | .609 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.1 |
| 1975–76 | Los Angeles | 1 | - | 7.0 | .500 | - | .500 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 |
| Career | 590 | - | 17.5 | .434 | - | .630 | 5.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 8.5 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966–67 | Cincinnati | 3 | - | 7.7 | .200 | - | .000 | 3.0 | 0.0 | - | - | 1.3 |
| 1969–70 | Chicago | 4 | - | 14.8 | .516 | - | .500 | 4.8 | 0.5 | - | - | 9.5 |
| 1973–74 | Capital | 1 | - | 1.0 | .000 | - | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Career | 8 | - | 10.4 | .439 | - | .500 | 3.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.3 | |
Life After Playing Basketball
After retiring from playing, Walt Wesley became a basketball coach. He was an assistant coach at the University of Kansas. He also coached at Western Michigan University and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Walt received many honors for his basketball achievements. His jersey was retired by both the University of Kansas and Dunbar High School. He was inducted into several Halls of Fame, including:
- Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame
- Kansas Hall of Fame
- University of Kansas Hall Of Fame
- National High School Basketball Hall of Fame
- Court of Legends
- Florida Association of Basketball Coaches
He also received the "Jessie Owens Award of Excellence" from the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. This award recognized his sports and charity work.
In 2018, Walt was honored in a special way. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra created a new song just for him. It was called "Walt's Waltz."
Walt Wesley passed away on March 28, 2024, at the age of 79. He died from leukemia.
See also
In Spanish: Walt Wesley para niños
