Wayne Embry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wayne Embry

Embry in the 1964–1965 Cincinnati Royals program
Personal information
Born	(1937-03-26) March 26, 1937 (age 88) Springfield, Ohio, U.S.
High school	Tecumseh (New Carlisle, Ohio)
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
College	Miami (Ohio) (1955–1958)
NBA Draft	1958 / Round: 3 / Pick: 22nd overall
Selected by the St. Louis Hawks
Pro career	1958–1969
Career history
1958–1966	Cincinnati Royals
1966–1968	Boston Celtics
1968–1969	Milwaukee Bucks
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (1968) 5× NBA All-Star (1961–1965) 2× First-team All-MAC (1957, 1958) No. 23 retired by Miami RedHawks As executive: 2× NBA Executive of the Year (1992, 1998) NBA champion (2019)
Career statistics
Points	10,380 (12.5 ppg)
Rebounds	7,544 (9.1 rpg)
Assists	1,194 (1.4 apg)

Wayne Embry (left) and David Robinson meeting with Reuven Rivlin, president of Israel, in August 2017

Wayne Richard Embry (born March 26, 1937) is a famous American former professional basketball player. He also became a very important basketball executive. Embry played as a center for 11 years, from 1958 to 1969. He played for the Cincinnati Royals, Boston Celtics, and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

After his playing days, Embry became the first African-American general manager and team president in NBA history. In 1999, he was honored by being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Since 2004, Embry has been a senior basketball advisor for the Toronto Raptors.

Early Life and High School

Wayne Embry was born on March 26, 1937, in Springfield, Ohio. He grew up on a family farm outside Springfield. His family was not rich, and his father also worked as a car mechanic.

Wayne went to Tecumseh High School near New Carlisle, Ohio. He was a great basketball player there for three years. By the time he was 15, he was already 6 feet 4 inches tall. In his senior year (1954), his team had a perfect regular season.

When Embry first started at Tecumseh, he was the only African-American student. He faced some tough times because of this. His parents told him to be strong and believe in himself. This lesson stayed with him throughout his life.

College Basketball Career

Wayne Embry went to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. His coach, Bill Rohr, convinced him to come by focusing on school first, not just basketball. Embry was nicknamed "Goose" by his teammates.

He became a top player in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). He led his team, the Miami Redskins (now RedHawks), to conference championships. They also played in the NCAA Tournament in 1957 and 1958. Embry was the best scorer and rebounder in the MAC during those years.

Embry still holds several records at Miami University. He has the best career rebounding average. He is also second in total rebounds. In one amazing game, he grabbed 34 rebounds and scored 39 points! He was one of the first Miami players to get over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his college career.

He was honored as an All-America player in 1957 and 1958. In 1970, he was inducted into the Miami Athletics Hall of Fame. His jersey number, 23, was retired, meaning no other player at Miami will wear it. Embry also earned a degree in education from Miami.

NBA Playing Career

The St. Louis Hawks first drafted Wayne Embry in 1958. But before he played for them, he was traded to the Cincinnati Royals.

Playing for the Cincinnati Royals

In 1958, Embry joined the Cincinnati Royals. The team was rebuilding after their star player, Maurice Stokes, became paralyzed. Embry was the only African-American player on the Royals' team.

As a rookie, Embry played well, averaging 11.4 points and 9 rebounds per game. The team struggled at first. Then, in 1960, future Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson joined the Royals. This changed everything for the team and for Embry.

Embry became a key player alongside Robertson. He was known for his strong picks and for protecting his teammates. He was so strong that he was nicknamed "The Wall." From 1961 to 1965, Embry was selected as an NBA All-Star five times in a row.

The Royals improved a lot with Robertson and Embry. In the 1962-63 season, they reached the Eastern Division Finals. They played against the powerful Boston Celtics led by Bill Russell. Embry played very well against Russell in that series.

In the 1963–64 season, the Royals had one of the best records in the NBA. They added another future Hall of Famer, Jerry Lucas. Robertson was named the league's Most Valuable Player. Embry had a career-high 39 points in one game that season.

Even with all their talent, the Royals could never beat the Celtics or the Philadelphia 76ers to reach the NBA Finals. In 1966, Embry's playing time was cut, and he decided to retire from the Royals.

Joining the Boston Celtics

After leaving the Royals, Embry almost retired to work for Pepsi-Cola. But his friend, Bill Russell, who was now the player-coach for the Boston Celtics, convinced him to keep playing. Embry agreed to join the Celtics as a backup to Russell.

In his first season with the Celtics (1966-67), Embry played limited minutes. The Celtics lost in the Eastern Division Finals that year. The next season (1967-68), Embry played an important role as a reserve. He helped the Celtics win the NBA championship! He played strong defense against Wilt Chamberlain in a key playoff game.

Final Season with the Milwaukee Bucks

After winning the championship, the Milwaukee Bucks picked Embry in the 1968 expansion draft. He became the Bucks' first team captain. Embry started at center for the Bucks in the 1968–69 season. He played well, averaging 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds. In the very first game in Bucks history, he scored 15 points and grabbed 20 rebounds.

Embry retired at the end of that season, at age 32. Over his 11-year career, he averaged 9.1 rebounds and 12.5 points per game.

NBA Career Statistics

Here are Wayne Embry's statistics from his NBA playing career:

Regular Season Stats

Playoff Stats

NBA Front-Office Career

After retiring as a player, Wayne Embry started a new career in the NBA's front office. In 1970, he joined the Milwaukee Bucks as the director of player personnel. He learned a lot about managing a team.

Embry helped the Bucks sign important players, including his former teammate Oscar Robertson. With Robertson and Lew Alcindor (who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), the Bucks won an NBA title in 1971.

Becoming a General Manager

In 1972, Embry made history. He was chosen as the general manager for the Bucks. This made him the first African-American general manager in NBA history. He was also the first in any major U.S. sport. He served as general manager for the Bucks until 1976.

In 1975, Embry had to handle a big challenge. Abdul-Jabbar wanted to be traded. Embry traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for several other players. Embry later resigned from the Bucks in 1976.

In 1985, the Indiana Pacers hired Embry as a vice president. Then, in 1986, he became the vice president and general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He hired future Hall of Fame coach Lenny Wilkens.

In 1994, Embry was promoted again. He became the executive operating officer and team president for the Cavaliers. This made him the first African-American to be an NBA team president. He stepped down as general manager in 1999 but remained president.

Role with the Toronto Raptors

In 2004, Embry joined the Toronto Raptors as a senior assistant to the general manager. He became a senior advisor to the team's president in 2005. In January 2006, he was named the interim general manager for a short time.

During his time as interim general manager, Embry made two important trades. He has continued to serve as a senior basketball advisor for the Raptors. The Raptors went on to become NBA champions in 2019.

Honors and Awards

Wayne Embry has received many honors for his work in basketball:

• He was named the The Sporting News NBA Executive of the Year twice (1992 and 1997).
• Sports Illustrated also named him Executive of the Year in 1998.
• In 1999, Embry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was recognized for his important contributions to the sport.
• He was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
• In 2013, he received the Ohio Heritage Award for his contributions off the court.

In 2021, Miami University unveiled a statue of Embry. It shows him making his famous hook shot. The university also created a scholarship in his name. Embry and his late wife, Theresa, received the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award. This award honors leaders who promote civil rights and social justice.

Both his high school and college jersey numbers have been retired. A part of U.S. Route 40 near his high school was named in his honor.

Personal Life

Wayne Embry and his wife, Theresa (Terri), met in college. They had two daughters and one son. Terri was also very involved in civil rights. She participated in marches led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. She passed away in 2020.

After his NBA playing career, Embry worked as the recreation director for the city of Boston. He also started his own businesses. He has served on many important boards, including the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Embry wrote a book about his life called The Inside Game: Race, Power and Politics in the NBA.

See also

In Spanish: Wayne Embry para niños