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Sam Lacey

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Sam Lacey
Lacey in 1971
Personal information
Born(1948-03-28)March 28, 1948
Indianola, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedMarch 14, 2014(2014-03-14) (aged 65)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolGentry (Indianola, Mississippi)
CollegeNew Mexico State (1967–1970)
NBA draft1970: 1st round, 5th overall pick
Selected by the Cincinnati Royals
Playing career1970–1983
PositionCenter
Number44, 40, 52
Career history
1970–1981Cincinnati Royals / Kansas City-Omaha Kings / Kansas City Kings
1981–1982New Jersey Nets
1982–1983Cleveland Cavaliers
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points10,303 (10.3 ppg)
Rebounds9,687 (9.7 rpg)
Blocks1,160 (1.5 bpg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference

Samuel Lacey (March 28, 1948 – March 14, 2014) was an American basketball player. He spent the majority of his career with the Royals/Kings franchise. Lacey was selected as an all-star while playing for the Kings in 1975, and eventually had his number 44 retired by them.

Early life

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Lacey was born on March 8, 1948, in Indianola, Mississippi.[1] He attended Gentry High School in Indianola. He was MVP of the Mississippi High School All Star Game.[2]

College career

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Lacey attended New Mexico State University, and played college basketball there as its 6-foot-10-inch (2.08 m) center.[3] He was recruited by Ed Murphy, an assistant to head coach Lou Henson.[1] The Aggies had a combined record of 74–14 during the three seasons he played varsity basketball there (1967-1970), and were in the NCAA tournament all three years.[4][5] In 1968, he was the MVP of the Evansville Classic.[5]

In the 1969–70 post-season, he and All-American star guard Jimmy Collins (24.3 points per game) led the Aggies to their first and only Final Four appearance. Lacey averaged 17.7 points and 15.9 rebounds per game that season.[6] The Aggies defeated Rice University, Kansas State University and Drake University before falling to eventual national champion UCLA and legendary coach John Wooden at the Final Four.[7][2] Lacey suffered a foot injury early in the game, and the Aggies were not competitive in the second half.[1][2] UCLA had won five of the previous six NCAA titles, and would go on to win the next three.[8] However, the Aggies won the third-place game over St. Bonaventure to finish 27–3, and ended the year ranked fifth in the nation.[7][9] Lacey earned first-team All-American honors from Basketball Weekly.[5]

While at New Mexico State, Lacey set team rebounding records for a career, season and single game.[5] As of 2024, Lacey's 1969-1970 average of 15.9 rebounds per game remains the school record, and his 493 total rebounds that season is still the record as well.[10] In 1975, he was inducted into the New Mexico State Athletics Hall of Fame.[5] In February 2008, Lacey was among the first inductees into the Aggies Ring of Honor, along with his coach Lou Henson, and Billy Joe Price.[11] In 2015, he became the first New Mexico State basketball player to be inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.[12]

NBA career

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Lacey was drafted in the first round (fifth overall) of the 1970 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals,[5] playing over ten years for that franchise. In total, he played 13 seasons (1970–1983) in the National Basketball Association. He started as a member of the Royals in Cincinnati. The team (which had moved from Rochester to Cincinnati in 1957) moved in 1972, becoming the Kansas City-Omaha Kings and then became the Kansas City Kings before the 1975-1976 season.[13] Lacey played for both Kansas City incarnations (the same franchise now being the Sacramento Kings).[14] At the end of his career, he played for the New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers.[5][14]

He averaged a double-double in points and rebounds over his first six seasons,[14][1] and had the NBA's third leading rebound average in the 1974–75 season (behind only hall of famers Wes Unseld and Dave Cowens), and the second-most total rebounds (behind only hall of famer Bob McAdoo).[15] Lacey's most productive NBA season came in 1973–74 when he averaged 14.2 points and 13.4 rebounds per game.[14] That year, on November 25, 1973, Lacey grabbed a career best 26 rebounds, including 10 offensive rebounds, along with scoring 20 points and recording 6 assists, in a 104–99 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics.[16][17] He was named an All-Star in 1975,[18] and finished the season averaging 11.5 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.[14] That season, on February 5, 1975, Lacey recorded a career high 8 steals during a 90–82 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.[19][20]

During the 1981 NBA Playoffs, Lacey was the team captain and leader[1] and played a key role in the 40–42 five seed Kings making to the Western Conference Finals before being eliminated by Moses Malone and the Houston Rockets,[21] averaging 10 points, 8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.9 steals,[14] for a Kansas City team missing starting guards Phil Ford and Otis Birdsong due to injuries for most of the playoffs.[22] During the following season, Lacey was traded to the Nets for Mike Woodson and a future first round draft pick.[23]

Lacey is one of only five NBA players (along with Hakeem Olajuwon, Julius Erving, David Robinson and Ben Wallace) to have registered 100 blocks and 100 steals in six consecutive seasons.[24] His jersey no. 44 is retired by the Sacramento Kings.[5][1] He is also one of three NBA players (along with Wes Unseld and Reggie Evans) to total at least 30 rebounds and fewer than 10 points in the first two games of the season.[25]

When Lacey retired in 1983, he had accumulated 9,687 rebounds and a total of 10,303 points.[14] As of 2024, Lacey ranks 45th overall for total rebounds in NBA history, and 49th on combined ABA/NBA total rebounds.[26]

Statistics

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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

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1970–71 Cincinnati 81 – 32.7 .418 – .687 11.3 1.4 – – 13.5
1971–72 Cincinnati 81 – 35.0 .422 – .704 12.0 2.1 – – 11.6
1972–73 Kansas City–Omaha 79 – 37.1 .474 – .708 11.8 2.4 – – 13.5
1973–74 Kansas City–Omaha 79 – 39.3 .476 – .749 13.4 3.8 1.6 2.3 14.2
1974–75 Kansas City–Omaha 81 – 41.7 .427 – .754 14.2 5.3 1.7 2.1 11.5
1975–76 Kansas City 81 – 38.1 .401 – .759 12.6 4.7 1.6 1.7 12.8
1976–77 Kansas City 82 – 31.6 .422 – .762 9.0 4.7 1.5 1.6 10.6
1977–78 Kansas City 77 – 27.7 .449 – .717 8.3 3.9 1.6 1.4 8.6
1978–79 Kansas City 82 – 32.0 .502 – .739 8.6 5.2 1.3 1.7 10.6
1979–80 Kansas City 81 – 29.8 .448 .000 .741 8.0 5.7 1.4 1.3 9.2
1980–81 Kansas City 82 – 27.2 .442 .200 .786 7.1 4.9 1.2 1.5 6.9
1981–82 Kansas City 2 1 10.0 .600 – .000 2.0 2.0 1.0 .5 3.0
1981–82 New Jersey 54 6 12.0 .430 .000 .771 1.9 1.4 .4 .7 2.9
1982–83 Cleveland 60 33 20.5 .420 .222 .784 3.9 2.0 .5 .4 4.2
Career 1,002 40 31.8 .441 .188 .738 9.7 3.7 1.3 1.5 10.3
All-Star 1 0 17.0 .333 – 1.000 7.0 1.0 2.0 1.0 6.0

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1975 Kansas City–Omaha 6 – 44.0 .377 – .611 15.7 5.0 2.0 1.5 9.5
1979 Kansas City 5 – 35.2 .381 – .789 10.2 4.2 1.8 2.0 9.4
1980 Kansas City 3 – 33.7 .381 1.000 .750 7.3 4.3 2.3 .7 6.7
1981 Kansas City 15 – 35.5 .420 .000 .857 8.0 5.3 1.9 1.5 10.0
Career 29 – 37.0 .401 .250 .776 9.9 5.0 1.9 1.5 9.4

Death

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Lacey died in his home in Kansas City, Missouri on March 14, 2014, at age 65.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Goldstein, Richard (March 18, 2014). "Sam Lacey, Top Center in N.B.A. and the 1970 Final Four, Dies at 66". New York Times.
  2. ^ a b c "RIP: Indianola basketball great Sam Lacey". Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. March 17, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Southern Press: Sunday Conversation with...Indianola native Sam Lacey, No. 5 pick in 1970 NBA draft". Kennymister.blogspot.com. July 2, 2011.
  4. ^ "New Mexico State Aggies Men's Basketball Index". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Sam Lacey (1975) - US Bank/NM State Athletics Hall of Fame". New Mexico State University Athletics. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  6. ^ "1969-70 New Mexico State Aggies Men's Roster and Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "1970 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  8. ^ "DI Men's Basketball Championship History | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  9. ^ "1969-70 New Mexico State Aggies Men's Roster and Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  10. ^ "New Mexico State Men's Basketball Leaders & Records - Season". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  11. ^ "Billy Joe Price (2017) - US Bank/NM State Athletics Hall of Fame". New Mexico State University Athletics. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  12. ^ "New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame | Sam Lacey". Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  13. ^ "Cincinnati Royals Team History, Sports Team History". sportsteamhistory.com. December 27, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g "Sam Lacey Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  15. ^ "1974-75 NBA Leaders". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  16. ^ "Sam Lacey Career High 26 Rebounds". Statmuse.
  17. ^ "SuperSonics vs Kings, November 25, 1973". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  18. ^ "1975 NBA All-Star Game Box Score". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  19. ^ "Sam Lacey Career High 8 Steals". Statmuse.
  20. ^ "Trail Blazers vs Kings, February 5, 1975". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  21. ^ "Sam Lacey, 66; standout of NBA's Kings franchise". Boston Globe.
  22. ^ Newman, Bruce (April 20, 1981). "A KINGDOM OF BELIEVERS". Sports Illustrated – Vault.
  23. ^ "Sam Lacey Transactions". Basketball Reference.
  24. ^ "Ben Wallace is NBA's top defender for fourth time". ESPN.com. May 7, 2006. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  25. ^ "Rondo's triple-double is one for the ages". ESPN.com. October 30, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  26. ^ "NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for Total Rebounds". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
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