Carroll Dawson is a retired American assistant coach and general manager

General manager

General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...

 in the National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

. He worked for the Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...

 franchise for twenty-seven years until announcing his retirement in 2007.

A native of Alba, Texas

Alba, Texas

Alba is a town in Texas, United States. Located mostly in Wood County, a small portion of the town extends into Rains County. The population was 430 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Alba is located at ....

, Dawson played collegiate basketball at Paris Junior College

Paris Junior College

Paris Junior College, or PJC, was founded in 1924 as a campus of Paris Independent School District in the U.S. state of Texas and currently counts three campuses: Paris, Greenville, and Sulphur Springs with a total enrollment of 4,000 students...

 and Baylor University

Baylor University

Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...

 during the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1960, the 6'5" center earned All-Southwest Conference honors after averaging 16.4 points per game

Points per game

Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...

 for the Baylor Bears

Baylor Bears men's basketball

The Baylor Bears basketball team represents Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Bears compete in the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games in Ferrell Center and is currently coached by Scott Drew....

. After his college career, he was drafted into the Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, stationed in Fort Knox as a tank commander. From 1973 to 1977, he served as Baylor's men's basketball head coach. He then worked as a scout for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

 and as a salesman for Converse shoes before becoming an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets in 1980.

In 1989, Dawson was struck by lightning during a golf outing, and over the next few years his vision became progressively worse. Unable to continue his coaching duties, Dawson moved to the Rockets' front office, becoming general manager in 1996. Among his most notable accomplishments were his selection of Yao Ming

Yao Ming

Yao Ming is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...

 in the 2002 NBA Draft

2002 NBA Draft

The 2002 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2002 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting 57 amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from non-North...

 and his seven-player trade to acquire NBA scoring champ Tracy McGrady

Tracy McGrady

Tracy Lamar McGrady, Jr., is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Detroit Pistons.Entering the league after graduating from high school, McGrady eventually became a seven-time All-Star. He led the league in scoring in 2003 and 2004. He has also played for the Toronto...

 in 2004.

After announcing Daryl Morey

Daryl Morey

Daryl Morey is an American sports executive. He is the current general manager of the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. He was named Assistant General Manager on April 3, 2006 and succeeded Carroll Dawson as General Manager on May 10, 2007...

 as his successor, the Rockets honored Dawson by hanging a banner with the initials "CD" in the rafters of the Toyota Center

Toyota Center (Houston)

The Toyota Center is an indoor arena located in downtown Houston, Texas. It is named after the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The arena is home to the Rockets of the National Basketball Association, the principal owners of the building, and the Aeros of the American Hockey League.Rockets...

 during a game with the Phoenix Suns

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...

.

External links

• Career retrospective at NBA.com