Robert Pack
Encyclopedia
Robert John Pack, Jr. is a retired American
professional basketball
player and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers
. Nicknamed "Pac-Man", the point guard
had a thirteen season career in the NBA, most notably with the Denver Nuggets
.
and graduated from Alfred Lawless High School in 1987. He then attended Tyler Junior College
for two years, transferred to the University of Southern California
in 1989, and graduated with a degree in sociology in 1991.
on September 16, 1991. He made the team beating out veteran Walter Davis
and played 72 games for the Blazers as a rookie, averaging 4.6ppg in 12.4mpg as he was entrenched behind veterans Terry Porter
and Danny Ainge
. The Blazers went to the NBA Finals
that year, before losing the series 4–2 to the Chicago Bulls
. During the 1992 off-season, after the Blazers signed free agent point guard Rod Strickland
, Pack was traded to the Nuggets for a 1993 second-round draft pick.
, LaPhonso Ellis
and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
that went on to become the first eighth-seeded team in NBA history to defeat the first-seeded team as the Nuggets defeated the Seattle SuperSonics
in the first round of the 1994 Western Conference Playoffs. Pack was then traded to the Washington Bullets for Doug Overton
and Don MacLean
on October 30, 1995. Injuries slowed Pack during the prime years of his career, as he never managed to play a full 82-game season. In 31 games for the Bullets, Pack averaged 18.1ppg, 7.8apg, 4.3rpg and 2.00spg in what was his best season statistically. Prior to the 1996–97 season he was signed by the New Jersey Nets before being traded mid-season in a blockbuster trade to the Dallas Mavericks
along with Shawn Bradley
, Ed O'Bannon
and Khalid Reeves
for Sam Cassell
, Chris Gatling
, Jim Jackson
, George McCloud
and Eric Montross
. Pack remained with the Mavericks through the end of the 1999–00 season, never playing more than the 54 games he played in 1996–97 as injuries slowed his career.
. He played 74 games that season, starting 11 of them as a replacement for starting point guard Nick Van Exel
. The Minnesota Timberwolves
signed him in the off-season and he played 16 games for them in 2001–02. His final two seasons in the NBA were as a veteran backup point guard off the bench for the New Orleans Hornets (2002–03) and the New Jersey Nets
(2003–04). On October 2, 2005, Pack signed a contract with the Toronto Raptors
for a try out with the team. His stint with the Raptors was short-lived as he was cut by the team on October 22. He finished off his career in NBA. From 2004 to 2005 he played in Kauno "Zalgiris"
in Lithuania
.
In August 2009, Pack joined the New Orleans Hornets as an assistant coach. He became an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers
the next season.
during the NBA All-Star Weekend
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
, behind Isaiah Rider.
He achieved two triple-doubles in his career.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. Nicknamed "Pac-Man", the point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
had a thirteen season career in the NBA, most notably with the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
.
High school and college career
Pack attended high school in New Orleans. He was a high school team mate of future NBA player Eldridge RecasnerEldridge Recasner
Eldridge David Recasner is a retired American professional basketball player. In college, he was a three-time All-Pac 10 Conference guard for the Washington Huskies men's basketball team. After college, he played in a variety of professional leagues such as the Continental Basketball Association ...
and graduated from Alfred Lawless High School in 1987. He then attended Tyler Junior College
Tyler Junior College
Tyler Junior College is a two-year community college in Tyler, Texas, United States. TJC is one of the largest community colleges in Texas, with an enrollment of more than 12,000 credit students each year with an additional 20,000 continuing education enrollments annually. Its West Campus includes...
for two years, transferred to the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in 1989, and graduated with a degree in sociology in 1991.
Early career
Pack was not drafted by an NBA team, rather he began his career being signed as a free agent by the Portland Trail BlazersPortland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
on September 16, 1991. He made the team beating out veteran Walter Davis
Walter Davis (basketball)
Walter Paul Davis is a retired American basketball player. A 6'6" forward/guard, Davis spent 15 years in the National Basketball Association, spending the bulk of those years with the Phoenix Suns...
and played 72 games for the Blazers as a rookie, averaging 4.6ppg in 12.4mpg as he was entrenched behind veterans Terry Porter
Terry Porter
Terry Porter is an American professional basketball coach and former player in the National Basketball Association . A native of Wisconsin, he played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point before being drafted 24th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1985 NBA Draft...
and Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge
Daniel Ray "Danny" Ainge is an American basketball manager and retired professional basketball and baseball player, currently serving as President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics....
. The Blazers went to the NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
that year, before losing the series 4–2 to the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
. During the 1992 off-season, after the Blazers signed free agent point guard Rod Strickland
Rod Strickland
Rodney "Rod" Strickland is a retired American professional basketball player and currently in an administrative role for the University of Kentucky basketball team under head coach John Calipari. Strickland was formerly the director of basketball operations at the University of Memphis...
, Pack was traded to the Nuggets for a 1993 second-round draft pick.
Mid career
Pack spent three seasons with the Nuggets from 1992–93 through until 1994–95, with his minutes and games started increasing each season. He was part of a young Nuggets team starring Dikembe MutomboDikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo , commonly referred to as Dikembe Mutombo, is a retired Congolese American professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the NBA...
, LaPhonso Ellis
LaPhonso Ellis
LaPhonso Darnell Ellis is a retired American basketball player.-Early career:He was an outstanding high school basketball player at East St. Louis Lincoln High School, where he led the Tigers to two straight Illinois Class AA boys' championships in 1987 and 1988...
and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is an American professional basketball player.-Life and career:Abdul-Rauf was born in Gulfport, Mississippi. After a record-setting college career at Louisiana State University, he was selected with the third pick in the 1990 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets...
that went on to become the first eighth-seeded team in NBA history to defeat the first-seeded team as the Nuggets defeated the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
in the first round of the 1994 Western Conference Playoffs. Pack was then traded to the Washington Bullets for Doug Overton
Doug Overton
Douglas M. Overton is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 2nd round of the 1991 NBA Draft. A 6'3" point guard from La Salle University, Overton played in 11 NBA seasons for 8 different teams...
and Don MacLean
Don MacLean (basketball)
Donald James MacLean is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. As a college player, he holds the distinction of being the all-time scoring leader of both the Pac-10 Conference and UCLA, although Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would have most likely attained both of those records had...
on October 30, 1995. Injuries slowed Pack during the prime years of his career, as he never managed to play a full 82-game season. In 31 games for the Bullets, Pack averaged 18.1ppg, 7.8apg, 4.3rpg and 2.00spg in what was his best season statistically. Prior to the 1996–97 season he was signed by the New Jersey Nets before being traded mid-season in a blockbuster trade to the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
along with Shawn Bradley
Shawn Bradley
Shawn Paul Bradley is a retired American and German basketball player who played center for the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Nets and the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association. At tall, Bradley was one of the tallest players in NBA history...
, Ed O'Bannon
Ed O'Bannon
Edward Charles O'Bannon, Jr. is a retired American basketball player, who was a power forward for the UCLA Bruins men's basketball team on their 1995 NCAA championship team, where he was known as "Ed-O"...
and Khalid Reeves
Khalid Reeves
Khalid Reeves was an American professional basketball player, selected by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft....
for Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell
Samuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
, Chris Gatling
Chris Gatling
Chris Raymond Gatling is a retired American professional basketball player, having played for numerous NBA teams from 1991 to 2002...
, Jim Jackson
Jim Jackson (basketball)
James Arthur "Jim" Jackson is an American retired professional basketball player. Over his 14 NBA seasons, Jackson was on the active roster of 12 different teams, tying the league record. He is currently a basketball analyst on the Big Ten Network.-High school and college career:Jackson was a 6'6"...
, George McCloud
George McCloud
George Aaron McCloud is a retired American professional basketball player.-Early life:McCloud attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach and Florida State University in Tallahassee.-Professional career:...
and Eric Montross
Eric Montross
Eric Scott Montross is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA....
. Pack remained with the Mavericks through the end of the 1999–00 season, never playing more than the 54 games he played in 1996–97 as injuries slowed his career.
Late career
Pack returned to the Nuggets for the 2000–01 season after being traded by the Mavericks via the Boston CelticsBoston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
. He played 74 games that season, starting 11 of them as a replacement for starting point guard Nick Van Exel
Nick Van Exel
Nickey Maxwell "Nick" Van Exel is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks...
. The Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
signed him in the off-season and he played 16 games for them in 2001–02. His final two seasons in the NBA were as a veteran backup point guard off the bench for the New Orleans Hornets (2002–03) and the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(2003–04). On October 2, 2005, Pack signed a contract with the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
for a try out with the team. His stint with the Raptors was short-lived as he was cut by the team on October 22. He finished off his career in NBA. From 2004 to 2005 he played in Kauno "Zalgiris"
BC Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga , and regionally in the VTB United League...
in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
.
In August 2009, Pack joined the New Orleans Hornets as an assistant coach. He became an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
the next season.
Other
Pack was known as one of the game's better dunkers during the first half of the 1990s and one of the more spectacular in-game dunkers of all time among smaller players, due largely to his outstanding vertical leap and lateral quickness. He finished second in the 1994 NBA Slam Dunk ContestSlam Dunk Contest
The Slam Dunk Contest is an annual National Basketball Association competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was inaugurated by the American Basketball Association at its All-Star Game in 1976 in Denver, the same year the slam dunk was legalized in the NCAA...
during the NBA All-Star Weekend
NBA All-Star Weekend
The National Basketball Association holds an All-Star Weekend every February, the festival has a variety of basketball-related events, exhibitions, and performances culminating in the NBA All-Star Game held on Sunday night.-The All-Star Game:...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, behind Isaiah Rider.
He achieved two triple-doubles in his career.
External links
- Robert Pack profile on NBA.com
- NBA historical playerfile
- Basketball-Reference.com: Robert Pack Statistics
- Remembering Robert Pack, a Bullet flash in the pan @ BulletsForever.com