Sean Elliott
Encyclopedia
Sean Michael Elliott is a retired American
professional basketball
player in the NBA
.
and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. (Gifted and Talented Education) program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona. He played high school basketball at Cholla High School (now Cholla High Magnet School
) on Tucson's west side, and after graduating in 1985, remained in Tucson to play college basketball at the University of Arizona
. Under the tutelage of Lute Olson
, Elliott was selected as a consensus all-American during his junior and senior years, and led the Wildcats to the Final Four
in his junior year (1988). After an exceptional senior season, Elliott won the Wooden Award. He is still the University of Arizona's all-time leading scorer.
He played for the US national team in the 1986 FIBA World Championship
, winning the gold medal.
| align="left" | 1985-86
| align="left" | Arizona
| 32 || … || 33.7 || .486 || … || .749 || 5.3 || 2.2 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 15.6
|-
| align="left" | 1986-87
| align="left" | Arizona
| 30 || … || 34.9 || .510 || .371 || .770 || 6.0 || 3.7 || 0.7 || 0.2 || 19.3
|-
| align="left" | 1987-88
| align="left" | Arizona
| 38 || … || 32.9 || .570 || .471 || .793 || 5.8 || 3.6 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 19.6
|-
| align="left" | 1988-89
| align="left" | Arizona
| 33 || … || 34.1 || .480 || .504 || .841 || 7.2 || 4.1 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 22.3
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" | …
| 133 || … || 33.8 || .512 || .456 || .793 || 6.1 || 3.4 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 19.2
|-
in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft
under Coach Larry Brown
, and spent the majority of his career with the Spurs. Elliott spent the 1993–94 season with the Detroit Pistons
. Elliott scored a career-high 41 points against the Dallas Mavericks
on December 18, 1992.
Elliott was an instrumental part of the Spurs' successful NBA title quest in 1999. In Game 2 of the 1999 Western Conference Finals, he hit a 21-foot 3-point shot against the Portland Trail Blazers
, giving the Spurs a 1-point lead with 9 seconds left to play in regulation. The shot was called "Memorial Day Miracle
" because of its improbability and the date on which it was made. The pass was nearly stolen by Blazer Stacey Augmon
, and Elliott caught the ball within an inch of the sideline (narrowly avoiding going out of bounds), and had to stay on his tiptoes rather than planting his feet. When Elliot released the ball, it just avoided the outstretched arms of 6'11" opponent Rasheed Wallace
. This play shifted the momentum of the series to the Spurs.
| align="left" | 1989-90
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 81 || 69 || 25.1 || .481 || .111 || .866 || 3.7 || 1.9 || 0.6 || 0.2 || 10.0
|-
| align="left" | 1990-91
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 82 || 82 || 37.1 || .490 || .313 || .808 || 5.6 || 2.9 || 0.8 || 0.4 || 15.9
|-
| align="left" | 1991-92
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 82 || 82 || 38.0 || .494 || .305 || .861 || 5.4 || 2.6 || 1.0 || 0.4 || 16.3
|-
| align="left" | 1992-93
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 70 || 70 || 37.2 || .491 || .356 || .798 || 4.6 || 3.8 || 1.0 || 0.4 || 17.2
|-
| align="left" | 1993-94
| align="left" | Detroit
| 73 || 73 || 33.0 || .455 || .299 || .803 || 3.6 || 2.7 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 12.1
|-
| align="left" | 1994-95
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 81 || 81 || 35.3 || .468 || .408 || .807 || 3.5 || 2.5 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 18.1
|-
| align="left" | 1995-96
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 77 || 77 || 37.7 || .466 || .411 || .771 || 5.1 || 2.7 || 0.9 || 0.4 || 20.0
|-
| align="left" | 1996-97
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 39 || 39 || 35.7 || .422 || .333 || .755 || 4.9 || 3.2 || 0.6 || 0.6 || 14.9
|-
| align="left" | 1997-98
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 36 || 36 || 28.1 || .403 || .378 || .718 || 3.4 || 1.7 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 9.3
|-
| align="left" | 1998-99
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 50 || 50 || 30.2 || .410 || .328 || .757 || 4.3 || 2.3 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 11.2
|-
| align="left" | 1999-00
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 19 || 19 || 20.6 || .358 || .351 || .781 || 2.5 || 1.5 || 0.6 || 0.1 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | 2000-01
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 52 || 34 || 23.6 || .434 || .426 || .714 || 3.3 || 1.6 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 7.9
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" | …
| 742 || 712 || 33.0 || .465 || .375 || .800 || 4.3 || 2.6 || 0.8 || 0.4 || 14.2
|-
| align="left" | 1989-90
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 10 || … || 29.1 || .552 || .000 || .724 || 4.1 || 1.8 || 0.9 || 0.6 || 12.7
|-
| align="left" | 1990-91
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 4 || … || 33.0 || .425 || .000 || .781 || 5.5 || 4.0 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 14.8
|-
| align="left" | 1991-92
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 3 || … || 45.7 || .475 || .625 || .889 || 4.3 || 2.7 || 1.0 || 1.3 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 1992-93
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 10 || … || 38.1 || .472 || .214 || .925 || 4.8 || 3.6 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 15.8
|-
| align="left" | 1994-95
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 15 || … || 38.3 || .435 || .364 || .776 || 4.8 || 2.7 || 0.7 || 0.5 || 17.3
|-
| align="left" | 1995-96
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 10 || … || 38.9 || .402 || .294 || .797 || 3.9 || 2.5 || 1.1 || 0.4 || 15.5
|-
| align="left" | 1998-99
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 17 || … || 33.8 || .444 || .400 || .763 || 3.4 || 2.6 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 11.9
|-
| align="left" | 1999-00
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 4 || … || 29.8 || .375 || .385 || .625 || 5.5 || 1.3 || 0.0 || 0.5 || 10.0
|-
| align="left" | 2000-01
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 12 || … || 19.9 || .373 || .364 || 1.000 || 2.2 || 1.2 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 4.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" | ...
| 85 || … || 33.4 || .445 || .356 || .801 || 4.0 || 2.4 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 13.2
|-
, and that he would require a transplant. He underwent surgery on August 16 of that year, receiving a kidney from his older brother, Noel. On March 13, 2000, Elliott became the first player to return after a kidney transplant, in a game against the Atlanta Hawks
. He announced his retirement in 2001.
After retiring, Elliott became a basketball analyst for The NBA on NBC and, during the 2003–2004 season, for ABC Sports and ESPN. He left that position for the 2004–2005 season and became the color commentator for the Spurs' local broadcasting.
On March 6, 2005, his #32 jersey was retired and hung in the rafters of the AT&T Center
.
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 in the NBA
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...
.
Early life
Elliott was born in Tucson, ArizonaTucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. (Gifted and Talented Education) program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona. He played high school basketball at Cholla High School (now Cholla High Magnet School
Cholla High Magnet School
Cholla High School is a public high school, located on the West Side of Tucson, Arizona. Cholla is a magnet high school in the Tucson Unified School District and serves over 1,700 students, grades 9-12...
) on Tucson's west side, and after graduating in 1985, remained in Tucson to play college basketball at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. Under the tutelage of Lute Olson
Lute Olson
Robert Luther "Lute" Olson is a retired American men's basketball coach. He was most recently head coach at the University of Arizona for a period of 25 years. He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for 9 years and California State University, Long Beach for one season...
, Elliott was selected as a consensus all-American during his junior and senior years, and led the Wildcats to the Final Four
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in his junior year (1988). After an exceptional senior season, Elliott won the Wooden Award. He is still the University of Arizona's all-time leading scorer.
He played for the US national team in the 1986 FIBA World Championship
1986 FIBA World Championship
The 1986 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Spain from July 5 to 19 1986.The Final phase of the tournament was held at the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad, Madrid...
, winning the gold medal.
NCAA career statistics
|-| align="left" | 1985-86
| align="left" | Arizona
Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
| 32 || … || 33.7 || .486 || … || .749 || 5.3 || 2.2 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 15.6
|-
| align="left" | 1986-87
| align="left" | Arizona
Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
| 30 || … || 34.9 || .510 || .371 || .770 || 6.0 || 3.7 || 0.7 || 0.2 || 19.3
|-
| align="left" | 1987-88
| align="left" | Arizona
Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
| 38 || … || 32.9 || .570 || .471 || .793 || 5.8 || 3.6 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 19.6
|-
| align="left" | 1988-89
| align="left" | Arizona
Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
| 33 || … || 34.1 || .480 || .504 || .841 || 7.2 || 4.1 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 22.3
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" | …
| 133 || … || 33.8 || .512 || .456 || .793 || 6.1 || 3.4 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 19.2
|-
NBA career
Elliott was drafted by the San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft
1989 NBA Draft
The 1989 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. It has been regarded as one of the worst drafts in NBA history, along with the 1986 NBA Draft and the 2000 NBA Draft. Though the draft produced talented players such as Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice, Sean Elliott, Nick...
under Coach Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
, and spent the majority of his career with the Spurs. Elliott spent the 1993–94 season with the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
. Elliott scored a career-high 41 points against 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...
on December 18, 1992.
Elliott was an instrumental part of the Spurs' successful NBA title quest in 1999. In Game 2 of the 1999 Western Conference Finals, he hit a 21-foot 3-point shot against the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland 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...
, giving the Spurs a 1-point lead with 9 seconds left to play in regulation. The shot was called "Memorial Day Miracle
Memorial Day Miracle
The Memorial Day Miracle is a game-winning three-pointer by Sean Elliott of the San Antonio Spurs during Game 2 of the 1999 Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers. The game was played at the Alamodome in San Antonio on May 31, 1999, Memorial Day.-The...
" because of its improbability and the date on which it was made. The pass was nearly stolen by Blazer Stacey Augmon
Stacey Augmon
Stacey Orlando Augmon is a retired American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA. He gained the nickname "Plastic Man" due to his athletic ability to "stretch"...
, and Elliott caught the ball within an inch of the sideline (narrowly avoiding going out of bounds), and had to stay on his tiptoes rather than planting his feet. When Elliot released the ball, it just avoided the outstretched arms of 6'11" opponent Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
. This play shifted the momentum of the series to the Spurs.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 1989-90
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 81 || 69 || 25.1 || .481 || .111 || .866 || 3.7 || 1.9 || 0.6 || 0.2 || 10.0
|-
| align="left" | 1990-91
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 82 || 82 || 37.1 || .490 || .313 || .808 || 5.6 || 2.9 || 0.8 || 0.4 || 15.9
|-
| align="left" | 1991-92
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 82 || 82 || 38.0 || .494 || .305 || .861 || 5.4 || 2.6 || 1.0 || 0.4 || 16.3
|-
| align="left" | 1992-93
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 70 || 70 || 37.2 || .491 || .356 || .798 || 4.6 || 3.8 || 1.0 || 0.4 || 17.2
|-
| align="left" | 1993-94
| align="left" | Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
| 73 || 73 || 33.0 || .455 || .299 || .803 || 3.6 || 2.7 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 12.1
|-
| align="left" | 1994-95
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 81 || 81 || 35.3 || .468 || .408 || .807 || 3.5 || 2.5 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 18.1
|-
| align="left" | 1995-96
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 77 || 77 || 37.7 || .466 || .411 || .771 || 5.1 || 2.7 || 0.9 || 0.4 || 20.0
|-
| align="left" | 1996-97
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 39 || 39 || 35.7 || .422 || .333 || .755 || 4.9 || 3.2 || 0.6 || 0.6 || 14.9
|-
| align="left" | 1997-98
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 36 || 36 || 28.1 || .403 || .378 || .718 || 3.4 || 1.7 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 9.3
|-
| align="left" | 1998-99
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 50 || 50 || 30.2 || .410 || .328 || .757 || 4.3 || 2.3 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 11.2
|-
| align="left" | 1999-00
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 19 || 19 || 20.6 || .358 || .351 || .781 || 2.5 || 1.5 || 0.6 || 0.1 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | 2000-01
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 52 || 34 || 23.6 || .434 || .426 || .714 || 3.3 || 1.6 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 7.9
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" | …
| 742 || 712 || 33.0 || .465 || .375 || .800 || 4.3 || 2.6 || 0.8 || 0.4 || 14.2
|-
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 1989-90
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 10 || … || 29.1 || .552 || .000 || .724 || 4.1 || 1.8 || 0.9 || 0.6 || 12.7
|-
| align="left" | 1990-91
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 4 || … || 33.0 || .425 || .000 || .781 || 5.5 || 4.0 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 14.8
|-
| align="left" | 1991-92
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 3 || … || 45.7 || .475 || .625 || .889 || 4.3 || 2.7 || 1.0 || 1.3 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 1992-93
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 10 || … || 38.1 || .472 || .214 || .925 || 4.8 || 3.6 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 15.8
|-
| align="left" | 1994-95
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 15 || … || 38.3 || .435 || .364 || .776 || 4.8 || 2.7 || 0.7 || 0.5 || 17.3
|-
| align="left" | 1995-96
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 10 || … || 38.9 || .402 || .294 || .797 || 3.9 || 2.5 || 1.1 || 0.4 || 15.5
|-
| align="left" | 1998-99
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 17 || … || 33.8 || .444 || .400 || .763 || 3.4 || 2.6 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 11.9
|-
| align="left" | 1999-00
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 4 || … || 29.8 || .375 || .385 || .625 || 5.5 || 1.3 || 0.0 || 0.5 || 10.0
|-
| align="left" | 2000-01
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 12 || … || 19.9 || .373 || .364 || 1.000 || 2.2 || 1.2 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 4.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" | ...
| 85 || … || 33.4 || .445 || .356 || .801 || 4.0 || 2.4 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 13.2
|-
Bout with a kidney disease
Shortly after the championship run, Elliott announced that he had played despite having a kidney disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosisFocal segmental glomerulosclerosis
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis is a cause of nephrotic syndrome in children and adolescents, as well as an important cause of kidney failure in adults.It is also known as "focal glomerular sclerosis" or "focal nodular glomerulosclerosis"....
, and that he would require a transplant. He underwent surgery on August 16 of that year, receiving a kidney from his older brother, Noel. On March 13, 2000, Elliott became the first player to return after a kidney transplant, in a game against the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
. He announced his retirement in 2001.
Retirement
He finished his career averaging 14.2 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game and 2.6 assists per game. Elliott is the all-time franchise leader in three-point field goals made (563) and attempted (1,485). He is also the only player in Spurs history to rank among the franchise's top ten in six different statistical categories: games played (third, 669), points (fourth, 9,659), rebounds (sixth, 2,941), assists (seventh, 1,700), steals (eighth, 522), and blocks (ninth, 257).After retiring, Elliott became a basketball analyst for The NBA on NBC and, during the 2003–2004 season, for ABC Sports and ESPN. He left that position for the 2004–2005 season and became the color commentator for the Spurs' local broadcasting.
On March 6, 2005, his #32 jersey was retired and hung in the rafters of the AT&T Center
AT&T Center
AT&T Center is an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It seats 18,581, for basketball , 13,800, for ice hockey and 19,000, for concerts or religious gatherings and contains 2,018 club seats, 50 luxury suites and 32 bathrooms .It was completed in 2002, as the SBC...
.