Tom Chambers
Encyclopedia
Thomas Doane Chambers is a retired American
NBA
basketball
player. Known for his strong shooting and high-flying dunks, Chambers was a NBA star during the 1980s and 1990s. At 6'10", he played at the power forward
position as a professional, and was a popular four-time NBA All-Star, most notably with the Seattle Supersonics and the Phoenix Suns.
before attending the University of Utah
. Hailing from an athletic family, Chambers was a promising 6-2 guard at the end of his sophomore year. Suddenly, he grew six inches during the next six months. As a junior, teammates marveled that he had not lost any coordination with that growth. A broken wrist as a senior forced him to use his left hand more, improving his game. An all-Colorado high school player, he was hotly recruited and enrolled at Utah.
, Chambers played center with star forward Danny Vranes. The two led successful teams in the Western Athletic Conference. An excellent athlete, some doubted Chambers would be successful at the NBA level as he would not likely remain a center there. But he ran the floor very well and had good shooting range. So the-then San Diego Clippers took a gamble on Chambers in the 1981 NBA Draft, taking him eighth overall.
with the eighth pick of the 1981 NBA Draft
. A college center, he began to spend time at forward for the first time. On the injury-riddled young Clippers roster his rookie year, Chambers somehow ended up the team's top scorer at 17.2 points per game. He made a healthy 52.5% of his shots. The following year, the team drafted Terry Cummings, and the club felt it had to choose between the two young prospects.
Seattle made him the target of a multi-player deal in August, 1983. Teaming with center Jack Sikma and guard Gus Williams, Chambers became a key piece to a winning team in just his third NBA season. He played all 82 games and averaged 18.1 points per game in the team-oriented attack.
The following year, though, Williams was traded, and the point guard who emerged was Gerald Henderson. This key relationship, with Chambers being set up increasingly to catch passes and score, would be strained at best. After posting a team-high 21.5 points per game the season before, Chambers fell to third-most on the team in shot attempts, taking just 28 shots more than Henderson himself that season. He still somehow lead the team at 18.5 points per game, but felt he was being passed around in the offense. The team also declined in the standings.
1986-87, however, was a big season for Chambers. Rookie Nate McMillian took over Henderson's spot and Chambers became one of three key scorers for the Sonics. He posted 23.3 points per game to reach All-Star status for the first time. Chambers' game included plenty of flying drives to the rim, but also made good use of three-point shooting, and a very smart free throw game, where he collected plenty of attempts and put fouls on opponents. Chambers hit 85% of 630 free throw tries that season. He also again played all 82 games.
He was the star of the 1987 All-Star Game, played in Seattle. The handsome, popular blonde-haired scorer poured in 34 points on 13 of 25 shooting and was named Game's Most Valuable Player before a roaring home crowd.
Chambers was now clearly the star of his team, but was also again seemingly passed around in 1987-88, again third on the team in shot attempts. Chambers again felt he was being held back, and Seattle had not yet made out of the first round of the playoffs. His 20.4 points per game would conclude his five-year run there.
An avid hunter and horseback rider, Chambers had no interest in playing outside of his native West. He accepted a then-very pricey offer to join the Phoenix Suns in June, 1988. Seattle declined to match the offer. His next three All-Star appearances would be as a Sun, the team he still works for today.
In Phoenix, there was no question what coach Cotton Fitzsimmons expected of his new star: Chambers would shoot the ball. In 1988-89, Chambers posted 25.7 points per game, In 1989-90, his total rose to 27.2 points per game. Just as his scoring hit new highs, his team also won. The Suns posted 55-27 and 54-28 records those two years. Each season, the team reached the Western Conference Finals as well. Point guard Kevin Johnson was the passer Chambers had long awaited and the duo became an outstanding NBA tandem for Phoenix.
Former Seattle teammate Xavier McDaniel joined the team in 1990-91, and the now 31-year-old Chambers again accepted a more team-oriented role for the Suns. His scoring, and the team's success, declined. He had been twice named All-NBA Second Team, but now just tried to fit in.
In 1992-93, the fifth of his five seasons in Phoenix, Charles Barkley arrived to give the team the rebounder the team had long needed to truly contend. The now 33-year-old Chambers accepted a role as Sixth Man, while Barkley and Dan Majerle were the team's key scorers. This version of the team went 62-20 and made the NBA Finals, but lost to Chicago.
Chambers still felt he had more to contribute, and accepted an offer to join the Utah Jazz in August, 1993. He would back up star Karl Malone and re-team with Jeff Hornacek from the Suns. The Jazz improved immediately and made it to the 1994 Western Conference Finals. Now age 35, Chambers had one more year to give before retiring as a 20,000 point NBA scorer.
Chambers joined Maccabi Tel Aviv for a season of play in Israel. Largely used up as a player, the 1995-96 season there was his last.
He appeared in sixteen total NBA seasons as a member of the Clippers, Seattle SuperSonics
, Phoenix Suns
, Utah Jazz
, Charlotte Hornets
, and Philadelphia 76ers
. In the middle of his NBA career, he also played one season (1995–96) in Israel as a member of Maccabi Tel Aviv BC.
Chambers scored 20,049 total points in the NBA for a career average of 18.1 points per game.
His career high was a 60 point performance with the Suns against the Sonics on March 24, 1990. He appeared in four NBA All-Star Games during his career (1987, 1989, 1990, and 1991), earning game MVP honors in 1987 after scoring 34 points. He also played in the 1993 NBA Finals
as a member of the Suns, but his team lost to the Chicago Bulls
.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
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. Known for his strong shooting and high-flying dunks, Chambers was a NBA star during the 1980s and 1990s. At 6'10", he played at the power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
position as a professional, and was a popular four-time NBA All-Star, most notably with the Seattle Supersonics and the Phoenix Suns.
High school
He starred at Fairview High School in Boulder, ColoradoBoulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
before attending the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. Hailing from an athletic family, Chambers was a promising 6-2 guard at the end of his sophomore year. Suddenly, he grew six inches during the next six months. As a junior, teammates marveled that he had not lost any coordination with that growth. A broken wrist as a senior forced him to use his left hand more, improving his game. An all-Colorado high school player, he was hotly recruited and enrolled at Utah.
College
At UtahUtah Utes men's basketball
The University of Utah Utes have consistently been one of the most successful basketball programs in the NCAA. They are currently an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The school has made the NCAA Tournament 26 times, which ranks 16th in NCAA history and 3rd behind...
, Chambers played center with star forward Danny Vranes. The two led successful teams in the Western Athletic Conference. An excellent athlete, some doubted Chambers would be successful at the NBA level as he would not likely remain a center there. But he ran the floor very well and had good shooting range. So the-then San Diego Clippers took a gamble on Chambers in the 1981 NBA Draft, taking him eighth overall.
Professional career
Chambers was drafted by the San Diego ClippersLos 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...
with the eighth pick of the 1981 NBA Draft
1981 NBA Draft
The 1981 NBA Draft was the 35th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 9, 1981, before the 1981–82 season. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the USA Network. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
. A college center, he began to spend time at forward for the first time. On the injury-riddled young Clippers roster his rookie year, Chambers somehow ended up the team's top scorer at 17.2 points per game. He made a healthy 52.5% of his shots. The following year, the team drafted Terry Cummings, and the club felt it had to choose between the two young prospects.
Seattle made him the target of a multi-player deal in August, 1983. Teaming with center Jack Sikma and guard Gus Williams, Chambers became a key piece to a winning team in just his third NBA season. He played all 82 games and averaged 18.1 points per game in the team-oriented attack.
The following year, though, Williams was traded, and the point guard who emerged was Gerald Henderson. This key relationship, with Chambers being set up increasingly to catch passes and score, would be strained at best. After posting a team-high 21.5 points per game the season before, Chambers fell to third-most on the team in shot attempts, taking just 28 shots more than Henderson himself that season. He still somehow lead the team at 18.5 points per game, but felt he was being passed around in the offense. The team also declined in the standings.
1986-87, however, was a big season for Chambers. Rookie Nate McMillian took over Henderson's spot and Chambers became one of three key scorers for the Sonics. He posted 23.3 points per game to reach All-Star status for the first time. Chambers' game included plenty of flying drives to the rim, but also made good use of three-point shooting, and a very smart free throw game, where he collected plenty of attempts and put fouls on opponents. Chambers hit 85% of 630 free throw tries that season. He also again played all 82 games.
He was the star of the 1987 All-Star Game, played in Seattle. The handsome, popular blonde-haired scorer poured in 34 points on 13 of 25 shooting and was named Game's Most Valuable Player before a roaring home crowd.
Chambers was now clearly the star of his team, but was also again seemingly passed around in 1987-88, again third on the team in shot attempts. Chambers again felt he was being held back, and Seattle had not yet made out of the first round of the playoffs. His 20.4 points per game would conclude his five-year run there.
An avid hunter and horseback rider, Chambers had no interest in playing outside of his native West. He accepted a then-very pricey offer to join the Phoenix Suns in June, 1988. Seattle declined to match the offer. His next three All-Star appearances would be as a Sun, the team he still works for today.
In Phoenix, there was no question what coach Cotton Fitzsimmons expected of his new star: Chambers would shoot the ball. In 1988-89, Chambers posted 25.7 points per game, In 1989-90, his total rose to 27.2 points per game. Just as his scoring hit new highs, his team also won. The Suns posted 55-27 and 54-28 records those two years. Each season, the team reached the Western Conference Finals as well. Point guard Kevin Johnson was the passer Chambers had long awaited and the duo became an outstanding NBA tandem for Phoenix.
Former Seattle teammate Xavier McDaniel joined the team in 1990-91, and the now 31-year-old Chambers again accepted a more team-oriented role for the Suns. His scoring, and the team's success, declined. He had been twice named All-NBA Second Team, but now just tried to fit in.
In 1992-93, the fifth of his five seasons in Phoenix, Charles Barkley arrived to give the team the rebounder the team had long needed to truly contend. The now 33-year-old Chambers accepted a role as Sixth Man, while Barkley and Dan Majerle were the team's key scorers. This version of the team went 62-20 and made the NBA Finals, but lost to Chicago.
Chambers still felt he had more to contribute, and accepted an offer to join the Utah Jazz in August, 1993. He would back up star Karl Malone and re-team with Jeff Hornacek from the Suns. The Jazz improved immediately and made it to the 1994 Western Conference Finals. Now age 35, Chambers had one more year to give before retiring as a 20,000 point NBA scorer.
Chambers joined Maccabi Tel Aviv for a season of play in Israel. Largely used up as a player, the 1995-96 season there was his last.
He appeared in sixteen total NBA seasons as a member of the Clippers, 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...
, 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...
, Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (NBA)
The Charlotte Hornets was a professional American basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They played in the Atlantic, Midwest, and Central divisions of the National Basketball Association. The Hornets began play during the 1988–89 NBA season as an expansion franchise, along with the...
, and Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
. In the middle of his NBA career, he also played one season (1995–96) in Israel as a member of Maccabi Tel Aviv BC.
Chambers scored 20,049 total points in the NBA for a career average of 18.1 points per game.
His career high was a 60 point performance with the Suns against the Sonics on March 24, 1990. He appeared in four NBA All-Star Games during his career (1987, 1989, 1990, and 1991), earning game MVP honors in 1987 after scoring 34 points. He also played in the 1993 NBA Finals
1993 NBA Finals
The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992-93 NBA season, featuring the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley...
as a member of the Suns, but his team lost 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...
.
Personal life
After his playing career ended, Chambers became a community relations representative for the Suns. He now owns the Tom Chambers Shooting Star Ranch in North Ogden, UtahNorth Ogden, Utah
North Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. The population was 15,027 at the 2000 census. North Ogden is on SR-235, three miles north of Ogden. It is a suburb of that city and is part of the Ogden –Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:North Ogden was...
.
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most points in a game