| Rebounds |
30 |
vs. New Orleans Jazz |
Westley Sissel "Wes" Unseld (born March 14, 1946 in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
) is an American former basketballBasketball 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. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington BulletsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.
Early life and college career
Unseld starred on a Seneca High SchoolSeneca High School MCA is a Louisville, Kentucky, USA, public school. It is located at 3510 Goldsmith Lane, Louisville, KY 40220, in the Hikes Point neighborhood and is part of Jefferson County Public Schools.- Academics :...
team that won two state championships. In 1965, Unseld began playing center for the University of LouisvilleThe University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
, where he averaged 35.8 points per game and 23.6 rebounds per game in 14 games with a freshman team. He was a 3-year letter winner, scored 1,686 points in 82 games (20.6 points per game), grabbed 1,551 rebounds (18.9 rebounds per game), led the conference in rebounding in 1966, 1967 and 1968, and led Louisville to a 60-22 record with two trips to the NCAAThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
tournament and one trip to the NITThe National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
tournament. Unseld is also a member of Alpha Phi AlphaAlpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
fraternity.
NBA years
Unseld was drafted by the Kentucky ColonelsThe Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
in the 1968 American Basketball AssociationThe American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
draft and was drafted second overall in the first round by the Baltimore BulletsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
in 1968The 1968 NBA Draft was the 22nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 3, 1968 and May 8, 1968 before the 1968–69 season. In this draft, 14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year...
, and helped lead the Bullets (who had finished in last place in the Eastern division the previous year) to a 57-25 record and a division title. Unseld averaged 18.2 rebounds per game that year, and became only the second player ever to win both Rookie of the YearThe National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
and Most Valuable PlayerThe National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
in the same season (Wilt ChamberlainWilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
being the first). Unseld was also named the Sporting News MVP that year. He was one of the best defensive players of his era, and in 1975, he led the NBA in rebounding. The following season, he led the NBA in field goal percentage with a .561 percentage.
Famed for his rebounding, bone-jarring picks and ability to ignite a fast break with his crisp, accurate outlet passes, Unseld made up for his lack of size (6’7”) with brute strength and sheer determination. Unseld took the Bullets franchise to four NBA Finals, and won the championship in 1978 over the Seattle SuperSonicsThe 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 which he was named the Finals MVP. He ended his playing career following the 1980–1981 season-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Darrell Griffith, Utah Jazz*Coach of the Year: Jack McKinney, Indiana Pacers*All-NBA First Team:**Larry Bird, Boston Celtics...
, and his #41 jersey was retired by the Bullets shortly thereafter.
In 984 NBA games - all with the Bullets - Unseld averaged an offensive double-doubleIn basketball, a double is the accumulation of a double-digit number total in one of five statistical categories—points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots—in a game. Multiple players usually score double-digit points in any given basketball game; the double nomenclature is usually...
, with averages of 10.8 points and 14.0 rebounds per game, as well as 3.9 assists per game, averaging over 36 minutes played per game. Unseld was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988, and in 1996, he was named as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all time.
General manager and head coach
After his retirement in 1981 he moved into a front office position with the Bullets where he served as vice president for six years before being named head coach in 1987. He resigned following the 1994 season with a 202–345 record (.369).
Unseld became Washington's General Manager in 1996 and guided the team to the playoffs once during his tenure.
Post NBA career
Unseld and his wifeA wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
Connie opened Unselds School in 1979. A coed private schoolPrivate schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
located in southwest BaltimoreBaltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, it has a daycare program, nursery schoolA nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
and a kindergartenA kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
-to-eighth gradeEighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
curriculum. Connie and daughterA daughter is a female offspring; a girl, woman, or female animal in relation to her parents. The male equivalent is a son. Analogously the name is used on several areas to show relations between groups or elements.-Etymology:...
Kimberley serve as teacherA teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s at the school.
Trivia
Minnesota TimberwolvesThe 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...
All-Star Kevin LoveKevin Love, born in Des Moines, Iowa, is a former NASCAR driver. He ran five races in the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series season, all for Fiddleback Racing....
's middle name Wesley is in honor of Unseld.
His son, Wes Unseld Jr., has served as an assistant coach in the NBA.
Regular season
| Stat |
High |
Opponent |
Date |
| Points |
30 |
|
|
| Field goal percentage |
|
|
|
| Field goals made |
12 |
|
|
| Field goal attempts |
24 |
|
|
| Free throws made, none missed |
— |
|
|
| Free throws made, one missed |
— |
|
|
| Free throws made |
13 |
|
|
| Free throw attempts |
17 |
|
|
| Rebounds |
32 |
at Cincinnati Royals |
{{Dts|1969|March|14}} |
| Rebounds |
30 |
vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
{{Dts|1969|February|14}} |
| Rebounds |
30 |
vs. New Orleans Jazz |
Westley Sissel "Wes" Unseld (born March 14, 1946 in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
) is an American former basketballBasketball 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. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington BulletsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.
Early life and college career
Unseld starred on a Seneca High SchoolSeneca High School MCA is a Louisville, Kentucky, USA, public school. It is located at 3510 Goldsmith Lane, Louisville, KY 40220, in the Hikes Point neighborhood and is part of Jefferson County Public Schools.- Academics :...
team that won two state championships. In 1965, Unseld began playing center for the University of LouisvilleThe University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
, where he averaged 35.8 points per game and 23.6 rebounds per game in 14 games with a freshman team. He was a 3-year letter winner, scored 1,686 points in 82 games (20.6 points per game), grabbed 1,551 rebounds (18.9 rebounds per game), led the conference in rebounding in 1966, 1967 and 1968, and led Louisville to a 60-22 record with two trips to the NCAAThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
tournament and one trip to the NITThe National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
tournament. Unseld is also a member of Alpha Phi AlphaAlpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
fraternity.
NBA years
Unseld was drafted by the Kentucky ColonelsThe Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
in the 1968 American Basketball AssociationThe American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
draft and was drafted second overall in the first round by the Baltimore BulletsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
in 1968The 1968 NBA Draft was the 22nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 3, 1968 and May 8, 1968 before the 1968–69 season. In this draft, 14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year...
, and helped lead the Bullets (who had finished in last place in the Eastern division the previous year) to a 57-25 record and a division title. Unseld averaged 18.2 rebounds per game that year, and became only the second player ever to win both Rookie of the YearThe National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
and Most Valuable PlayerThe National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
in the same season (Wilt ChamberlainWilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
being the first). Unseld was also named the Sporting News MVP that year. He was one of the best defensive players of his era, and in 1975, he led the NBA in rebounding. The following season, he led the NBA in field goal percentage with a .561 percentage.
Famed for his rebounding, bone-jarring picks and ability to ignite a fast break with his crisp, accurate outlet passes, Unseld made up for his lack of size (6’7”) with brute strength and sheer determination. Unseld took the Bullets franchise to four NBA Finals, and won the championship in 1978 over the Seattle SuperSonicsThe 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 which he was named the Finals MVP. He ended his playing career following the 1980–1981 season-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Darrell Griffith, Utah Jazz*Coach of the Year: Jack McKinney, Indiana Pacers*All-NBA First Team:**Larry Bird, Boston Celtics...
, and his #41 jersey was retired by the Bullets shortly thereafter.
In 984 NBA games - all with the Bullets - Unseld averaged an offensive double-doubleIn basketball, a double is the accumulation of a double-digit number total in one of five statistical categories—points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots—in a game. Multiple players usually score double-digit points in any given basketball game; the double nomenclature is usually...
, with averages of 10.8 points and 14.0 rebounds per game, as well as 3.9 assists per game, averaging over 36 minutes played per game. Unseld was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988, and in 1996, he was named as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all time.
General manager and head coach
After his retirement in 1981 he moved into a front office position with the Bullets where he served as vice president for six years before being named head coach in 1987. He resigned following the 1994 season with a 202–345 record (.369).
Unseld became Washington's General Manager in 1996 and guided the team to the playoffs once during his tenure.
Post NBA career
Unseld and his wifeA wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
Connie opened Unselds School in 1979. A coed private schoolPrivate schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
located in southwest BaltimoreBaltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, it has a daycare program, nursery schoolA nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
and a kindergartenA kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
-to-eighth gradeEighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
curriculum. Connie and daughterA daughter is a female offspring; a girl, woman, or female animal in relation to her parents. The male equivalent is a son. Analogously the name is used on several areas to show relations between groups or elements.-Etymology:...
Kimberley serve as teacherA teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s at the school.
Trivia
Minnesota TimberwolvesThe 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...
All-Star Kevin LoveKevin Love, born in Des Moines, Iowa, is a former NASCAR driver. He ran five races in the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series season, all for Fiddleback Racing....
's middle name Wesley is in honor of Unseld.
His son, Wes Unseld Jr., has served as an assistant coach in the NBA.
Regular season
| Stat |
High |
Opponent |
Date |
| Points |
30 |
|
|
| Field goal percentage |
|
|
|
| Field goals made |
12 |
|
|
| Field goal attempts |
24 |
|
|
| Free throws made, none missed |
— |
|
|
| Free throws made, one missed |
— |
|
|
| Free throws made |
13 |
|
|
| Free throw attempts |
17 |
|
|
| Rebounds |
32 |
at Cincinnati Royals |
{{Dts|1969|March|14}} |
| Rebounds |
30 |
vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
{{Dts|1969|February|14}} |
| Rebounds |
30 |
vs. New Orleans Jazz |
{{Dts |
| Offensive rebounds |
12 |
vs. Houston Rockets |
{{Dts|1974|January|20}} |
| Defensive rebounds |
24 |
vs. New Orleans Jazz |
{{Dts |
| Assists |
13 |
|
|
| Steals |
8 |
at Phoenix Suns |
{{Dts|1976|January|24}} |
| Blocked shots |
|
|
|
Playoffs
| Stat |
High |
Opponent |
Date |
| Points |
26 |
|
|
| Field goal percentage |
12—13 (.923) |
vs. San Antonio Spurs |
{{Dts|1979|May|6}} |
| Field goals made |
12 |
vs. San Antonio Spurs |
{{Dts|1979|May|6}} |
| Field goal attempts |
22 |
|
|
| Free throws made, none missed |
— |
|
|
| Free throws made, one missed |
— |
|
|
| Free throws made |
7 |
|
|
| Free throw attempts |
12 |
|
|
| Rebounds |
34 |
at New York Knicks |
{{Dts|1970|March|29}} |
| Offensive rebounds |
11 |
at San Antonio Spurs |
{{Dts|1979|May|11}} |
| Defensive rebounds |
|
|
|
| Assists |
10 |
|
|
| Steals |
|
|
|
| Blocked shots |
|
|
|
| Turnovers |
8 {{small|(OT)}} |
at Atlanta Hawks |
{{Dts|1978|April|14}} |
See also
External links
{{1968 NBA Draft}}
{{Washington Bullets 1977-78 NBA champions}}
{{1967 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1968 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Washington Wizards}}
{{1988 Basketball HOF}}
{{Basketball Hall of Fame centers}}
{{NBA50}}
{{NBA Finals MVPs}}
{{NBA MVP's}}
{{NBA Rookies of the Year}}
{{J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award}}
{{NBA rebounding leaders}}
{{Persondata
| NAME =Unseld, Wes
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH =March 14, 1946
| PLACE OF BIRTH = LouisvilleLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unseld, Wes}}
| |