Jack Sikma

Jack Sikma
Sikma in 1978
Personal information
Born (1955-11-14) November 14, 1955
Kankakee, Illinois
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight 230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school Saint Anne (Saint Anne, Illinois)
College Illinois Wesleyan (1973–1977)
NBA draft 1977 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8th overall
Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics
Playing career 1977–1991
Position Center / Power forward
Number 43
Career history
As player:
1977–1986 Seattle SuperSonics
1986–1991 Milwaukee Bucks
As coach:
2003–2007 Seattle SuperSonics (assistant)
2007–2011 Houston Rockets (assistant)
2011–2014 Minnesota Timberwolves (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points 17,287 (15.6 ppg)
Rebounds 10,816 (9.8 rpg)
Blocks 1,048 (0.9 bpg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Jack Wayne Sikma (born November 14, 1955) is an American retired basketball center. He was a seven-time NBA All-Star with the Seattle SuperSonics, who drafted him in the first round with the eighth overall pick of the 1977 NBA draft. In 1979, he won an NBA championship with Seattle. Sikma finished his playing career with the Milwaukee Bucks. He was known for his distinctive curly, blond hair along with his patented step back behind the head jumper during his playing days.

Playing career

Sikma played at Illinois Wesleyan University. He was drafted eighth overall in 1977 by the Seattle SuperSonics, Sikma was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1978. Among his notable career achievements are his seven All-Star Game selections (from 1979 to 1985) and his championship ring won with the 1978–1979 Sonics, where Sikma teamed with talented players such as Dennis Johnson, Gus Williams and an aging Paul Silas. Sikma always averaged double figures in points-per-game throughout his career, and after his stint with the Sonics, he maintained consistent numbers while playing with the Milwaukee Bucks in his final five seasons; for his career he averaged 15.6 points (17,287 in total) and just under 9.8 rebounds per game over 14 seasons and 1107 games.

Sikma was one of the most accurate shooting centers in NBA history. He holds the rare distinction of leading the league in free-throw percentage (92.2%) while playing the center position during the 1987–88 season; he averaged 84.9% in free-throw shooting for his career. Sikma also made over 200 three-pointers during his career with a 32.8% three-point accuracy.

Along with his accurate shooting, Sikma led the league in defensive rebounds in both 1981–82 and 1983–84 while playing for Seattle.

Post-playing career

From 2003 to 2007 he worked with the Seattle SuperSonics as an assistant coach.

In June 2007 Sikma was hired by the Houston Rockets as an assistant coach to head coach, Rick Adelman.[1] Among his duties was tutoring center Yao Ming in "big man" playing strategies. On December 6, 2011, he was signed as an assistant coach by the Minnesota Timberwolves, again under Adelman.[2]

Sikma is currently a coaching consultant for the Toronto Raptors, particularly working with center Jonas Valančiūnas.[3]

Personal life

Sikma's son, Luke, played for the University of Portland Pilots,[4][5] and plays professionally in Germany.[6] As of 2011, his other son, Nate, played for the University of Hartford Hawks men's basketball team.[7]

Honors

In 2006, Sikma was voted as one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament, a group of former players and coaches in honor of the 100 anniversary of the IHSA boys basketball tournament. On June 27, 2017, Sikma was inducted into the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame as part of their second class.[8] Inducted alongside Sikma were Zelmo Beaty, Walt Frazier, Bob Love, Elmore Smith, Jim Spivey, Rico Swanson, George Tinsley, and Al Tucker.

Sikma's no. 43 jersey was retired by the Seattle SuperSonics, one of only six players to be honored by the team.

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
dagger Denotes season in which Sikma won an NBA championship
* Led the league

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1977–78 Seattle 82–27.3.455–.7778.31.60.80.510.7
1978–79† Seattle 82–36.1.460–.81412.43.21.00.815.6
1979–80 Seattle 82–34.1.475.000.80511.13.40.80.914.3
1980–81 Seattle 82–35.6.454.000.82310.43.01.01.118.7
1981–82 Seattle 828237.2.479.154.85512.73.41.21.319.6
1982–83 Seattle 757134.2.464.000.83711.43.11.20.918.2
1983–84 Seattle 828236.5.499.000.85611.14.01.21.119.1
1984–85 Seattle 686835.3.489.200.85210.64.21.21.318.5
1985–86 Seattle 807834.9.462.000.8649.43.81.20.917.1
1986–87 Milwaukee 828230.9.463.000.84710.02.51.11.112.7
1987–88 Milwaukee 828235.6.486.214.922*8.63.41.11.016.5
1988–89 Milwaukee 808032.3.431.380.9057.83.61.10.813.4
1989–90 Milwaukee 717031.7.416.342.8856.93.21.10.713.9
1990–91 Milwaukee 774425.2.427.341.8435.71.90.80.810.4
Career 1,10773933.4.464.328.8499.83.21.00.915.6
All-Star 7021.0.471.000.8756.01.61.31.07.

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1978 Seattle 22–31.9.466–.7808.11.20.80.513.7
1979† Seattle 17–38.5.455–.78711.72.50.91.414.8
1980 Seattle 15–35.6.399.000.8528.43.71.10.311.7
1982 Seattle 8–39.4.445–.86212.13.01.11.020.5
1983 Seattle 2–37.5.355.000.66713.05.51.01.015.0
1984 Seattle 5–38.6.500.000.85710.21.00.61.422.0
1987 Milwaukee 121235.5.487.000.98010.81.91.30.816.2
1988 Milwaukee 5538.0.461.000.83312.42.60.40.819.0
1989 Milwaukee 9933.4.394.286.8215.63.30.90.411.7
1990 Milwaukee 4429.3.261.286.7503.51.80.51.05.0
1991 Milwaukee 3017.0.400.500.5004.02.01.70.34.7
Career 1023034.9.445.244.8309.32.41.00.814.3

See also

References

  1. ↑ Adelman adds four assistants to coaching staff
  2. ↑ "Wolves Announce Basketball and Coaching Staffs". Minnesota Timberwolves. 6 December 2011.
  3. ↑ https://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/2017/02/07/raptors-look-extend-valanciunass-comfort-spot.html
  4. ↑ Luke Sikma thriving at Portland
  5. ↑ Sikma, Schrempf an unbeatable combo in Bellevue
  6. ↑ (in Spanish)
  7. ↑ High School Sports Blog | Catching up with Bellevue's Nate Sikma | Seattle Times Newspaper
  8. ↑
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