Adrian Dantley

Adrian Delano Dantley (born February 28, 1955[1]) is an American retired basketball player who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A six-time NBA All-Star forward, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. Nicknamed AD, he finished ninth on the all-time NBA scoring list at the time of his retirement.[2] In 2010, he was appointed acting head coach of the Denver Nuggets in the absence of stricken head coach George Karl.

Adrian Dantley
Dantley in 2017
Personal information
Born (1955-02-28) February 28, 1955
Washington, D.C.
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight208 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High schoolDeMatha Catholic
(Hyattsville, Maryland)
CollegeNotre Dame (1973–1976)
NBA draft1976 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall
Selected by the Buffalo Braves
Playing career1976–1992
PositionSmall forward
Number44, 4, 45, 7
Coaching career2003–2011
Career history
As player:
1976–1977Buffalo Braves
1977Indiana Pacers
1977–1979Los Angeles Lakers
1979–1986Utah Jazz
1986–1989Detroit Pistons
1989–1990Dallas Mavericks
1990–1991Milwaukee Bucks
1991–1992Aresium Milano
As coach:
2003–2011Denver Nuggets (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points23,177 (24.3 ppg)
Rebounds5,455 (5.7 rpg)
Assists2,830 (3.0 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
1976 MontrealTeam competition

College and before

Dantley attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he played under coach Morgan Wootten and assistant coach Terry Truax.[3]

Dantley was a forward at Notre Dame from 1973 to 1976. He was a consensus first-team All-American in 1974–75 and 1975–76. He ranks second on Notre Dame's career scoring list with 2,223 points and holds the school record for free throws made (615) and free throws attempted (769).

Dantley had a stellar collegiate career for the Fighting Irish. As a freshman, he played an important role in one of the biggest games in college basketball history, Notre Dame's 1974 upset to end UCLA's record 88-game winning streak. That UCLA team, coached by John Wooden, featured Bill Walton, Jamaal Wilkes (then known as Keith Wilkes), and Dave Meyer.

Dantley led Notre Dame in scoring in 1974–75 (30.4 points per game) and 1975–76 (28.6 points per game), while also leading the team in rebounding those two seasons with marks of 10.2 and 10.1 rebounds per game, respectively. He was also the leading scorer on the 1976 US Olympic team that captured the gold medal in Montreal.

Dantley turned pro in 1976 after his third season at Notre Dame. He graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in economics in August 1978.[4]

NBA

Buffalo Braves

In the 1976 NBA draft Dantley was drafted sixth overall by the Buffalo Braves. He became the third Buffalo player in five years to receive the NBA Rookie of the Year Award when he won it after the 1977 season.

Indiana Pacers

Buffalo traded Dantley to the Indiana Pacers before the 1977–78 NBA season, making him the first NBA Rookie of the Year to be traded following his rookie season. Indiana traded him after 23 games to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers

He stayed with the Lakers through the following season before being traded again, this time to the Utah Jazz. It was the third time in two years that he had been traded; the Jazz were his fourth team in as many years in the league.

Utah Jazz

In Utah, Dantley reached his peak establishing his reputation as a prolific scorer, twice leading the league in scoring (in 1981 and 1984). He averaged over 30 points per game each season between 1981 and 1984, though he missed 60 games in 1983 after tearing ligaments in his right wrist. In his seven years with the Jazz, Dantley picked up all six of his All-Star appearances and two All-NBA second-team honors. Dantley's 1980–1984 seasons include two of the top three and four of the top seven spots in true shooting percentage for players averaging at least 30 points per game.[5]

Detroit Pistons

Utah traded Dantley to the Detroit Pistons after the 1986 season. Dantley was still an effective scorer but did not get as many shots with Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Vinnie Johnson, and Bill Laimbeer all averaging at least 10 points per game. Dantley was knocked unconscious while diving for a loose ball in Game 7 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals.[6] By starting the season with the 1988-89 Pistons, he is listed as a member of one of the top 10 teams in NBA history.[7] Midway through the 1989 season Detroit traded Dantley to the Dallas Mavericks for Mark Aguirre due to personal conflicts with Isiah Thomas.[8]

Final years and retirement

Dantley played two more seasons in the NBA before retiring after a 13-game stint with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1991.

Dantley finished his career with an average of 24.3 points per game. He scored his points with a mix of flat-footed mid-range jump shots, high-percentage opportunities close to the basket, and frequent trips to the free throw line. For his career, he shot .540 from the floor—16th in NBA history—and .818 from the free throw line. He led the league in free throws six times and ranks ninth all-time in that category. He shares the record with Wilt Chamberlain for most free throws made in a regular-season NBA game with 28.

Player profile

Although listed as a small forward due to his size, Dantley played primarily in the low post, similar to a power forward.

One of the all-time great free throw shooters,[2] he had a set routine of four two-handed dribbles and two spins of the ball before every free throw. In addition, "prior to each free throw, he would recite his mantra from junior high that adept lip readers couldn’t mistake: “Over the front rim, backspin, follow through.” Fundamentals were not lip service but a way of life for Dantley."[9]

His ability to score in the low post was even more remarkable considering one of his legs is significantly shorter than the other. To compensate for the nearly 2 inch difference in leg length, he wore custom-made inserts in his shoes.[10]

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
 *  Led the league

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1976–77 Buffalo 77–36.6.520–.8187.61.91.20.220.3
1977–78 Indiana 23–41.2.499–.7879.42.82.10.726.5
1977–78 L.A. Lakers 56–35.4.520–.8017.23.41.30.119.4
1978–79 L.A. Lakers 60–29.6.510–.8545.72.31.10.217.3
1979–80 Utah 68–39.3.576.000.8427.62.81.40.228.0
1980–81 Utah 80–42.7*.559.286.8066.44.01.40.230.7*
1981–82 Utah 818139.8.570.333.7926.34.01.20.230.3
1982–83 Utah 222240.3.580–.8476.44.80.90.030.7
1983–84 Utah 797937.8.558.250.8595.73.90.80.130.6*
1984–85 Utah 554635.8.531–.8045.93.41.00.126.6
1985–86 Utah 767536.1.563.091.7915.23.50.80.129.8
1986–87 Detroit 818133.8.534.167.8124.12.00.80.121.5
1987–88 Detroit 695031.1.514.000.8603.32.50.60.120.0
1988–89 Detroit 424231.9.521–.8393.92.20.50.118.4
1988–89 Dallas 312534.9.462.000.7764.92.50.60.220.3
1989–90 Dallas 454528.9.477.000.7873.81.80.40.214.7
1990–91 Milwaukee 10012.6.380.333.6921.30.90.50.05.7
Career 95554635.8.540.171.8185.73.01.00.224.3
All-Star 6521.7.426–.8953.81.21.00.010.5

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1978 L.A. Lakers 3–34.7.571–.6478.33.71.71.017.0
1979 L.A. Lakers 8–29.5.562–.7884.11.40.80.117.6
1984 Utah 11–41.3.504–.8637.54.20.90.132.2
1985 Utah 101039.8.523.000.7797.52.01.60.025.3
1987 Detroit 151533.3.539–.7754.52.30.90.020.5
1988 Detroit 232335.0.524.000.7874.72.00.80.019.4
1991 Milwaukee 306.3.143–.7501.30.00.00.01.7
Career 734834.5.525.000.7965.42.30.90.121.3

Honors

Utah retired Dantley's uniform number (#4) on April 11, 2007.

Dantley enjoyed outstanding success at every level of basketball, including high school, college, Olympics, and the NBA. On April 7, 2008, he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, 16 years after he retired.

Coaching

Dantley was an assistant basketball coach at then-Towson State from August 1993 to 1996.[3][11] Dantley had played for Towson head coach Terry Truax in high school.[3]

Dantley later worked for the Denver Nuggets as an assistant coach for eight seasons. He briefly served as the team's head coach during the 2009–10 NBA season, filling in for George Karl, who was fighting cancer.[12]

In addition to playing professionally, in his spare time, Dantley coaches basketball to aspiring players in Silver Spring, Maryland.[13]

Personal life

His son Cameron Dantley was the starting quarterback for the Syracuse Orange during the 2008 season.[14]

Since 2013 Dantley has been working part-time as a crossing guard for Maryland's Montgomery County Public Schools. He has said that he likes both the job and the fact that it provides health benefits.[15][16]

Dantley also works as a referee for high school and receational league games in the DC area.[17]

See also

References
  1. Aschburner, Steve (March 1, 2013). "NBA Legend Dantley Celebrates B-Day With Extra Candle". NBA.com.
  2. Staff, NBA com. "Legends profile: Adrian Dantley". NBA.com. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  3. "Dantley named assistant for Towson basketball". The Baltimore Sun. August 20, 1993. Retrieved March 2, 2018. Truax was an assistant to Morgan Wootten at DeMatha in 1969-70, during Dantley's career with the Stags.
  4. Somogyi, Lou (March 12, 2016). "Notre Dame's Adrian Dantley Honored As ACC Legend". BlueAndGold.com. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  5. "Best true shooting percentage with more than 30 PPG". StatMuse.
  6. Adrian Dantley Knocked Out Cold During Game 7 vs. Celtics (1987), retrieved January 25, 2020
  7. "50 Greatest Players in NBA History", Wikipedia, November 5, 2019, retrieved January 25, 2020
  8. "Ex-Piston Adrian Dantley calls Isiah Thomas 'con man' on 105.1-FM show". mlive. April 19, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  9. "A.D. Thrived At N.D." IrishIllustrated.com. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  10. Company, Johnson Publishing (July 11, 1988). Jet. Johnson Publishing Company.
  11. "Towson Mourns Loss of Legendary Basketball Coach Terry Truax". TowsonTigers.com. Towson Athletics. February 17, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  12. Hochman, Benjamin (June 26, 2011). "Nuggets do not renew Dantley's contract". The Denver Post. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  13. "Train with Adrian, a Basketball coach on CoachUp". CoachUp.
  14. Berman, Zach (April 3, 2007). "Berman: Dark horse Dantley making name for himself after earning scholarship". The Daily Orange. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  15. Cloherty, Megan (March 18, 2013). "Former NBA great Adrian Dantley works as crossing guard in Montgomery Co". WTOP. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  16. Doren, Jenny (March 20, 2013). "Adrian Dantley, NBA Hall of Famer, loves being a school crossing guard in Silver Spring". WJLA. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  17. McKenna, Dave (March 8, 2019). "Adrian Dantley Returned To The Site Of A Legendary Prep Hoops Debacle, This Time As A Kids' Rec League Ref". Deadspin. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
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