Bob Hopkins
Robert M. Hopkins (November 3, 1934 – May 15, 2015) was an American basketball player and coach. He played college basketball at Grambling State University, where he scored 3,759 points (averaging 29.8 points per game for his career), and then played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for four seasons with the Syracuse Nationals. He later served on Bill Russell's coaching staff with the Seattle SuperSonics and replaced Russell, his cousin, after the 1976-77 season. Hopkins posted a 5–17 record during the 1977-78 season before being fired; he was replaced by Lenny Wilkens, who led the Sonics to the NBA Finals that season and the following, winning the NBA championship in 1979. He died of heart and kidney failure on May 15, 2015.[1]
Personal information | |
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Born | Jonesboro, Louisiana | November 3, 1934
Died | May 15, 2015 80) Bellevue, Washington | (aged
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Jackson (Jonesboro, Louisiana) |
College | Grambling State (1952–1956) |
NBA draft | 1956 / Round: 10 / Pick: 74th overall |
Selected by the Syracuse Nationals | |
Playing career | 1956–1962 |
Position | Power forward / Center |
Number | 9 |
Coaching career | 1964–1991 |
Career history | |
As player: | |
1956–1960 | Syracuse Nationals |
1960–1962 | Philadelphia Tapers |
As coach: | |
1964–1965 | Prairie View A&M |
1966–1969 | Alcorn State |
1969–1974 | Xavier (Louisiana) |
1974–1977 | Seattle SuperSonics (assistant) |
1977 | Seattle SuperSonics |
1978–1979 | New York Knicks (assistant) |
1984–1986 | Southern |
1986–1989 | Grambling State |
1990–1991 | Maryland Eastern Shore |
Career NBA statistics | |
Points | 2,237 (8.2 ppg) |
Rebounds | 1,526 (5.6 rpg) |
Assists | 189 (0.7 apg) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2013 |
External links