Cliff Levingston
Clifford Eugene Levingston (born January 4, 1961) is an American retired professional basketball player, who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Levingston starred at Wichita State University, before being drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 1982 NBA draft. After two seasons with the Pistons, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, with whom he would spend most of his career.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 4, 1961 San Diego, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Samuel F. B. Morse (San Diego, California) |
| College | Wichita State (1979–1982) |
| NBA draft | 1982 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall |
| Selected by the Detroit Pistons | |
| Playing career | 1982–1995 |
| Position | Power forward |
| Number | 53 |
| Career history | |
| 1982–1984 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1984–1990 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1990–1992 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1992–1993 | PAOK |
| 1993–1994 | Buckler Bologna |
| 1994–1995 | Denver Nuggets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 5,888 (7.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,307 (5.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 752 (0.9 apg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Professional playing career
After six seasons with the Hawks, Levingston joined the Chicago Bulls, with whom he won two championship rings in 1991 and 1992. From 1992 to 1994, he played overseas with PAOK of the Greek Basket League, and as such he played in the final four of FIBA European League (now called EuroLeague). In 1994, he returned to America, and joined the Denver Nuggets, and he retired from the league in 1995, with career totals of 5,888 points, 4,307 rebounds, and 593 blocked shots.
In 1986, while playing for the Hawks, Levingston had the rare distinction of "fouling into" an NBA game. In a game where Dominique Wilkins and Antoine Carr were injured, Kevin Willis, Scott Hastings, Jon Koncak, Spud Webb, and Levingston fouled out of the game. After Doc Rivers was ejected, the Hawks were down to only four players. Under NBA Rule 3-I-b, Levingston, the last player to foul out, was allowed to come back into the game, under the player foul penalty situation, resulting in a non-unsportsmanlike conduct technical foul.[1]
Coaching career
In 2000, Levingston began his coaching career as an assistant basketball coach with the Fort Wayne Fury of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). In 2001, he served as an assistant coach with the Dodge City Legend of the United States Basketball League (USBL). In 2002, he returned to Dodge City, to serve his first stint as a professional league head coach; that year the Legends won the USBL title, and Levingston was named the USBL Coach of the Year.
From 2003 to 2004, Levingston served as an assistant coach for the Harlem Globetrotters. In 2004, he coached the St. Louis Flight of the ABA.
In 2005, Levingston was hired as an assistant coach of the Gary Steelheads, of the CBA; that year, the Steelheads played their best season in franchise history, though they lost the championship game. In 2006, he briefly served as an assistant coach for the Kansas Cagerz, and in November, he was officially hired by the Gary Steelheads (of the USBL), as head coach for the 2007 season.
In the fall of 2007, Micheal Ray Richardson was fired by the Oklahoma Cavalry of the CBA. Levingston was hired to replace him.
In the fall of 2011, Levingston became an assistant coach for Michigan City Marquette High School, in northern Indiana.[2]
In 2012, Levingston was named the 2nd head coach of the Rochester Razorsharks of the Premier Basketball League. He coached the Sharks for one season.
Personal life
In 2003, Levingston was sentenced to four months in prison, for failure to pay child support.[3]
Levingston is a cousin of NBA player Cory Carr.[4]
References
- National Sports Review - The Best and Worst of the '80s: Stories & Anecdotes, Quotes & Lists & Hypes, Passions & Amusements, published 1989, Preview Publishing and InfoSports
- Levingston brings 'Good News' to Marquette
- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- 1998-99 Chicago Bulls media guide