Wes Unseld
Westley Sissel Unseld Sr. (March 14, 1946 – June 2, 2020) was an American professional basketball player, coach and executive. He spent his entire National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets. Unseld played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals and was selected with the second overall pick by the Bullets in the 1968 NBA draft. He was named the NBA Most Valuable Player and NBA Rookie of the Year during his rookie season and joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players in NBA history to accomplish the feat. Unseld won an NBA championship with the Bullets in 1978, and the Finals MVP award to go with it. After retiring from playing in 1981, he worked with the Bullets/Wizards as a vice president, head coach, and general manager.
Unseld with the Washington Bullets in 1975 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 14, 1946 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | June 2, 2020 (aged 74) Catonsville, Maryland, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Seneca (Louisville, Kentucky) |
| College | Louisville (1965–1968) |
| NBA draft | 1968: 1st round, 2nd overall pick |
| Selected by the Baltimore Bullets | |
| Playing career | 1968–1981 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 41 |
| Coaching career | 1987–1994 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1968–1981 | Baltimore / Capital / Washington Bullets |
| As coach: | |
| 1987–1988 | Washington Bullets (assistant) |
| 1988–1994 | Washington Bullets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA playing statistics | |
| Points | 10,624 (10.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 13,769 (14.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 3,822 (3.9 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Career coaching record | |
| NBA | 202–345 (.369) |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
| College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 | |
Unseld was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. His son, Wes Unseld Jr., currently works in the front office of the Washington Wizards.