| |
Smooth. Graceful. Creative.
Unstoppable. As a basketball player,
George "Iceman" Gervin could use
those four adjectives to describe
his game, but, no pun intended, they
would be the tip of the "iceberg."
George Gervin was one of
basketball's most electrifying and
scintillating players, a talent that
doesn't often grace the hardwood...Book
George Gervin for Your Event
Many
basketball observers suggest that
the key to Gervin's success at the
collegiate and professional level
can be traced back to high school.
As a scrawny 5-foot-8 sophomore,
George Gervin barely made the jayvee
team. In order to improve his game,
Gervin would spend his nights
shooting baskets in a gym by
himself. here was a hitch: before
Gervin could use the gymnasium, the
school janitor made him sweep the
floor.
That
passion and desire and willingness
to succeed¾combined with
extraordinary athletic ability and
God-given talents¾made Gervin a
player whose talent and knack for
scoring seemingly anytime he wanted,
will be discussion for ages to come.
In
winning the closest individual
scoring race in NBA history on April
9, 1978, against fellow Hall of
Famer David Thompson, the "Iceman"
established himself as one of the
most prolific scorers in his era. In
the final game of the season, Gervin
scored 63 points to nip Thompson by
just .06 points. One of only three
players in NBA history to win four
or more league scoring titles (1978,
1979, 1980, 1982), Gervin enraptured
fans for 14 ABA/NBA seasons with the
Virginia Squires (1972-74), San
Antonio Spurs (1974-85) and Chicago
Bulls (1985-86).
Whether he was laying in a sweet
finger roll over a center in the
paint or spotting up for a long
jumper in the face of a guard,
George Gervin always found a way to
put the ball in the basket. An
All-Star in 12 of 14 seasons (three
ABA, nine NBA), Gervin's total of
20,708 career points placed him 19th
best on the NBA's all-time scoring
list. His career scoring average of
26.2 ppg ranks sixth best on the
NBA's all-time list and his combined
ABA and NBA career point total of
26,595 ranks eighth best in
basketball history. Among guards,
Gervin's combined point total places
him second behind Oscar Robertson.
The
San Antonio Spurs' all-time leader
in points, games played, field goals
made and attempted, free throws made
and attempted, and steals, George
Gervin is one of seven players to
score 2,000 points in six
consecutive NBA seasons (1977-78 to
1982-83). The MVP of the 1980 NBA
All-Star Game, Gervin's scoring
talents guided the Spurs to five
Divisional titles in nine years. A
five-time All-NBA First Team
selection (1978-82), Gervin spent
two years at Eastern Michigan, where
he earned All-America honors
following his sophomore season.
George Gervin worked as a community
relations representative for the
Spurs until 1992, when Head Coach
John Lucas made him an assistant.
After two seasons on the bench, he
returned to his position in the
community relations department in
1994. Gervin's No. 44 is one of only
two uniform numbers ever retired by
the Spurs. Gervin enjoyed a banner
year in 1996 as he was named to the
NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
and was also inducted into the
Naismith Memeorial Basketball Hall
of Fame.
>>>
Book George Gervin for Your Event
|