Status: Basketball Hall of Famer. NBA forward/center from 1972-1986 with Buffalo, New York, Boston, Detroit, New Jersey, LA Lakers, and Philadelphia. Currently serves as an assistant coach for Miami Heat.
Ht: 6-9 Wt: 210
DOB: September 25, 1951 In: Greensboro, NC
First Basketball Memory: “I remember going to the YMCA and playing in the league tournaments when I first started. Because, believe it or not, it was the last sport I played. I was better in baseball and football and because my uncles kept telling me I was getting so tall, I had to start playing basketball. I started down at the Y. I started enjoying it and it ended up being the game for me.”
Basketball Inspirations: “Probably my first was Earl Monroe. Because I’m from Greensboro, North Carolina. I used to see him play at Winston-Salem State. And he used to average 40 points a game and it was just fantastic seeing him twirlin’ and whirlin’ and making those baskets. That’s when I said: I’d love to be a basketball player.”
Nicknames: “For me? People used to call me Can-Do. Spiderman. You know, all kinds of things [laughs].”
Hobbies/Interests: “Tennis. That’s why I’m here now (at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, FL). I love tennis. I’ve got all my kids playing tennis growing up and I just love watching it on TV and watching it live when I have the chance.”
Favorite Movies: “Right off the bat…Amistad. Dances With Wolves. All the old stuff.”
Last Book Read: “Let me think…Mind Games. A book about athletics and sports psychology. I’m always trying to learn new stuff to impart on my younger daughter and son because they’re sportsmen.”
First Job: “Working at a fast food restaurant when I was 16 years old in Greensboro, North Carolina. (McDonalds?) No it was Ray’s Restaurant.”
Current Car: “Expedition (blue).”
Greatest Sports Moment: “Probably winning the (NBA) Most Valuable Player in 1975. I have two. That one and winning the NBA Championship with the Lakers.”
Most Painful Moment: “Probably right off the bat…I remember we lost a playoff game seven series to the Washington Bullets, at the time, we were up the whole game, the referee Mendy Rudy (Rudolph) had a heart attack during the game. We had a 30 minute break. When we resumed play, we had nothing left and they beat us in the seventh game, seven game series.”
Favorite Arena To Play: “Not really. As far as a stretch in my career, I loved playing in Italy after I left the NBA.”
Favorite Uniforms: “I like the Buffalo Braves blue uniforms.”
Closest NBA Friends: “Randy Smith, who is deceased. Now he just died. Foots Walker, who was a teammate of mine in junior college. He had a 9-10 year career in the NBA, he played with the Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets.”
Toughest Competitors Encountered: “Kareem-Abdul Jabbar. That sky hook was impossible to stop.”
Funniest Players Encountered: “Probably Michael Ray Richardson [laughs].”
Embarrassing Basketball Memory: “Not too many. Not too many I can think of.”
Funny Basketball Memory: “Not really. I was really serious when it came to my basketball.”
Strangest Game: “Probably when I was over in Europe. We had a European Cup game in the early rounds and the game ended in a tie. And we didn’t go into overtime. It just ended in a tie.”
Favorite Athletes To Watch: “Oh, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Pete Sampras when he played. Arthur Ashe. Because Arthur Ashe is the reason I got interested in tennis. I ended up seeing the Arthur Ashe-Jimmy Connors match, I think 1975 Wimbledon. He upset Jimmy Connors and I’ve been a tennis fan ever since.”
Why Do You Love Tennis: “It’s one-on-one. You’ve got to figure it out for yourself. It’s like a chess game. You’ve got to be smart on the court, you’ve got to have all the strokes. You can’t depend on teammates. I just like the one-on-one competition.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Classy people. That’s one of the reasons I like tennis too. Because when I saw a guy like Arthur Ashe and now I see guys like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, they exude so much class for the sport. That’s what we need in every sport, basketball also.”
Career Accomplishments: Two-time NBA Champion (1982, 1985); Inducted to Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000; Three NBA Scoring titles; 1973 NBA Rookie Of The Year; Five-time NBA All-Star; Averaged 30 points a game and 15 rebounds a game in 1973-74; 18,787 total NBA points; 8,084 total NBA rebounds; 1,147 total NBA blocked shots.
Topics: Basketball Hall Of Famer, Basketball Player, Bob Mcadoo, Buffalo New York, Dances With Wolves, Earl Monroe, Fast Food Restaurant, Greatest Sports, Greensboro North Carolina, Hobbies Interests, Key Biscayne Fl, La Lakers, Nba Championship, Nba Lakers, Painful Moment, Player Nicknames, Playing Basketball, Sports Moment, Sports Psychology, Winston Salem State
Biofile with Bob McAdoo | 