Jack Givens
Encyclopedia
Jack "Goose" Givens is a retired American
collegiate
and professional basketball
player. Givens led the University of Kentucky
to the 1978 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship and was named that year's Final Four
Most Outstanding Player
due in most part to his 41-point performance in Kentucky's 94-88 victory over Duke University
in the championship game. He was a 6'5" (1.96 m), 205 lb (93 kg) forward.
All-America honors after his senior year at Lexington's Bryan Station High School
in 1974. UK finished Givens' freshman season as national runners-up, falling 92-85 to UCLA
in the 1975 Final Four championship game. In 1978, Givens and Kentucky returned to the Final Four at the Checkerdome in Saint Louis
, Missouri
. After leading Kentucky to a semifinal victory over the University of Arkansas
, he scored a career-high 41 points and made 18 of 27 field goal attempts against Duke to help Kentucky clinch their fifth NCAA Championship in men's basketball.
Givens lettered four times in varsity basketball from 1974-75 to 1977-78. In that span, he scored 2,038 points in 123 games (16.6 ppg), ranking third on the school's all-time scoring list. He was named first team all-Southeastern Conference
three times from 1976 to 1978 and was a consensus second team All-American in 1978. Kentucky retired Givens' #21 jersey and a banner in his honor hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena
, Kentucky's home court.
of the National Basketball Association
(NBA) drafted Givens with the 16th overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft
. He played two years for the Hawks, scoring 1,040 points in 156 games (6.7 ppg).
(TBS) and the Orlando Magic
for both the Sun Sports
and FS Florida cable stations from the team's inception in 1990 to 2004 before being replaced by Matt Guokas
.
Championship in the 16 and under division. Jack and his wife Linda have two children, Jeremy and Jaimie. In September 2005, a jury acquitted Givens of sexual battery charges.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
collegiate
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
and professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. Givens led the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
to the 1978 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship and was named that year's Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
Most Outstanding Player
NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player
At the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball championships , the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player. The MOP need not be, but almost always is a member of the Championship team, especially since the third place game was eliminated after 1981...
due in most part to his 41-point performance in Kentucky's 94-88 victory over Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in the championship game. He was a 6'5" (1.96 m), 205 lb (93 kg) forward.
Collegiate career
Givens earned Kentucky Mr. Basketball and ParadeParade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-America honors after his senior year at Lexington's Bryan Station High School
Bryan Station High School
Bryan Station High School, founded in 1958, is a high school within the Fayette County Public Schools system in Lexington, Kentucky. During the 2006-2007 school year, students were moved to their newly built school known as Bryan Station High. The school was named for Bryan Station, a 18th century...
in 1974. UK finished Givens' freshman season as national runners-up, falling 92-85 to UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in the 1975 Final Four championship game. In 1978, Givens and Kentucky returned to the Final Four at the Checkerdome in Saint Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. After leading Kentucky to a semifinal victory over the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
, he scored a career-high 41 points and made 18 of 27 field goal attempts against Duke to help Kentucky clinch their fifth NCAA Championship in men's basketball.
Givens lettered four times in varsity basketball from 1974-75 to 1977-78. In that span, he scored 2,038 points in 123 games (16.6 ppg), ranking third on the school's all-time scoring list. He was named first team all-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
three times from 1976 to 1978 and was a consensus second team All-American in 1978. Kentucky retired Givens' #21 jersey and a banner in his honor hangs in the rafters of Rupp Arena
Rupp Arena
Rupp Arena is an arena located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. Since its opening in 1976, it has been the centerpiece of Lexington Center, a convention and shopping facility owned by an arm of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, and serves as home court to the University of...
, Kentucky's home court.
NBA career
Following his collegiate career, the Atlanta HawksAtlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) drafted Givens with the 16th overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft
1978 NBA Draft
The 1978 NBA Draft was the 32nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 9, 1978, before the 1978–79 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
. He played two years for the Hawks, scoring 1,040 points in 156 games (6.7 ppg).
Broadcasting
After his playing career, Givens was an NBA television color analyst for various networks and teams, most notably with the Turner Broadcasting SystemNBA on TBS
The NBA on TBS debuted in the 1984-1985 season under a four year contract, where they shared the NBA package along with CBS.-Coverage:...
(TBS) and the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
for both the Sun Sports
Sun Sports
Sun Sports is a Florida sports broadcasting network, with its headquarters in Orlando. Launched in 1988 as Sunshine Network, the station is now affiliated with virtually every cable company throughout the state of Florida and can be picked up by some satellite providers around the United...
and FS Florida cable stations from the team's inception in 1990 to 2004 before being replaced by Matt Guokas
Matt Guokas
Matthew George "Matt" Guokas, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player and coach.-Playing career:...
.
Personal life
Givens is the CEO and President of Orlando Comets, a basketball organization that has placed over 60 players into NCAA basketball on full scholarships. In 2006, the Orlando Comets won the national AAUAmateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
Championship in the 16 and under division. Jack and his wife Linda have two children, Jeremy and Jaimie. In September 2005, a jury acquitted Givens of sexual battery charges.
External links
- Jack Givens' NBA statistics, basketballreference.com