Marvin Webster
Encyclopedia
Marvin Nathaniel Webster (April 13, 1952 – April 4, 2009) was an American
professional basketball
player. Nickname
d "The Human Eraser" and "Marvin the Magnificent", he played one season in the American Basketball Association (ABA)
and nine in the National Basketball Association (NBA)
with the Denver Nuggets
(1975–77), Seattle SuperSonics
(1977–78), New York Knickerbockers
(1978–84) and Milwaukee Bucks
(1986–87).
, Maryland
, the son of a Baltimore preacher
, Webster attended Edmondson High School
in the city. A four-year basketball letterman at Morgan State University
, he earned the nickname "The Human Eraser" as a junior when he averaged eight blocked shots a game while helping the Bears capture the 1974 NCAA
Division II Championship. He averaged 21 points and 22.4 rebound
s and was named Division II player of the year.
Webster still holds eight career school records: 1,990 points, 2,267 rebounds, 19.5 rebounds per game, 785 field goal
s made, 424 free throw
s made, 644 free throws attempted, 722 blocks and 110 games started. His 740 rebounds in 1974 and 2,267 career total are still second all-time in NCAA history in their respective categories. He was named to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball 50th Anniversary All-Elite Eight Team in 2006.
and ABA Drafts in 1975 (third overall by the Atlanta Hawks
, first overall by the Denver Nuggets, respectively). After signing with the Nuggets, he was diagnosed with a form of hepatitis
, and played only 38 games as a rookie
in 1975–76.
A 7' 1" center
, Webster helped the Nuggets win the 1976-77 NBA Midwest Division and the SuperSonics the 1977-78 NBA Western Conference title. His finest season was his single year with Seattle, in which he averaged 14.0 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. He raised his performance in the SuperSonics’ 22-game playoff run that year, averaging 16.1 points, 13.1 rebounds, and more than 2.6 blocks per game. Webster still holds the SuperSonics' record for rebounds in one half with 21.
Webster was found dead in a Tulsa, Oklahoma
hotel room on April 4, 2009. He was 56 years old. It is believed that he died of a coronary artery disease.
, but died at age 19 from a heart attack
prior to his sophomore season.
Later in his life, Webster lived in Metuchen, New Jersey
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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. Nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "The Human Eraser" and "Marvin the Magnificent", he played one season in the American Basketball Association (ABA)
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
and nine in the National Basketball Association (NBA)
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...
with the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
(1975–77), Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
(1977–78), New York Knickerbockers
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(1978–84) and Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
(1986–87).
College career
Born in BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, the son of a Baltimore preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
, Webster attended Edmondson High School
Edmondson/Westside High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
Edmondson-Westside High School is a public high school and trade school in Baltimore, Maryland. It is located in the southwest section of the city in the area known as Edmondson Village...
in the city. A four-year basketball letterman at Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
, he earned the nickname "The Human Eraser" as a junior when he averaged eight blocked shots a game while helping the Bears capture the 1974 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division II Championship. He averaged 21 points and 22.4 rebound
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
s and was named Division II player of the year.
Webster still holds eight career school records: 1,990 points, 2,267 rebounds, 19.5 rebounds per game, 785 field goal
Field goal (basketball)
In basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
s made, 424 free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
s made, 644 free throws attempted, 722 blocks and 110 games started. His 740 rebounds in 1974 and 2,267 career total are still second all-time in NCAA history in their respective categories. He was named to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball 50th Anniversary All-Elite Eight Team in 2006.
Professional career
Webster was selected in the first round of both the NBA1975 NBA Draft
The 1975 NBA Draft was the 29th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on May 29, 1975 before the 1975–76 season. In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
and ABA Drafts in 1975 (third overall by the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta 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:...
, first overall by the Denver Nuggets, respectively). After signing with the Nuggets, he was diagnosed with a form of hepatitis
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
, and played only 38 games as a rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
in 1975–76.
A 7' 1" center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
, Webster helped the Nuggets win the 1976-77 NBA Midwest Division and the SuperSonics the 1977-78 NBA Western Conference title. His finest season was his single year with Seattle, in which he averaged 14.0 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. He raised his performance in the SuperSonics’ 22-game playoff run that year, averaging 16.1 points, 13.1 rebounds, and more than 2.6 blocks per game. Webster still holds the SuperSonics' record for rebounds in one half with 21.
Webster was found dead in a Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
hotel room on April 4, 2009. He was 56 years old. It is believed that he died of a coronary artery disease.
Family
Webster's son, Marvin Webster Jr., was recruited to play basketball at Temple UniversityTemple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
, but died at age 19 from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
prior to his sophomore season.
Later in his life, Webster lived in Metuchen, New Jersey
Metuchen, New Jersey
Metuchen is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, which is 8 miles northeast of New Brunswick, 18 miles southwest of Newark, 24 miles southwest of Jersey City, and 29 miles southwest of Manhattan, all part of the New York metropolitan area...
.
External links
- Latzke, Jeff. "Ex-Sonics star Marvin Webster found dead in hotel," The Associated Press, Wednesday, April 8, 2009.
- Allen, Percy. "Former Sonic Marvin Webster dies at 56," The Seattle Times, Thursday, April 9, 2009.
- Marvin Webster – Sports Illustrated cover, October 16, 1978.
- Kirkpatrick, Curry. "Heavens, What A Year Ahead!" Sports Illustrated, October 16, 1978.
- Pearlman, Jeff. "Catching Up With...SuperSonics center Marvin Webster-May 22, 1978," Sports Illustrated, May 5, 1997.
- Seattle PI: Photos | Death of Marvin Webster