Sidney Wicks
Encyclopedia
Sidney Wicks is a retired American
basketball
player. A native of California
, he played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins
and played professionally in the National Basketball Association
(NBA) from 1971 to 1981. In the NBA he played for the Portland Trail Blazers
, Boston Celtics
, and San Diego Clippers, earning NBA Rookie of the Year
in 1972 as well as four all-star selections.
, on September 19, 1949. He attended Alexander Hamilton High School
in Los Angeles, but because of non-qualifying grades in high school, he had to attend Santa Monica College
for a year until he could go to his preferred university, the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA). Wicks later earned Academic All-America honors at UCLA in 1971. He earned a degree in sociology from the school.
A 6'8" power forward
/center
, Wicks was a phenom at UCLA, playing on three straight NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
s from 1969 to 1971, the Bruins' star player on the latter two, being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in 1970, Helms National Co-Player of the Year (1970) USBWA and Sporting News Player of the Year (1971) and two-time consensus All-American in 1970 and 1971. On Feb 1, 1996, his Jersey #35 was retired in a halftime ceremony at UCLA's home court, Pauley Pavilion. Wicks was an 1985 inductee into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame and in 2010, was selected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
selected Wicks with the second pick of the 1971 NBA Draft
after paying the Cleveland Cavaliers
$250,000 not to select him, and the Dallas Chaparrals
chose him in the 1971 ABA
Draft. After averaging 24.5 points and 11.5 rebounds, Wicks was named NBA Rookie of the Year
. He also played in the NBA All-Star Game
that season.
Wicks played for the Trail Blazers from 1971 to 1976, earning a total of four selections as an All-Star (1972–1975) and averaging over 20 points per game each of his first four seasons. He holds the Blazer's franchise record for rebounds in a game with 27, and averaged 22.3 points per game and 10.3 rebounds a game in his five years with the team.
In October 1976 he was sold to the Boston Celtics, while Portland went on to win their only NBA championship the next season. Wicks played for the Celtics from 1976 to 1978. Wicks then went to the San Diego Clippers
and played there until 1981. Overall, Wicks averaged 16.8 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game over ten seasons and 760 games. He had four seasons averaging over 20 points per game, and four seasons averaging over 10 rebounds per game, with accomplishing both of those feats in the same season three times (1971–72, 1972–73, and 1974–75). His scoring average dropped every year after his rookie season. Following his NBA career he played one season in Italy
.
's four years as head coach. Following coaching he entered the real estate field, living in Atlanta
, Florida
, and Los Angeles. He was married from 1973 to 1979 and has one daughter, Sibahn Epps. As of 2006, he lived in North Carolina
and LA.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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. A native of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, he played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
and played professionally in 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) from 1971 to 1981. In the NBA he played for the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
, Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, and San Diego Clippers, earning NBA Rookie of the Year
NBA Rookie of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
in 1972 as well as four all-star selections.
Early life
Sidney Wicks was born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, on September 19, 1949. He attended Alexander Hamilton High School
Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles, California)
Alexander Hamilton High School is a public high school within the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is in the Los Angeles Unified School District.-History:...
in Los Angeles, but because of non-qualifying grades in high school, he had to attend Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College is a two-year, public, junior college located in Santa Monica, California.Santa Monica College was first opened in 1929 as Santa Monica Junior College. Current enrollment is over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study...
for a year until he could go to his preferred university, the University of California, Los Angeles
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...
(UCLA). Wicks later earned Academic All-America honors at UCLA in 1971. He earned a degree in sociology from the school.
A 6'8" power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
/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...
, Wicks was a phenom at UCLA, playing on three straight NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
s from 1969 to 1971, the Bruins' star player on the latter two, being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in 1970, Helms National Co-Player of the Year (1970) USBWA and Sporting News Player of the Year (1971) and two-time consensus All-American in 1970 and 1971. On Feb 1, 1996, his Jersey #35 was retired in a halftime ceremony at UCLA's home court, Pauley Pavilion. Wicks was an 1985 inductee into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame and in 2010, was selected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
Professional career
The Portland Trail BlazersPortland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
selected Wicks with the second pick of the 1971 NBA Draft
1971 NBA Draft
The 1971 NBA Draft was the 25th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on March 29, 1971 before the 1971–72 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
after paying the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
$250,000 not to select him, and the Dallas Chaparrals
Dallas Chaparrals
The Dallas Chaparrals were a charter member of the American Basketball Association, later becoming the San Antonio Spurs and joining the NBA.The team suffered from poor attendance and general disinterest in Dallas...
chose him in the 1971 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:...
Draft. After averaging 24.5 points and 11.5 rebounds, Wicks was named NBA Rookie of the Year
NBA Rookie of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
. He also played in the NBA All-Star Game
1972 NBA All-Star Game
22nd NBA All-Star Game. Date: January 18, 1972, at The Forum; Coaches: Tom Heinsohn, Boston Celtics and Bill Sharman, Los Angeles Lakers ; MVP: Jerry West, Los Angeles...
that season.
Wicks played for the Trail Blazers from 1971 to 1976, earning a total of four selections as an All-Star (1972–1975) and averaging over 20 points per game each of his first four seasons. He holds the Blazer's franchise record for rebounds in a game with 27, and averaged 22.3 points per game and 10.3 rebounds a game in his five years with the team.
In October 1976 he was sold to the Boston Celtics, while Portland went on to win their only NBA championship the next season. Wicks played for the Celtics from 1976 to 1978. Wicks then went to the San Diego Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and played there until 1981. Overall, Wicks averaged 16.8 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game over ten seasons and 760 games. He had four seasons averaging over 20 points per game, and four seasons averaging over 10 rebounds per game, with accomplishing both of those feats in the same season three times (1971–72, 1972–73, and 1974–75). His scoring average dropped every year after his rookie season. Following his NBA career he played one season in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Awards and honors
- 1970 – national co-player of the year honors from the Helms Athletic FoundationHelms Athletic FoundationThe Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball...
- 1971 – player of the year awards from the USBWA and The Sporting News
- November 21, 2010 – induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of FameNational Collegiate Basketball Hall of FameThe National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a hall of fame and museum dedicated to college basketball. The museum is an integral portion of the College Basketball Experience created by the National Association of Basketball Coaches , located at the Sprint...
Later years and family
Following his playing career, he lived for a year in Italy before returning to the United States. He served as an assistant coach at UCLA during Walt HazzardWalt Hazzard
Walter "Walt" Raphael Hazzard Jr. , also known as Mahdi Abdul-Rahman, was an American college, Olympic, and professional basketball player and college basketball coach...
's four years as head coach. Following coaching he entered the real estate field, living in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and Los Angeles. He was married from 1973 to 1979 and has one daughter, Sibahn Epps. As of 2006, he lived in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and LA.
External links
- Career stats at basketball-reference.com
- 1971 Oscar Robertson Trophy USBWA College Player of the Year