While this week's profiles have focused on players whose primary career accomplishments were with the Atlanta Hawks, today's profilee played only for a couple seasons in Atlanta, but he made an impact there and elsewhere as a prolific scorer and nifty passer. He is a former scoring champion and a five-time All-Star. He is "Pistol" Pete Maravich.

Pete Maravich was born June 22, 1947 in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. His father, Press, was a player in the BAA (the forerunner to the NBA) in its first season, so the younger Maravich seemed destined for basketball. Maravich initially played at Daniel High School in Central, South Carolina (where he got his nickname "Pistol") before transferring to Broughton High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. He then attended Lousiana State University (where his dad was coach), where he rewrote the record books by scoring 3,667 points and averaging a staggering 44.2 PPG (without a three-point line or a shot clock!), was a three-time All-American, and won the Naismith award in 1970. After that season, the Atlanta Hawks selected him #3 overall in the 1970 NBA Draft.

The Hawks signed Maravich to a then-record $1.9 million contract, but he proved to be worth the money. He averaged 23.2 PPG and 4.4 APG, helping the Hawks reach the playoffs. Maravich helped the Hawks reach the playoffs three times in four seasons (and was named All-NBA 2nd team in 1973 after averaging 26.1 PPG and 6.9 APG), but he clashed with Hawks coaches over his work habits, and in 1974, he has traded to the New Orleans Jazz for eight players in one of the largest trades in NBA history. It was thought that by adding the local legend, the expansion Jazz would have a gate attraction to get through the lean early years of their franchise.

In New Orleans, Maravich continued to be a prolific scorer; he averaged at least 21.5 PPG in each full season there, but the Jazz struggled in the win department; they never won more than 39 games in any of those seasons. This was no fault of Maravich, though; he was named All-NBA 1st team in 1976 and 1977, and won the scoring title in 1977 with a 31.1 PPG average. Maravich was named to five All-Star games (1973-74, 1977-79) and once scored 68 points in a game in 1977 (still a Jazz record). But injuries began popping up by 1978, and at the end of the 1978-79 season, the Jazz moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. Maravich played 17 games for the Utah Jazz before being released and finishing his final year with the Boston Celtics, where he briefly played with a rookie named Larry Bird.

Maravich retired after scoring 15,948 points (24.2 PPG career) and netting 3,563 assists (5.4 APG career). He would become a born-again Christian after he retired, and was one of the youngest inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame (he was 39 when inducted in 1987). Tragically, on January 5, 1988, while playing a pickup basketball game in Pasadena, California, Maravich collapsed from a heart attack and died. It was revealed later that he had an undetected congenital defect (he was missing a coronary artery). Still, Maravich left a legcay of great play that remains to this day, and a legacy as one the NBA's greatest scorers.

Season-by-Season Statistical Review:
1970-71: 81 GP, 23.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 4.4 APG, 45.8 FG%, 80.0 FT%
1971-72: 66 GP, 19.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.0 APG, 42.7 FG%, 81.1 FT%
1972-73: 79 GP, 26.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 6.9 APG, 44.1 FG%, 80.0 FT%
1973-74: 76 GP, 27.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 5.2 APG, 45.7 FG%, 82.6 FT%
1974-75: 79 GP, 21.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.2 APG, 41.9 FG%, 81.1 FT%
1975-76: 62 GP, 25.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.4 APG, 45.9 FG%, 81.1 FT%
1976-77: 73 GP, 31.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 5.4 APG, 43.3 FG%, 83.5 FT%
1977-78: 50 GP, 27.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 6.7 APG, 44.4 FG%, 87.0 FT%
1978-79: 49 GP, 22.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 42.1 FG%, 84.1 FT%
1979-80: 43 GP, 13.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 44.9 FG%, 86.7 FT%, 66.7 3P%

The continuing tribute to the Atlanta Hawks today features a man who was among the best point guards in the NBA during the 1960s, and a man who became the all-time winningest coach after he retired from the hardwood. He is one of only three people (John Wooden and Bill Sharman are the others) inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and a coach. He is Lenny Wilkens.

Lenny Wilkens was born October 28, 1937 in Brooklyn, New York. After attending Boys High School (where he played on the basketball team with future baseball star Tommy Davis), Wilkens went to the University of Providence, where he was a two-time All-American, and helped the Friars to the NIT tournament in both 1959 and 1960 (the Friars made the title game in 1960). Wilkens graduated as the Friars' second leading scorer (he currently ranks 20th) and he averaged 14.9 PPG and 7.3 RPG (assists weren't kept at the time). The St. Louis Hawks drafted him sixth overall in the 1960 NBA Draft.

As a rookie in 1960-61, Wilkens averaged 11.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG, helping the Hawks reach the NBA Finals for the last time that season, losing to the Boston Celtics. Wilkens' production rose steadily throughout his Hawks tenure; by 1963, he made his first of nine All-Star teams, and by 1967-68, he averaged 20 PPG and 8.3 APG, finishing second to Wilt Chamberlain as league MVP. After that season, Wilkens moved on to the Seattle Supersonics, where he had his best individual stats year in 1968-69 with averages of 22.4 PPG and 8.2 APG. Wilkens led the league in assists in 1969-70 and won All-Star game MVP in 1971 with the Sonics. He would play with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers before retiring in 1975.

Prior to his retirement as a player, Wilkens had already begun his second career as a coach. In 1969, he became player/coach of the Supersonics; he was the NBA's second black head coach. Wilkens coached the Sonics for three years (including a 47-35 record in 1971-71) before departing. At Portland, he was player/coach for his final playing season, and lasted one more as just a coach before being replaced by Jack Ramsay. After spending the 1976-77 season off the court, Wilkens made a dramatic return to Seattle. After replacing Bob Hopkins 22 games into the 1977-78 season, Wilkens led the Sonics to a 47-35 final record and the playoffs. There, they rolled into their first NBA Finals, losing to the Washington Bullets in seven games. Wilkens would get his title the following year, as the Sonics beat the Bullets in five games for their only NBA title. Wilkens would have three 50+ win seasons and six playoffs appearances with the Sonics before kicking himself into the front office in 1985. But his coaching career wasn't over yet.

In 1986, Wilkens returned to the sidelines to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team in dire straits at the time. After a rough start, Wilkens led the Cavaliers to the playoffs in his second year, and in 1989, they won 57 games for the NBA's second best record. But the Cavaliers lost in the first round to the Chicago Bulls on a dramatic Michael Jordan jumper, establishing a painful pattern. Wilkens would have three 50+ win seasons in Cleveland, but the Bulls would eliminate them three times from the playoffs. After being swept by the Bulls in 1993, Wilkens resigned as coach and took over as coach of the Atlanta Hawks.

In his first season in Atlanta, Wilkens led the Hawks to their first division title since 1987 with a conference-high 57 wins. In year two, he passed Red Auerbach as the NBA's winningest coach. Wilkens had three 50+ win seasons in Atlanta (an obvious pattern) and made the playoffs six straight years, but the Hawks never got beyond round two, and he left the team after the 1999-2000 season for the Toronto Raptors. In three seasons in Toronto, Wilkens led the franchise to its first two playoffs berths, but after a 24-58 record in 2002-03, Wilkens went into semiretirement, but during the 2003-04 season, he was brought back to coach the New York Knicks. But after a playoff season the first season, Wilkens resigned 39 games into the 2004-05 season, ending his coaching career. When he stopped coaching, he had won 1,332 games and lost 1,155 games (both are NBA records) and had one NBA title and a gold medal coaching the 1996 U.S. Olympic team. He was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (1989) and a coach (1998); he is one of only three people to accomplish this.

Season-by-Season Statistical Review (player):
1960-61: 75 GP, 11.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, 42.5 FG%, 71.3 FT%
1961-62: 20 GP, 18.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5.8 APG, 38.5 FG%, 76.4 FT%
1962-63: 75 GP, 11.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.1 APG, 39.9 FG%, 69.6 FT%
1963-64: 78 GP, 12.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.6 APG, 41.3 FG%, 74.0 FT%
1964-65: 78 GP, 16.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.5 APG, 41.4 FG%, 74.6 FT%
1965-66: 69 GP, 18.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.2 APG, 43.1 FG%, 79.3 FT%
1966-67: 78 GP, 17.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 5.7 APG, 43.2 FG%, 78.7 FT%
1967-68: 82 GP, 20.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 8.3 APG, 43.8 FG%, 76.8 FT%
1968-69: 82 GP, 22.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 8.2 APG, 44.0 FG%, 77.0 FT%
1969-70: 75 GP, 17.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 9.1 APG, 42.0 FG%, 78.8 FT%
1970-71: 71 GP, 19.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 9.2 APG, 41.9 FG%, 80.3 FT%
1971-72: 80 GP, 18.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 9.6 APG, 46.6 FG%, 77.4 FT%
1972-73: 75 GP, 20.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 8.4 APG, 44.9 FG%, 82.8 FT%
1973-74: 74 GP, 16.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 7.1 APG, 46.5 FG%, 80.1 FT%
1974-75: 65 GP, 6.5 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 3.6 APG, 43.9 FG%, 76.8 FT%

Season-by-Season Statistical Review (coach):
1969-70 Seattle: 36 Wins, 46 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1970-71 Seattle: 38 Wins, 44 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1971-72 Seattle: 47 Wins, 35 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1974-75 Portland: 38 Wins, 44 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1975-76 Portland: 37 Wins, 45 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1977-78 Seattle: 42 Wins, 18 Losses (13-9; lost NBA Finals)
1978-79 Seattle: 52 Wins, 30 Losses (12-5; won NBA title)
1979-80 Seattle: 56 Wins, 26 Losses (7-8; lost conference finals)
1980-81 Seattle: 34 Wins, 48 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1981-82 Seattle: 52 Wins, 30 Losses (3-5; lost conference semifinals)
1982-83 Seattle: 48 Wins, 34 Losses (0-2; lost preliminary round)
1983-84 Seattle: 42 Wins, 40 Losses (2-3; lost conference 1st round)
1984-85 Seattle: 31 Wins, 51 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1986-87 Cleveland: 31 Wins, 51 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1987-88 Cleveland: 42 Wins, 40 Losses (2-3; lost conference 1st round)
1988-89 Cleveland: 57 Wins, 25 Losses (2-3; lost conference 1st round)
1989-90 Cleveland: 42 Wins, 40 Losses (2-3; lost conference 1st round)
1990-91 Cleveland: 33 Wins, 49 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1991-92 Cleveland: 57 Wins, 25 Losses (9-8; lost conference finals)
1992-93 Cleveland: 54 Wins, 28 Losses (3-6; lost conference semifinals)
1993-94 Atlanta: 57 Wins, 25 Losses (5-6; lost conference semifinals)
1994-95 Atlanta: 42 Wins, 40 Losses (0-3; lost conference 1st round)
1995-96 Atlanta: 46 Wins, 36 Losses (4-6; lost conference semifinals)
1996-97 Atlanta: 56 Wins, 26 Losses (4-6; lost conference semifinals)
1997-98 Atlanta: 50 Wins, 32 Losses (1-3; lost conference 1st round)
1998-99 Atlanta: 31 Wins, 19 Losses (3-6; lost conference semifinals)
1999-2000 Atlanta: 28 Wins, 54 Losses (did not make playoffs)
2000-01 Toronto: 47 Wins, 35 Losses (6-6; lost conference semifinals)
2001-02 Toronto: 42 Wins, 40 Losses (2-3; lost conference 1st round)
2002-03 Toronto: 24 Wins, 58 Losses (did not make playoffs)
2003-04 New York: 23 Wins, 19 Losses (0-4; lost conference 1st round)
2004-05 New York: 17 Wins, 22 Losses (resigned after 39 games)

Continuing my profiles of Hawks players, here is a profile of the Hawks' best player during the 1980s and early 1990s. He won a scoring title, and he delighted fans as "the Human Highlight Film". He is Dominique Wilkins.

Dominique Wilkins was born January 12, 1960 in Paris, France. His father was a member of the U.S Air Force, and eventually the family settled in Washington, North Carolina. Wilkins attended Washington High School in his new home, where he won two straight MVPs while leading the school to two straight state titles in 1978-79. He then attended the University of Georgia, where he averaged 21.6 PPG and 7.5 RPG during his three seasons there. Wilkins earned All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) Player of the Year honors as a junior before declaring for the 1982 NBA Draft. Wilkins was selected third overall (behind James Worthy and Terry Cummings) by the Utah Jazz, but a combination of cash problems for the Jazz and Wilkins' own reluctance to join the team led to him being traded to the Atlanta Hawks for John Drew, Freeman Williams and cash. It proved to be a steal for the Hawks.

Wilkins' rookie season was a statistical success; he averaged 17.5 PPG and 5.8 RPG, earning a spot on the NBA All-Rookie 1st team and helping the Hawks reach the playoffs. Wilkins would eclipse 20 PPG by his second season, and by 1984-85, he emerged into the public eye when he won the Slam Dunk competition over a young rookie named Michael Jordan. Wilkins would win his only league scoring title the following year, averaging 30.3 PPG and leading the Hawks to their first postseason series win since 1979. Wilkins earned his first All-Star appearance that year; he would earn eight more selections during his career (1987-94).

Wilkins was a scoring machine as the Hawks emerged into a threat in the East during the late 80s; he wouldn't average under 25.9 PPG in any of his full seasons with the Hawks between 1985 and 1994, and his average exceeded 30 PPG twice (career best of 30.7 PPG in 1987-88). During that season's playoffs, he and Larry Bird had a memorable duel in game 7 of their semifinal matchup; Wilkins scored 47 points, but Bird scored 20 of his 34 points in the 4th as the Boston Celtics prevailed 118-116. That proved to be the apex of the Hawks with Wilkins on the team; the team never again won a playoff series while Wilkins played for them, but he remained a spectacular performer despite the team's failures. After suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during the 1991-92 season, many though Wilkins' career was over, but he responded with a 29.9 PPG average the following year, finishing second to Jordan in the scoring race.

Midway through the 1993-94 season, Wilkins was traded to the woeful Los Angeles Clippers for Danny Manning, as Hawks management was convinced Manning would lead them to an NBA title. Wilkins played out the season with the Clippers, then became a journeyman to finish his career. Wilkins signed with the Celtics in 1994, averaging 17.8 PPG as Boston squeaked into the playoffs, then joined Panathinaikos of the Greek league, where he averaged 20.9 PPG and leading the team to the Greek Cup and was named MVP of the Euroleague Final Four and the Greek Cup Final. He then joined the San Antonio Spurs, where he averaged 18.2 PPG, but the Spurs slumped to 20-62. After stints with Teamsystem Bologna (Italien League) and the Orlando Magic in 1998-99, Wilkins retired having scored 26,668 points (24.8 PPG; ninth entering the 2008-09 season) and pulling down 7,169 rebounds (6.7 RPG), and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Season-by-Season Statistical Review:
1982-83: 82 GP, 82 GS, 17.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 49.3 FG%, 68.2 FT%, 18.2 3P%
1983-84: 81 GP, 81 GS, 21.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.6 APG, 47.9 FG%, 77.0 FT%, 0 3P
1984-85: 81 GP, 81 GS, 27.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 45.1 FG%, 80.6 FT%, 30.9 3P%
1985-86: 78 GP, 78 GS, 30.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.6 APG, 46.8 FG%, 81.8 FT%, 18.6 3P%
1986-87: 79 GP, 79 GS, 29.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 46.3 FG%, 81.8 FT%, 29.2 3P%
1987-88: 78 GP, 76 GS, 30.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.9 APG, 46.4 FG%, 82.6 FT%, 29.5 3P%
1988-89: 80 GP, 80 GS, 26.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.6 APG, 46.4 FG%, 84.4 FT%, 27.6 3P%
1989-90: 80 GP, 79 GS, 26.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 48.4 FG%, 80.7 FT%, 32.2 3P%
1990-91: 81 GP, 81 GS, 25.9 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, 47.0 FG%, 82.9 FT%, 34.1 3P%
1991-92: 42 GP, 42 GS, 28.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, 46.4 FG%, 83.5 FT%, 28.9 3P%
1992-93: 71 GP, 70 GS, 29.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 46.8 FG%, 82.8 FT%, 38.0 3P%
1993-94: 74 GP, 74 GS, 26.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 44.0 FG%, 84.7 FT%, 28.8 3P%
1994-95: 77 GP, 64 GS, 17.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 42.4 FG%, 78.2 FT%, 38.8 3P%
1995-96: Played professionally in Greece
1996-97: 63 GP, 26 GS, 18.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 41.7 FG%, 80.3 FT%, 29.3 3P%
1997-98: Played professionally in Italy
1998-99: 27 GP, 2 GS, 5.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 0.6 APG, 37.9 FG%, 69.0 FT%, 26.3 3P%

The pantheon of great centers in the NBA is as long and old as the game itself. From George Mikan to Bill Russell to Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Shaquille O'Neal, great centers have led their team to championships. One center who is often overlooked, but shouldn't be, is Moses Malone, the creator of one of my favorite NBA quotes ("fo,fo,fo"). Here's his profile:

Moses Malone was born March 23, 1955 in Petersburg, Virginia. The young Malone was dominant for Petersburg High School, leading his team to 50 straight wins and multiple state titles. Malone signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Maryland, but instead decided to jump to the pros and play for the Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association (ABA). While jumping from high school to the pros would become common years later (notables include Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Garnett), Malone's jump shook the foundations of the NBA; he was the first modern-era player to jump, and as such, he had huge burdens to fulfill.

However, Malone played extremely well in his rookie year, averaging 18.8 PPG and 14.6 RPG, making the ABA All-Star game and the All-ABA rookie team. But Malone was sold to the Spirits of St. Louis before the Stars folded, and Malone played just 43 games in his second season. After the 1975-76 season, the league and the Spirits folded, and Malone was selected in the ABA dispersal draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. However, the Blazers traded Malone to the Buffalo Braves, convinced that he and Bill Walton couldn't play together; even Walton admitted years later that he, not Malone, should have been traded.

Malone wasn't finished traveling in 1976, however. After playing in two games with Buffalo, Malone was traded to the Houston Rockets for two future 1st-round picks. In Houston, Malone began to blossom into one of the most feared players in the game; in the 1977 playoffs, he averaged 18.8 PPG and 16.9 RPG as the Rockets advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Although limited by injury in hs second season in Houston (he missed 23 games), he made the first of 12 straight NBA All-Star Game appearances (1978-89). In 1978-79, he won his first league MVP, leading the league in rebounding for the first of six times with 17.6 RPG (he also led from 1981-85; he was the first player to lead the league in rebounds five straight years since Wilt Chamberlain). Malone's zenith in Houston came in 1980-81, when the 40-42 Rockets made the NBA Finals before bowing out to the Boston Celtics in six games (the 1981 Rockets were only the third team with a losing record to reach the Finals, after the 1957 Hawks and the 1959 Lakers). Malone claimed the league MVP award after the 1981-82 season, but in the offseason, he signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Rockets matched the offer, then traded him to the Sixers for Caldwell Jones and a 1st-round pick. Malone was only the second reigning MVP to be traded after the season (Chamberlain in 1968).

Malone provided the Sixers with the imposing center presence they desperately needed, and repeated as MVP (only player to win award two straight years with two different teams). However, his most famous occurance came before the playoffs, when he uttered "fo,fo,fo" in response to a question on how Philadelphia would do in the playoffs. Malone nearly delivered on his word; the Sixers finished 12-1 (a record until 2001) in the playoffs, and swept the defending champion Lakers in the Finals. Malone was named Finals MVP, and he helped Philly to its first world title since 1967.

Malone enjoyed three more productive years with the Sixers before becoming a journeyman center; he was traded to the Washington Bullets in 1986, making the All-Star team twice there, then signed with the Atlanta Hawks in 1988, where he made his final All-Star appearance in his first year, for a three year period. After stints with the Milwaukee Bucks (1991-93), the Sixers again (1993-94) and the San Antonio Spurs (1994-95), he retired during the 1994-95 season. For his career, he scored 29,580 points (20.3 PPG career, which ranked fifth coming into the 2008-09 season) and grabbed 16, 212 rebounds (12.3 RPG career, also fifth all-time), was named among the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. Moses Malone proved that you didn't need to play college basketball to be dominant, and should be among those considered as one of the best centers in NBA history.

Season-by-Season Statistical Review:
1974-75 (ABA): 83 GP, 18.8 PPG, 14.6 RPG, 1.0 APG, 57.1 FG%, 63.5 FT%
1975-76 (ABA): 43 GP, 14.3 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 51.2 FG%, 61.2 FT%
1976-77: 82 GP, 13.2 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.1 APG, 48.0 FG%, 69.3 FT%
1977-78: 59 GP, 19.4 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 0.5 APG, 49.9 FG%, 71.8 FT%
1978-79: 82 GP, 24.8 PPG, 17.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, 54.0 FG%, 73.9 FT%
1979-80: 82 GP, 25.8 PPG, 14.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 50.2 FG%, 71.9 FT%
1980-81: 80 GP, 27.8 PPG, 14.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, 52.2 FG%, 75.7 FT%
1981-82: 81 GP, 81 GS, 31.1 PPG, 14.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 51.9 FG%, 76.2 FT%
1982-83: 78 GP, 78 GS, 24.5 PPG, 15.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 50.1 FG%, 76.1 FT%
1983-84: 71 GP, 71 GS, 22.7 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 48.3 FG%, 75.0 FT%
1984-85: 79 GP, 79 GS, 24.6 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 46.9 FG%, 81.5 FT%
1985-86: 74 GP, 74 GS, 23.8 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 45.8 FG%, 78.7 FT%
1986-87: 73 GP, 70 GS, 24.1 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 1.6 APG, 45.4 FG%, 82.4 FT%
1987-88: 79 GP, 78 GS, 20.3 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 48.7 FG%, 78.8 FT%
1988-89: 81 GP, 80 GS, 20.2 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 1.4 APG, 49.1 FG%, 78.9 FT%
1989-90: 81 GP, 81 GS, 18.9 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 48.0 FG%, 78.1 FT%
1990-91: 82 GP, 15 GS, 10.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 0.8 APG, 46.8 FG%, 83.1 FT%
1991-92: 82 GP, 77 GS, 15.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.1 APG, 47.4 FG%, 78.6 FT%
1992-93: 11 GP, 0 GS, 4.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 0.6 APG, 31.0 FG%, 77.4 FT%
1993-94: 55 GP, 0 GS, 5.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 0.6 APG, 44.0 FG%, 76.9 FT%
1994-95: 17 GP, 0 GS, 2.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.4 APG, 37.1 FG%, 68.8 FT%

Many of the NBA's greatest coaches began their association with the game as players. Several current or recent examples include Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Don Nelson and Jerry Sloan. Here is a player profile of another former NBA player-turned-coach, Celtics coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers.

Glenn "Doc" Riverswas born on October 13, 1961 in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Proviso East High School in nearby Maywood, Illinois, then went to Marquette University (the alma mater of current NBA star Dwayne Wade). Rivers was named MVP of the 1982 FIBA World Championships during his college days, and after graduating, Rivers was taken in the second round of the 1983 NBA Draft (31st overall) by the Atlanta Hawks.

Rivers moved into the starting lineup as a rookie after injuries occured to regular Hawks PG Eddie Johnson, and had a solid rookie year with averages of 9.3 PPG and 3.9 APG. Rivers steadily improved as the young Hawks emerged as a team to be reckoned with in the mid to late 80s, and had his best stats year in 1987-88, with averages of 14.2 PPG, 9.3 APG and 4.6 RPG (the rebounds were career bests), earning his only All-Star selection that season. Despite this, the Hawks never advanced beyond the second round in any of his seasons there.

Rivers left the Hawks after the 1990-91 season (after a career high 15.2 PPG) to sign up with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers made the playoffs for the first time since 1976 in his lone season there, before he departed again for the New York Knicks. He provided an emotional spark for the Knicks as they finished tied for the best mark in team history with a 60-22 record, but the Knicks lost in round three to Chicago, and Rivers missed most of the 1993-94 season with injury as the Knicks advanced to the Finals. Rivers' final stop was San Antonio (in a trade), where he played solidly as a reserve before retiring after the 1995-96 season. Transitioning to coaching, Rivers was hired by the Orlando Magic before the 1999-2000 season, leading the Magic to a surprising 41-41 mark in his first season, winning Coach of the Year honors. After leading Orlando to three playoff berths, Rivers was fired early in the 2003-04 season. The following year, he was hired by the Boston Celtics, where after a rought start, Rivers led the Celtics to their first title since 1986 this past season. Indeed, Doc Rivers represents the old saying that "persistence pays off".

Season-by-Season Statistical Review:
1983-84: 81 GP, 47 GS, 9.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 46.2 FG%, 78.5 FT%, 16.7 3P%
1984-85: 69 GP, 58 GS, 14.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 5.9 APG, 47.6 FG%, 77.0 FT%, 41.7 3P%
1985-86: 53 GP, 50 GS, 11.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 8.4 APG, 47.4 FG%, 60.8 FT%, 0 3P
1986-87: 82 GP, 82 GS, 12.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 10.0 APG, 45.1 FG%, 82.8 FT%, 19.0 3P%
1987-88: 80 GP, 80 GS, 14.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 45.3 FG%, 75.8 FT%, 27.3 3P%
1988-89: 76 GP, 76 GS, 13.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.9 APG, 45.5 FG%, 86.1 FT%, 34.7 3P%
1989-90: 48 GP, 44 GS, 12.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.5 APG, 45.4 FG%, 81.2 FT%, 36.4 3P%
1990-91: 79 GP, 79 GS, 15.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 43.5 FG%, 84.4 FT%, 33.6 3P%
1991-92: 59 GP, 25 GS, 10.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.9 APG, 42.4 FG%, 83.2 FT%, 28.3 3P%
1992-93: 77 GP, 45 GS, 7.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 5.3 APG, 43.7 FG%, 82.1 FT%, 31.7 3P%
1993-94: 19 GP, 19 GS, 7.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 5.3 APG, 43.3 FG%, 63.6 FT%, 36.5 3P%
1994-95: 63 GP, 0 GS, 5.1 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 35.8 FG%, 73.2 FT%, 35.4 3P%
1995-96: 78 GP, 0 GS, 4.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 37.2 FG%, 75.0 FT%, 34.3 3P%