Before there was Larry ‘Grandma’ Johnson, before there was the one dimensional Dennis Rodman there was Wes Unseld setting the bar for the future of undersized big men in the NBA. To truly respect the man that just recently passed one has to take a glimpse at the amazing performances he had throughout his career, all while standing at a mere 2.01 meters (6′ 7″) and going up against the likes of Kareem Abul-Jabbar, Bill Russel, Willis Reed, Jack Sikma and Wilt Chamberlain.
In High School in Kentucky, Unseld led his Seneca Redhawks to two state championships in ‘63 & ‘64, which garnered interest from over 100 collegiate programs. As a result, he contributed to the civil rights movement in his own small way by being the first African American offered a scholarship by the Adolph Rupp led Kentucky Wildcats. Unseld, instead took his talents to rival Louisville and in just fourteen games for the freshman team averaged nearly 36 pts and 24 rebounds a game! As he advanced to the varsity squad he left an indelible mark leading the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding each of his three lettering years. Ending his collegiate career with an average of nearly 21 points and 19 rebounds a game.
Unseld drew so much attention that in 1968 he was actually drafted by both the NBA and the ABA (Kentucky Colonels) and despite the lure of a larger contract, opted to play for the NBA’s Baltimore Bullets. It’s worth noting, he was drafted with the second pick, right behind future teammate and fellow tallsman, Elvin Hayes.
Unseld started his NBA career right where his collegiate had left off, finishing the rookie campaign with an average 13.8 pts and 18.2 rebounds a night. These stats earned him not only Rookie of the Year but also Most Valuable Player of the year as well – becoming the second player in history to accomplish this feat, the first being Wilt. Midway through his career, Wes topped the league in rebounds in 1975 with 14.8 per game despite this being the 6th highest in his own career. Curing his NBA career he was recognized as an all-star six times.
What is becoming increasingly rare in today’s modern NBA, Unseld spent his entire career with the same team, what was recently known as the Washington Bullets. He began with the Baltimore Bullets, they moved closer to D.C. in ‘73 so were known for one season as the Capital Bullets, before changing their name to Washington Bullets. Note – the team again changed their name in ‘97 to the Wizards in an attempt to disassociate themselves from the violence that has plagued the city.
Throughout Unseld’s career he averaged a double double while playing in arguably the most physical era of the NBA. He made it to the playoffs 12 of his 13 seasons and made it to the finals three times. In 1978, despite being underdogs having only posted a 44 – 38 regular season record, the Bullets flourished during the playoffs and garnered a rallying cry for the team and the city “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings.” This moniker was created by a San Antonio writer as the team overcame George Gervin and the favored San Antonio Spurs. From there, they met the Western Conference #1 seeded, Seattle Supersonics in the finals. Equally as dramatic as the Spurs series, this was a back and forth affair going a full seven games, with Unseld and the Bullets persevering in the end with their first and only NBA championship. The following year, both teams met again in the finals and Seattle took the crown that year in a similar match series.
Unseld ended his playing career in ‘81 and the organization honored him immediately by retiring the #41 jersey. He later took front office positions within the Bullets organizations before coaching the Bullets from ‘87 – ‘94 and despite only making the playoffs one of those seven years, the fans paid a touching tribute to him when he announced he would be retiring from the game entirely in ‘94 following the final game of the season.
Wes Unseld has been rightfully honored as one of the NBA’s top 50 greatest players of all time due his grit, tenacity and intelligence to out rebound his taller opponents. RIP Wes Unseld.
Keep his legacy running with vintage jerseys:
Wizard’s Fan Shop (new – note adidas sponsorship – but vintage look)
or
eBay Vintage Wes Unseld Jersey ’77-’78
For the true die hard, replica of his jersey from Louisville.