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Center · 1974–75

Rick Roberson

Memphis-born and Cincinnati-schooled, Roberson blocked ten shots in a 1967 triple-double that still stands as a Bearcats single-game record. The Lakers took him 15th overall in 1969, and as a rookie he shored up the front line of a Finals team while Wilt Chamberlain sat injured. In Cleveland he grabbed 25 rebounds in a game, a franchise record not tied until 2014. Injuries limited his 1974-75 stop with the New Orleans Jazz to 16 games at 7.4 points and 7.4 rebounds.

An undersized center at 6-foot-9, he made his living on quickness, switching out to guard smaller men face-to-face. His son Chris reached the majors during a long professional baseball career. Roberson died in May 2020 at 72.

HOW HE CAME & WENTHe was traded to the expansion Jazz for his sixth season and fourth team. It was a brief and largely lost stint, and the club waived him.

New Orleans Jazz tenure
1974–75
Position
Center
Born
1947, Memphis
Died
2020
Height
6′9″ (206 cm)
Weight
231 lb (105 kg)
College
Cincinnati
Drafted
1969, 1st round (No. 8), Los Angeles Lakers
Signature in the archive Personally LAKERS CAVS KINGS FreeShip

No photograph of this signature is online yet.

With the Jazz

RICK ROBERSON · 1974–75 · PER GAME
SEASONTEAMGMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3P%FT%
1974–75NOJ1621.27.47.41.40.40.5.444.575
JAZZ TOTAL1 SEASON1621.27.47.41.40.40.5.444.575

Season by season, regular season, with this franchise only. More info: Basketball-Reference ↗  ·  Wikipedia ↗

Did you know

RICK ROBERSON · 5 NOTES
  • Was drafted eighth overall in 1969 and averaged a double-double in three different seasons.
  • Came out of Cincinnati, the program that produced Oscar Robertson.
  • Turned down the chance to become the first African-American basketball player at Memphis State, choosing Cincinnati instead.
  • He was a first-round pick twice over in 1969, chosen by the NBA's Lakers and by the ABA's New York Nets in a class headed by Lew Alcindor.
  • In 1972-73 no opposing center scored more than 22 points against him all season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar included.