Chuck Nevitt
Charles Goodrich Nevitt (aka Chuck E. Cheese, Human Victory Cigar[1]) (born June 13, 1959) is a retired American professional basketball player, known primarily for his great height. At 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m), he played the center position throughout his nine-year career (1983, 1985–1990, 1992, 1993) in the NBA, and remains one of the tallest players ever in NBA history. During his career, Nevitt played with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Fulgor Libertas Forlì (Italy), and San Antonio Spurs.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 13, 1959 Cortez, Colorado |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) |
| Listed weight | 217 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Sprayberry (Marietta, Georgia) |
| College | NC State (1978–1982) |
| NBA draft | 1982 / Round: 3 / Pick: 63rd overall |
| Selected by the Houston Rockets | |
| Playing career | 1983–1994 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 52, 43, 42, 25 |
| Career history | |
| 1983 | Houston Rockets |
| 1983–1984 | Houston Flyers |
| 1984–1985 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1985–1988 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1988–1989 | Houston Rockets |
| 1989–1990 | Rapid City Thrillers |
| 1991 | Miami Tropics |
| 1991 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1992–1993 | Capital Region Pontiacs |
| 1993 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1993–1994 | Hartford Hellcats |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Early life
Nevitt attended Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Georgia, and played college basketball at North Carolina State University. In college, he played 90 games over four seasons, averaging 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.[1]
NBA career
He was selected in the third round of the 1982 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, subsequently playing 15 games with the Los Angeles Lakers over 2 seasons.
After leaving the Lakers for the Pistons, Nevitt was on the roster of the Chuck Daly-coached team that lost to the Lakers in seven games in the 1988 NBA Finals.
After a return to the Rockets, he also appeared for the Michael Jordan-led Bulls (during a 1991–92 10-day contract), and played one game with the Spurs – the 1993-94 season opener – on November 5, in which he made 3-of-6 free throws in less than a minute against the Golden State Warriors. He was released shortly thereafter, never to reappear in an NBA game.
Although Nevitt played in nine different seasons, he only appeared in 155 games. He played a total of 826 minutes (5.3 minutes per game), which equates to fewer than 18 complete NBA games.
Nevitt played in 16 playoff games across five postseasons: seven each with the Lakers and Pistons, and two with the Rockets. Nevitt was a member of the 1985 Lakers' championship team,[2] and is the tallest NBA player to ever win an NBA Championship.
Post-NBA and personal life
Nevitt is married to Sondra Childers and has a sister, Lynne, who is also a basketball player. In his free time, he likes to bicycle and fly stunt kites.
NBA career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won an NBA championship |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | Houston | 6 | 0 | 10.7 | .733 | – | .250 | 2.8 | .0 | .2 | 2.0 | 3.8 |
| 1984–85† | L.A. Lakers | 11 | 0 | 5.4 | .294 | – | .250 | 1.8 | .3 | .0 | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| 1985–86 | L.A. Lakers | 4 | 0 | 6.3 | .273 | – | .667 | 1.8 | .5 | .5 | .5 | 2.5 |
| 1985–86 | Detroit | 25 | 0 | 4.0 | .375 | – | .750 | 1.0 | .2 | .1 | .7 | 1.6 |
| 1986–87 | Detroit | 41 | 0 | 6.5 | .492 | – | .583 | 2.0 | .1 | .2 | .7 | 1.9 |
| 1987–88 | Detroit | 17 | 0 | 3.7 | .333 | – | .500 | 1.1 | .0 | .1 | .3 | 1.0 |
| 1988–89 | Houston | 43 | 0 | 5.3 | .435 | – | .688 | 1.5 | .1 | .1 | .7 | 1.5 |
| 1989–90 | Houston | 3 | 0 | 3.0 | 1.000 | – | – | 1.0 | .3 | .0 | .3 | 1.3 |
| 1991–92 | Chicago | 4 | 0 | 2.3 | .333 | – | – | .3 | .3 | .0 | .0 | .5 |
| 1993–94 | San Antonio | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | – | – | .500 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 3.0 |
| Career | 155 | 0 | 5.3 | .438 | – | .589 | 1.5 | .1 | .1 | .7 | 1.6 | |
References
- Steve Wulf (November 7, 1994). "A Truly Tall Tale". Sports Illustrated.
- Howie Kahn (20 February 2013). "In Praise of the 12th Man". Grantland. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
External links
- NBA statistics at Basketball-Reference
- CBA statistics at justsportsstats.com
- College statistics at Sports-Reference