Dave Stallworth

David A. Stallworth (December 20, 1941 – March 15, 2017) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for eight seasons and was a member of the New York Knicks' 1969–70 championship-winning team.

Dave Stallworth
Stallworth in 1971
Personal information
Born(1941-12-20)December 20, 1941
Dallas, Texas
DiedMarch 15, 2017(2017-03-15) (aged 75)
Wichita, Kansas
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolJames Madison (Dallas, Texas)
CollegeWichita State (1962–1965)
NBA draft1965 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the New York Knicks
Playing career1965–1974
PositionPower forward / Center
Number9, 42
Career history
1965–1972New York Knicks
1972–1974Baltimore / Capital Bullets
1974New York Knicks
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points4,860 (9.3 ppg)
Rebounds2,453 (4.7 rpg)
Assists872 (1.7 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

College career
Stallworth at Wichita State.

A 6'7" forward/center from Dallas' Madison High School, Stallworth graduated in 1961 and attended Wichita State University. In his three seasons with the Shockers, he set 18 school records, including the highest career point per game average (24.2). Stallworth helped the team reach the 1964 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the school's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and was named to the All-American team twice.[1] He earned the nickname "Dave the Rave" while playing at Wichita State.[1]

NBA career

In the 1965 NBA draft, Stallworth was selected in the first round by the New York Knicks, with the third overall pick.[2]

Stallworth played eight seasons (1965–1967; 1969–1975) in the NBA as a member of the Knicks and Baltimore/Capital Bullets. He averaged 9.3 points per game in his career and won a league championship with New York in 1970.[3]

Stallworth's play for the Knicks in the 1969–70 season came after he had suffered a heart attack in March 1967, during his second season in the NBA;[4] he had posted a scoring average of 12.6 points per game the previous season. Following a period as a coach for a Wichita-based amateur team, Stallworth was told by his doctor that he could return to playing.[5]

A back-up on the 1969–70 Knicks, Stallworth was forced into action in Game 5 of the 1970 NBA Finals after Willis Reed was injured early. He was assigned to cover Los Angeles Lakers star Wilt Chamberlain, and aided in holding him in check when on defense. In a game that the Knicks won after trailing by 16, Stallworth made a reverse layup after driving to the basket on Chamberlain in the final minutes; Wayne Coffey, a New York Daily News journalist and writer called it "one of the single most dramatic moments of the season."[6]

Stallworth was traded along with Mike Riordan and an undisclosed amount of cash to the Baltimore Bullets for Earl Monroe on November 11, 1971.[7] He averaged 11.4 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game in his 64 appearances for the Bullets in 1971–72, but his statistics declined over the next two seasons and the Bullets traded him to the Phoenix Suns in 1974. Stallworth was released by the Suns without playing for the team, and he returned to the Knicks for the 1974–75 season, playing in seven games.[3]

Personal

After his playing career ended, Stallworth was employed in Wichita, Kansas by Boeing.[8]

References
  1. "Stallworth, Dave". Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  2. "1965 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  3. "Dave Stallworth". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  4. "Dave Stallworth Is Hospitalized". Lawrence Journal-World. Associated Press. March 8, 1967.
  5. "Dave Stallworth Is Most Amazing Knick". Schenectady Gazette. Associated Press. November 25, 1969. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  6. Coffey, Wayne (November 1, 1996). "The Best ...and the Worst: 1969–70 Glory is Lasting Celebration". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  7. Rogers, Thomas. "Stallworth and Riordan Sent to Baltimore," The New York Times, Friday, November 12, 1971. Retrieved May 19, 2020
  8. Lutz, Bob (February 16, 2013). "Bob Lutz: Dave's still the Rave". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
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