Ernie DiGregorio

Ernest DiGregorio (born January 15, 1951), also known as "Ernie D.", is an American former National Basketball Association player. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1973–74 season and holds the NBA rookie record for assists in a single game with 25. Due to a severe knee injury suffered early in DiGregorio's professional career, he played only five NBA seasons.

Ernie DiGregorio
DiGregorio playing for the Buffalo Braves.
Personal information
Born (1951-01-15) January 15, 1951
North Providence, Rhode Island
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High schoolNorth Providence
(North Providence, Rhode Island)
CollegeProvidence (1970–1973)
NBA draft1973 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Buffalo Braves
Playing career1973–1978
PositionPoint guard
Number15, 7
Career history
1973–1977Buffalo Braves
1977–1978Los Angeles Lakers
1978Boston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points2,997 (9.6 ppg)
Rebounds610 (2.0 rpg)
Assists1,594 (5.1 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2019

A 1973 NCAA All-American at Providence, DiGregorio was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.

Career

DiGregorio played on the 1968 Rhode Island (Class B) champions at North Providence High School. He and Marvin Barnes led Coach Dave Gavitt's Providence team to a Final Four appearance in the 1973 NCAA Tournament in DiGregorio's senior season, where they eventually lost to Memphis State, but only after Barnes sustained a knee injury that forced an early exit. After playing for the Providence College Friars, DiGregorio played on a college all-star team, and along with Bill Walton, led the U.S. in defeating a Soviet team in an exhibition game, which helped heal the still-open wound of the United States' loss in the 1972 Summer Olympic finals. Ernie "D" was then drafted by the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association but opted instead for the NBA.

He was selected third overall by the Buffalo Braves in the 1973 NBA draft out of Providence College, and won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 1973–74 after averaging 15.2 points and leading the league in both free throw percentage and assists per game.[1] DiGregorio still holds the NBA rookie record for assists in a single game with 25 (a record now shared with Nate McMillan).[2] He would never again come close to that level of production, but managed to have a decent NBA career, most of which he spent with the Braves.

During the 1976–77 season, DiGregorio led the league in free throw percentage a second time, with a then-NBA record 94.5%.[3] In 1977, he joined fellow NBA stars Julius Erving, Rick Barry, Wilt Chamberlain, and Pete Maravich, in endorsing Spalding's line of rubber basketballs, with a signature "Ernie D." ball making up part of the collection.[4]

Before the 1977–78 season, DiGregorio was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and played in a Lakers' uniform in only 25 games before being waived. The Boston Celtics signed him as a free agent but he played only sparingly for the rest of the season. He would not play in the NBA again, although he did not formally retire until 1981.

Honors

See also
  • List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game

References
  1. Rhoden, William C. (March 2, 1996). "Sports of The Times;Ernie D Has Found A New Game". The New York Times.
  2. "NBA.com Coaches:Nate McMillan". Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  3. "HickokSports.com NBA Annual Statistical Leaders: Free Throw Percentage". Archived from the original on 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  4. "Spalding Presents Street Ball, with Rick Barry and Dr. J!" advertisements on the back of Marvel and DC comic books, 1977.
  5. "Ernie DiGregorio". National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame website. Archived from the original on 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
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