Bill Cartwright

Three-time NBA champion center and former Bulls head coach.

James William Cartwright (born July 30, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player and a former coach. A 7 ft center, he played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics, helping the Bulls capture consecutive championships in the 1991, 1992 and 1993 seasons. He attended Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove, California, and played college basketball for the San Francisco Dons. Following his playing career, he served as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, the Osaka Evessa of the bj League and the Mexico men's national basketball team as well as an assistant coach for several years in the NBA.

Quick Facts

Born: 30 July 1957
Birthplace: Lodi, California, U.S.
High school: Elk Grove (Elk Grove, California)
College: San Francisco (1975–1979)
Draft pick: 3
Drafted by: New York Knicks
Career position: Center
Career number: 25, 24

Lore & Background

Cartwright finished his college career as the Dons' all-time leading scorer with 2,116 points, averaging 19.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, and ranked third in school history in rebounding with 1,137. He graduated as the West Coast Conference's all-time leading scorer, a total that still ranks seventh in conference history.

Reader's Guide

Cartwright was the third overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft selected by the New York Knicks, making his only career All-Star Game appearance in his first season. He averaged over 20 points per game in his first two seasons for the Knicks, but after playing at least 77 games in each of his first five seasons, a series of foot injuries caused him to miss the 1984–1985 season. On June 15, 1988, Cartwright was traded along with two draft picks to the Chicago Bulls for forward Charles Oakley and two draft picks.

Cartwright was the Bulls' starting center during their string of three consecutive NBA championships in 1991, 1992 and 1993. He left the Bulls as a free agent and signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, playing in 29 games before retiring after the 1994–95 NBA season. A year after his retirement, Cartwright joined the Bulls again as an assistant coach under Phil Jackson ahead of the 1996–97 NBA season. He took over as interim head coach of the Bulls 27 games into the 2001–02 season, going 17–38 after the team's 4–23 start.

The following season he was promoted from interim to permanent head coach. In the 2002–03 season the Bulls finished 30–52, but Cartwright only lasted 14 games into the 2003–04 season — going 4–10 — before being fired. In 2004, the New Jersey Nets hired Cartwright as an assistant coach under Lawrence Frank. In 2008, Cartwright was named an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns under Terry Porter.

In January 2013, Cartwright was hired to coach Osaka Evessa of the Japanese bj league. In September 2014, Cartwright was hired as the head coach of the Mexico men's national basketball team ahead of the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Did You Know?

Cartwright was named California High School State Basketball Player of the Year in 1974 and 1975.
During the 1992–93 season, Cartwright was elbowed in the throat, fracturing his larynx and leaving him with a hoarse voice.
Cartwright earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from USF and later obtained a master's degree in organization development in 1998 from the same institution.