Bob McAdoo

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

McAdoo was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. His mother, Vandalia, taught at his grade school, and his father, Robert, was a custodian at North Carolina A&T University. McAdoo attended Ben L. Smith High School, where he participated in basketball and track and played saxophone in the marching band. As a senior, he led Ben L. Smith to the state basketball semifinals, and was the high jump state champion in track, where he set a new state record of 6 feet 7.75 inches, beating out future North Carolina Tarheel teammate and fellow Basketball Hall of Famer Bobby Jones. Coming out of high school in 1969, McAdoo lacked the academic test scores required by Division I schools, so he enrolled for two years at Vincennes University, then a junior college, in Vincennes, Indiana. He averaged 19.3 points and 10 rebounds as a freshman, leading Vincennes to the NJCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship in 1970 with 27 points in the title game. His roommate was teammate and fellow future NBA point guard Foots Walker. As a sophomore, he averaged 25.0 points and 11.0 rebounds, and was named a Junior College All-American in 1971. McAdoo played for Team USA at the 1971 Pan American Games, averaging 11.0 points per game. McAdoo enrolled at the University of North Carolina in the Fall of 1971, the only junior college player Dean Smith recruited in his career. Playing alongside Bobby Jones, McAdoo led Smith's 1971–72 Tar Heels to a 26–5 record and the Final Four of the 1972 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. McAdoo averaged 19.5 points and 10.1 rebounds. He was named first-team All-American. He also earned MVP honors at the ACC tournament. Following that success, McAdoo consulted with Coach Dean Smith, who encouraged him to leave college early for the NBA. Citing family hardship, McAdoo sought and won early eligibility for the 1972 NBA draft under the 'hardship' clause.

In Their Own Story

McAdoo's path was defined by adaptability and resilience across multiple franchises. After leaving the Braves, he played for the Knicks under coaches Red Holzman and Willis Reed, where he scored a career-high 45 points in a loss to the Lakers on January 23, 1979. A subsequent trade sent him to the Boston Celtics, but by September 6, 1979, he was moved to the Detroit Pistons for draft picks that eventually helped Boston acquire Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. His time in Detroit was brief under coaches Dick Vitale and Richie Adubato before his move to Los Angeles. There, he became a vital piece of the Showtime Lakers, winning two NBA championships in four consecutive Finals trips during the 1980s. Later, he extended his championship legacy by serving as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat, securing titles in 2006, 2012, and 2013.

Reader's Guide

McAdoo was selected as the number two overall pick by the Buffalo Braves in the 1972 NBA draft. He was also selected as the No. 1 pick of the 1972 ABA draft. In his rookie season, he won the 1973 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. As a sophomore in 1973-74, he earned the first of three consecutive NBA scoring titles while leading the NBA in field goal percentage, and enjoyed his first of five All-Star selections. His 1973-74 performance remains the last time an NBA player has averaged both 30.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per game. In 1974–75, he was awarded the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, averaging 34.5 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.12 blocks per game. McAdoo is the youngest player to have had a 50-point/20-rebound game. On December 7, 1976, McAdoo grabbed a career-high 29 rebounds, while adding 42 points, in a 107–103 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Two days later, McAdoo was traded by the Buffalo Braves with Tom McMillen to the New York Knicks for John Gianelli and cash. In 334 games with Buffalo, McAdoo averaged 28.2 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.1 steals. With the Knicks, he played alongside future Hall of Fame teammates Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Spencer Haywood, Bill Bradley and Phil Jackson. In 52 games with the Knicks in 1976–77, McAdoo averaged 26.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals. In 1977–78, McAdoo averaged 26.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals in 79 games. On January 23, 1979, McAdoo scored his most points as a Knick, with 45 in a 148–124 loss to Los Angeles Lakers. After 40 games with the Knicks in 1978–79, McAdoo was averaging 26.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists when he was traded on February 12, 1979, to the Boston Celtics for Tom Barker and three first-round picks. In 171 games with the Knicks, McAdoo averaged 26.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals. In his tenure with Boston, McAdoo averaged 20.6 points, 7.1 rebounds.

Did You Know?

• McAdoo is one of the few players who have won both NBA and EuroLeague titles as a player.
• He won two NBA championships with the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s.
• McAdoo later won three more NBA titles as an assistant coach with the Miami Heat in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
• He was the #2 pick of the 1972 NBA draft and also the #1 pick of the 1972 ABA draft.