Bill Cartwright

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Cartwright was born on July 30, 1957, in Lodi, California. He attended Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove, California, where he was named California High School State Basketball Player of the Year in 1974 and 1975. He played college basketball for the San Francisco Dons, finishing as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,116 points. He was the third overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft by the New York Knicks and made his only All-Star Game appearance in his rookie season. After foot injuries, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls in 1988, where he was the starting center for three consecutive NBA championships. He later played for the Seattle SuperSonics and retired after the 1994–95 season. He served as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, Osaka Evessa, and the Mexico men's national basketball team.

In Their Own Story

The defining chapter of Cartwright's career began after his trade to the Chicago Bulls in 1988, where he replaced Charles Oakley. He became the starting center for one of the most dominant teams in sports history, helping the Bulls capture consecutive championships in 1991, 1992, and 1993. His resilience was tested during the 1992–93 season when an elbow from an Indiana Pacers player fractured his larynx, leaving him with a permanently hoarse voice that required multiple surgeries by Robert Sataloff to restore his speech. Even without Michael Jordan in the 1994 playoffs, Cartwright helped lead the Bulls to the Eastern Conference semifinals before departing as an unrestricted free agent. He finished his playing career with a brief stint of 29 games for the Seattle SuperSonics in 1994–1995.

Reader's Guide

Cartwright played for the New York Knicks from 1979 to 1988. He averaged over 20 points per game in his first two seasons. After missing the 1984–85 season due to foot injuries, he returned but was relegated to the bench in the 1987–88 season. He was traded to the Chicago Bulls on June 15, 1988, and was the starting center during their three-peat from 1991 to 1993. He signed with the Seattle SuperSonics as a free agent in 1994 and played 29 games before retiring.

Did You Know?

• Cartwright was a consensus second-team All-American in 1977 and 1979.
• He played on one of the tallest starting lineups in collegiate history at USF, with three players 6'10" or taller.
• During the 1992–93 season, Cartwright suffered a fractured larynx after being elbowed in the throat.
• He earned a master's degree in organization development from USF in 1998.