Mike Dunleavy Sr.

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Lore & Background

Dunleavy was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Nazareth Regional High School in Brooklyn, then graduated from the University of South Carolina, where he played under coach Frank McGuire. Drafted in the sixth round of the 1976 NBA draft with the 99th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, the 6'3" guard played for them for one full season and made the Finals in a losing effort against the Portland Trail Blazers. He then split the following season between Philadelphia and the Houston Rockets after being traded mid-season. Houston made the finals, and Dunleavy played a large role, including scoring a game-high 28 points to help lead the Rockets to a Game 4 win, but his team lost to the Boston Celtics. He spent the 1982–83 season with the San Antonio Spurs, then two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks before retiring due to chronic back pain. His best season as a player was with Houston in 1980–81, when he averaged 10.5 points per game and started on a team that played in the NBA Finals. After retirement, he worked in an investment firm. In 1987, he joined the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach. In 1988–89 and 1989–90, while an assistant coach with the Bucks, he helped as a player for two and five games respectively. In 438 games he averaged 8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He entered his first head coaching job in 1990 as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, replacing Pat Riley. In 1991 his team beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals and he led his team to the NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls but they lost in five games. He later coached the Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Clippers. He was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1999 while with the Blazers. On March 28, 2016, Tulane University announced Dunleavy as the coach of the men's basketball team. On March 16, 2019, Tulane announced Dunleavy would not return for the 2019–20 season after finishing 4–27 in his final season.

In Their Own Story

After retiring due to chronic back pain, Dunleavy worked in an investment firm. In 1987, he joined the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach. In 1988–89 and 1989–90, while an assistant coach with the Bucks, he helped as a player for two and five games respectively. In 438 games he averaged 8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He entered his first head coaching job in 1990 as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, replacing Pat Riley. In 1991 his team, led by Magic Johnson and Vlade Divac, beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals and he led his team to the NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls but they lost in five games. In his second season, he led the Lakers to the win in the McDonald's Open in Paris, France in October. Shortly after the tournament, Johnson was diagnosed with HIV and retired. Without him, the Lakers made the playoffs again but lost in the first round.

Reader's Guide

Mike Dunleavy Sr. is a former NBA player and coach. He played as a guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Milwaukee Bucks. He later coached the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Tulane University.

Did You Know?

• Dunleavy was drafted in the sixth round of the 1976 NBA draft with the 99th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers.
• He scored a game-high 28 points in Game 4 of the 1981 NBA Finals for the Houston Rockets.
• He was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1999 while with the Portland Trail Blazers.
• Dunleavy is the father of former NBA player Mike Dunleavy Jr.