Otis Birdsong
Four-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA Second Team guard who starred for the Kansas City Kings and New Jersey Nets.
Otis Lee Birdsong (born December 9, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player. He spent twelve seasons (1977–1989) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and appeared in four NBA All-Star Games. A guard who attended Winter Haven High School and the University of Houston, Birdsong was selected by the Kansas City Kings with the second pick of the 1977 NBA draft. He would spend four seasons with the Kings, averaging a career high 24.6 points per game during the 1980–81 season. He also played seven seasons with the New Jersey Nets and one with the Boston Celtics, and then ended his career at the end of the 1988–89 season.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Starting Point Guard
- Affiliation
- Sacramento Kings (1988–1994)
- Status
- Retired Legend
- Key achievement
- Led team to 2001-02 Western Conference Finals run foundation
- Nickname
- Birdie
Lore & Background
Birdsong played for the Kansas City Kings from 1977 to 1981. He was a member of the All-NBA Second Team in 1981. On January 29, 1980, he scored a career-high 49 points against the Denver Nuggets. During the 1980-81 season, he averaged a career best 24.6 points per game and led the Kings to the Western Conference Finals, though he was sidelined by an ankle injury in the second round. On June 8, 1981, he was traded to the New Jersey Nets. He also played for the Boston Celtics in the 1988-89 season. After his NBA career, he played for the Tulsa Fast Breakers of the CBA from 1988 to 1990, winning a CBA championship in 1989.
Reader's Guide
Birdsong is a former NBA guard who played for the Kansas City Kings, New Jersey Nets, and Boston Celtics. He was a four-time NBA All-Star and a member of the All-NBA Second Team in 1981. He scored over 12,000 career points, averaging 18.0 points per game. He holds the University of Houston record for free throws (480) and is second on the school's all-time scoring list (2,832 points). He was inducted into the University of Houston's Hall of Honor in 2000 and the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame in 2014.
Did You Know?
- Birdsong was named Southwest Conference Player of the Year and a Consensus All-American in 1977.
- Birdsong's number 10 jersey is retired by the University of Houston men's basketball team.
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