Bob McAdoo spent a great portion of his NBA career playing for the Lakers, but spent a majority of his career in the northeast. With two decades of league play under his belt, and more additional time spent overseas, Bob McAdoo earned himself the following accolades:
- Two-time NBA champion
- Five-time All Star
- 1972-1973 All-Star Rookie
- 1974-1975 MVP
- Three-time scoring champion
- Two-time All-NBA
- 1972-1973 ROY
- A spot on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team
- An induction and enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Following his playing career, he moved on to showcase his skills in coaching the Miami Heat. Let’s take a closer look at his experience playing and coaching throughout his career.
Bob McAdoo Early Life
Robert Allen McAdoo Jr. was born on September 25, 1951 in Greensboro, North Carolina by his mother Vandalia and father Robert. He was an active high school student, participating in extracurricular activities not limited to basketball, but also track and saxophone in the marching band.
Bob McAdoo was a leader in his extracurriculars, setting the state high-jump record his senior year and helping his basketball team get to the state semifinals.
Bob McAdoo Career
When McAdoo won early eligibility in the NBA draft in 1972, it’s rumored that he signed with the Virginia Squares of the American Basketball Association. McAdoo reportedly denied this movement, but NBA Commissioner Walter Kennedy encouraged teams to consider other players over McAdoo during the draft.
Despite the advice, the Buffalo Braves decided to pick McAdoo as the No. 2 overall pick. He quickly made a name for himself in the league, earning the 1973 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team. The next year, McAdoo went on to earn the NBA Most Valuable Player Award.
Bob McAdoo’s NBA run before joining the Lakers was busy, to say the least. In 1976, McAdoo was traded to the New York Knicks, playing with future Hall of Famers like Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Spencer Haywood, Bill Bradley and Phil Jackson.
In 1979, McAdoo was traded to the Boston Celtics and played for just a season. He went on to play for the Detroit Pistons and in 1981, he was waived from the team for an injury. Later that year, he signed as a free agent with the New Jersey nets and played 10 games with the team before the Bob McAdoo Lakers trade.
Of course, Bob McAdoo’s rings came from his time spent with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was named one of the key players of the Showtime-era teams with Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy by his side. After helping the team gain their NBA Finals title in 1985, the Lakers decided not to re-sign McAdoo.
His next (and last) phase of playing for the NA would end with the Philadelphia 76ers, playing a total 29 games for the team before heading to Italy.
Bob McAdoo Retirement
After McAdoo played 14 years for the NBA, he went overseas to play for the Italian League playing for Olimpia Milano, Filanto Forlì and Teamsystem Fabriano. During his time in Italy, he led his team to two FIBA European Champions Cup games in a row, was named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 1988, and won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, two Italian League championships, and the Italian Cup.
After retiring from professional basketball, Bob McAdoo worked as the Miami Heat assistant coach for 15 years. He now continues to work with the team as a scout and community liaison.
Bob McAdoo Stats
With his experience playing for seven different NBA teams, Bob McAdoo’s career stats are as follows:
- G: 852
- PTS: 22.1
- TRB: 9.4
- AST: 2.3
- FG%: 50.3
- FG3%: 8.1
- FT%: 75.4
- eFG%: 50.3
- PER: 20.7
- WS: 89.1
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