Dwight "Bo" Lamar (born April 7, 1951) is a former professional American
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player.
Born and raised in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
, he graduated from the
University of Southwestern Louisiana
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and the s ...
, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Lamar was a leading NCAA scorer and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1973
American Basketball Association Draft The American Basketball Association draft was held from 1967 to 1975.
First overall picks
Note: 1974 ABA College Draft, not 1974 ABA Draft of NBA Players
Further reading
*{{cite book, last=Bradley, first=Robert D., title=The Basketball Draft Fac ...
.
College career
A graduate of
East High School in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
, Lamar attended Southwestern Louisiana, who transitioned to Division I in 1971-1972. Lamar didn’t even average 20 points per game as a senior in high school, playing alongside friend and teammate
Ed Ratleff, but Southwestern Louisiana coach
Beryl Shipley made him the focus of the SLA offense, with free rein to shoot. averaging 22.8 to earn “Freshman of the Year” in the Gulf States Conference. Eventually, the basketball program was given a two year death penalty by the NCAA during Lamar's senior season, that went into effect the next season.
Lamar was a three-time collegiate All-American between 1969–1973, and was named First team All-America in 1972 and 1973 along with
Bill Walton
William Theodore Walton III (born November 5, 1952) is an American television sportscaster and former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins, winning three consecutive national ...
,
David Thompson and
Ernie DiGregorio
Ernest DiGregorio (born January 15, 1951), also known as "Ernie D.", is an American former professional basketball player. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1973–74 season and shares the NBA rookie record for assists in a single game w ...
. During his college career he averaged 31.2 points a game, a point total of 3,493 points, which remains among the top ranks of
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
basketball. He is known for his extremely high long-range shot that some coaches say dusted the rafters.
“Bo Lamar is the purest shooter I’ve ever seen,” said Hall of Fame Coach
Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian (August 8, 1930 – February 11, 2015) was an American basketball coach. He coached college basketball for 31 seasons over five decades at three schools. He spent the majority of his career coaching with the UNLV Runnin' Rebe ...
.
“If there had been a three-point shot in those days, he would’ve averaged 50 points a game,” Coach Beryl Shipley said.
Lamar led the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 90-23 record in his four seasons. Their record his last three seasons was 74-13, bettered only by UCLA during that span.
Professional career
Lamar was a third-round pick by the
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
in the
1973 NBA Draft.
He was the top overall pick in the 1973
American Basketball Association Draft The American Basketball Association draft was held from 1967 to 1975.
First overall picks
Note: 1974 ABA College Draft, not 1974 ABA Draft of NBA Players
Further reading
*{{cite book, last=Bradley, first=Robert D., title=The Basketball Draft Fac ...
by the
San Diego Conquistadors
The San Diego Conquistadors (known as the San Diego Sails in their final, partial season), were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in San Diego. The "Q's", as they were popularly known, played from 1972 to 1975. As the Sails, the ...
and signed with them.
As a rookie in 1973-1974, Lamar averaged 20.4 points per game for San Diego and made the
ABA All-Rookie team
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a professional basketball league that operated from the until it ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. The ABA presented a variety of annual awards and honors to recognize its players and ...
, playing for Coach
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a Center (basketball), center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 yea ...
. He also set the franchise record, scoring 50 points in one game.
Lamar averaged 20.9 points per game in 1974-1975, being reunited with his college coach Beryl Shipley, during the season.
After averaging 16.0 in his third season, he ended up playing sparingly for the Lakers in 1976-1977, the final year of his career. Lamar was released by the Lakers after the season.
He played for three
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...
teams: the
San Diego Conquistadors
The San Diego Conquistadors (known as the San Diego Sails in their final, partial season), were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in San Diego. The "Q's", as they were popularly known, played from 1972 to 1975. As the Sails, the ...
(1973–1975), the rebranded
San Diego Sails
The San Diego Conquistadors (known as the San Diego Sails in their final, partial season), were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in San Diego. The "Q's", as they were popularly known, played from 1972 to 1975. As the Sails, the ...
(1975) (who folded after 11 games) and the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
(1975-1976) before moving to the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
after the
ABA–NBA merger
The ABA-NBA merger was a major pro sports business maneuver in 1976 when the American Basketball Association (ABA) combined with the National Basketball Association (NBA), after multiple attempts over several years. The NBA and ABA had entered ...
. In 1976-1977 Lamar played 71 games for the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
.
Overall, Lamar averaged 16.4 points and 3.9 assists in 273 career games. His ABA averages were 19.7 points and 4.4 assists in 202 games.
Personal
Lamar was the Louisiana-Lafayette basketball color analyst on radio, before retiring to his native Ohio.
Honors
* Lamar was inducted into the UL Athletics Hall of Fame.
* One media list ranked Lamar in the Top 100 players in the history of NCAA basketball (#64).
* In 1984, Lamar was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
* In 2018, Lamar was selected for induction into the OHSAA’s Circle of Champions by the Ohio State High School Athletic Association.
References
External links
* https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/dwight-lamar-1.html
* https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lamarbo01.html
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lamar, Bo
1951 births
Living people
African-American basketball players
All-American college men's basketball players
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Columbus, Ohio
Detroit Pistons draft picks
Indiana Pacers players
Los Angeles Lakers players
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball players
Point guards
San Diego Conquistadors players
San Diego Sails players
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople