Carl Scheer (December 14, 1936 – December 13, 2019) was an American basketball executive. Over his career, he served as the general manager of the
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
,
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
and
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
. He was also the commissioner of the
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...
. He was the first GM in Hornets history and is credited as the inventor of the NBA
Slam Dunk Contest
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest (officially known as the AT&T Slam Dunk) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. ''Sports Illustrated'' wrote "the dunk contest was the best halftime inventio ...
.
Early life and career
Carl Scheer was born on December 14, 1936 in
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...
to Robert and Minette Scheer. He was educated in Springfield and was an all-state basketball player. He graduated from
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...
, where he played basketball, and
University of Miami School of Law
The University of Miami School of Law (Miami Law or UM Law) is the law school of the University of Miami, a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida.
Founded in 1926, the University of Miami School of Law is the oldest law school in ...
before settling in
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...
.
Basketball career
After law school, he became an agent and was hired as an assistant to then-NBA Commissioner,
J. Walter Kennedy
James Walter Kennedy (June 8, 1912 – June 26, 1977) was an American businessman and politician, best known as the commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1963 until 1975.
Profile
Early life
James Walter Kennedy wa ...
.
[ In 1970, he jumped to the ABA to become GM of the ]Buffalo Braves
The Buffalo Braves were an American professional basketball franchise based in Buffalo, New York. The Braves competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division from 1970 ...
, leaving a few months later for the Carolina Cougars
The Carolina Cougars were a basketball franchise in the American Basketball Association that existed from 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Ca ...
. In 1974, both Scheer and Larry Brown moved to the Denver Rockets
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
(later the Nuggets) as the Cougars owner planned to fold the franchise. with Brown as the head coach, Scheer built a team with Bobby Jones, David Thompson and Dan Issel
Daniel Paul Issel (born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. An outstanding collegian at the University of Kentucky, Issel was twice named an All-American en route to a school-record 25.7 points per ...
that made it to the 1975–76 ABA Finals.
It was in Denver that Scheer introduced the Slam Dunk Contest
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest (officially known as the AT&T Slam Dunk) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. ''Sports Illustrated'' wrote "the dunk contest was the best halftime inventio ...
for the 1976 ABA All-Star Game, that featured David Thompson, Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
and Artis Gilmore
Artis Gilmore (born September 21, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Gilmore was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Bask ...
.[ Scheer made the contest a longstanding part of the NBA when he revived the idea for the ]1984 NBA All-Star Game
The 34th National Basketball Association All-Star Game was played on January 29, 1984, at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver. The East All-Stars defeated the West All-Stars. 154–145. Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons was named the MVP of the ...
in Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
.
In 1976, Scheer and Brown led the Nuggets through the merger with the NBA with the team entering the new merged league. Denver won two straight Midwest Division titles upon entering the NBA, and advanced to the 1978 Western Conference Final.[ Eventually, Scheer and Brown clashed, and Brown resigned midway through the 1978–79 season.]
Denver shuffled the front office and Scheer left the Nuggets in 1984.[ He moved to the ]Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
in July 1984. His stay in Los Angeles was short after battling with team ownership and he ended up taking the job of commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...
in 1986.[
One year later, Scheer was tapped to be the general manager of the ]New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
. However, only a few months later, the expansion Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
hired him as the new general manager once his commitments to the CBA ended. Charlotte owner George Shinn
George Shinn (born May 11, 1941) is the former owner of the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets, as well as the Charlotte Knights and Gastonia Rangers minor league baseball teams, along with the Raleigh–Durham Skyhawks, of the World League of Americ ...
wanted Scheer to work under a handshake agreement while Scheer, an attorney, sought a multi-year contract. The dispute led to Scheer's resignation in 1990.[ He left Charlotte to take over as president of the Nuggets.]
Scheer's second stay in Denver was short, as he left only 14 months later amid other departures in the front office.
In his later career, Scheer worked as an executive with two minor-league hockey teams, the Charlotte Checkers
The Charlotte Checkers are a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affi ...
and the Greenville Grrrowl
The Greenville Grrrowl were an ECHL hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. They played their home games at the BI-LO Center. In the 2001–02 season, they won the Kelly Cup.
The Grrrowl's initial season was 1998–99, with former Ch ...
.[
]
Personal life
Scheer was married to Marsha (Krieger) Scheer from 1959 until his death. He had two children, Bob and Lauren. Scheer died on December 13, 2019, at the age of 82, from complications of dementia, in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scheer, Carl
1936 births
2019 deaths
American sports executives and administrators
Basketball players from Springfield, Massachusetts
Charlotte Hornets executives
Continental Basketball Association commissioners
Denver Nuggets executives
Middlebury Panthers men's basketball players
National Basketball Association general managers
Los Angeles Clippers executives
University of Miami School of Law alumni