Howard Porter (August 31, 1948 – May 26, 2007) was an American professional

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. At and , he played as a

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and a

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

Early life

Porter was born in

Stuart, Florida Stuart is a city in and the seat of Martin County, Florida, United States. Located on Florida's Treasure Coast, Stuart is the largest of four incorporated municipalities in Martin County. The population is 17,425 according to the 2020 United State ...

. While in the 8th grade, he played on the

varsity team In most English-speaking countries, varsity is an abbreviation of the word ''university''. In the United States and Canada, the term is mostly used in relation to sports teams. Varsity in the United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, varsity team ...

at Stuart Training School, the high school for Martin County blacks. He attended Booker High School in

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...

. The highlight of his high school career occurred in 1967, when he led Booker to the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association Class A State Basketball Championship.

College career

Porter then played collegiately at

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic church, Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinians in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Sa ...

, where he was a three-time

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

selection. He took Villanova to the 1971 NCAA Championship Game, in which Villanova lost to

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

68–62. Porter was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 25 points in the final game. However, he was later ruled ineligible for the honor because he had signed a professional contract with the

Pittsburgh Condors The Pittsburgh Condors were a professional basketball team in the original American Basketball Association (ABA). Originally called the Pittsburgh Pipers, they were a charter franchise of the ABA and captured the first league title. The team pla ...

of the

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, ...

during the middle of his senior year. To the present day, the MOP for the 1971 Final Four is listed as "*Vacated".

Professional career

Porter never played for the Condors, instead joining 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 ...

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...

in 1971. He played seven seasons in the NBA as a member of the Bulls,

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

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 ...

, and

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, ...

. His best professional season was in 1976–77 with Detroit, when he averaged 13.2 points and 5.9

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

, playing alongside fellow Villanova teammate

Chris Ford Christopher Joseph Ford (born January 11, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. He is known for making the first counted NBA three-point shot on October 12, 1979. Amateur career A 6-foot-5 (1.96 m) guard from ...

. Porter was nicknamed "Geezer" during his time at Villanova and had become a fan favorite at the Pistons' then-home,

Cobo Arena Huntington Place (formerly known as Cobo Hall, Cobo Center, and briefly as TCF Center) is a convention center in Downtown Detroit, owned by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) and operated by ASM Global. Located at 1 Washi ...

Post-NBA life

Porter had retired from the NBA in 1978 at 29 years old in a career cut short by injuries, including a blood clot in his lungs, and a cocaine addiction, a significant problem in the 1970s NBA. He was arrested in 1985 and served six months in jail for drug possession. He entered a drug rehabilitation program in

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

in 1989, remained in the area, and in 1995 began working as a probation officer for Ramsey County.

2007 disappearance and murder

Howard Porter disappeared on May 18, 2007. He was found severely beaten in a

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

alley in the early morning hours of May 19 and died on May 26 of injuries sustained during the assault. Local police arrested a 33-year-old prostitute named Tanya Washington that Porter had solicited in connection with the murder. Washington was later released by police, who stated that there was not enough evidence to file charges against her. On September 4, police announced that they had arrested and charged Rashad Arthur Raleigh with Porter's murder, who had attacked the former NBA star in a robbery set-up. Raleigh is serving a life sentence for the crime. Porter is interred at Washington Park Cemetery in

Orlo Vista, Florida Orlo Vista is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Orange County, Florida, United States. While the spelling "Orlo Vista" is used by the U.S. Postal Service, the community is shown as Orlovista on federal maps. The population ...

. He is survived by his three children, Ebony, Howard Jr. and Keelee.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Howard 1948 births 2007 deaths 2007 murders in the United States 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Florida Centers (basketball) Chicago Bulls draft picks Chicago Bulls players Deaths by beating in the United States Detroit Pistons players Male murder victims Murdered African-American people New York Knicks players New Jersey Nets players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Stuart, Florida People murdered in Minnesota Power forwards (basketball) Probation and parole officers Small forwards Villanova Wildcats men's basketball players