Michael Eugene Gale (July 18, 1950 – July 31, 2020) was an American
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player.
After graduating from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
's
Overbrook High School, Gale, a 6'4"
guard
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, played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
at
Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) is a public historically black university in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It enrolls nearly 2,500 students in 28 undergraduate programs and 4 graduate programs and is a member-school of the Thurgood Ma ...
.
He was drafted in the third round of the
1971 NBA draft by the
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 ...
and by the
Kentucky Colonels in the 1971
American Basketball Association draft. Gale opted to play for the Colonels.
Gale played in the
National Basketball Association
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 ...
and
American Basketball Association as a member of the
Kentucky Colonels (1971–1974), the
New York Nets
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(1974–1975), the
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
(1975–1980), the
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
(1980–1981), and the
Golden State Warriors (1981–1982). He tallied 6,203 career points to go with 3,146 career
assists, and won the
1974 ABA Championship while with the Nets.
He was twice named to the ABA’s All-Defensive First Team. Gale died at the age of 70 on July 31, 2020.
Nicknamed "Sugar" because his shot was so sweet, as well as "Sticky Fingers" for being able to steal the ball. Settled down in San Antonio, TX.
References
External links
Career statistics
1950 births
2020 deaths
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Philadelphia
Chicago Bulls draft picks
Elizabeth City State Vikings basketball players
Golden State Warriors players
Kentucky Colonels draft picks
Kentucky Colonels players
New York Nets players
Point guards
Portland Trail Blazers players
San Antonio Spurs players
Shooting guards
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