Paul Matthew Pressey (born December 24, 1958) is an American former 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 who was also an assistant coach for seven different

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 S ...

(NBA) teams. Pressey is widely credited as being one of the initial

point forward Point forward is a nontraditional position in basketball, with a small forward—or sometimes a power forward or combo forward—adding the responsibilities of point guard to their play. Characteristics Generally, teams employ a point forward ...

s, combining the attributes of a

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...

and

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Basketball career

In 1979, while at Western Texas, Pressey and his teammates went 37-0 and won the

NJCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship NJCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championships is held annually in March at the Hutchinson Sports Arena in Hutchinson, KS. The first official NJCAA National Championship was in 1948 in Springfield, MO at the Southwest State College Fieldhouse. The ...

. In 1982, while playing for

Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball The Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball team represents the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The team participates in the American Athletic Conference. The Golden Hurricane are led by head coach Eric Konkol, hired ...

, Pressey was awarded MVC Player of the Year after averaging 13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.2 steals. While playing small forward for the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

in the 1980s, Pressey took on many of the ball handling duties, even leading the team in assists for five straight years. As a rookie on March 26, 1983, Pressey scored a season-high 23 points and recorded 4 steals in a 89–81 victory against the

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 ...

. A renowned defender throughout his career, Pressey was named to the All-NBA Defensive Team three times, and was top 20 in the league in defensive rating, an advanced metric, four consecutive seasons from 1982–83 to 1985–86. He participated in the 1986

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 ...

, finishing in 6th place out of 8. During his tenure in Milwaukee, alongside hall-of-famers

Sidney Moncrief Sidney Alvin Moncrief (born September 21, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player. As an NCAA college basketball player from 1975 to 1979, Moncrief played for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, leading them to the 1978 F ...

Bob Lanier Robert Jerry Lanier Jr. (September 10, 1948 – May 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who was a center for the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lanier was inducted int ...

, and

Marques Johnson Marques Kevin Johnson (born February 8, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player who is a basketball analyst for the Milwaukee Bucks on Bally Sports Wisconsin. He played as a small forward in the National Basketball Associati ...

, Pressey and the Bucks reached the Eastern Conference Finals three times, although they never advanced to the

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...

. In the 1984-85 NBA season, Pressey helped the Bucks to a 59–23 record, starting 80 games and leading the Bucks in assists with 6.8 per game, while adding 16.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. In that year's playoffs, Pressey and the Bucks advanced past the

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

-led Bulls in the first round, with Pressey scoring 20 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and 6 steals in a deciding Game 4 victory. However, in the following round the Bucks would lose in a sweep to the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

. On February 19, 1986, Pressey scored 26 points on 11-15 shooting and recorded 11 assists while leading the Bucks to a 124–107 victory against the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

. A week later, on February 25, Pressey set a career high with 16 assists in a 114–99 win against 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 the

1986 NBA Playoffs The 1986 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985–86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Ro ...

, Pressey recorded a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 16 assists in Game 5 of the 1986 Eastern Conference Semifinals versus the

on May 7, 1986. The Bucks would win the series in 7 games, before being eliminated in the Conference Finals by the Celtics in the next round. On November 7, 1988, Pressey played 48 minutes, the entire game, due to injuries to various teammates and scored 21 points, while recording 8 assists, and grabbing 6 rebounds, in a loss against 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, ...

. During the

1990 NBA Playoffs The 1990 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1989–90 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons defeating the Western Conference champion Portland Tra ...

, his last with the Bucks, Pressey helped Milwaukee to a Game 3 win over 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 1 ...

with 19 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. However, the Bucks would go on to lose the series. On August 1, 1990, Pressey was traded to San Antonio for

Frank Brickowski Francis Anthony Brickowski (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player, formerly in the National Basketball Association (NBA). College and overseas career Born in Bayville, New York, Brickowski played college baske ...

. On November 7, 1990, Pressey scored 14 points and recorded 10 assists in one of the highest scoring games in NBA history, as the Spurs beat 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 ...

161–153. Teammates

David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...

and

Terry Cummings Robert Terrell "Terry" Cummings (born March 15, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cummings was voted Rookie of the Year and was a two-time All-Star, a ...

combined for 74 points. On May 5, 1992, Pressey was released by the Spurs. In 1992–93, he came out of semi-retirement while an assistant coach with the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

to help the team deal with many injuries to other players. He played 18 games before getting injured too.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , align="left" , 1982–83 , align="left" ,

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, 79 , , 18 , , 19.3 , , .457 , , .111 , , .597 , , 3.6 , , 2.6 , , 1.3 , , 0.6 , , 6.7 , - , align="left" , 1983–84 , align="left" ,

, 81 , , 18 , , 21.4 , , .523 , , .222 , , .600 , , 3.5 , , 3.1 , , 1.1 , , 0.6 , , 8.3 , - , align="left" , 1984–85 , align="left" ,

, 80 , , 80 , , 36.0 , , .517 , , .350 , , .758 , , 5.4 , , 6.8 , , 1.6 , , 0.7 , , 16.1 , - , align="left" , 1985–86 , align="left" ,

, 80 , , 80 , , 33.8 , , .488 , , .182 , , .806 , , 5.0 , , 7.8 , , 2.1 , , 0.9 , , 14.3 , - , align="left" , 1986–87 , align="left" ,

, 61 , , 60 , , 33.7 , , .477 , , .291 , , .738 , , 4.9 , , 7.2 , , 1.8 , , 0.8 , , 13.9 , - , align="left" , 1987–88 , align="left" ,

, 75 , , 75 , , 33.1 , , .491 , , .205 , , .798 , , 5.0 , , 7.0 , , 1.5 , , 0.5 , , 13.1 , - , align="left" , 1988–89 , align="left" ,

, 67 , , 62 , , 32.4 , , .474 , , .218 , , .776 , , 3.9 , , 6.6 , , 1.8 , , 0.7 , , 12.1 , - , align="left" , 1989–90 , align="left" ,

, 57 , , 2 , , 24.6 , , .472 , , .140 , , .758 , , 3.0 , , 4.3 , , 1.2 , , 0.4 , , 11.0 , - , align="left" , 1990–91 , align="left" ,

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, 70 , , 18 , , 24.0 , , .472 , , .281 , , .827 , , 2.5 , , 3.9 , , 0.9 , , 0.5 , , 7.5 , - , align="left" , 1991–92 , align="left" ,

, 56 , , 7 , , 13.6 , , .373 , , .143 , , .683 , , 1.7 , , 2.5 , , 0.5 , , 0.3 , , 2.7 , - , align="left" , 1992–93 , align="left" , Golden State , 18 , , 0 , , 14.9 , , .439 , , .000 , , .778 , , 1.7 , , 1.7 , , 0.6 , , 0.3 , , 4.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 724 , , 420 , , 27.2 , , .485 , , .222 , , .749 , , 3.9 , , 5.1 , , 1.4 , , 0.6 , , 10.6

Playoffs

, - , align="left" , 1982–83 , align="left" ,

, 9 , , - , , 16.7 , , .404 , , .000 , , .400 , , 3.7 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , 0.7 , , 5.1 , - , align="left" , 1983–84 , align="left" ,

, 16 , , - , , 21.9 , , .520 , , .000 , , .679 , , 3.7 , , 3.1 , , 1.4 , , 0.6 , , 8.9 , - , align="left" , 1984–85 , align="left" ,

, 8 , , 8 , , 37.0 , , .511 , , .333 , , .816 , , 6.0 , , 7.6 , , 2.3 , , 0.6 , , 15.3 , - , align="left" , 1985–86 , align="left" ,

, 14 , , 14 , , 37.9 , , .484 , , .333 , , .761 , , 4.3 , , 7.9 , , 1.3 , , 0.9 , , 16.1 , - , align="left" , 1986–87 , align="left" ,

, 12 , , 12 , , 38.8 , , .466 , , .125 , , .739 , , 5.2 , , 8.6 , , 2.3 , , 0.7 , , 14.3 , - , align="left" , 1987–88 , align="left" ,

, 5 , , 5 , , 35.6 , , .460 , , .333 , , .767 , , 3.8 , , 6.6 , , 0.8 , , 0.6 , , 14.0 , - , align="left" , 1989–90 , align="left" ,

, 4 , , 2 , , 32.3 , , .432 , , .000 , , .808 , , 5.3 , , 7.5 , , 1.5 , , 0.3 , , 14.8 , - , align="left" , 1990–91 , align="left" ,

, 4 , , 0 , , 31.0 , , .406 , , .250 , , .667 , , 2.8 , , 4.0 , , 2.0 , , 0.8 , , 8.3 , - , align="left" , 1991–92 , align="left" ,

, 3 , , 2 , , 15.3 , , .333 , , .500 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 0.3 , , 4.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 75 , , 43 , , 30.3 , , .471 , , .244 , , .728 , , 4.2 , , 5.6 , , 1.5 , , 0.7 , , 11.7

College

, - , align="left" , 1980–81 , align="left" ,

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

, 33 , , 32 , , 31.8 , , .476 , , - , , .579 , , 5.4 , , 5.2 , , 2.9 , , 0.8 , , 10.3 , - , align="left" , 1981–82 , align="left" ,

, 30 , , 30 , , 32.4 , , .560 , , - , , .664 , , 6.4 , , 4.0 , , 3.2 , , 0.7 , , 13.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 63 , , 62 , , 32.1 , , .517 , , - , , .624 , , 5.9 , , 4.6 , , 3.0 , , 0.7 , , 11.7

Post-playing career

During the 1998–99 season, Pressey won a championship as an assistant coach for the Spurs. His daughter Angie attended the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

and was a member of the Golden Bear volleyball squad that was a semifinalist at the women's 2007 NCAA Final Four. His sons Jeremiah (Paul Jr.) and

Phil Phil may refer to: * Phil (given name), a shortened version of masculine and feminine names * Phill, a given name also spelled "Phil" * Phil, Kentucky, United States * ''Phil'' (film), a 2019 film * -phil-, a lexical fragment, used as a root te ...

played basketball for Missouri. Phil played for multiple teams in the NBA from 2013 to 2016, and now plays in Europe. In 2010, Pressey became an assistant coach for the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. He served in that role until 2013. On September 16, 2014; he was added to Byron Scott's coaching staff for the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2019, he became an assistant coach for St Johns University. In a September 2019 interview, while looking back on being drafted and then playing a relatively long NBA career, Pressey said “It was a dream but a far-fetched dream. I wanted it to happen but felt that I would just get my degree and maybe get into coaching. I thought that I might get picked in the 2nd or 3rd round but never thought I would go in the 1st round.”

References

External links

Player profile
@ tulsahurricane.cstv.com

@ basketball-reference.com

@ nba.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pressey, Paul 1958 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people African-American basketball coaches African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from Virginia Basketball players from Richmond, Virginia Boston Celtics assistant coaches Los Angeles Lakers assistant coaches Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coaches Golden State Warriors assistant coaches Golden State Warriors players Milwaukee Bucks draft picks Milwaukee Bucks players New Orleans Hornets assistant coaches Orlando Magic assistant coaches San Antonio Spurs assistant coaches San Antonio Spurs players Small forwards Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball players Western Texas Westerners men's basketball players