Stuart Kirk Inman (August 2, 1926 – January 30, 2007) 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 Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player, coach and executive. He was selected in the sixth round of the
1950 NBA Draft
The 1950 NBA draft was the fourth annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). This is the first draft after the Basketball Association of America (BAA) was renamed the NBA. The draft was held on April 25, 1950, before the 1950–5 ...
from
San Jose State University
San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sys ...
by the
Chicago Stags
The Chicago Stags were a National Basketball Association team based in Chicago from 1946 to 1950.
History
1946–47 season
In the BAA's inaugural year, the Chicago Stags were placed in the Western Division, and after 60 games were tied with the ...
; however, he did not play in the NBA.
Early life and education
Inman played college basketball at
San Jose State
San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sy ...
from 1947 to 1950. As a senior, he averaged 14.9 points.
Coaching career
After graduating from San Jose State, Inman became head coach at
Madera High School
Madera High School is the first school and original high school in the central San Joaquin Valley city of Madera, California, serving students since 1894. The school colors are royal blue & white and its mascot is the coyote.
History
Madera Hi ...
in
Madera, California
Madera (Spanish language, Spanish for "Wood") is a city and county seat of Madera County, California, Madera County, California. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 66,224.
Located in the San Joaquin Valley, Madera i ...
for a season, then was head coach at
Theodore Roosevelt High School in
Fresno
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
from 1951 to 1953. He then moved up to the junior college level as head coach at
Santa Ana City College from 1953 to 1955, then at
Orange Coast Junior College from 1955 to 1957. From 1957 to 1960, Inman was an assistant coach at San Jose State before serving as head coach from 1960 to 1966.
Executive career
In 1970, Inman was one of several people who started the expansion
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 ...
NBA franchise, and initially served as chief scout. He also served as interim coach at the end of the
1971–72 season, after
Rolland Todd was fired midway through the season. Inman played a significant role in the building of Portland Trail Blazers'
1976–77 NBA championship team, acquiring
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 ...
,
Geoff Petrie
Geoffrey Michael Petrie (born April 17, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player. A native of Pennsylvania, he played professional basketball in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Portland Trail Blazers where he ...
,
Larry Steele,
Lloyd Neal
Lloyd Neal (born December 10, 1950) is an American former professional basketball player born in Talbotton, Georgia.
A 6'7" center/ forward from Tennessee State University, Neal spent his entire professional career (1972–1979) with the Nat ...
,
Lionel Hollins
Lionel Eugene Hollins (born October 19, 1953) is an American professional basketball coach and former player currently serving as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the Portland ...
,
Bobby Gross,
Wally Walker
Wally may refer to:
Music
* Wally (band), British prog rock band
** ''Wally'' (album), a 1974 album by Wally
* '' La Wally'', an opera by Alfredo Catalani
Other uses
*Wally (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*WALLY, a propos ...
and
Johnny Davis through the draft, signed
Dave Twardzik
David John Twardzik (born September 20, 1950) is an American former professional basketball player. He was a point guard in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is best known for being a ...
after 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, ...
folded, and selected
Maurice Lucas
Maurice Lucas (February 18, 1952 – October 31, 2010) was an American professional basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a four-time NBA All-Star and won ...
in the ABA dispersal draft. Inman later served as the team's general manager from 1981 through 1986.
As the general manager for the Trail Blazers, Inman selected the oft-injured
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
center
Sam Bowie
Samuel Paul Bowie (born March 17, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. A national sensation in high school and outstanding collegian and Olympic team member, Bowie's professional promise was undermined by repeated injuries ...
with the number-two pick in the
1984 NBA Draft
The 1984 NBA draft was the 37th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was held at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, on June 19, 1984, before the 1984–85 season. The draft is generally c ...
, one spot ahead of 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 ...
who selected
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 ...
. At the time Portland already had shooting guards (
Clyde Drexler
Clyde Austin Drexler (born June 22, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player and the commissioner of the Big3 3-on-3 basketball league. Nicknamed "Clyde the Glide", he played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association ...
and
Jim Paxson
James Joseph Paxson (born July 9, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player. A first round selection (12th overall) of the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1979 NBA draft, Paxson played for Portland and the Boston Celtics of the N ...
) and were in need of a center. Inman reflected on the move in 1992, telling ''
The Palm Beach Post
''The Palm Beach Post'' is an American daily newspaper serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and parts of the Treasure Coast. On March 18, 2018, in a deal worth US$42.35 million, ''The Palm Beach Post'' and ''The Palm Beach Daily News'' we ...
'', "There's really no excuse.
..I knew Michael Jordan; I spent that summer with
Bobby Knight
Robert Montgomery Knight (born October 25, 1940) is an American former basketball coach. Nicknamed "the General", Knight won 902 NCAA Division I men's college basketball games, a record at the time of his retirement, and currently fourth all-ti ...
and
that Olympic team and I can't say I saw that greatness that would manifest itself."
Inman worked 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 ...
as their director of player personnel from 1986 to 1987. He was the director of player personnel for the
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...
from the team's inception in 1987 to 1992.
He served as a consultant to
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 ...
head coach
Quinn Buckner
William Quinn Buckner (born August 20, 1954) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiate basketball for the Indiana University Hoosiers, and won a national championship in 1976. He was a captain of both ...
during the 1993–94 season. He later served as an assistant coach at
Lake Oswego High School
Lake Oswego High School (LOHS) is a public high school in Lake Oswego, Oregon, United States.
History
Lake Oswego High School first opened in September 1951 as a six-year school, with an enrollment of 564. In 1956, it became a four-year high sch ...
.
He died at age 80 in
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Lake Oswego () is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, primarily in Clackamas County, with small portions extending into neighboring Multnomah and Washington counties. Located about south of Portland and surrounding the Oswego Lake, the town was ...
of a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
.
Stu Inman, 80; helped assemble Portland's NBA champion team
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Head coaching record
College
NBA
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Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
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References
Additional sources
*
*
External links
Basketball-Reference.com: Stu Inman
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inman, Stu
1926 births
2007 deaths
Place of birth missing
Amateur Athletic Union men's basketball players
American men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from California
Basketball players from California
Centers (basketball)
Chicago Stags draft picks
High school basketball coaches in California
Junior college men's basketball coaches in the United States
Portland Trail Blazers executives
Portland Trail Blazers head coaches
San Jose State Spartans men's basketball coaches
San Jose State Spartans men's basketball players
Sportspeople from Lake Oswego, Oregon
Sportspeople from Portland, Oregon
Basketball players from Portland, Oregon