Theodore Roosevelt Dunn (born February 1, 1955) 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 court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player who used to be an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of 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 ...

(NBA). A star at the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publi ...

, Dunn played for coach CM Newton, who would start five black players in a time of racial turbulence and progress. Center

Leon Douglas Leon Douglas (born August 26, 1954) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) before transitioning to an extensive professional career overseas in Europe. ...

said, "We knew Coach Newton (signed us) because he wanted to win. He wasn't trying to be a trailblazer. You have to respect a man for putting five black starters on the court when others said it was a no-no." On December 28, 1973, in a 65-55 win at

Louisville Cardinals men's basketball The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the men's college basketball program representing the University of Louisville (U of L) in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) of NCAA Division I. The Cardinals have officially won two NCAA champ ...

, Newton started Douglas, Charles "Boonie" Russell, Charles Cleveland, Dunn and

Ray Odums Ray Odums (born October 30, 1951) is a football player who played in the CFL and USFL. He played defensive back (DB). From 1975 to 1984 Odums was DB for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the Calgary Stampeders. He ...

for the first all-black starting line-up in SEC history, and a team that would win the SEC season title. The 6'4" Dunn was selected by 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 ...

in the second round of the

1977 NBA draft The 1977 NBA draft was the 31st annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 10, 1977, before the 1977–78 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players ...

. He went on to have a productive 14-year career with three teams: the Blazers (1977–1980), the Denver Nuggets (1980–1988;1989–1991), and the Phoenix Suns (1988–1989). Dunn was named to the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team three times during his career, and he was widely regarded as one of the best rebounding guards of the 1980s. After retiring in 1991 with 5,033 career points and 4,371 career rebounds, Dunn served six seasons (1991–1997) as an assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets. He later served brief tenures as head coach of the WNBA's

Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007. The Sting was originally the sister organization of ...

and as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama, and in 2004 he was hired as an assistant coach for the NBA's

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. In 2007, he became an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets. On December 6, 2011, he was hired as an assistant coach by the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

to work under

Rick Adelman Richard Leonard Adelman (born June 16, 1946) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He coached 23 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Adelman served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunn, T. R. 1955 births Living people African-American basketball players Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball coaches Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball players American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players American women's basketball coaches Basketball coaches from Alabama Basketball players from Birmingham, Alabama Charlotte Hornets assistant coaches Charlotte Sting coaches Denver Nuggets assistant coaches Denver Nuggets players Houston Rockets assistant coaches Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coaches Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Phoenix Suns players Portland Trail Blazers draft picks Portland Trail Blazers players Sacramento Kings assistant coaches Shooting guards Small forwards Sportspeople from Birmingham, Alabama 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople

See also

References

External links