Wayne Richard Embry (born March 26, 1937) is a retired 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 and basketball executive. Embry's 11-year playing career as a center spanned from 1958 to 1969 playing for the

Cincinnati Royals 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 olde ...

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

and

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 196 ...

, all of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, 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 i ...

(NBA). After his playing career, Embry transitioned to a career as a professional basketball executive, becoming the

first African-American African-Americans are an ethnic group in the United States. The first achievements by African-Americans in diverse fields have historically marked footholds, often leading to more widespread cultural change. The shorthand phrase for this is "brea ...

general manager and team president in NBA history. Since 2004, Embry has served as a senior basketball advisor for the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

Early life

Embry attended Tecumseh High School near New Carlisle, Ohio, where he was a three-year letter winner and earned Honorable Mention All-State honors.

College career

Embry went to

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...

in Oxford, Ohio, where he became a member of

Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved in ...

fraternity. As a two-time all-

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the t ...

center, Embry, a team captain, led the then-Redskins to conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 1957 and 1958. He led the MAC in scoring and rebounding in two seasons and still holds several school records, including best career rebounding average (15.5). He ranks among Miami leaders in the all-time scoring list with 1,401 points and rebounding list with 1,117. He holds both Miami and MAC records for most rebounds in a game (34) and season (488). During his career, he was one of only 10 players in MAC history to total more than 1,000 career points and rebounds. He was selected to the Helms Athletic Foundation All-America third team as a senior, and he was a two-time honorable mention All-America selection in 1957 and 1958. He was inducted in the second class of the Miami Athletics Hall of Fame in 1970. He became the fourth player in Miami history to have his jersey (23) retired. Embry earned a Bachelor of Science in education from Miami.

NBA playing career

Embry was originally drafted by the

St. Louis Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

in 1958. He was then traded closer to home weeks later to the Cincinnati Royals. The Royals were rebuilding due to the collapse of the team following the head-injury-related hospitalization of team star

Maurice Stokes Maurice Stokes (June 17, 1933 – April 6, 1970) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Cincinnati/Rochester Royals of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1955 to 1958. Stokes was a three-time NBA All-Star, ...

. Star center

Clyde Lovellette Clyde Edward Lovellette ( ; September 7, 1929 – March 9, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. Lovellette was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988. He was the first basketball player in history to ...

was traded to St. Louis for Embry and four others.

Oscar Robertson Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson playe ...

arrived to the team in 1960, reviving the Royals. Embry, Robertson and

Jack Twyman John Kennedy Twyman (May 21, 1934 – May 30, 2012) was an American professional basketball player and sports broadcaster. Twyman is a namesake of the NBA's Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Basketb ...

were all NBA All-Stars for Cincinnati over the next three years. Embry's play was notable for his pick and roll play with Robertson, whose encouragement improved Embry's game. A powerful 6'8" and 240 pounds, Embry at times appeared to be a blocker on the court, a protector of teammates. In 1963, he was named team captain of the Royals. During the

1963 NBA Playoffs The 1963 NBA playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1962-63 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 ...

, Embry averaged postseason career highs of 16.8 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. The next season, 1963–64 Cincinnati Royals surged to the second-best record in the NBA, with teammate

Jerry Lucas Jerry Ray Lucas (born March 30, 1940) is an American former basketball player. He was a nationally awarded high school player, national college star at Ohio State, and 1960 gold medal Olympian and international player before later starring as a p ...

now added. That season, on December 1, Embry totaled a career high 39 points scored in a 114-109 loss to the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

. However, the team was never able to surpass the Boston Celtics of

Red Auerbach Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20, 1917 – October 28, 2006) was an American professional basketball coach and executive. He served as a head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA), most notably with the Boston Celtics. ...

and

Bill Russell William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most Va ...

, or 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 Ea ...

with

Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 years and is widely reg ...

in their quest for an NBA title. Nearly retiring to be a regional sales leader for Pepsi-Cola, Embry was talked out of retirement by friend Bill Russell, the new player/coach for Boston. Embry played crucial reserve minutes for Russell and aided that team's surprising 1967–68 NBA title run. That offseason, when the Milwaukee Bucks were formed, they claimed Embry from the Celtics in the expansion draft, and Embry started at center for the Bucks for the 1968–69 season. In the first game in Bucks franchise history, Embry scored 15 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. Embry retired at the end of the season.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , 1958–59 , align="left" ,

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

, 66 , , - , , 24.1 , , .387 , , - , , .656 , , 9.0 , , 1.5 , , - , , - , , 11.4 , - , align="left" , 1959–60 , align="left" ,

, 73 , , - , , 21.8 , , .439 , , - , , .514 , , 9.5 , , 1.1 , , - , , - , , 10.6 , - , align="left" , 1960–61 , align="left" ,

, style="background:#cfecec;", 79* , , - , , 28.3 , , .451 , , - , , .668 , , 10.9 , , 1.6 , , - , , - , , 14.4 , - , align="left" , 1961–62 , align="left" ,

, 75 , , - , , 35.0 , , .466 , , - , , .690 , , 13.0 , , 2.4 , , - , , - , , 19.8 , - , align="left" , 1962–63 , align="left" ,

, 76 , , - , , 33.0 , , .458 , , - , , .667 , , 12.3 , , 2.3 , , - , , - , , 18.6 , - , align="left" , 1963–64 , align="left" ,

, 80 , , - , , 36.4 , , .458 , , - , , .650 , , 11.6 , , 1.4 , , - , , - , , 17.3 , - , align="left" , 1964–65 , align="left" ,

, 74 , , - , , 30.3 , , .456 , , - , , .644 , , 10.0 , , 1.2 , , - , , - , , 12.7 , - , align="left" , 1965–66 , align="left" ,

, style="background:#cfecec;", 80* , , - , , 23.5 , , .411 , , - , , .603 , , 6.6 , , 1.0 , , - , , - , , 7.6 , - , align="left" , 1966–67 , align="left" ,

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, 72 , , - , , 10.1 , , .409 , , - , , .569 , , 4.1 , , 0.6 , , - , , - , , 5.2 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" , 1967–68† , align="left" ,

, 78 , , - , , 13.9 , , .400 , , - , , .589 , , 4.1 , , 0.7 , , - , , - , , 6.3 , - , align="left" , 1968–69 , 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 i ...

, 78 , , - , , 30.2 , , .427 , , - , , .664 , , 8.6 , , 1.9 , , - , , - , , 13.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 831 , , - , , 26.2 , , .440 , , - , , .640 , , 9.1 , , 1.4 , , - , , - , , 12.5

Playoffs

, - , align="left" , 1961–62 , align="left" ,

, 4 , , - , , 32.0 , , .467 , , - , , .778 , , 11.3 , , 2.0 , , - , , - , , 14.0 , - , align="left" , 1962–63 , align="left" ,

, 12 , , - , , 32.8 , , .450 , , - , , .662 , , 13.5 , , 1.3 , , - , , - , , 16.8 , - , align="left" , 1963–64 , align="left" ,

, 10 , , - , , 36.3 , , .381 , , - , , .622 , , 12.4 , , 2.1 , , - , , - , , 13.4 , - , align="left" , 1964–65 , align="left" ,

, 4 , , - , , 30.8 , , .438 , , - , , .818 , , 6.3 , , 2.0 , , - , , - , , 12.8 , - , align="left" , 1965–66 , align="left" ,

, 5 , , - , , 27.8 , , .421 , , - , , .583 , , 6.8 , , 0.4 , , - , , - , , 7.8 , - , align="left" , 1966–67 , align="left" ,

, 5 , , - , , 7.6 , , .387 , , - , , .500 , , 2.6 , , 0.6 , , - , , - , , 5.2 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" , 1967–68† , align="left" ,

, 16 , , - , , 10.1 , , .390 , , - , , .448 , , 2.8 , , 0.4 , , - , , - , , 3.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 56 , , - , , 24.1 , , .418 , , - , , .645 , , 8.0 , , 1.1 , , - , , - , , 10.1

NBA front-office career

Embry later became an assistant manager for the Bucks, keeping an eye for former Royals teammates he could lure to the rising contender. He was instrumental in numerous signings to aid the team, including Robertson. His remarkable teaming with then-named

Lew Alcindor Lew or LEW may refer to: People * Lew (given name) * Lew (surname) Places * Lew, Oxfordshire, England * River Lew, in Devon, England Transport * LEW Hennigsdorf, a rail vehicle factory in Hennigsdorf, Germany * Lew (locomotive), a British narro ...

quickly produced an NBA title, with Embry by then rising into Milwaukee's front office. After retiring as a player he became the first African-American NBA general manager, managing the Milwaukee Bucks (1972–1979),

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 Central ...

(1986–1999), and

(2006). He was selected NBA Executive of the Year in 1992 and 1998. In 2004, Embry was hired to be the senior basketball advisor to Rob Babcock, the rookie general manager for the Toronto Raptors. After one season, Embry was elevated from senior advisor to president, bypassing Babcock in the chain of command when the board cited a lack of confidence in Babcock's moves. On January 26, 2006, Embry was named the interim general manager for the Raptors after the firing of Babcock, a position he held for two months until Bryan Colangelo was hired as the general manager. Embry has continued to serve as senior basketball advisor for the Raptors. Since then, the Raptors went on to become NBA champions in 2019.

Personal life and legacy

Embry and his wife Terri have two daughters and one son. He also has a granddaughter. He is distantly related to

Marty Embry Marty Embry (born March 28, 1964) is an American chef, entrepreneur and retired professional basketball player. Basketball career At 6'9, 270 lbs., he was drafted out of DePaul University in the 4th round of the 1986 NBA draft by the Utah J ...

, another professional basketball player. He has been a founder and CEO of his own businesses, and member of numerous nonprofit and corporate boards of directors, including Kohl's, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Centerior Energy and Ohio Casualty Insurance. He is the author of an autobiography ''The Inside Game: Race, Power and Politics in the NBA'' (University of Akron Press, 2004), with Mary Schmitt Boyer of the ''Cleveland Plain Dealer''. Embry has been a trustee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame since 1974 and has served on various senior-level committees for the NBA and USA Basketball. In recognition of his career both on the court and in the front office, he was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame as a contributor to the sport in 1999. He also served as a member of Miami's Board of Trustees for 14 years, including one year as chair. Embry was inducted into th
Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame
in 2006 as a member of the charter class. He was the 2013 recipient of the Ohio Heritage Award, recognizing an Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame inductee for his or her contributions to the state of Ohio off the court. A portion of US Route 40 in front of Tecumseh High School near Springfield, Ohio was named in Wayne Embry's honor. On May 18, 2021, Miami University unveiled a statue which stands at the south entrance of Millett Hall, the university's basketball arena. It captures Embry’s likeness and signature hook shot. Private donations funded the creation of the statue and a Wayne Embry Scholarship, which will support Miami varsity men’s basketball student-athletes. The university also presented Embry and his late wife, Theresa “Terri” Embry (Miami ’60), with the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award, which is bestowed each year upon a distinguished leader who has inspired the nation to advance civil rights and social justice.

References

External links

* * Wayne Embry'

*Wayne Embry'
Miami University statue dedication and Freedom of '64 Award Ceremony

Embry interview in 1973 AFVN radio aircheck
!--Event begins at 3:35--> {{DEFAULTSORT:Embry, Wayne 1937 births Living people African-American basketball players African-American sports executives and administrators American expatriate basketball people in Canada American men's basketball players American sports executives and administrators Basketball players from Ohio Boston Celtics players Centers (basketball) Cincinnati Royals players Cleveland Cavaliers executives Miami RedHawks men's basketball players Milwaukee Bucks executives Milwaukee Bucks expansion draft picks Milwaukee Bucks players Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees National Basketball Association All-Stars National Basketball Association general managers National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Power forwards (basketball) Sportspeople from Springfield, Ohio St. Louis Hawks draft picks Toronto Raptors executives 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople