Nathaniel "Tiny" Archibald (born September 2, 1948) 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 (appro ...

player. He spent 14 years playing in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA), most notably with the Cincinnati Royals/ Kansas City–Omaha Kings and

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 Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

. In 1991, he was enshrined into both the

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...

and the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. Archibald was a willing passer and an adequate shooter from midrange. However, it was his quickness, speed and shiftiness that made him difficult to guard in the open court, as he would regularly drive past defenders on his way to the basket. This versatility helped Archibald lead the NBA in scoring and assists in the same season (1972–73), making him the first of only two players in league history to achieve such a feat.

Early life

Archibald, a playground legend while growing up in a rough-and-tumble neighborhood in the

South Bronx The South Bronx is an area of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The area comprises neighborhoods in the southern part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Bronx, Concourse, Mott Haven, Bronx, Mott Haven, Melrose, B ...

of New York City, played high school basketball for only one-and-a-half seasons, and was cut from the varsity squad at

DeWitt Clinton High School DeWitt Clinton High School is a public high school located since 1929 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Opened in 1897 in Lower Manhattan as an all-boys school, it maintained that status for 86 years before becoming co-ed in 1983. From i ...

as a sophomore. He returned to the team as a junior. During his time without basketball, Archibald briefly flirted with dropping out of school after having been largely truant in past years. But with the help of two mentors, Floyd Layne and Pablo Robertson, Archibald turned it around. Robertson, a former standout at Loyola of Chicago and a

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

, New York playground impresario, had seen the gifted, mercurial Archibald in action on the playgrounds and convinced the young man's high school coach to re-instate him on the squad. Despite playing in just blowouts as a junior, the shy, quiet teen managed to blossom into a high-school star, being named team captain and an All-City selection in 1966. Off the court, Archibald began to attend school regularly and worked to improve his poor academic standing, which deterred most colleges from offering him a scholarship.

College career

To improve his chances of playing major college basketball, Archibald enrolled at Arizona Western College, transferring to the

University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public university, public research university in El Paso, Texas, United States. Founded in 1913 as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy, it is the third oldest academic component of the Univers ...

(UTEP) the following year. He had three standout seasons at El Paso, from 1967 to 1970 under

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

coach Don Haskins.

Professional career

Cincinnati Royals / Kansas City-Omaha / Kansas City Kings (1970–1976)

Archibald was selected in the second round of the 1970 NBA draft (19th pick) by the Cincinnati Royals.Porter p 15 He was also drafted by the Texas Chaparrals of the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...

. In his NBA debut, Archibald recorded 17 points and seven assists in a 128–104 loss to the New York Knicks. On March 13, 1971, Archibald set a then-career-high by scoring 47 points in a 136–127 victory over the

Atlanta 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 Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

. On November 18, 1972, Archibald recorded 51 points and 14 assists in a 127–117 win over the Houston Rockets. In the 1972–73 season, Archibald led the NBA in scoring and assists (with 34 points and 11.4 assists, in 46 minutes a game, with all three averages being career-highs), becoming the first player to win the titles in both categories in the same season (In the 1967–68 season,

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 played ...

led the NBA in points and assists per game but did not win the titles because they were based on totals rather than averages at the time.). Archibald's scoring average of 34.0 points per game broke the NBA record for a guard and, as of 2023, is still a record for point guards. His 910 assists that season (11.4 assists per game) were also an NBA record at the time, breaking Guy Rodgers' mark of 908. He was named the

Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...

NBA MVP that season. During the 1975 NBA Playoffs, Archibald made the postseason for the first time in his career after the then-Kansas City Kings finished 44–38 in the regular season. Archibald went on to average 20.2 points and 5.3 assists in a six-game series loss in the first round to Bob Love and 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 Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

. Archibald played for the Royals/Kings franchise from 1970 to 1976.

New York Nets (1976–1977)

Although Archibald was the Kings' most popular player, he was traded to the

New York Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

for two first round draft picks (future all-star Otis Birdsong and rookie of the year Phil Ford), Jim Eakins and Brian Taylor in 1976.Tiny Archibald Transactions
/ref> Archibald would go on to average a comparatively low 20.5 points per game in his 34 games with the Nets.

Buffalo Braves (1977–1978)

Injured for much of the 1976–77 season, Archibald was traded by the Nets to the

Buffalo Braves The Buffalo Braves were an American professional basketball team based in Buffalo, New York. The Braves competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference ...

before the 1977–78 season, again for two first round draft picks (this time eventually becoming renowned defender

Micheal Ray Richardson Michael Ray Richardson (born April 11, 1955), known as Micheal Ray Richardson, is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. He played college basketball for the Montana Grizzlies. The No. 4 overall pick in the 1978 NBA dr ...

and prolific scorer Clifford Robinson), as well as George Johnson. Archibald tore his

Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcane ...

and never played a regular-season game for the Braves.

Boston Celtics (1978–1983)

Buffalo traded Archibald to the Boston Celtics as part of a seven-player deal before the start of the next season. His career at the Celtics started poorly. He showed up 20 pounds overweight. However, he adjusted and helped guide the Celtics to the best record in the NBA for three consecutive years (1979–1982). Archibald won his first and only

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

with the Boston Celtics in the 1980–81 season alongside young NBA star

Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...

. In Game 6 of the 1981 NBA Finals, Archibald recorded 13 points and 12 assists as the Celtics closed out the series against the Houston Rockets. On February 15, 1982, Archibald recorded a tenure-high 23 assists in a 145–144 win over 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 Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

Milwaukee Bucks (1983–1984)

After being waived by the Celtics, Archibald played the 1983–84 season with the Bucks; this was his final season. He started at point guard in all 46 games he played.

Legacy

Archibald was an All-NBA First Team selection three times (

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

) and an All-NBA Second Team selection two times (

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...

). A seven-time

NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted each February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's All-star, star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of ...

selection (1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, and 1982), he was named the 1981 NBA All-Star Game MVP. Archibald led the NBA in free throws made three times and free throw attempts twice. He competed in 876 professional games, scored 16,841 points (18.8 points per game), and dished out 6,476 assists. He was named one of the

50 Greatest Players in NBA History The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team ...

in 1996. In 1991 Archibald was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA, and into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame in NYC. In 2021, he was announced as part of the NBA's 75th anniversary team. To commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary ''

The Athletic ''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports journalism department of ''The New York Times''. It provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories ...

'' ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Archibald as the 67th greatest player in NBA history.

Coaching career

Archibald was an assistant coach, spending one season in the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

and two with Texas-El Paso (where he worked with Tim Hardaway). He has also coached the New Jersey Jammers of the USBL and in a Boston recreational league. Archibald coached in the National Basketball Development League in 2001. He resigned a year later to take a position with the NBA's community relations department. Archibald was also named the head coach for the Long Beach Jam in 2004 in the revived ABA, but he would ultimately resign from his position on January 17, 2005, during their second and final season in the ABA. The Long Beach Jam later moved to Bakersfield when they moved to the

NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...

in 2006 and are now currently the Motor City Cruise for the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

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, 76 , , , , 43.1 , , .486 , , , , .822 , , 2.9 , , 9.2 , , , , , , 28.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Kansas City–Omaha , 80 , , , , style="background:#cfecec;", 46.0* , , .488 , , , , .847 , , 2.8 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 11.4* , , , , , , style="background:#cfecec;", 34.0* , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Kansas City–Omaha , 35 , , , , 36.3 , , .451 , , , , .820 , , 2.4 , , 7.6 , , 1.6 , , 0.2 , , 17.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Kansas City–Omaha , 82 , , , , 39.6 , , .456 , , , , .872 , , 2.7 , , 6.8 , , 1.5 , , 0.1 , , 26.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

, 78 , , , , 40.8 , , .453 , , , , .802 , , 2.7 , , 7.9 , , 1.6 , , 0.2 , , 24.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 34 , , , , 37.6 , , .446 , , , , .785 , , 2.4 , , 7.5 , , 1.7 , , 0.3 , , 20.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

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, 80 , , 80 , , 35.8 , , .482 , , .222 , , .830 , , 2.5 , , 8.4 , , 1.3 , , 0.1 , , 14.1 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 72 , , 35.3 , , .499 , , .000 , , .816 , , 2.2 , , 7.7 , , 0.9 , , 0.2 , , 13.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 68 , , 51 , , 31.9 , , .472 , , .375 , , .747 , , 1.7 , , 8.0 , , 0.8 , , 0.0 , , 12.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 66 , , 19 , , 27.4 , , .425 , , .208 , , .743 , , 1.4 , , 6.2 , , 0.6 , , 0.1 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, 46 , , 46 , , 22.6 , , .487 , , .222 , , .634 , , 1.7 , , 3.5 , , 0.7 , , 0.0 , , 7.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 876 , , 268 , , 35.6 , , .467 , , .224 , , .810 , , 2.3 , , 7.4 , , 1.1 , , 0.1 , , 18.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 6 , , 4 , , 27.0 , , .450 , , , , .833 , , 3.0 , , 6.7 , , 1.8 , , 0.2 , , 12.3

Playoffs

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1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

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† , style="text-align:left;",

, 17, , , , 37.1, , .450, , .000, , .809, , 1.6, , 6.3, , 0.8, , 0.0, , 15.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1982 , style="text-align:left;",

, 8, , , , 34.6, , .429, , .000, , .893, , 2.1, , 6.5, , 0.6, , 0.3, , 10.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

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, 7, , , , 23.0, , .324, , .167, , .759, , 1.4, , 6.3, , 0.3, , 0.0, , 9.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 47 , , , , 34.9 , , .423 , , .118 , , .826 , , 1.6 , , 6.5 , , 0.7 , , 0.0 , , 14.2

Personal life

Archibald completed his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

from University of Texas-El Paso by going back for three consecutive summers just prior to finishing his NBA career. He then taught in the New York City school system and attended night school at Fordham University. Archibald received a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

from

Fordham University Fordham University is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841, it is named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its origina ...

in 1990 and a professional diploma in supervision and administration in 1994. He began long-distance correspondence work toward a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

from California Coast University in 2000, but ceased his studies because of "his lack of funds and the motivation to complete a long-distance correspondence curriculum". Archibald has stated his hope to complete the degree in the future at Fordham. Archibald was diagnosed with

amyloidosis Amyloidosis is a group of diseases in which abnormal proteins, known as amyloid fibrils, build up in tissue. There are several non-specific and vague signs and symptoms associated with amyloidosis. These include fatigue, peripheral edema, weigh ...

in 2016, and received a heart transplant in 2018.

Notes

References

External links

Basketball Hall of Fame profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Archibald, Nate 1948 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen American Basketball Association (2000–present) coaches American men's basketball players Arizona Western Matadors men's basketball players Basketball players from the Bronx Boston Celtics players Cincinnati Royals draft picks Cincinnati Royals players Dallas Chaparrals draft picks DeWitt Clinton High School alumni Fordham University alumni Kansas City Kings players Milwaukee Bucks players Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees NBA All-Stars NBA players with retired numbers New York Nets players People from Mott Haven, Bronx Point guards Texas Chaparrals draft picks United States Basketball League coaches UTEP Miners men's basketball players