Richard Wilson (born February 7, 1956) 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. He played for 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 league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...
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 S ...
(NBA) from 1978 to 1980.
College career
Wilson graduated from
Atherton High School in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
. He played collegiately for the
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...
from 1974 to 1978. As a freshman, Wilson was a reserve on the Cardinals'
1975 Final Four team. Wilson then entered the starting lineup for the rest of his Louisville career. As a sophomore, he averaged 14.8
points, 6.3
rebounds
'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...
and 4.5
assists per game and led the Cardinals to the
1976 National Invitation Tournament. As a junior, Wilson teamed with freshman backcourt mate
Darrell Griffith
Darrell Steven Griffith (born June 16, 1958), also known by his nickname Dr. Dunkenstein, is an American former basketball player who spent his entire professional career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association from 1980 to 1991 ...
and led the Cardinals back to the
1977 NCAA tournament, where they lost to
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
.
In his senior year, the
1977–78 season, Wilson averaged 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists as he led the Cardinals to a
Metro Conference championship and was named MVP of the 1978
Metro Conference men's basketball tournament
The Metro Conference men's basketball tournament was the conference championship tournament in men's basketball for the Metro Conference. The tournament was held annually between 1976 and 1996, when the Metro Conference was absorbed into Confere ...
. Wilson was named
Metro Conference player of the year that season.
Professional career
Following his senior season, Wilson was drafted in the second round of the
1978 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks (25th pick overall). He played in 81 games as a rookie in
1978–79, averaging 3.0 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in a reserve role. The next season, Wilson played in 5 games before being released by the Hawks. He finished the season with the
Utica Olympics
The Utica Olympics, known also as Mohawk Valley Thunderbirds, were an American professional basketball team based in Utica, New York that were members of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1978 to 1980.
The team was previously kno ...
of the
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...
(CBA). The next season, Wilson played with the
Atlantic City Hi-Rollers
The Atlantic City Hi-Rollers, also known as the Wildwood Hi-Rollers, were an American basketball team based in Atlantic City, New Jersey and later Wildwood, New Jersey. The team were members of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1980 ...
.
Life after basketball
Wilson became a regular contributor in professional softball, playing the outfield for the
Kentucky Bourbons
The Kentucky Bourbons were a professional softball team that played in two men's professional softball leagues between 1977 and 1982 at Bishop David Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. The Bourbons, Cincinnati Suds and Pittsburgh Hardhats were the ...
of the
United Professional Softball League from 1981 to 1982, helping Kentucky to a World Series title in 1981 in a 5-3 series victory over the
New England Pilgrims. Wilson left the Bourbons early in the 1982 season.
Wilson went to work for the
Jefferson County, Kentucky sheriff's department, but resigned in 1990 with a conviction for dealing cocaine. Battling an addiction, Wilson was later sentenced on a probation violation and ordered to a work-release program, but was sentenced to 10 years in prison after a shooting incident.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Rick
1956 births
Living people
21st-century African-American people
African-American basketball players
American men's basketball players
Atherton High School alumni
Atlanta Hawks draft picks
Atlanta Hawks players
Atlantic City Hi-Rollers players
Basketball players from Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball players
Point guards
Shooting guards
Utica Olympics players
20th-century African-American sportspeople