- Leon Douglas
Leon Douglas (born
August 26 ,1954 , inLeighton, Alabama ) is an American former professionalbasketball player in theNBA . A bulky 6-10 ft and 230 lbs center at the University of Alabama, he was a four-time All-SEC selection, the first Alabama player to achieve this distinction sinceJerry Harper earned it in 1953-1956. During Douglas' impressive collegiate career he was a first-team All-American selection by theUnited States Basketball Writers Association in 1975 and 1976, and SEC Player of the Year in 1975 and 1976. The 6-foot-10 center averaged 17.2 points and 11.5 rebounds in 111 college games.he was a member of the US national team that won the gold medal in the Pan-American Games in Mexico in 1975.A player of distinction, Douglas was Alabama's first, first round
NBA draft pick, selected fourth overall by theDetroit Pistons in 1976. Douglas played 4 years with the Pistons and then joined theKansas City Kings from 1980 to 1983.He then moved to Europe, winning the French Championship with
CSP Limoges , and playing for Italian teamsVenice ,Pistoia andBologna , where he paired with his younger brother John, a former NBA player too.Douglas' stellar career led him to being inducted into the
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.Douglas spent the 2004-2006 seasons coaching at
Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where he led the Tigers to the 2005-2006SIAC Tournament Championship, advancing to theNCAA II tournament. Over the two years at Stillman, he had a 34-24 overall record, 21-10 during his championship run.
Leon Douglas is currently the head coach ofTuskegee University men's basketball team:----Basketball Experience: Head Coach, Stillman College, Tuscaloosa,Ala. (2004-2006); Assistant Basketball Coach, Italian BasketballLeague, Pistoia, Italy (1992-1995); Assistant General Manager,Italian Basketball League (1992-1994); Basketball Player for the Italian Basketball League --Venice, Bologna, Pistoia, Florence and Siena (1983-1992); NBA Basketball Player, KansasCity (Mo.) Kings, (1980-1983); NBA Basketball Player, Detroit Pistons (1976-1980)
Accomplishments: 2005-2006 SIAC Championship win with Stillman College; 2006 SIACTournament Coach of the Year, 1995 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Inductee, Shoals SportsHall of Fame Inductee; University of Alabama’s first first-round NBA draft pick (1976); FourtimeAll-SEC selection — the first Alabama player to achieve this distinction since JerryHarper in 1953-56; First team All-American selection by the U.S. Basketball WritersAssociation (USBWA) in both 1975 and 1976; SEC Player of the Year in 1975 and 1976;Team Captain of the 1975 and 1976 Crimson Tide Basketball Team; Member ofIntercontinental Cup Team that toured Europe in 1975; Member of the Gold Medal 1976United States Pan American Team
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