Larry Steele

infobox NBA Player


name = Larry Steele
position = Guard
height_ft = 6
height_in = 5
weight_lbs = 180
nickname =
nationality = USA
birth_date = birth date and age|1949|5|5
birth_place = Greencastle, Indiana
college = Kentucky
draft = 3rd round, 37th overall
draft_year = 1971
draft_team = Portland Trail Blazers
career_start = 1971
career_end = 1980
former_teams = Portland Trail Blazers (1971–1980)
awards =

Larry Nelson Steele (born May 5, 1949, in Greencastle, Indiana) is a former professional basketball player, best known for being on the Portland Trail Blazers team that won the 1977 NBA Finals.

Steele grew up in Bainbridge, Indiana, and played collegiately at the University of Kentucky under coach Adolph Rupp. He was drafted by the Trail Blazers in 1971, with the 2nd pick in the 3rd round (37th overall), and played his entire NBA career for the team (retiring from basketball at the end of the 1979-80 season). Steele led the NBA in steals in the 1973-74 NBA season — the first year steals were recorded by the league. He played 20.7 MPG on the 1977 championship team (starting in only nine games), and his jersey number (15) was retired by the team on October 11, 1981.

Steele later worked as a broadcaster for the NBA on CBS and as a head coach at the University of Portland. He currently runs a basketball camp in Vernonia, Oregon.cite news | last = Arnold | first = Geoffrey | coauthors = Uthman, Daniel | title = The 1976-77 NBA champion Portland Trail Blazers: 30 years later | publisher = OregonLive.com | date = 2007-06-04 | url = http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/118092033955920.xml&coll=7&thispage=11 | accessdate = 2007-06-04 ]

External links

* [http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/steella01.html Career statistics]
* [http://www.larrysteelebasketball.com/ Larry Steele Basketball Camp]
* [http://www.nba.com/blazers/history/Learn_More_About_Larry_Steele-64009-41.html Profile at Portland Trail Blazers website]

References