Kermit Washington
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 17, 1951 Washington, D.C. |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Coolidge (Washington, D.C.) |
| College | American (1970–1973) |
| NBA draft | 1973 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Playing career | 1973–1987 |
| Position | Power forward |
| Number | 24, 26, 42, 3 |
| Career history | |
| 1973–1977 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1977–1978 | Boston Celtics |
| 1978–1979 | San Diego Clippers |
| 1979–1982 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1987–1988 | Golden State Warriors |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 4,666 (9.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,232 (8.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 695 (1.4 apg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Kermit Alan Washington (born September 17, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player. Washington is best remembered for punching opposing player Rudy Tomjanovich during an on-court fight in 1977. His punch nearly killed Tomjanovich, and resulted in severe medical problems that ultimately ended Tomjanovich's playing career.
Washington was not a highly coveted player coming out of high school and barely got into college on an athletic scholarship. He averaged a mere four points per game (ppg) during his senior season of high school. He improved rapidly once at American University, and became one of only seven players in NCAA history to average 20 points and 20 rebounds throughout the course of their career.
A big defensive forward, Washington was known for his ability to gather rebounds. He averaged 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in ten National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons and played in the All-Star Game once. Washington was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the fifth overall pick in the 1973 NBA draft. He played sparingly his first three seasons, and sought the help of retired basketball coach Pete Newell before his fourth season. Under Newell's tutelage, Washington's game rapidly improved and he became a starter for several teams. He played for the Lakers, Boston Celtics, San Diego Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors.
Kermit Washington's mother Barbara graduated from Miner's Teacher's College (later subsumed into Howard University), where she was an excellent student; his father Alexander was an X-ray technician. Washington had a rough childhood. When he was three years old, his parents had a fight in which his maternal uncle became involved and in which someone violently attacked his uncle with an iron. His parents soon divorced, with his father awarded custody of the children. His mother, who suffered from bipolar disorder, then took him and his older brother Eric from their father on an ill-advised sojourn for which they were poorly prepared. Struggling to find money to feed the children, she eventually called their father, who came and took them back. His stay with his father did not last long, and he and his brother were passed around to various relatives on both sides of the family.
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