M. C. Burton, Jr.
| M.C. Burton Jr. | |
|---|---|
Burton in 1957
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| Born |
September 3, 1937 Blytheville, Arkansas, USA |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | Bachelor of Science, 1959, Doctor of Medicine, 1963 |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Medical doctor |
| Years active | 1963 - present |
| Known for | First basketball player to lead the Big Ten Conference in both points and rebounds, 1959 North American Basketball League Most Valuable Player, 1967-68 |
| Home town | Muskegon, Michigan |
| Height | 6' 5" |
| Weight | 212 lb (96 kg) |
| Title | Dr. |
Memie Clifton "M.C." Burton Jr. (born September 3, 1937 in Blytheville, Arkansas) is a retired American basketball player and medical doctor. In 1959, he became the first player in the history of the Big Ten Conference to lead the conference in both points (469) and rebounds (379). Burton turned down offers to play in the NBA in order to attend medical school and received his medical degree in 1963. He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1988.
A native of Muskegon, Michigan, Burton played three years for Muskegon Heights High School from 1953-1955. He set the school scoring records with 1,141 points and led the team to the state basketball championship in 1954. Burton scored 22 points in the championship game, a 43-41 victory over Flint Northern before a crowd of 11,835 at Jenison field house in East Lansing, Michigan. Burton’s 423 points in 1954 represented 35% of the team’s season total, and he was named to the All-Tournament High School Basketball Team selected by the Associated Press. The championship was the first for Muskegon coach Oscar (Okie) Johnson who had been the school’s coach for 27 years.
Burton was a straight “A” student who graduated second in his class from Muskegon Heights High School.
Over 50 colleges and universities offered scholarships to Burton, but Burton selected the University of Michigan, which offered him an academic scholarship and an opportunity to attend medical school.
Burton played forward for the Michigan Wolverines basketball team. In 1959, Burton was selected to the first-team All-Big Ten team and was named the Most Valuable Player on the Michigan team. He scored 460 points and collected 379 rebounds in 1959, both of which broke the Michigan school records. His 1959 totals also made him the first player to lead the Big Ten Conference in both scoring and rebounds in the same year.
On graduating from high school, Burton announced he was not interested in playing in the NBA and would instead continue his studies at the University of Michigan Medical School. Despite Burton’s stated intention, the Detroit Pistons selected him as the 73rd pick in the 1959 NBA Draft. The Pistons offered Burton $15,000 a year to play in the NBA, but Burton declined. He later recalled that, in 1959, the NBA did not offer an income that could compete with a career as a medical doctor. He noted:
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