Orlando Woolridge
Woolridge during his tenure coaching the Los Angeles Sparks
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 16, 1959 Bernice, Louisiana |
| Died | May 31, 2012 (aged 52) Mansfield, Louisiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Mansfield (Mansfield, Louisiana) |
| College | Notre Dame (1977–1981) |
| NBA draft | 1981 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall |
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
| Playing career | 1981–1996 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 0, 6 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1981–1986 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1986–1988 | New Jersey Nets |
| 1988–1990 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1990–1991 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1991–1993 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1993 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1993–1994 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1994–1995 | Benetton Treviso (Italy) |
| 1995–1996 | Buckler Bologna (Italy) |
| As coach: | |
| 1998–1999 | Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA) |
| 2007–2008 | Houston Takers (ABA) |
| 2008–2009 | Arizona Rhinos (ABA) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 13,623 (16.0 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,696 (4.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,609 (1.9 apg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Orlando Vernada Woolridge (December 16, 1959 – May 31, 2012) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981–1994. He was known for his scoring ability, especially on slam dunks.
Woolridge was born in Bernice, Louisiana, a town dependent on the lumber industry. After attending local schools, he went to the University of Notre Dame, where he played collegiate basketball. He played in the Final Four in 1978 as a freshman with teammate Bill Laimbeer (the two would later reunite as teammates of the Detroit Pistons during the 1990s).
Woolridge started every game as a college sophomore, junior and senior. Woolridge helped guide Notre Dame to NCAA tournament appearances in 1980 and 1981. As an All-American senior in 1981, Woolridge made a last-second fall-away jumper to beat the eventual NBA Hall of Famer, Ralph Sampson and #1 Virginia to end their 28-game winning streak. Throughout his collegiate career, he averaged 10.6 points, five rebounds, 1.2 assists per game and shot just under 60% from the field.
Woolridge was selected sixth in the 1981 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, where he played for his first five seasons. Woolridge made his NBA debut on November 7, 1981. Woolridge was named NBA Player of the week on December 9, 1984. During the 1984–85 season, Woolridge averaged 22.9 points/game and combined with rookie teammate Michael Jordan to average over 51 points/game. Prior to the Jordan era, Woolridge was one of the Chicago Bulls' marquee players along with Hall of Famer Artis Gilmore, Reggie Theus and David Greenwood. At 6'9" 215 lbs, Woolridge was one of the most gifted dunkers in professional basketball. Woolridge was also one of the original alley-oop artists. Woolridge competed in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1984 and 1985, surpassing the scores of Clyde Drexler and Michael Cooper. Woolridge led the Chicago Bulls in scoring in 1986 and was the last player to lead in scoring before Jordan took over. While unstoppable on the open court, his one-dimensional play did not complement Jordan's skills.
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