Birdsong in 1978.
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Personal information | |||||||||||||
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Born |
Winter Haven, Florida |
December 9, 1955 ||||||||||||
Nationality | American | ||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school |
Winter Haven (Winter Haven, Florida) |
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College | Houston (1973–1977) | ||||||||||||
NBA draft | 1977 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall | ||||||||||||
Selected by the Kansas City Kings | |||||||||||||
Playing career | 1977–1989 | ||||||||||||
Position | Shooting guard / Point guard | ||||||||||||
Number | 10, 12 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
1977–1981 | Kansas City Kings | ||||||||||||
1981–1988 | New Jersey Nets | ||||||||||||
1988–1989 | Boston Celtics | ||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Career NBA statistics | |||||||||||||
Points | 12,544 (18.0 ppg) | ||||||||||||
Rebounds | 2,072 (3.0 rpg) | ||||||||||||
Assists | 2,260 (3.2 apg) | ||||||||||||
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |||||||||||||
Medals
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Otis Lee Birdsong (born December 9, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player. He spent twelve seasons (1977–1989) in the NBA and appeared in four NBA All-Star Games.
A 6'3" guard who attended Winter Haven High School and the University of Houston, Birdsong was selected by the Kansas City Kings with the second pick of the 1977 NBA draft. He would spend four seasons with the Kings, averaging a career high 24.6 points per game during the 1980–81 NBA season. He also played seven seasons with the New Jersey Nets and one with the Boston Celtics, and he ended his NBA career in 1989 with 12,544 career points.
As a college freshman, Birdsong finished third among the team's scoring leaders with 14.3 points per game. The following year, Birdsong etched his name in the University of Houston's record books by becoming the first sophomore in the school's history to register 1,000 career points. When the Cougars began playing in the Southwest Conference, Birdsong soon established himself as the dominant scorer in the league's history. In his first year as an SWC player, Birdsong led the league in scoring, finishing eighth nationally with a 26.1 average. Birdsong was named a 1977 Consensus All-American and Southwest Conference Player of the Year after leading the Houston Cougars to a 29-8 record and the National Invitational Tournament championship game against St. Bonaventure. Birdsong scored 38 points and made 18 free throws against the Bonnies, but Houston lost. He ranked fourth nationally in scoring and set an SWC record with 30.3 points per game. His accomplishments resulted in Birdsong being named SWC Player of the Decade.