William Louis Stricker (January 22, 1948 – July 3, 2020) was an American professional basketball player who spent one season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in just two minutes of one game with the inaugural 1970–71 Portland Trail Blazers season. Despite his lack of play, Blazers fan took a liking to Stricker and chanted "We want Stricker, We want Stricker" in blowout games. He was allowed to play in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a day before being placed on waivers.[3]
 Stricker as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 22, 1948 |
| Died | July 3, 2020 (aged 72) Stockton, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Quincy (Quincy, California)[1] |
| College | Pacific (1967–1970)[2] |
| NBA draft | 1970: 4th round, 54th overall pick |
| Selected by the Baltimore Bullets | |
| Position | Forward |
| Number | 34 |
| Career history | |
| 1970 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Stricker was drafted from the University of the Pacific by the Baltimore Bullets during the third round (54th pick overall) of the 1970 NBA draft, but he did not sign. He was also selected by the Los Angeles Stars (who later became the Utah Stars) in the 1970 American Basketball Association draft.[4] He signed with the Stars, but the club released him in September 1970, before the start of the regular season.[5] Stricker's NBA rights were traded by the Bullets on October 22, 1970, to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Dorie Murrey.[6]
After his basketball career was over, Stricker had a long and successful career as a high school coach and administrator at East Union High School in Manteca, California. He coached future NBA player and coach Scott Brooks.[7]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
editSource[10]
Regular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970–71 | Portland | 1 | 2.0 | .667 | – | .0 | .0 | 4.0 |
References
edit- ^ Barry Lavelle (December 1, 1968). "Edwards looks for 3-way improvement in UOP quint". The Sacramento Bee. p. 90. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ Don Bloom (March 15, 1970). "'Quincy' Stricker is pro prospect". The Sacramento Bee. p. 73. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ "Blazers History: Bill Stricker". Portland Trail Blazers. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
- ^ "Stricker picked". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. March 24, 1970. p. 24. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ^ "4 Rookies Dropped". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. United Press International. September 19, 1970. p. 14. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ^ "Portland Cagers Give Up Center". Tucson Citizen. Tucson, Arizona. Associated Press. October 23, 1970. p. 35. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ^ Rembulat, Vince (February 26, 2009). "Bill Stricker scores spot in Sports Hall of Fame". Manteca Bulletin. Archived from the original on August 25, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- ^ "Tigers remember Bill Stricker". Pacific Tigers. July 8, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ Scott Linesburgh (July 7, 2022). "Gentle Giant: Basketball legend, coach Bill Stricker dies at 72". Recordnet.com. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ "Bill Stricker NBA stats". StatMuse. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference