Charlie Criss

For the American politician, see Charlie Crist.

Charles Washington Criss Jr. (born November 6, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and coach.

Charlie Criss

Criss as a senior at NMSU
Personal information
Born	(1948-11-06) November 6, 1948 Valhalla, New York, U.S.
Listed height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Listed weight	165 lb (75 kg)
Career information
High school	Gorton (Yonkers, New York)
College	New Mexico JC (1966–1967) New Mexico State (1967–1970)
NBA draft	1970: undrafted
Playing career	1972–1985
Position	Point guard
Number	14, 1, 15
Career history
As player:
1972–1974	Hartford Capitols
1974–1975	Cherry Hill Pros
1975–1977	Scranton Apollos
1977–1981	Atlanta Hawks
1981–1982	San Diego Clippers
1982–1984	Milwaukee Bucks
1984–1985	Atlanta Hawks
As coach:
1991	Atlanta Eagles
Career highlights and awards
2× EBA Most Valuable Player (1976, 1977) 3× All-EBA First Team (1975–1977)
Career NBA statistics
Points	3,534 (8.5 ppg)
Rebounds	592 (1.4 rpg)
Assists	1,335 (3.2 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

A 5'8" guard from New Mexico State University, Criss began his professional career in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA), earning league Most Valuable Player honors with the Scranton Apollos in 1976, next playing for the Washington Generals. He joined the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association the following year, and played eight seasons in the league with the Hawks, San Diego Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks. When he entered the NBA, Criss was the league's shortest active player.

In his NBA career, Criss averaged 8.5 points and 3.2 assists per game, with perhaps his best year being his first in 1978, posting averages of 11 points and 4 assists in 77 matches. During the 1980 NBA playoffs, Criss averaged 14 points and 4.4 assists per game, as the Hawks eventually lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. On February 20, 1982, while on the Clippers, Criss scored a career-best 34 points and recorded 8 assists during a 118–101 win over the San Antonio Spurs. After retiring as a player, he worked as a golf instructor, an Atlanta Hawks television color commentator and a basketball summer camp coordinator. Criss was head coach of the Atlanta Eagles in the United States Basketball League (USBL) during the 1991 season.

NBA career statistics

Legend

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

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1977–78	Atlanta	77	-	25.1	.999	-	.999	30.2	1.8	3.4	0.6	19.4
1978–79	Atlanta	54	-	16.3	.377	-	.779	1.1	2.6	0.8	0.1	5.3
1979–80	Atlanta	81	-	22.1	.431	.059	.811	1.4	3.0	0.9	0.0	8.3
1980–81	Atlanta	66	-	25.9	.454	.048	.864	1.5	4.3	0.9	0.0	9.5
1981–82	Atlanta	27	0	20.4	.400	.250	.890	1.4	2.8	0.9	0.1	8.7
1981–82	San Diego	28	20	30.0	.479	.381	.884	1.6	4.0	0.8	0.1	12.9
1982–83	Milwaukee	66	0	14.0	.451	.194	.895	1.2	1.9	0.4	0.0	6.2
1983–84	Milwaukee	6	0	17.8	.367	.167	.636	1.5	2.8	0.8	0.0	5.0
1983–84	Atlanta	9	0	12.0	.409	.000	1.000	1.2	2.3	0.3	0.0	2.6
1984–85	Atlanta	4	2	28.8	.412	.000	.669	3.5	5.5	0.8	0.0	4.5
Career		418	22	21.4	.432	.179	.831	1.4	3.2	0.9	0.1	8.5

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1977–78	Atlanta	2	-	32.5	.417	-	.778	2.0	1.5	2.0	0.5	13.5
1978–79	Atlanta	9	-	11.0	.414	-	.900	0.6	1.8	0.3	0.0	3.7
1979–80	Atlanta	5	-	30.4	.492	.333	.917	1.0	4.4	1.2	0.0	14.0
1982–83	Milwaukee	9	-	12.9	.441	.000	.944	1.6	1.3	1.0	0.0	5.2
Career		25	-	17.3	.452	.250	.898	1.1	2.1	0.9	0.0	7.1

See also

• List of shortest players in National Basketball Association history

External links

• Career statistics from NBA.com  and Basketball Reference