Mike Phillips (basketball)
.jpg) Phillips at an autograph signing in 2013 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 24, 1956 Akron, Ohio |
| Died |
April 25, 2015 (aged 59) Madisonville, Kentucky |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Manchester (New Franklin, Ohio) |
| College | Kentucky (1974–1978) |
| NBA draft | 1978 / Round: 3 / Pick: 45th overall |
| Selected by the New Jersey Nets | |
| Playing career | 1979–1990 |
| Position | Center |
| Career history | |
| 1979–1980 | CB Mollet |
| 1980–1982 | FC Barcelona |
| 1982–1985 | CB Santa Coloma |
| 1985–1987 | RCD Español |
| 1987–1988 | Fórum Valladolid |
| 1988–1989 | Cacaolat Granollers |
| 1989–1990 | CB Juver Murcia |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Michael Charles Phillips (March 24, 1956 – April 25, 2015) was an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. He was an all-conference performer in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and helped Kentucky win a national championship in 1978. Phillips played professionally for eleven years in Spain, including six years with Liga ACB.
Mike Phillips, a 6-foot-10-inch (2.08 m) center from Manchester High School in New Franklin, Ohio, played collegiately at the University of Kentucky for coach Joe B. Hall. He teamed with 6-foot-11-inch (2.11 m) Rick Robey to form a duo known as the Twin Towers.[1] Phillips played four years for the Wildcats, earning All-SEC honors in his sophomore (second team), junior (second team) and senior years (third team).[2] In his senior season, Phillips averaged more than 10 points per game on the Wildcats' 1978 national championship team.[1] For his career, Phillips finished 25th on the school's career scoring list with 1,367 points (11.4 per game), and he also grabbed 755 rebounds (6.3 per game).[1][2]
Following graduation, Phillips was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in the 1978 NBA Draft, but never played in the NBA.[1] In 1979, he found his way to Spain where he had a fruitful career. Phillips played six years in Spain's top league (Liga ACB), winning a league championship in 1981 with FC Barcelona Bàsquet. For his ACB career, Phillips scored 4,423 points (23.2 per game) and grabbed 1,765 rebounds (9.2 per game) in his six seasons.[3]
Phillips died after falling down a flight of stairs at his Madisonville, Kentucky, home on April 25, 2015.[4] The 59-year-old Phillips was home alone, and the Hopkins County coroner's investigation found no evidence of criminality in the event.[4]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Mike Phillips, Half of Kentucky's 'Twin Towers' of Basketball, Dies at 59". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 28, 2015. Archived from the original on May 1, 2015.
- 1 2 2010-11 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball media guide, accessed September 22, 2011
- ↑ 2009-10 Liga ACB Annual, accessed September 22, 2011
- 1 2 "Coroner rules out foul play in Mike Phillips' death". Lexington Herald-Leader. April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
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