Eddie Jordan (basketball)

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Eddie Jordan
Position(s):
Guard
Jersey #(s):
5, 15, 30
Height:
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:
170 lb (77 kg)
Born: January 29, 1955 (1955-01-29) (age 54)
Washington, D.C.
Career information
Year(s): 1977–1984
NBA Draft: 1977 / Round: 2 / Pick: 11 Selected by Cleveland Cavaliers
College: Rutgers
Professional team(s)
Career stats
Points     3,414
Rebounds     788
Assists     1,595
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Career highlights and awards
  • None
Coaching

Edward Montgomery "Eddie" Jordan (born January 29, 1955 in Washington, D.C.), is an American former professional basketball player and current coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Most recently he was the head coach of the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was fired by the Wizards on November 24, 2008. He was announced as the Philadelphia 76ers head coach on May 29, 2009.

Contents

[edit] Collegiate and pro career

Jordan attended Rutgers University in 1973-1977, and led the school to the 1976 NCAA Final Four, during which he was named East Regional MVP. In his senior season, Jordan was named honorable mention All-America, while setting Rutgers' all-time career records in assists (585) and steals (220). Jordan graduated from Rutgers in 1977 with a degree in health and physical education.

Jordan was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 1977 NBA Draft (33rd overall), and was acquired by the New Jersey Nets halfway through his rookie season. Jordan tied Norm Nixon (Los Angeles Lakers) for the lead in total steals with 201 in 1978-1979,[1] and was second in total steals, 223, in 1979-1980 (behind Micheal Ray Richardson-New York Knicks with 265).[2] He was given the nickname, "The Thief of Baghdad" by Chick Hearn. [3]

Jordan played for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980-1981 season, and was a member of the 1982 NBA World Championship team. He played for the Lakers for four years and then played briefly with the Portland Trail Blazers. Jordan retired from the NBA after the 1983-1984 season. Over his seven-year career, Jordan averaged 8.1 points, 3.8 assists and 1.82 steals per game.

[edit] Coaching career

[edit] NCAA

After retiring from the NBA in 1984, Jordan was a volunteer assistant at Rutgers University under his former college head coach, and his former Wizards' assistant, Tom Young. Jordan followed Young to Old Dominion University as a part-time assistant as before and subsequently obtained an assistant coaching position at Boston College under Jim O'Brien in 1986. He also became an assistant coach at Rutgers in 1988.

[edit] Kings

In 1992, Jordan became an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings, and remained as one for five seasons. Jordan was promoted to head coach on March 20, 1997 during the final fifteen games of the 1996-97 regular season and remained the head coach during the 1997-98 season where he compiled a 33-64 record as the King’s head coach. Jordan was later fired after the 1997-98 season.

[edit] Nets

Jordan joined the Nets coaching staff on March 17, 1999 and served as the lead assistant for four seasons. While in New Jersey, Jordan helped guide the squad to consecutive Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference Championships in 2002 and 2003.

[edit] Wizards

[edit] 2003–06

Later that year, Jordan signed a four-year contract worth a little more than $3 million per year with the Washington Wizards and was introduced as head coach of the team on June 19, 2003.

Washington finished with a 25–57 record during Jordan’s inaugural season as head coach. The following year, Jordan helped guide the Wizards to a 20-game improvement in 2004-05. Only the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns experienced a greater improvement in total wins from the previous year.

On April 11, 2005 Jordan won his 100th career game as a head coach, and improved his career record to 103-158. During the 2004–2005 regular season, Jordan’s second with the Wizards, he led the team to a 45–37 record, which was the franchise’s best season since 1978-1979. The record established a new record for wins in a season at Verizon Center, earned the team a five seed in the Eastern Conference, and was the Wizards' first playoff berth since the 1996–1997 season. The Wizards played the fourth seeded Chicago Bulls and won the series four games to two. The team rallied from a 0–2 deficit to win the series with four consecutive wins. It was the team’s first postseason series win since 1982.

[edit] 2006–07

In the 2006-2007 season, Jordan guided the Wizards to a third straight playoff berth for the first time since 1988. Jordan won the Coach of the Month award for December, guiding Washington to a 12–4 record during that month. Jordan coached the Eastern Conference All-Stars at the NBA All-Star Game on February 18 in Las Vegas, the first coach from the franchise since Dick Motta in 1978-1979.

[edit] 2007–08

In the 2007-2008 season Jordan led the Wizards to a fourth straight playoff berth despite beginning the year 0–5. The Wizards were eliminated in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third straight year.

[edit] Firing

Jordan was fired as head coach of the Washington Wizards on November 24, 2008 after a 1–10 start. At the time of his firing Jordan was the longest tenured coach in the Eastern Conference and as their coach he guided the Wizards to four straight playoff appearances, advancing only once. He compiled a regular season record of 197–224. The 197 victories rank third all-time in franchise history.

[edit] Sixers

[edit] 2009

Jordan was officially introduced as the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers on June 1, 2009.[4]

[edit] Coaching record

Legend
Regular season   G Games coached   W Games won   L Games lost
Post season  PG  Games coached  PW  Games won  PL  Games lost
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL Result
SAC 1996–97 15 6 9 .400 6th in Pacific Missed Playoffs
SAC 1997–98 82 27 55 .329 5th in Pacific Missed Playoffs
WAS 2003–04 82 25 57 .305 6th in Atlantic Missed Playoffs
WAS 2004–05 82 45 37 .549 2nd in Southeast 10 4 6 Lost in Conf. Semifinals
WAS 2005–06 82 42 40 .512 2nd in Southeast 6 2 4 Lost in First Round
WAS 2006–07 82 41 41 .500 2nd in Southeast 4 0 4 Lost in First Round
WAS 2007–08 82 43 39 .524 2nd in Southeast 6 2 4 Lost in First Round
WAS 2008–09 11 1 10 .091 Fired mid-season
Career 518 230 288 .444 26 8 18

[edit] Personal

Eddie and his wife, Charrisse, have two children, a son, Jaxon (11), and daughter, Skylar (9). Eddie also has three sons: Justin and Eddie II from his first marriage, and Paul from an earlier relationship.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "1978-79 NBA Expanded Leaders". - Basketball-Reference.com. - Retrieved 2008-12-25.
  2. ^ "1979-80 NBA Expanded Leaders". - Basketball-Reference.com. - Retrieved 2008-12-25.
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ Jasner, Phil (June 1, 2009). "Eddie Jordan ready for the challenge". Philadelphia Daily News. http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/Eddie_Jordan_ready_for_the_challenge.html. 
Preceded by
Doug Collins
Washington Wizards Head Coach
2003–2008
Succeeded by
Flip Saunders

[edit] External links


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