George "The Iceman" Gervin (born April 27, 1952) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls. Gervin averaged at least 14 points per game in all 14 of his ABA and NBA seasons, and finished with an NBA career average of 26.2 points per game. Gervin is widely regarded to be one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history.
Nicknamed Iceman for his cool demeanor on the court, Gervin was primarily known for his scoring talents. He led teams at both Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan and Long Beach State. After leaving college due to an altercation, Gervin was set to try out for the Virginia Squires of the ABA. According to legend, Gervin made 22 of 25 three-point attempts at the tryout; he was immediately signed despite the fact that Virginia officials had never seen him play competitively.
Gervin's time in Virginia would be short-lived, however. The Squires' finances had never been stable, and they had been forced to start trading their best players to get enough money to stay alive. In the space of only four months, they traded Julius Erving and Swen Nater for cash and/or draft picks. During the 1974 ABA All-Star Weekend, rumors abounded that the Squires were in talks about dealing Gervin for cash. The rumors turned out to be true; on January 30 Gervin was sold to the Spurs for $228,000. The ABA tried to block the trade, claiming that by trading their last legitimate star, the Squires were holding a fire sale. However, a court sided with the Spurs. Within two years, the Squires were no more.
With Gervin as the centerpiece, the Spurs transformed from a primarily defense-oriented team into an exciting fast-breaking team that played what coach Bob Bass called "schoolyard basketball." Although the Spurs never won an ABA playoff series during Gervin's first three years there, their high-powered offense made them very attractive to the NBA, and the Spurs joined the more established league as part of the 1976 ABA-NBA merger.
Gervin's first NBA scoring crown came in 1978, when he narrowly edged David Thompson for the scoring title by seven hundredths of a point (27.22 to 27.15). Although Thompson came up with a memorable performance for the last game of the regular season, scoring 73 points, Gervin maintained his slight lead by scoring 63 points (including an NBA-record at the time 33 points in the second quarter) in a loss in his last game of the season. With the scoring crown in hand, he sat out some of the third, and all of the fourth quarter.[1] Gervin went on to lead the NBA in scoring average three years in a row from 1978 to 1980 (with a high of 33.1 points per game in 1979-80), and again in 1982. The Spurs drafted high scoring guards Oliver Robinson of UAB and Tony Grier from South Florida to take some offensive pressure off Gervin. Prior to Michael Jordan, Gervin had the most scoring titles of any guard in league history.
When he left the NBA, Gervin played for several years in Europe: in Italy for Banco Roma during the 1986-87 season where he averaged 26.1 points per game, and in the Spanish National Basketball League for TDK Manresa team (he was 38 years old at the time).[2][3] At this point in his career he had lost some of his quickness, but his scoring instinct remained; he averaged 25.5 points, 5 rebounds and 1.2 assists, and in his last match he scored 31 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to keep Manresa in the first Spanish division.[2]
Gervin's trademark move was the finger roll, a shot in which one rolls the basketball along his or her fingertips. While others mimicked this style when shooting layups, Gervin was known to "finger roll" from as far as the free throw line.
While sitting out 3 games due to injury, Gervin's replacement, Ron Brewer, averaged over 30 ppg. When Gervin returned, he scored 40+ points. When asked if he was sending a message, Gervin said, "Just the way the Lord planned it" and added, "Ice be cool" (with Ron Brewer).
Gervin's legacy has inspired other athletes, such as Gary Payton who said Gervin was his favorite player to watch as a kid. He was also idolized by former NFL and Heisman-winning quarterback Ty Detmer. Detmer records in his autobiography that he was elated to receive Gervin's autograph one day as a youth in San Antonio.
Awards and records[edit]
Gervin was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996; additionally his #44 jersey has been retired by the Spurs and he was named to the NBA's 50 Greatest Players.[2] Gervin was ranked #45 on SLAM Magazine's Top 50 NBA Players of All Time in 2009.
He remains active in the San Antonio community with his seven organizations designed specifically for underprivileged kids, including the George Gervin Youth Center. Gervin is beloved in San Antonio and believes that his own experience as an underprivileged child in Michigan inspired him to get involved.[1]
At the time of his trade to the Bulls, he held nearly every significant scoring record in Spurs history. Many of his records have been surpassed by David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Gervin retired with the most blocks by any guard in NBA history.[4]
Though a revered NBA and ABA All-Star and Hall of Famer, Gervin never made an appearance with a team in either an NBA or ABA championship series during his 13-year career in American professional basketball.
Gervin holds the distinction of being a former teammate of both Julius Erving (with the Squires) and Michael Jordan (with the Bulls).
On his 2009 release Slaughterhouse on the Prairie American guitarist Buckethead dedicated a track to Iceman.
Career statistics[edit]
|
Led the league |
| Bold |
Denotes career highs |
|
| GP |
Games played |
GS |
Games started |
MIN |
Minutes per game |
| FG% |
Field-goal percentage |
3P% |
3-point field-goal percentage |
FT% |
Free-throw percentage |
| OFF |
Offensive rebounds per game |
DEF |
Defensive rebounds per game |
REB |
Total rebounds per game |
| AST |
Assists per game |
STL |
Steals per game |
BLK |
Blocks per game |
| TOV |
Turnovers per game |
PF |
Fouls per game |
PTS |
Points per game |
|
Regular season[edit]
| Season |
League |
Team |
GP |
GS |
MIN |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
OFF |
DEF |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
PF |
PTS |
| 1972–73 |
ABA |
Virginia |
30 |
… |
23.0 |
.472 |
.231 |
.814 |
1.1 |
3.1 |
4.3 |
1.1 |
… |
… |
1.8 |
2.4 |
14.1 |
| 1973–74 |
ABA |
Virginia/San Antonio |
74 |
… |
33.9 |
.471 |
.143 |
.815 |
2.3 |
6.1 |
8.4 |
1.9 |
1.4 |
1.6 |
3.4 |
3.6 |
23.4 |
| 1974–75 |
ABA |
San Antonio |
84 |
… |
37.1 |
.474 |
.309 |
.830 |
2.9 |
5.4 |
8.3 |
2.5 |
1.6 |
1.6 |
3.0 |
3.5 |
23.4 |
| 1975–76 |
ABA |
San Antonio |
81 |
… |
33.9 |
.499 |
.255 |
.857 |
2.2 |
4.5 |
6.7 |
2.5 |
1.4 |
1.5 |
2.7 |
3.6 |
21.8 |
| 1976–77 |
NBA |
San Antonio |
82 |
… |
33.0 |
.544 |
… |
.833 |
1.6 |
3.9 |
5.5 |
2.9 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
… |
3.5 |
23.1 |
| 1977–78 |
NBA |
San Antonio |
82 |
… |
34.8 |
.536 |
… |
.830 |
1.4 |
3.7 |
5.1 |
3.7 |
1.7 |
1.3 |
3.7 |
3.1 |
27.2 |
| 1978–79 |
NBA |
San Antonio |
80 |
… |
36.1 |
.541 |
… |
.826 |
1.8 |
3.2 |
5.0 |
2.7 |
1.7 |
1.1 |
3.6 |
3.4 |
29.6 |
| 1979–80 |
NBA |
San Antonio |
78 |
… |
37.6 |
.528 |
.314 |
.852 |
2.0 |
3.2 |
5.2 |
2.6 |
1.4 |
1.0 |
3.3 |
2.7 |
33.1 |
| 1980–81 |
NBA |
San Antonio |
82 |
… |
33.7 |
.492 |
.257 |
.826 |
1.5 |
3.6 |
5.1 |
3.2 |
1.1 |
0.7 |
3.1 |
2.6 |
27.1 |
| 1981–82 |
NBA |
San Antonio |
79 |
79 |
35.7 |
.500 |
.278 |
.864 |
1.7 |
3.2 |
5.0 |
2.4 |
1.0 |
0.6 |
2.7 |
2.7 |
32.3 |
| 1982–83 |
NBA |
San Antonio |
78 |
78 |
36.3 |
.487 |
.364 |
.853 |
1.4 |
3.2 |
4.6 |
3.4 |
1.1 |
0.9 |
3.2 |
3.1 |
26.2 |
| 1983–84 |
NBA |
San Antonio |
76 |
76 |
34.0 |
.490 |
.417 |
.842 |
1.4 |
2.7 |
4.1 |
2.9 |
1.0 |
0.6 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
25.9 |
| 1984–85 |
NBA |
San Antonio |
72 |
69 |
29.0 |
.508 |
.000 |
.844 |
1.1 |
2.2 |
3.3 |
2.5 |
0.9 |
0.7 |
2.8 |
2.9 |
21.2 |
| 1985–86 |
NBA |
Chicago |
82 |
75 |
25.2 |
.472 |
.211 |
.879 |
1.0 |
1.7 |
2.6 |
1.8 |
0.6 |
0.3 |
2.0 |
2.6 |
16.2 |
| NBA Career |
791 |
… |
33.5 |
.511 |
.297 |
.844 |
1.5 |
3.1 |
4.6 |
2.8 |
1.2 |
0.8 |
3.0 |
2.9 |
26.2 |
| ABA Career |
269 |
… |
33.7 |
.480 |
.234 |
.831 |
2.3 |
5.1 |
7.4 |
2.2 |
1.4 |
1.6 |
2.9 |
3.4 |
21.9 |
| Total Career |
1,060 |
… |
33.6 |
.504 |
.271 |
.841 |
1.7 |
3.6 |
5.3 |
2.6 |
1.2 |
1.0 |
3.0 |
3.1 |
25.1 |
Career highs[edit]
40 point games[edit]
Gervin scored 40 or more points 68 times in the regular season and six times in the playoffs.
|
Occurred in playoff competition |
| Points |
Opponent |
Home/Away |
Date |
FGM |
FGA |
FTM |
FTA |
3PM |
| 63 |
New Orleans Jazz |
Away |
01978-04-09April 9, 1978 |
23 |
49 |
17 |
20 |
— |
| 55 |
Indiana Pacers |
Away |
01980-01-23January 23, 1980 |
21 |
32 |
12 |
|
1 |
| 53 |
Denver Nuggets |
Home |
01980-01-08January 8, 1980 |
23 |
40 |
7 |
|
0 |
| 52 |
San Diego Clippers |
Home |
01979-01-11January 11, 1979 |
24 |
33 |
4 |
|
— |
| 50 (3 OT) |
Milwaukee Bucks |
Home |
01982-03-06March 6, 1982 |
21 |
31 |
8 |
|
— |
| 49 |
Boston Celtics |
Home |
01981-02-17February 17, 1981 |
17 |
|
15 |
|
0 |
| 49 |
Detroit Pistons |
Home |
01982-02-17February 17, 1982 |
22 |
29 |
5 |
|
0 |
| 48 |
Boston Celtics |
Home |
01982-03-04March 4, 1982 |
17 |
|
14 |
|
0 |
| 47 |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
Away |
01979-10-18October 18, 1979 |
21 |
35 |
4 |
|
1 |
| 47 (OT) |
Golden State Warriors |
Home |
01979-11-13November 13, 1979 |
22 |
33 |
3 |
|
0 |
| 47 |
Seattle SuperSonics |
Away |
01981-11-13November 13, 1981 |
15 |
|
17 |
18 |
0 |
| 47 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Away |
01982-01-05January 5, 1982 |
19 |
30 |
8 |
9 |
1 |
| 47 |
Utah Jazz |
Away |
01982-03-27March 27, 1982 |
18 |
|
11 |
|
0 |
| 47 |
Phoenix Suns |
Home |
01982-11-07November 7, 1982 |
16 |
|
14 |
|
1 |
| 47 |
New Jersey Nets |
Home |
01985-01-29January 29, 1985 |
16 |
25 |
15 |
18 |
0 |
| 46 |
San Diego Clippers |
Away |
01978-10-18October 18, 1978 |
16 |
|
14 |
|
— |
| 46 |
Houston Rockets |
Home |
01979-03-30March 30, 1979 |
15 |
|
16 |
18 |
— |
| 46 |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
Away |
01979-04-03April 3, 1979 |
18 |
27 |
10 |
|
— |
| 46 |
Philadelphia 76ers |
Home |
01979-12-27December 27, 1979 |
14 |
|
18 |
21 |
0 |
| 46 |
San Diego Clippers |
Home |
01981-12-29December 29, 1981 |
21 |
31 |
4 |
|
0 |
| 46 |
Washington Bullets |
Home |
01978-04-18April 18, 1978 |
17 |
32 |
12 |
15 |
— |
| 45 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Home |
01981-12-04December 4, 1981 |
20 |
30 |
5 |
|
0 |
| 45 |
Golden State Warriors |
Away |
01982-01-07January 7, 1982 |
15 |
|
15 |
|
0 |
| 45 |
Dallas Mavericks |
Away |
01982-11-27November 27, 1982 |
18 |
39 |
9 |
|
0 |
| 45 |
Dallas Mavericks |
Away |
01986-01-27January 27, 1986 |
15 |
29 |
15 |
16 |
0 |
| 44 |
Chicago Bulls |
Home |
01982-11-26November 26, 1982 |
17 |
31 |
10 |
12 |
0 |
| 44 |
Kansas City Kings |
Home |
01983-12-29December 29, 1983 |
16 |
|
12 |
|
0 |
| 44 |
Houston Rockets |
Home |
01980-04-04April 4, 1980 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 43 |
Detroit Pistons |
Home |
01978-10-28October 28, 1978 |
16 |
|
11 |
|
— |
| 43 |
Los Angeles Lakers |
Away |
01979-12-16December 16, 1979 |
20 |
40 |
2 |
|
1 |
| 43 (OT) |
Washington Bullets |
Away |
01983-12-20December 20, 1983 |
20 |
33 |
3 |
7 |
0 |
| 43 |
Philadelphia 76ers |
Away |
01983-12-21December 21, 1983 |
16 |
|
11 |
|
0 |
| 42 (OT) |
Seattle SuperSonics |
Away |
01977-01-30January 30, 1977 |
14 |
|
14 |
|
— |
| 42 |
Kansas City Kings |
Away |
01978-01-29January 29, 1978 |
19 |
25 |
4 |
|
— |
| 42 |
Washington Bullets |
Home |
01979-05-11May 11, 1979 |
19 |
31 |
4 |
6 |
— |
| 42 |
Washington Bullets |
Away |
01979-05-18May 18, 1979 |
16 |
31 |
10 |
13 |
— |
| 42 |
Philadelphia 76ers |
Away |
01979-12-05December 5, 1979 |
17 |
|
7 |
|
1 |
| 42 |
Phoenix Suns |
Home |
01980-01-02January 2, 1980 |
18 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
| 42 |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
Away |
01980-01-17January 17, 1980 |
16 |
|
8 |
|
2 |
| 42 |
Washington Bullets |
Home |
01980-01-19January 19, 1980 |
18 |
34 |
6 |
7 |
0 |
| 42 |
Milwaukee Bucks |
Home |
01980-02-17February 17, 1980 |
18 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
| 42 |
Golden State Warriors |
Away |
01980-11-01November 1, 1980 |
16 |
|
10 |
|
0 |
| 42 |
Washington Bullets |
Away |
01981-12-01December 1, 1981 |
17 |
30 |
8 |
10 |
0 |
| 42 |
Houston Rockets |
Home |
01981-12-30December 30, 1981 |
17 |
|
8 |
|
0 |
| 42 |
Washington Bullets |
Home |
01982-02-09February 9, 1982 |
16 |
28 |
10 |
13 |
0 |
| 42 |
San Diego Clippers |
Away |
01982-11-11November 11, 1982 |
16 |
|
9 |
|
1 |
| 42 |
Kansas City Kings |
Away |
01983-02-25February 25, 1983 |
12 |
|
18 |
22 |
0 |
| 42 |
Denver Nuggets |
Home |
01983-04-26April 26, 1983 |
17 |
22 |
8 |
8 |
0 |
| 42 |
San Diego Clippers |
Away |
01984-03-18March 18, 1984 |
14 |
|
14 |
|
0 |
| 42 |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
Home |
01984-11-10November 10, 1984 |
18 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
| 42 |
Houston Rockets |
Away |
01985-01-25January 25, 1985 |
21 |
26 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 41 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Home |
01977-01-23January 23, 1977 |
14 |
|
13 |
|
— |
| 41 |
Seattle SuperSonics |
Home |
01978-03-08March 8, 1978 |
15 |
|
11 |
|
— |
| 41 |
Detroit Pistons |
Away |
01979-10-26October 26, 1979 |
17 |
|
6 |
7 |
1 |
| 41 |
Denver Nuggets |
Away |
01979-12-11December 11, 1979 |
14 |
|
12 |
|
1 |
| 41 |
Houston Rockets |
Home |
01980-02-12February 12, 1980 |
15 |
|
8 |
|
3 |
| 41 |
New Jersey Nets |
Away |
01980-02-24February 24, 1980 |
16 |
27 |
9 |
9 |
0 |
| 41 |
Washington Bullets |
Away |
01980-03-11March 11, 1980 |
16 |
30 |
9 |
10 |
0 |
| 41 |
Indiana Pacers |
Home |
01980-03-21March 21, 1980 |
15 |
|
11 |
|
0 |
| 41 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Away |
01980-12-07December 7, 1980 |
17 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
| 41 |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
Away |
01982-03-20March 20, 1982 |
16 |
|
6 |
|
3 |
| 41 (OT) |
Detroit Pistons |
Home |
01983-02-08February 8, 1983 |
19 |
31 |
3 |
|
0 |
| 41 |
New York Knicks |
Home |
01984-01-31January 31, 1984 |
19 |
31 |
3 |
6 |
0 |
| 41 |
Denver Nuggets |
Away |
01985-04-20April 20, 1985 |
16 |
25 |
9 |
11 |
0 |
| 40 |
Kansas City Kings |
Away |
01978-03-25March 25, 1978 |
15 |
|
10 |
|
— |
| 40 |
New York Knicks |
Home |
01980-03-07March 7, 1980 |
15 |
|
8 |
12 |
2 |
| 40 |
Utah Jazz |
Home |
01981-12-12December 12, 1981 |
18 |
33 |
4 |
|
0 |
| 40 |
Detroit Pistons |
Away |
01982-02-25February 25, 1982 |
18 |
31 |
4 |
|
0 |
| 40 |
San Diego Clippers |
Away |
01982-03-09March 9, 1982 |
14 |
|
12 |
|
0 |
| 40 |
Washington Bullets |
Away |
01982-11-17November 17, 1982 |
14 |
29 |
12 |
15 |
0 |
| 40 |
Los Angeles Lakers |
Away |
01983-02-15February 15, 1983 |
16 |
|
8 |
|
0 |
| 40 |
Dallas Mavericks |
Away |
01983-04-16April 16, 1983 |
15 |
|
10 |
|
0 |
| 40 |
Houston Rockets |
Home |
01984-01-13January 13, 1984 |
15 |
|
10 |
|
0 |
| 40 |
Golden State Warriors |
Away |
01984-02-02February 2, 1984 |
17 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
Regular season[edit]
| Stat |
High |
Opponent |
Date |
| Points |
63 |
at New Orleans Jazz |
01978-04-09April 9, 1978 |
| Points, half (1st) |
53 |
at New Orleans Jazz |
01978-04-09April 9, 1978 |
| Points, quarter (2nd) |
33 |
at New Orleans Jazz |
01978-04-09April 9, 1978 |
| Consecutive points, first half |
22 |
at New Orleans Jazz |
01978-04-09April 9, 1978 |
| Consecutive points, first half |
18 |
at New Orleans Jazz |
01978-04-09April 9, 1978 |
| Field goal percentage |
17-18 (.944) |
vs. Chicago Bulls |
01978-02-18February 18, 1978 |
| Field goals made |
24 |
vs. San Diego Clippers |
01979-01-11January 11, 1979 |
| Field goal attempts |
49 |
at New Orleans Jazz |
01978-04-09April 9, 1978 |
| Free throws made, none missed |
— |
|
|
| Free throws made, one missed |
— |
|
|
| Free throws made |
18 |
vs. Philadelphia 76ers |
01979-12-27December 27, 1979 |
| Free throws made |
18 |
at Kansas City Kings |
01983-02-25February 25, 1983 |
| Free throw attempts |
22 |
at Kansas City Kings |
01983-02-25February 25, 1983 |
| Three-point field goals made |
|
|
|
| Three-point field goal attempts |
|
|
|
| Rebounds |
18 |
vs. Denver Nuggets |
01982-04-13April 13, 1982 |
| Offensive rebounds |
|
|
|
| Defensive rebounds |
|
|
|
| Assists |
11 |
|
|
| Steals |
|
|
|
| Blocked shots |
|
|
|
| Turnovers |
|
|
|
| Minutes played |
|
|
|
Playoffs[edit]
| Stat |
High |
Opponent |
Date |
| Points |
46 |
vs. Washington Bullets |
01978-04-18April 18, 1978 |
| Field goal percentage |
|
|
|
| Field goals made |
19 |
vs. Washington Bullets |
01979-05-11May 11, 1979 |
| Field goals made |
19 |
vs. Houston Rockets |
01980-04-04April 4, 1980 |
| Field goal attempts |
32 |
|
|
| Free throws made, none missed |
— |
|
|
| Free throws made, one missed |
— |
|
|
| Free throws made |
14 |
at Los Angeles Lakers |
01982-05-09May 9, 1982 |
| Free throw attempts |
17 |
|
|
| Three-point field goals made |
|
|
|
| Three-point field goal attempts |
|
|
|
| Rebounds |
15 |
vs. Los Angeles Lakers |
01982-05-14May 14, 1982 |
| Offensive rebounds |
|
|
|
| Defensive rebounds |
|
|
|
| Assists |
9 |
|
|
| Steals |
|
|
|
| Blocked shots |
|
|
|
| Turnovers |
9 |
at Los Angeles Lakers |
01983-05-08May 8, 1983 |
| Minutes played |
|
|
|
Personal life[edit]
Gervin played interscholastic basketball while attending Martin Luther King High School; he was a Detroit Free Press All-State selection in 1970.[5] George has a son, George Gervin, Jr. (nicknamed "Gee"), who has played for the Harlem Globetrotters and in the Swedish League for the Norrköping Dolphins.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
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Boldface indicates those who are also inducted as players
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| Awards |
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| The Franchise |
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| Arenas |
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| Coaches |
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| D-League Affiliate |
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| Administration |
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| Retired Numbers |
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| Hall of Famers |
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| NBA Championships (4) |
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| Conference Championships (5) |
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| Rivals |
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| Mascot |
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| Culure and lore |
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| Media |
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| The Franchise |
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| Arenas |
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| Head Coaches |
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| D-League Affiliate |
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| NBA Finals Appearances (6) |
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| NBA Championships (6) |
- 1991
- 1992
- 1993
- 1996
- 1997
- 1998
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| Retired Jerseys |
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| Hall of Famers |
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| Key Personnel |
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| Rivals |
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| Culture and Lore |
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| Media |
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Gervin, George |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
American basketball player |
| Date of birth |
April 27, 1952 |
| Place of birth |
Detroit, Michigan |
| Date of death |
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| Place of death |
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