Willie Wise

Willie Wise

Wise being guarded by New York Nets player Julius Erving.
Personal information
Born	(1947-03-03) March 3, 1947 San Francisco, California
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school	Balboa (San Francisco, California)
College	City College of San Francisco (1965–1967) Drake (1967–1969)
NBA draft	1969: 5th round, 64th overall pick
Selected by the San Francisco Warriors
Playing career	1969–1977
Position	Small forward
Number	42
Career history
1969–1974	Los Angeles / Utah Stars
1974–1976	Virginia Squires (ABA)
1976–1977	Denver Nuggets
1977	Seattle SuperSonics
Career highlights and awards
ABA champion (1971) 3× ABA All-Star (1972–1974) 2× All-ABA Second Team (1972, 1974) 2× ABA All-Defensive First Team (1973, 1974) ABA All-Rookie First Team (1970) ABA All-Time Team No. 42 retired by Drake
Career ABA and NBA statistics
Points	9,727 (17.6 ppg)
Rebounds	4,578 (8.3 rpg)
Assists	1,594 (2.9 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Willie M. Wise (born March 3, 1947) is an American former professional basketball player.

A 6'6" forward from Drake University, Wise earned a spot on the American Basketball Association's (ABA) Los Angeles (later Utah) Stars in 1969. He would prove to be one of the best all-around players in the league, as he was both a proficient scorer (19.2 points per game during his ABA career) and a highly esteemed defender. Indeed, while playing for the Stars, who won the 1971 ABA Championship, Sports Illustrated described him as "the best two-way performer in pro basketball". Wise later played with the Virginia Squires.

After the ABA–NBA merger in 1976, Wise played one full season and part of a second in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Denver Nuggets and Seattle SuperSonics.

On 7 February 2009, Drake University retired Wise's #42 jersey that he wore for the Bulldogs.

External links

• Career stats at basketball-reference.com
• Player profile at Remember the ABA