Howard Porter (basketball)

Howard Porter

Porter in 1972
Personal information
Born	(1948-08-31)August 31, 1948 Stuart, Florida
Died	May 26, 2007(2007-05-26) (aged 58) Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school	Booker (Sarasota, Florida)
College	Villanova (1968–1971)
NBA draft	1971: 2nd round, 32nd overall pick
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Playing career	1971–1978
Position	Power forward / Small forward
Number	54
Career history
1971–1974	Chicago Bulls
1974	New York Knicks
1974–1977	Detroit Pistons
1977–1978	New York Nets
Career highlights and awards
Consensus second-team All-American (1971) Third-team All-American – AP, NABC, UPI (1969) NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1971)* Robert V. Geasey Trophy winner (1969) *Selection later vacated
Career NBA statistics
Points	4,215 (9.2 ppg)
Rebounds	1,872 (4.1 rpg)
Blocks	212 (0.6 bpg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

Howard Porter (August 31, 1948 – May 26, 2007) was an American professional basketball player. At 6'8" and 220 pounds, he played as a forward and a center.

Early life

Porter was born in Stuart, Florida. While in the 8th grade, he played on the varsity team at Stuart Training School, the high school for Martin County blacks. He attended Booker High School in Sarasota, Florida. The highlight of his high school career occurred in 1967, when he led Booker to the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association Class A State Basketball Championship.

College career

Porter then played collegiately at Villanova University, where he was a three-time All-America selection. He took Villanova to the 1971 NCAA Championship Game, in which Villanova lost to UCLA 68–62. Porter was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 25 points in the final game. However, he was later ruled ineligible for the honor because he had signed a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Condors of the American Basketball Association during the middle of his senior year. To the present day, the MOP for the 1971 Final Four is listed as "*Vacated".

Professional career

Porter never played for the Condors, instead joining the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1971. He played seven seasons in the NBA as a member of the Bulls, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, and New Jersey Nets. His finest professional season occurred in 1976–77, when he averaged 13.2 points and 5.9 rebounds for the Pistons. During his time playing for the Pistons, he was nicknamed "Geezer" for his slow, deliberate stye of play and his long beard. He became a fan favorite at the Pistons' then-home, Cobo Arena.

2007 disappearance and murder

Howard Porter, who was employed as a county probation officer, disappeared on May 18, 2007. He was found severely beaten in a Minneapolis, Minnesota alley in the early morning hours of May 19 and died on May 26 of injuries sustained during the assault.

Local police arrested a 33-year-old woman named Tanya Washington in connection with the murder. Washington was later released by police, stating that there was not enough evidence to file charges against her. On September 4, police announced that they had arrested and charged Rashad Arthur Raleigh with Porter's murder. Raleigh is now serving a life sentence for the crime.

Howard Porter is interred at Washington Park Cemetery in Orlo Vista, Florida.