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Billy Paultz

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Billy Paultz
Personal information
Born (1948-07-30) July 30, 1948 (age 76)
River Edge, New Jersey
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolRiver Dell (Oradell, New Jersey)
College
NBA draft1970: 7th round, 103rd overall pick
Selected by the San Diego Rockets
Playing career1970–1985
PositionCenter
Number5
Career history
1970–1975New York Nets
1975–1980San Antonio Spurs
1980–1983Houston Rockets
1983San Antonio Spurs
1983–1984Atlanta Hawks
1984–1985Utah Jazz
Career highlights and awards
Career ABA and NBA statistics
Points13,099 (11.7 ppg)
Rebounds8,959 (8.0 rpg)
Assists2,206 (2.0 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference

William Edward "Billy" Paultz (born July 30, 1948) is an American retired professional basketball player.

Born in River Edge, New Jersey,[1] Paultz played college basketball at Cameron Junior College and then at Saint John's University, and was selected in the seventh round of the 1970 NBA draft by the San Diego Rockets and by the Virginia Squires in the 1970 ABA Draft. Paultz opted to sign with the Squires. On August 11, 1970 the Squires traded his rights to the New York Nets in exchange for a draft choice and cash.[2]

He played professional ball both in the National Basketball Association and in the now defunct American Basketball Association. His nickname was "The Whopper",[3] and he stands 6 feet 11 inches tall.

As a rookie, Paultz made his first playoff appearance in 1971 with the New York Nets. He spent his first five seasons, all in the playoffs, with the ABA Nets, and was a key player in their 1973–74 ABA championship season. He was then traded to the San Antonio Spurs where he made four appearances in the playoffs, including one in an ABA championship final from 1975 to 1979.

Although Paultz moved with a bulky stiffness, he was a very heady player. He was traded to the Houston Rockets, where he played for two and a half seasons, and he teamed with Moses Malone to make the 1981 NBA Finals. During the 1982–83 season without Malone, and with the Rockets in last place, he was placed on waivers and picked up by the playoff-bound Spurs. In 1984, he was a late season pickup by the playoff bound Atlanta Hawks. He finished his career with the Utah Jazz in 1985.

A three time ABA All-Star, Paultz led the ABA in blocked shots during the 1975–76 season.

About his play, Paultz stated, "I have realized that I'm not an overpowering type center. I don't really know what my category is. I have always been the type of player that can do a little bit of everything."

Paultz played organized basketball at River Dell Regional High School in Bergen County, New Jersey.[4]

References

  1. ^ Skevin, Tom. "A Nets fan reminisces", The Record, January 27, 2004. "I go back to when Billy Paultz of River Edge was a rookie. I was surprised in the 1970–71 season when I saw that the 6-foot-11 Whopper didn't even jump center – the much shorter Sonny Dove did."
  2. ^ RememberTheABA.com Virginia Squires detailed year by year notes page Archived May 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Roe, Bob (March 1985). "A Pete Rose by Any Other Name Would Play as Sweet". Orange Coast Magazine. 11 (3): 138. Retrieved 2010-05-09.
  4. ^ Billy Paultz player profile, Basketball Reference. Accessed December 5, 2006.
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