Jump to content

Freddie Lewis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Colonies Chris (talk | contribs) at 16:36, 27 September 2016 (top: minor fixes, replaced: Cincinnati RoyalsCincinnati Royals (2), ABA ChampionABA Champion using AWB). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Freddie Lewis
Personal information
Born (1943-07-01) July 1, 1943 (age 81)
Huntington, West Virginia
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High schoolMcKeesport
(McKeesport, Pennsylvania)
CollegeEastern Arizona JC (1962–1964)
Arizona State (1964–1966)
NBA draft1966: 10th round, 88th overall pick
Selected by the Cincinnati Royals
Playing career1966–1977
PositionPoint guard
Number19, 14, 6, 1
Career history
1966–1967Cincinnati Royals
19671974Indiana Pacers (ABA)
1974Memphis Sounds (ABA)
1974–1976Spirits of St. Louis (ABA)
1976–1977Indiana Pacers
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA and ABA statistics
Points12,033 (16.0 ppg)
Rebounds2,752 (3.7 rpg)
Assists2,979 (4.0 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference

Frederick L. Lewis (born July 1, 1943) is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and now defunct American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1966 to 1977.

Born in Huntington, West Virginia, Lewis was a fundamentally sound 6'0" (1.83 m) guard who could pass, shoot, and defend equally well. He attended McKeesport Area High School (in Pennsylvania) and Arizona State University before being drafted by the NBA's Cincinnati Royals in 1966. After one season of limited playing time with the Royals, he moved to the rival ABA, spending the next seven seasons with the Indiana Pacers.

Though players like Roger Brown and Mel Daniels received more attention from Indiana fans, Lewis was a solid contributor on three Pacers teams that won the ABA Championship (in 1970, 1972, and 1973). He also represented the Pacers in three All-Star games (1968, 1970, and 1972). After the Pacers lost to the Utah Stars in the 1974 finals, however, the Pacers traded Lewis, along with Brown and Daniels, to the Memphis Sounds. Daniels, the Sounds' starting center, then injured his back after slipping in his bathtub, and Lewis was traded to the Spirits of St. Louis in exchange for replacement center Tom Owens.

Lewis averaged a career high 22.6 points per game with the Spirits in 1974–1975, was named MVP of the 1975 ABA All-Star Game, and led the young team into the playoffs. However, Lewis suffered an ankle injury, and the Spirits bowed out to the Kentucky Colonels, the eventual champions. After one more year with the Spirits, Lewis returned to the Pacers (who by this point had joined the NBA), and he retired in 1977 with 12,033 combined NBA/ABA career points.