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Kevin Loughery

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Kevin Loughery
Personal information
Born (1940-03-28) March 28, 1940 (age 84)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolCardinal Hayes
(Bronx, New York)
College
NBA draft1962: 2nd round, 11th overall pick
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career1962–1973
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
Number21, 52, 22
Career history
As player:
1962–1963Detroit Pistons
1963–1971Baltimore Bullets
1971–1973Philadelphia 76ers
As coach:
1973Philadelphia 76ers
1973–1980New York / New Jersey Nets
1981–1983Atlanta Hawks
1983–1985Chicago Bulls
1986–1988Washington Bullets
1992–1994Miami Heat
Career highlights and awards
As coach:
Career playing statistics
Points11,575 (15.3 ppg)
Rebounds2,254 (3.0 rpg)
Assists2,803 (3.7 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference
Career coaching record
ABA & NBA642–746 (.463)
Record at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Kevin Michael "Murph" Loughery (born March 28, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Loughery coached both Julius Erving and Michael Jordan.

Early life

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Loughery was born on March 28, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York.[1] His father was a police detective.[2] He attended Cardinal Hayes High School in The Bronx, graduating in 1957.[3][4]

College basketball

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Loughery originally attended Boston College, playing one year of college basketball for the Eagles (1958-59), where he average 16.8 points in 19 games. He then transferred to St. John's University, playing basketball for two seasons (1960-62).[5]

At St. John's he played under coach Joe Lapchick, who would be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1966.[6][7] During his two years at St. John's, the team was 41–10. Loughery averaged 10.6 points in 25 games in 1960-61, and 15.5 points per game the next year. His teammates included LeRoy Ellis, with whom he would play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Baltimore Bullets.[8] St. John's went to the NIT Tournament semifinals in 1962.[6] In the 1961-62 season, Ellis led the Metropolitan New York Conference in scoring and rebounding, and Loughery ranked 7th in points per game.[9]

Professional basketball

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Playing career

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The Detroit Pistons selected Loughery in the second round of the 1962 NBA draft (13th overall).[10] Loughery spent 11 seasons in the NBA (1962–1973), playing for the Pistons, the Bullets, and the Philadelphia 76ers, almost nine of them with the Bullets. After spending 1962-63 with the Pistons, Detroit traded him early in the 1963-64 season to the Bullets for Larry Staverman.[3][1] As a rookie in Detroit, he averaged less than 15 minutes a game, with a scoring average below seven points. He played in only one game for the Pistons the following season before the trade.[1]

Loughery credits former Bullets, and Naismith Hall of Fame, coach Bobby "Slick" Leonard with giving Loughery a chance to prove himself in the NBA.[11][12] During his tenure with the Bullets, playing shooting guard, Loughery averaged 16.6 points and over 31 minutes per game.[1] In the 1965 playoffs against the St. Louis Hawks, he averaged 21.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and four assists.[13] His best scoring seasons came in 1968-69 (22.6) and 1969-70 (21.9),[1] teaming in Baltimore's backcourt with future hall of famer Earl Monroe.[14][15] Playing with two more future hall of famers, Wes Unseld[16] and Gus Johnson,[17] his Bullets teams reached the playoffs from 1969-1972. In the 1969 playoffs against the New York Knicks, he averaged 20.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists; and in the 1971 playoffs against the 76ers, he averaged 19.6 points and five assists.[18][19][20][21]

During a game while playing for the Bullets, the Warriors hall of fame guard Guy Rodgers punched Loughery with such force that it caused a bridge to fly out of Loughery's mouth.[22] Loughery once played in a playoff series while recovering from four broken ribs and a punctured lung, initially wearing a steel jacket for protection.[23]

He was traded along with Fred Carter from the Bullets to the Philadelphia 76ers for Archie Clark, a 1973 second-round selection (19th overall–Louie Nelson) and cash on October 17, 1971.[24][25] His head coaching career began when he replaced Roy Rubin as player-coach of a 76ers team that was 4–47 on January 23, 1973.[26] He received a player-coach contract which included an offer to continue in that capacity for two more years beyond the balance of that season.[27] The team slightly improved under Loughery, posting a 5–26 record for the remainder of the season. He declined the offer to stay with the 76ers and was eventually replaced by Gene Shue on June 15, 1973.[28]

Coaching career

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Instead, he effectively retired as an active player when he accepted a five‐year contract as head coach of the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association (ABA) on April 26, 1973, succeeding Lou Carnesecca who had elected to return to St. John's University in a similar capacity.[2] With superstar Julius Erving, Loughery won two ABA championships in three seasons.[29][30] After the ABA disbanded and the Nets joined the NBA, Loughery continued to coach the Nets for their first five seasons in the league. The team would struggle in their first couple of seasons without Erving, whose contract was sold to the Philadelphia 76ers due to financial struggles. Loughery later said that Erving's performance against Denver in the second ABA championship series they won was the best he had ever seen any basketball player ever play.[31]

The team would also move to New Jersey and become the New Jersey Nets.[32] He was fired[citation needed] midway through the 1980–81 season and replaced by Bob MacKinnon. It has also been reported that he resigned over broad differences in philosophy with the owner.[33] MacKinnon was considered an interim head coach.[34] Loughery gave Phil Jackson his first job as an assistant coach with the Nets, while Jackson was finishing out his playing career.[35][36]

Loughery was hired by the Atlanta Hawks to replace Hubie Brown the very next season, retaining Mike Fratello as an assistant coach. Loughery guided the Hawks to two straight playoff appearances, including one with rookie Dominique Wilkins. He was fired once again after the 1982–83 season and replaced by Mike Fratello.[37][38][39][40][41]

The next two seasons, Loughery coached the Chicago Bulls. In his second season with rookie Michael Jordan, the Bulls made the playoffs.[42] In the book The Jordan Rules Michael was quoted as saying that Loughery was the most fun coach he ever played for and that Loughery allowed him to free-lance and play the style he wanted. Jordan said in a 1992 interview that Loughery gave him the confidence to go out and play at the highest level by showing trust in Jordan during his rookie year.[43] Loughery was fired for having "philosophical differences" with Jerry Krause, the Bulls vice president of operations who had functionally replaced Rod Thorn, who earlier had been fired as general manager.[44][45]

Loughery went to the Washington Bullets the next season as an assistant to Gene Shue. When Shue was fired with 13 games left in the 1985–86 season, Loughery guided the team to the playoffs, and did so once again the next season.[46][47] He was dismissed and replaced by Wes Unseld on January 3, 1988, as a result of the Bullets' 8–19 start.[48]

After working in broadcasting, doing part-time work for TBS and TNT, Loughery was hired by the Miami Heat as their head coach three years after they joined the league as an expansion team. Loughery guided the Heat to their first ever playoff appearance in 1991-92, and again in 1993–94.[49][50]

Naismith Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown once said the real key to Loughery's success as a coach was that he showed his players appreciation for the sacrifices they made as players.[51]

As a coach, Loughery was also known for his animated interactions with the referees, and receiving technical fouls.[51] As of 2000, Loughery had the second most technical fouls in NBA history.[52] He was once given three technical fouls in a game by referee Richie Powers, contrary to NBA rules which only allowed for two. Powers also gave player Bernard King three technical fouls. The game was between the Sixers and the Nets, with Loughery coaching the Nets. After a successful protest, the game was replayed months later, from the point in time the technical fouls were assessed. Powers was given a multi-game suspension. In the interim, there had been a trade between the Sixers and the Nets involving Eric Money, who had earlier played and scored for the Nets, and then later scored in the same (continued) game as a Sixer.[53] During the same season, Loughery had been suspended three games for physical contact with a referee, but had won the admiration of his players and owner throughout the year in leading a team that had been on the verge of bankruptcy.[54]

Broadcasting career

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Loughery was a longtime on-and-off broadcaster for CBS Sports' coverage of the NBA throughout the '80s,[55] calling regular season and late playoff games.

After being fired as Washington's coach in January 1988, Loughery worked in broadcasting again, doing part-time work for TBS and TNT.

After his stint coachnig the Heat, Loughery went back into broadcasting, first working with CNN/SI until 2002 when they folded.[56] Loughery, who at times contributed as a guest for ESPN Radio,[57] then joined ESPN Radio's broadcast of the 2002 NBA Finals as a guest, later being hired full-time by ESPN for their radio broadcasts of the NBA starting with the 2002–03 season.[58][59]

Personal life

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In 1997, Loughery was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.[3][60]

Loughery's nickname was "Murph".[61][62]

Career playing statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

NBA

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Source[1]

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1962–63 Detroit 57 14.8 .368 .710 1.9 1.8 6.4
1963–64 Detroit 1 2.0 .250 – .0 .0 2.0
1963–64 Baltimore 65 22.4 .375 .712 2.1 2.8 9.2
1964–65 Baltimore 80* 30.2 .424 .754 2.9 3.7 12.8
1965–66 Baltimore 74 33.2 .416 .830 3.1 4.8 18.2
1966–67 Baltimore 76 33.9 .398 .825 4.6 3.8 18.2
1967–68 Baltimore 77 29.8 .406 .778 3.2 3.3 15.9
1968–69 Baltimore 80 39.2 .438 .803 3.3 4.8 22.6
1969–70 Baltimore 55 37.0 .441 .849 3.1 5.3 21.9
1970–71 Baltimore 82 27.6 .403 .831 2.7 3.7 15.1
1971–72 Baltimore 2 21.0 .235 .625 2.5 4.0 6.5
1971–72 Philadelphia 74 29 23.4 .426 .827 2.4 2.5 12.6
1972–73 Philadelphia 32 21 29.8 .396 .823 3.5 4.6 13.9
Career 755 50 29.4 .413 .803 3.0 3.7 15.3

Playoffs

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Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1963 Detroit 2 13.0 .100 1.000 .0 2.0 1.5
1965 Baltimore 10 29.7 .387 .895 3.4 3.0 14.0
1966 Baltimore 3 9.0 .429 .500 .3 .3 3.0
1969 Baltimore 4 43.3 .367 .657 4.5 5.3 20.3
1970 Baltimore 7 21.9 .338 .714 2.3 1.1 9.6
1971 Baltimore 17 29.4 .396 .753 2.2 3.1 13.6
Career 43 27.3 .375 .753 2.5 2.7 12.4

Head coaching record

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ABA

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Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
New York Nets 1973–74 84 55 29 .655 1st in Eastern 14 12 2 .857 Won ABA Finals
New York Nets 1974–75 84 58 26 .690 1st in Eastern 5 1 4 .200 Lost Division semifinals
New York Nets 1975–76 84 55 29 .655 2nd 13 8 5 .615 Won ABA Finals
Total 252 168 84 .667   32 21 11 .656

NBA

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Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
PHI 1972–73 31 5 26 .161 4th in Atlantic — — — — Missed Playoffs
NYN 1976–77 82 22 60 .268 5th in Atlantic — — — — Missed Playoffs
NJN 1977–78 82 24 58 .293 5th in Atlantic — — — — Missed Playoffs
NJN 1978–79 82 37 45 .451 3rd in Atlantic 2 0 2 .000 Lost in First Round
NJN 1979–80 82 34 48 .415 5th in Atlantic — — — — Missed Playoffs
NJN 1980–81 35 12 23 .343 (fired) — — — — —
ATL 1981–82 82 42 40 .512 2nd in Central 2 0 2 .000 Lost in First Round
ATL 1982–83 82 43 39 .524 2nd in Central 3 1 2 .333 Lost in First Round
CHI 1983–84 82 27 55 .329 5th in Central — — — — Missed Playoffs
CHI 1984–85 82 38 44 .463 3rd in Central 4 1 3 .250 Lost in First Round
WSH 1985–86 13 7 6 .538 3rd in Atlantic 5 2 3 .400 Lost in First Round
WSH 1986–87 82 42 40 .512 3rd in Atlantic 3 0 3 .000 Lost in First Round
WSH 1987–88 27 8 19 .296 (fired) — — — — —
MIA 1991–92 82 38 44 .463 4th in Atlantic 3 0 3 .000 Lost in First Round
MIA 1992–93 82 36 46 .439 5th in Atlantic — — — — Missed Playoffs
MIA 1993–94 82 42 40 .512 4th in Atlantic 5 2 3 .400 Lost in First Round
MIA 1994–95 46 17 29 .370 (fired) — — — — —
Career 1136 474 662 .417 27 6 21 .222

References

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  2. ^ a b Crass, Murray (April 27, 1973). "Loughery Grabs a Plum: Five‐Year Net Contract". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
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  33. ^ "Loughery Quits As Nets' Coach". Washington Post. December 22, 1980.
  34. ^ McCallum, Jack (March 28, 1988). "Blast From The Past". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
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  52. ^ McPherson, Dave (May 2000). "SCREAM". Basketball Digest. 27 (7).
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  62. ^ Lawrence, Mitch (November 3, 2012). "Former player, Nets coach Kevin Loughery reminisces on Brooklyn, compares ABA days of Julius Erving to NBA". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
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