Sam Perkins Inducted in 2008
Sam Perkins
Sam "The Big Smooth" Perkins attended Samuel J. Tilden High School and later attended and graduated from Shaker High School in Latham, New York. He was named ACC Rookie of the Year in 1981 and starred alongside future NBA Hall of Famers James Worthy and Michael Jordan on the Tar Heels' 1982 NCAA championship team. A three-time All-American, Perkins was the 1984 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. Perkins finished his collegiate basketball career as the Tar Heels' all-time leader in rebounds and blocked shots and as the second-highest scorer in team history.
He graduated from UNC in 1984. Perkins was a co-captain of the gold medal-winning 1984 United States men's Olympic basketball team. He was named first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference three times in his Tar Heel career. He ended his college career with more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds while earning a degree in communications.
Chosen by the Dallas Mavericks as the fourth overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft, Perkins went on to play as a power forward and center in the NBA from 1984 to 2001. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1985. Perkins played for the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Indiana Pacers, respectively. He scored a career-high 45 points on April 12, 1990.
Perkins tied an NBA record on January 15, 1997, by making eight three-pointers without a miss. He appeared in three NBA Finals: The 1991 NBA Finals (with the Lakers), the 1996 NBA Finals (with the SuperSonics), and the 2000 NBA Finals (with the Pacers). In game one of the 1991 NBA Finals, Perkins made a game-winning three-point shot to defeat the Chicago Bulls.
He graduated from UNC in 1984. Perkins was a co-captain of the gold medal-winning 1984 United States men's Olympic basketball team. He was named first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference three times in his Tar Heel career. He ended his college career with more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds while earning a degree in communications.
Chosen by the Dallas Mavericks as the fourth overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft, Perkins went on to play as a power forward and center in the NBA from 1984 to 2001. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1985. Perkins played for the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Indiana Pacers, respectively. He scored a career-high 45 points on April 12, 1990.
Perkins tied an NBA record on January 15, 1997, by making eight three-pointers without a miss. He appeared in three NBA Finals: The 1991 NBA Finals (with the Lakers), the 1996 NBA Finals (with the SuperSonics), and the 2000 NBA Finals (with the Pacers). In game one of the 1991 NBA Finals, Perkins made a game-winning three-point shot to defeat the Chicago Bulls.