Jamaal Abdul-Lateef (born Jackson Keith Wilkes; May 2, 1953), better known as Jamaal Wilkes, is an American former
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player who was a
small forward
The small forward (SF), also known as the three, is one of the five Basketball position, positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than Power forward (basketball), power forwards and Cent ...
in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA). A three-time
NBA All-Star
The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
, he won four
NBA championship
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
s with the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
and
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. Nicknamed "Silk",
he was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
.
Wilkes played
college basketball
College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
for the
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Big Ten Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF ...
. He was a two-time consensus first-team
All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
and won two
NCAA championships under coach
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Westwood", he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, nati ...
. He was selected in the first round of the
1974 NBA draft by Golden State. In his first season with the Warriors, he was named the
NBA Rookie of the Year
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb T ...
and helped the team win a league title. Wilkes won three more NBA championships with the Lakers during their
Showtime era. He briefly played with the
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
before retiring from playing. His jersey No. 52 was
retired
Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload.
Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
by both the Bruins and the Lakers.
Wilkes played the titular role of Cornbread in the 1975
coming-of-age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
feature film ''
Cornbread, Earl and Me''.
Early life
Jackson Keith Wilkes was born in
Berkeley, California
Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...
.
He was one of five children of L. Leander Wilkes, a
Baptist
Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
minister, and Thelma (Benson) Wilkes. At the time, his parents had two daughters. Their oldest son died of
crib death at 13 months when Thelma was four months pregnant with Wilkes. The death led Leander, who worked at the Oakland Naval Base, to enter the ministry.
Because he did not like the nickname Jackie, Wilkes went by Keith.
His family had brief stays in
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff, officially the City of Pine Bluff, is the List of municipalities in Arkansas, tenth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, Jefferson County. The population of the city wa ...
, and
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
,
before he grew up in
Ventura, California
Ventura, officially named San Buenaventura (Spanish for "Saint Bonaventure"), is a city in and the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States. It is a coastal city located northwest of Los Angeles. The population was 110,763 at the ...
,
[ having moved there in the ]second grade
Second grade (also 2nd Grade or Grade 2) is the second year of formal or compulsory education. It is the second year of primary school. Children in second grade are usually aged 7–8.
Australia equivalent
In Australia, this level of class is c ...
when his father became the pastor at Olivet Baptist Church in 1959. Wilkes attended Washington Elementary School and Cabrillo Middle School. He skipped the fifth grade
Fifth grade (also 5th Grade or Grade 5) is the fifth or sixth year of formal or compulsory education. In the United States, this is mostly the last grade of primary school, but for some states, it could be the first year of middle school. Primary ...
. His older sister Naomi skipped two grades. A tomboy, she played basketball and helped Wilkes learn the game.[ She went to ]Stanford University
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
at age 16.[
As a junior at Ventura High School in 1969, Wilkes earned his second all-league selection in the Channel League and was named the league's player of the year.][ Over the summer, his father became pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Santa Barbara, and the family moved there prior to his ]senior
Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to:
* Senior (name), a surname ...
year. Wilkes was Ventura High's incoming student body president, and his parents allowed him to stay in Ventura.[ However, he decided right before the school year began that he did not want to be apart from his family.] His decision to move was controversial, but his Ventura coach, Bob Swanson, supported him. "If he was my kid I would have done the same thing", said Swanson. "He was a 16-year-old kid. He belonged with his family."
Starring for Santa Barbara High School
Santa Barbara Senior High School, "Home of the Dons," is situated on a sprawling campus in Santa Barbara, California in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. Among the oldest high schools in California and one of five high schools in the Di ...
with fellow future NBA player Don Ford, Wilkes led the Dons to 26 consecutive wins, and reached the playoff semifinals during the 1969–70 season. Wilkes was voted the California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California. CIF membership includes both public and private high schools. Unlike most other state organizations, it does not have s ...
Class AAAA Player of the Year by the Helms Foundation
The Helms Athletic Foundation, founded in 1936, was a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to the promotion of athletics and sportsmanship. Paul H. Helms was the organization's founder and benefactor, funding the foundation via his owner ...
.[ He was named a prep ]All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
by ''Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...
'', Scholastic Magazines, and Sunkist–''Coach and Athlete''.
College career
In his first year at the University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...
, Wilkes averaged a team-high 20.0 points per game on their freshman
A freshman, fresher, first year, or colloquially frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational in ...
team, who went 20–0 and outscored their opponents by almost 39 points per game. The squad included Greg Lee (17.9) and Bill Walton
William Theodore Walton III (November 5, 1952 – May 27, 2024) was an American basketball player and television Sports commentator, sportscaster. He played college basketball, collegiately for the UCLA Bruins men's basketball, UCLA Bruins an ...
(18.1, 16 rebounds
'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...
, 68.6 field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Although three-point field goal percentage is often calculated separately, three-point field goals are included in the gene ...
).[ A group of UCLA students typically watched the freshman practice at ]Pauley Pavilion
Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion, commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located in the Westwood Village district of Los Angeles, California, on the campus of UCLA. It is home to the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams. Th ...
. One day, one of the regulars, UCLA band member Oliver Trigg, was impressed by a move that Wilkes made. At dinner, he came up to the team, which was eating dinner together at the dormitory dining hall, and gushed that Wilkes' move was "smooth as silk". The players started teasing Wilkes and calling him "Silk".[
In Wilkes' ]sophomore
In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educatio ...
year in 1971–72, Bruins' broadcaster Dick Enberg heard a couple of teammates calling him "Silk", and began using it on the air.[ The UCLA ]varsity team
A varsity team is the highest-level team in a sport or activity representing an educational institution. Varsity teams train to compete against each other during an athletic season or in periodic matches against rival institutions. At high schools ...
entered the season with a streak of five consecutive national championships, having finished the previous season winning their last 15 games.[ Bolch 2018, pp. 120–129.] Departed from that team were Sidney Wicks
Sidney Wicks (born September 19, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A native of California, he played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. Wicks was selected by the Portlan ...
, Curtis Rowe, and Steve Patterson, who won three straight NCAA titles together. Wilkes and fellow sophomores Walton and Lee entered the starting lineup
In sports, a starting lineup is an official list of the set of players who will participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as ''starters'', whereas the others are substitutes or b ...
, joining the only returning starter, Henry Bibby, and Larry Farmer. The Bruins scored over 100 points in their first seven games, en route to a perfect 30–0 season, winning by an average of 30.3 points per game.[ Wilkes averaged 8.2 rebounds per game, his college career high,] and was a second-team All-Pacific-8 selection. In a close title game, UCLA won 81–76 over Florida State
Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
.[ Only one team had finished as close as six points against the Bruins.] The Seminoles' Reggie Royals was assigned to defend Wilkes but was asked to drop back to help guard Walton. Wilkes had a season-high 23 points on 11-of-16 shooting and added 10 rebounds, while Walton earned the first of his two Final Four Most Outstanding Players with 24 points and 20 rebounds. They were both named to the all-tournament team.[
Wilkes averaged 14.8 points and was named a consensus first-team ]All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
in 1972–73, when UCLA again finished 30–0.[ On January 27, 1973, they defeated Notre Dame for their 61st consecutive win, breaking ]San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
's record.[ The Bruins won the championship final over Memphis State behind Walton's 44 points on 21-for-22 shooting.][ The only other teammate scoring in double figures, Wilkes had 16 points along with seven rebounds.][ UCLA entered the 1973–74 season with a winning streak of 75. They extended their record to 88 before losing 71–70 to Notre Dame, with the Bruins missing five shots in the closing 20 seconds.][ UCLA advanced to the 1974 NCAA tournament semifinals, when they lost 80–77 in overtime to NC State.][ Bisheff 2004, p. 164.] Wilkes ended his senior year with a career-high 16.7 points per game,[ and was a unanimous selection for the All-America first team.][ He was also unamimously voted to the All-Pac-8 first team for the second straight year.
In three years, Wilkes' teams compiled an 86–4 record,][ with all four losses from his senior year.][ He was one of the Bruins' most consistent players,] averaging 15.0 points and 7.4 rebounds
'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...
per game with a field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Although three-point field goal percentage is often calculated separately, three-point field goals are included in the gene ...
of 51.4. A three-time first-team Academic All-American
An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the ...
(1972–1974),[ Wilkes graduated from UCLA in 1974 with a BA in economics.][
]
NBA career
Golden State Warriors
Wilkes was selected by the Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
in the first round of the 1974 NBA draft with the 11th overall pick.[ Afterwards, he was filming a movie, " Cornbread, Earl and Me", and neglected training. He arrived at rookie camp out of shape and was disappointed in himself that he was unprepared. Before long, he was at the gym and martial arts classes to improve his conditioning. Prior to his first season in 1974–75, few people had championship expectations for the Warriors.][ Wilkes became a starter after only eight games,] replacing incumbent Derrek Dickey. Paired with Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player who starred at the NCAA, American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) levels. Barry ranks among the m ...
at small forward
The small forward (SF), also known as the three, is one of the five Basketball position, positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than Power forward (basketball), power forwards and Cent ...
,[ the slim, Wilkes played ]power forward
The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...
.[ He averaged 14.2 points per game, ranked second on the Warriors behind Barry (30.6), and was also second on the team in rebounding with 8.2 per game.][ He was named the ]NBA Rookie of the Year
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb T ...
.[ " ilkesknows he must play the boards, and goes up against the Silases">aulSilases and Haywoods">pencerHaywoods each night. He's not flashy. But he gets the job done", said Barry.][ Teammate Bill Bridges added that Wilkes "is so intelligent and fundamentally sound. He makes contributions even when he's not scoring. He's already a complete player".][
In the ]playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, Wilkes averaged 15.0 points and was praised for his defense against Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
's Bob Love
Robert Earl Love (December 8, 1942 – November 18, 2024) was an American professional basketball player who spent the prime of his career with the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls. A versatile forward who could shoot with either ...
and Elvin Hayes
Elvin Ernest Hayes (born November 17, 1945), nicknamed "the Big E", is an American former professional basketball player and radio analyst for his alma mater Houston Cougars. He is a member of the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams, and ...
of Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
, who Golden State swept in the 1975 NBA Finals. The following season in 1975–76, he was named to his first NBA All-Star Game.[ He ranked second on the Warriors in rebounding (8.8) again,][ and he was voted for the first of two consecutive ]NBA All-Defensive Second Team
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...
selections.[ Wilkes' scoring average improved to 17.8 in the regular season and 15.9 in the postseason,][ as Golden State advanced to the Western Conference finals, which they lost in seven games.]
After three years with Golden State, averaging 16.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, Wilkes signed with the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
as a free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
.[ According to Wilkes, then-Warriors general manager Dick Vertlieb had reneged on his promise to renegotate their contract if Wilkes had a good rookie showing;] Vertlieb denied making such an agreement.[ Wilkes reportedly took less money by signing with the Lakers. He said "money isn't everything" and that he "needed a change of scenery, a fresh start".][ Returning to ]Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
, where he grew up and went to college, weighed heavily in his decision. He was upset that some Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...
sportswriters portrayed him as a deserter for playing out his option and signing with their in-state Pacific Division rival.[
]
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers were coming off a league-high 53-win season, but had been eliminated 4–0 in the Western Conference finals by the eventual NBA champion Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
. Wilkes was the top-rate forward that Lakers head coach Jerry West
Jerry Alan West (May 28, 1938 – June 12, 2024) was an American basketball player and executive. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and is widely regarded as one of the greatest ...
coveted. Wilkes' career with the Lakers began solidly in 1977–78,[ but a broken finger and other injuries limited him, and he was out much of the second half of the season, finishing with 51 games played and averaging 12.9 points.][ An anonymous team official accused him of malingering,] and Lakers fans thought he was overrated.[ He bounced back the following season with his best pro season to date, averaging 18.6 points per game and shooting 50.4%.][ For a five-season span from 1978 through 1983, he was the Lakers' second-leading scorer behind ]Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...
.[
Wilkes was a free agent leading up to the 1979–80 season, and new Lakers owner ]Jerry Buss
Gerald Hatten Buss (January 27, 1933 – February 18, 2013) was an American businessman, investor, chemist, and philanthropist. He was the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning 10 l ...
made it a priority to re-sign him.[ Los Angeles traded ]Adrian Dantley
Adrian Delano Dantley (born February 28, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dantley is a six-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection an ...
to Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
for Spencer Haywood, the Lakers' first bona-fide power forward
The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...
since Wilkes joined the team, freeing him to move to small forward and relieved from guarding players as much as and bigger.[ Wilkes had been playing power forward his entire NBA career.] He re-signed to a reported long-term deal at $600,000 per year.[ The Lakers also added ]Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...
that year, drafting him with the first overall pick.[ Head coach Jack McKinney was injured midseason in a bicycle accident and was replaced by assistant Paul Westhead.][ Released from the rigors of playing power forward, Wilkes blossomed with the Lakers' ]fast break
Fast break is an offensive strategy in basketball and handball. In a fast break, a team attempts to move the ball up court and into scoring position as quickly as possible, so that the defense is outnumbered and does not have time to set up. The ...
, averaging 20 points per game and shooting 53.5% that season.[ He helped the Showtime Lakers win three NBA championships (1980, 1982, 1985).][ One of the most memorable games of his career was the series-clinching Game 6 of the ]1980 NBA Finals
The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1979–80 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the ...
against the Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
;[ Wilkes had a career-high 37 points and 10 rebounds,] but was overshadowed by the rookie Johnson, who started at center in place of an injured Abdul-Jabbar and finished with 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists. "Jamaal Wilkes had an unbelievable game", said Johnson in 2011. "Everybody talked about my 42 oints but it was also his 7-point effort"
Wilkes had his best offensive season in 1980–81, when he averaged 22.6 points, which ranked 11th in the NBA, shot 52.6% and played in the 1981 NBA All-Star Game. However, the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
in a best-of-three series.[ Soon before the start of training camp in 1981–82, Wilkes' eight-day-old daughter died, his second child to die as a baby. He started the season slowly, culminating with a 1-for-10 shooting performance in a 128–102 loss to ]San Antonio
San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...
on November 10, 1982. He seriously considered quitting basketball. On November 18, Johnson demanded to be traded, but Buss instead fired Westhead, who was replaced by assistant Pat Riley
Patrick James Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American professional basketball executive, former coach, and former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995, and he also se ...
. Wilkes recovered to average 21.1 points and shoot 52.5% as Los Angeles advanced to the 1982 NBA Finals
The 1982 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1981–82 season, the top level of competition in men's professional basketball in North America. The series saw the Western Con ...
, where they faced Philadelphia again. He scored a team-high 27 points in game 6 as the Lakers won the series 4–2. In 1982, Wilkes signed a long-term contract extension with the Lakers. They selected James Worthy
James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Game James", he played his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Wor ...
with the first overall pick of the 1982 NBA draft, which they acquired from a trade made three years before. Although Wilkes was still in his prime,[ the Lakers valued Worthy's potential to play either forward position and backup Kurt Rambis at power forward. Wilkes received his third All-Star selection in ]1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
.
In 1983–84, Wilkes missed seven regular season games and the first seven games of the playoffs due to a gastrointestinal
The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The tract is the largest of the body's systems, after the cardiovascular system. ...
virus.[ After initially missing three games in late February 1984, he returned to play for a month before being sidelined for another four games. In the five previous seasons since 1978–79, he had missed just three games out of 410 and twice led the team in minutes played.] Wilkes finished the regular season averaging 17.3 points, and led the team in scoring 18 times, but none after February 28, as the infection began taking its toll.[ With persistent headaches, stomach cramps and cold chills, he thought he had the flu at first.][ Antibiotics from team doctors failed to make him better, prompting him to visit his own physician, who linked his condition to a parasite.] Upon returning in the playoffs on May 8 against Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, Wilkes received a standing ovation from the Forum crowd. Out of shape after the layoff, he saw limited play and averaged only 4.5 points in 14 games while shooting just 40%. He had entered the postseason with a streak of 58 consecutive games scoring 10+ points in the playoffs.[ Meanwhile, Worthy shined at small forward and was a key for the Lakers while starting in ]the finals
''The Finals'' is a free-to-play first-person shooter, developed and published by Embark Studios. The game focuses on team-based matches on maps with a destructible environment, where players (who are divided into a number of distinct classes) ...
against the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
.[
After hearing his name in trade rumors during the offseason,][ Wilkes began the 1984–85 season starting at forward along with Worthy.][ After the Lakers began the season with a 3–5 record, Wilkes lost his starting spot to Larry Spriggs.][ His play eventually improved, peaking with a season-high 24 points in a win over ]Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
*Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon
*Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine
*Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel
Portland may also r ...
on January 29, 1985.[ Three days later against ]New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
at the Forum on February 1, ligaments in his left knee were torn when the Knicks' Ernie Grunfeld
Ernest Grunfeld (born April 24, 1955) is a Romanian-American former professional basketball player and former general manager in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In college at the University of Tennessee, he set a new record as the sc ...
ran into him, and Wilkes missed the final 40 games of the regular season and the entire playoffs.[ He finished with then-career-lows of 42 games played and 8.3 points per game, but the Lakers won the ]1985 NBA Finals
The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1984–85 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It featured the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference pl ...
over the Celtics with Worthy as one of their leaders.
Wilkes' leg atrophied, and he had to learn to walk again.[ After he played in the Southern California Summer Pro League and rehabilitated his knee,][ the Lakers waived him on August 28, 1985,] with three years and $2.4 million remaining on his guaranteed contract. The team attributed the move to the NBA salary cap
The NBA salary cap is the limit to the total amount of money that National Basketball Association (NBA) teams are allowed to pay their players. Like the other major professional sports leagues in North America, the NBA has a salary cap to control ...
, freeing him to negotiate with any team without his Lakers' salary affecting that team.[ Wilkes also became expendable after they drafted ]A. C. Green
A.C. Green Jr. (born October 4, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Iron Man", he holds a National Basketball Association (NBA) record for most consecutive regular-season games played with 1,192. Green played ...
.[
]
Los Angeles Clippers
On September 27, 1985, Wilkes was signed by the Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
for the league minimum salary of $70,000. However, he was out for almost a month of the season due to a sprained ankle. On December 24, Wilkes shocked the Clippers by announcing his retirement after a 12-year career, noting his lack of contributions to the team. He was averaging 5.8 points in 15 minutes per game. In 2015, he said that he thought he could help the Clippers reach the playoffs, but realized the team had a losing culture and "thought I was better off retiring".[ It was the first losing team of his pro career,][ and his first team with a losing record since he began playing basketball in the ]third grade
Third grade (also 3rd Grade or Grade 3) is the third year of formal or compulsory education. It is the third year of primary school. Children in third grade are usually 8–9 years old.
Examples of the American syllabus
In mathematics, student ...
. His pro teams had never missed the playoffs.[ After his success in the NBA, he ruled out continuing in Europe. "I could still walk down the street without limping. There were more reasons to get out than to stay in it”, said Wilkes.][
]
Player profile
Nicknamed "Silk" for his smooth moves,[ Wilkes rarely dunked the ball,][ preferring a ]layup
A layup in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, "laying" the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a Jump ...
off the glass, which his UCLA head coach, John Wooden
John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Westwood", he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, nati ...
, had preached.[ "I'm not going to sell tickets because I'm exciting or flashy, but if people appreciate good basketball, they might want to watch me", said Wilkes.][ He played well without needing the ball in his hands. He was a threat shooting from outside, and was also able to drive inside.][ Wilkes rarely turned the ball over.][ In the half-court offense, he had the ability to break free under the ]basket
A basket is a container that is traditionally constructed from stiff Fiber, fibers, and can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, Stolon, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials ...
and receive bullet passes for layups. Most of his baskets came on mid-range jump shots.
Wilkes had an unorthodox but reliable jump shot, releasing the ball with a patent corkscrew motion behind his ear and over his head that resembled a slingshot
A slingshot or catapult is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame, with two tubes or strips made from either a natural rubber or synthetic elastic material. These are attached to the upper two ends ...
.[ His feet hardly left the floor, almost on his toes, as he shot.][ He developed the shot as a child to be able to compete against bigger and stronger opponents on the playground,] delaying release of the ball to avoid it being blocked. Wooden said that he would not have encouraged that form, but Wilkes consistently made his shots, so the coach left it alone.[ Barry called Wilkes' shooting form "the ugliest I ever saw. Until I started analyzing it. Yeah, he had that crazy right elbow flying out, but it came back straight to the basket before he let it go. In practice, it was ridiculous how easily he scored off me."][ Lakers teammate ]Norm Nixon
Norman Ellard Nixon (born October 11, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played with Scav ...
said: "That shot was so ugly that people would say he can't make that shot, but he always surprised."[
Many believed that the slender Wilkes would not be able to handle the physical demands of the NBA.] He worked out with Nautilus
A nautilus (; ) is any of the various species within the cephalopod family Nautilidae. This is the sole extant family of the superfamily Nautilaceae and the suborder Nautilina.
It comprises nine living species in two genera, the type genus, ty ...
equipment. He was not muscular, but Wooden said he was strong and never injured in college.[ Wilkes did not talk much on the court and showed little emotion.][ According to Wooden, he was not passive and was able to compete without fighting or being animated. When called for a foul, Wilkes raised his index finger and acknowledged the call, believing that ]official
An official is someone who holds an office (function or Mandate (politics), mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual Office, working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (eithe ...
s appreciated non-complainers.[
Wilkes, who was upstaged throughout his career by star teammates][ — including his best games] — prioritized winning over individual accolades.[ "I learned at a very young age, you can debate who the best player was or wasn't, but you can't debate who won or lost", he said.][ According to Wilkes, he re-signed with the Lakers in 1979 realizing that he would be overlooked, but opted for the opportunity to win an NBA championship. Nevertheless, he did enjoy recognition.][ Asked if he ever felt slighted, he replied: "''Slighted'' may be a bit strong, but it was something I was sensitive to. But I enjoyed the lifestyle. That was the tradeoff."][ Wilkes felt valued by teammates, coaches and owners. "Post-basketball it might have rankled me a bit more", he added.][
]
Legacy
Wilkes was never the leading man on his championship squads, but was outstanding in a supporting role in the shadow of stars Walton at UCLA, Barry with Golden State, and Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson on the Lakers.[ He excelled at contributing in whatever area the team needed, whether it be scoring, rebounding, or defending.][ Wilkes began his college career 73–0, which completed a record 88–game winning streak for UCLA. He joined forces with the three-time national player of the year Walton to lead the Bruins to two consecutive national championships, extending their record streak to seven. Wilkes enjoyed his best NBA seasons with the Lakers,][ with whom he spent eight seasons.][ He teamed with Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson to start the Lakers' Showtime era with three NBA championships in the early 1980s.][ Wilkes filled the lane on their famed fast break, converting Johnson's passes into layups.][ From 1979 to 1983, Wilkes averaged over 20 points and shot 53%.][ Lakers' announcer ]Chick Hearn
Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn (November 27, 1916 – August 5, 2002) was an American sportscaster who was the play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association for 41 years, as well as the team's assistant ge ...
dubbed his jumper the "20-foot () layup" for his consistency from outside.
According to the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', Wilkes' "Silk" nickname "may be one of the most appropriate in sports". They wrote that "Wilkes' problem, from a public relations standpoint, may be that he makes everything look too easy".[ Lakers owner ]Jerry Buss
Gerald Hatten Buss (January 27, 1933 – February 18, 2013) was an American businessman, investor, chemist, and philanthropist. He was the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning 10 l ...
called him "a rare combination of selflessness and grace, Jamaal made the game look effortless. It's easy to forget that Jamaal averaged 20-plus points during our 1980 and 1982 championship seasons".[ His Lakers' teammates Worthy and ]Michael Cooper
Michael Jerome Cooper (born April 15, 1956), nicknamed "Coop", is an American basketball coach and former player. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers during his entire career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning five NBA champ ...
, both above-the- rim finishers, are arguably more synonymous with Showtime, with Wilkes sometimes forgotten.[ "I don't think ilkesgot the credit he deserved, either in college or the pros", said Wooden. "He was unspectacular, but he played his same consistent game all the time."][
For his NBA career, Wilkes registered 14,664 points (17.7 per game), 5,117 rebounds (6.2), and shot 49.9%, averaging 16.1 points per game in 113 postseason games.][ He played in the 1976, 1981, and 1983 ]All-Star Game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
s and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...
twice.[ '']The Sporting News
''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' named Wilkes to its NBA All-Pro Second Team three years. In his first nine seasons, he rarely missed a game, seven times playing in at least 80 games.[
Wilkes was inducted into the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame in 1983 and the ]Pac-10 Men's Basketball Hall of Honor
The Pac-12 Conference Hall of Honor recognizes former athletes and coaches who have made a significant impact to the tradition and heritage of the Pac-12 Conference. Established in 2002, one honoree is selected by each member institution in the co ...
in 2007.[ In 2012, almost three decades since he last played in the NBA,][ he was voted as a member of the ]Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
. He was formally inducted on September 7, when he was presented by former teammates Walton, Barry, Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson—each Hall of Famers.[ On December 28, the Lakers retired Wilkes' No. 52, and on January 17, 2013, UCLA retired his college number, also 52. His number was retired by both Ventura and Santa Barbara High School.][
In multiple interviews, including one with the '']New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative
daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'' in 1985, Wooden was asked to describe his ideal player: "I would have the player be a good student, polite, courteous, a good team player, a good defensive player and rebounder, a good inside player and outside shooter. Why not just take Jamaal Wilkes and let it go at that."[ The ''Los Angeles Times'' called Wooden's praise "probably the greatest honor any player could receive".][ Al Attles, Wilkes' head coach at Golden State, said "Whatever we asked of him–scoring, defense, rebounding, playing bigger forwards–he did and did well."][
]
Acting
Wilkes made his feature-film debut playing the lead titular character of basketball player Nathaniel "Cornbread" Hamilton in the 1975 drama '' Cornbread, Earl and Me''. He made a guest appearance
The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting.
The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are disting ...
on an episode of the television program '' Trapper John, M.D.'' in 1981.
Later years
After retiring from playing basketball, Wilkes worked in real estate, but he said there was "too much haggling and arguing", while he considered himself a "people person" and wanted to "help people solve problems".[ He then moved into financial services and motivational speaking. He was a co-author of the book ''Success Under Fire: Lessons For Being Your Best In Crunch Time''. In 2003, he co-founded Jamaal Wilkes Financial Advisors, a firm specializing in wealth management.] He co-authored his autobiography, ''Smooth as Silk: Memoirs of the Original'', which released in 2015.
Wilkes was hired as vice president of basketball operations by the Los Angeles Stars
LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to:
Science and technology
* Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation
* Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers
* Level of significance, a measure of statistical significanc ...
for the inaugural season of the new American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...
(ABA) in 2000. At Wilkes' request, Wooden also joined the Stars as a consultant.
Personal life
Wilkes and his first wife had a daughter who was born in 1977 with a hole in her heart and weighing just .[ She died after four months. During that period, Wilkes separated from his wife and filed for a divorce,][ ending their two-year marriage.] He was also in a paternity suit
Paternity law refers to body of law underlying legal relationship between a father and his biological or adopted children and deals with the rights and obligations of both the father and the child to each other as well as to others. A child's p ...
that year, but was judged not to be the father.[
Wilkes married his second wife Valerie in 1980.][ Their first daughter died when she was eight days old in 1981. They had three more children—two sons and a daughter.][ His older son, Omar, graduated from the ]University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
, where he played basketball as shooting guard
The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...
. He became a sports agent
A sports agent is a legal representative (hence agent (law), agent) for professional sports figures such as athletes and coaches. They procure and negotiate employment and Testimonial, endorsement contracts for the principal (commercial law), at ...
. His younger son, Jordan, who also graduated from Berkeley, played as a center. He joined the Lakers' basketball operations staff before the 2014–15 season.[ Wilkes' daughter played on the UCLA volleyball team.]
Wilkes was involved with orthodox Islam for two years before converting,[ and selected his Islamic name near the end of 1974 during his rookie year.] His parents were initially shocked and upset.[ He legally changed his name to Jamaal Abdul-Lateef in 1975,] but he continued to use his birth surname only for purposes of public recognition.
In December 1990, Wilkes was pulled over by Los Angeles Police Department
The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...
(LAPD) officers and handcuffed. A Black American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, he accused them of racial profiling
Racial profiling or ethnic profiling is the offender profiling, selective enforcement or selective prosecution based on race or ethnicity, rather than individual suspicion or evidence. This practice involves discrimination against minority pop ...
and filed a complaint. According to Wilkes, they said his license plate was about to expire and handcuffed him for 15–20 minutes after he responded, "Well, its not expired".[ He did not follow up after ]Rodney King
Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965June 17, 2012) was a Black American victim of police brutality. On March 3, 1991, he was severely beaten by Police officer, officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) during his arrest after a high spe ...
was beaten by four police officers three months later, which was captured on video. Wilkes figured that the King incident was an indisputable case of racist behavior by the LAPD. However, the officers were acquitted in 1992, leading to riots in Los Angeles County.[
]
NBA career statistics
Source:[
]
Regular season
, -
, style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",
, style="text-align:left;", Golden State
, 82 , , — , , 30.7 , , .442 , , — , , .734 , , 8.2 , , 2.2 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 14.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Golden State
, 82 , , 82 , , 33.1 , , .463 , , — , , .772 , , 8.8 , , 2.0 , , 1.2 , , .4 , , 17.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Golden State
, 76 , , — , , 33.9 , , .478 , , — , , .797 , , 7.6 , , 2.8 , , 1.7 , , .2 , , 17.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 51 , , — , , 29.2 , , .440 , , — , , .716 , , 7.5 , , 3.6 , , 1.5 , , .4 , , 12.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 82 , , 82 , , 35.5 , , .504 , , — , , .751 , , 7.4 , , 2.8 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , 18.6
, -
, style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 82 , , 82 , , 37.9 , , .535 , , .176 , , .808 , , 6.4 , , 3.0 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , 20.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 81 , , — , , 37.4 , , .526 , , .077 , , .758 , , 5.4 , , 2.9 , , 1.5 , , .4 , , 22.6
, -
, style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 82 , , 82 , , 35.4 , , .525 , , .000 , , .732 , , 4.8 , , 1.7 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 21.1
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 80 , , 80 , , 31.9 , , .530 , , .000 , , .757 , , 4.3 , , 2.3 , , .8 , , .2 , , 19.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 75 , , 74 , , 33.4 , , .514 , , .250 , , .743 , , 4.5 , , 2.9 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 17.3
, -
, style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 42 , , 8 , , 18.1 , , .488 , , .000 , , .773 , , 2.2 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .1 , , 8.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers
, 13 , , 1 , , 15.0 , , .400 , , .333 , , .815 , , 2.2 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , .2 , , 5.8
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 828 , , 245 , , 32.9 , , .499 , , .135 , , .759 , , 6.2 , , 2.5 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 17.7
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star
, 3 , , 0 , , 18.0 , , .481 , , — , , 1.000 , , 4.7 , , 2.3 , , 1.3 , , .0 , , 11.0
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", 1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, style="text-align:left;", Golden State
, 17 , , — , , 29.6 , , .446 , , — , , .702 , , 7.0 , , 1.6 , , 1.5 , , .8 , , 15.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
, style="text-align:left;", Golden State
, 13 , , — , , 34.6 , , .430 , , — , , .778 , , 7.9 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , .6 , , 15.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1977
Events January
* January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
, style="text-align:left;", Golden State
, 10 , , — , , 34.6 , , .429 , , — , , .821 , , 8.0 , , 1.6 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , 15.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 3 , , — , , 36.0 , , .469 , , — , , .545 , , 8.7 , , 2.7 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 12.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 8 , , — , , 38.4 , , .477 , , — , , .676 , , 8.5 , , 2.0 , , 1.9 , , .3 , , 18.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", 1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 16 , , — , , 40.8 , , .476 , , .000 , , .815 , , 8.0 , , 3.0 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , 20.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 3 , , — , , 37.7 , , .438 , , .000 , , .667 , , 2.7 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , .3 , , 18.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", 1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 14 , , — , , 38.2 , , .502 , , .000 , , .776 , , 5.0 , , 2.6 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 20.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 15 , , — , , 39.3 , , .498 , , .000 , , .614 , , 6.0 , , 3.4 , , 1.3 , , .7 , , 19.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers
, 14 , , — , , 14.0 , , .400 , , .000 , , .636 , , 1.9 , , .6 , , .3 , , .1 , , 4.5
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 113 , , — , , 33.6 , , .465 , , .000 , , .727 , , 6.4 , , 2.2 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , 16.1
Publications
*
*
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Legends profile: Jamaal Wilkes
at NBA.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkes, Jamaal
1953 births
Living people
20th-century African-American sportsmen
21st-century African-American sportsmen
African-American Muslims
All-American college men's basketball players
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Berkeley, California
Basketball players from Ventura County, California
Converts to Islam
Golden State Warriors draft picks
Golden State Warriors players
Los Angeles Clippers players
Los Angeles Lakers players
Muslims from California
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
NBA All-Stars
NBA players with retired numbers
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
Sportspeople from Ventura, California
Small forwards
UCLA Bruins men's basketball players
Ventura High School alumni