Lawrence "Lew" Massey (February 16, 1956 – January 23, 2014) was an American professional
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. He 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 ...
at the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs thr ...
.
Early years
Massey attended
South Mecklenburg
South Mecklenburg High School is a public secondary school located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte Mecklenburg School District. Locally it is known as "South Meck" (or simply just "South") ...
. He accepted a basketball scholarship from the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs thr ...
. Often called "Sweet Lew", the prolific scorer helped the 49ers reach the 1976 National Invitation Tournament finals as a sophomore, losing 67–71 against the
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...
. He also set school records for single-season scoring average (22.5) and total points (677). He set a school single-game record with 10 blocked shots against
Wofford College
Wofford College is a private liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1854, it is one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the American Civil War that still ope ...
.
As a junior in 1977, along with teammate
Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Bryan Maxwell (born November 21, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and played a key role in two c ...
, he contributed to the team reaching the
final four
In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...
in the
NCAA tournament. The 49–51 loss against
Marquette University
Marquette University () is a Private university, private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It was established as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, by John Henni, the first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Ar ...
, was surrounded in controversy with a last-second tip-in by
Jerome Whitehead.
As a senior, he averaged 21.8 points (third in school history) and 6.8 rebounds per game. He scored 38 points (fourth in school history) against
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a Public university, public research university in Richmond, Virginia, United States. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virgin ...
.
Massey graduated as the leading scorer in school history (2,149 points). He posted a 19.4 point average per game (third in school history), 740 total rebounds (fourth in school history), 343 total free throws made (third in school history), fifty five 20+ scoring games (school record) and 916 field goals made (school record).
Professional career
Massey was selected by 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 ...
in the second round (38th overall) of the
1978 NBA draft
The 1978 NBA draft was the 32nd annual NBA draft, draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 9, 1978, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, New York, before the 1978–79 NBA season, 1978–79 season. In this dr ...
. He was cut a month away from the 1978-79 NBA regular season opener.
In 1978, he signed with the
Maine Lumberjacks
Maine Lumberjacks were an American minor league basketball team formed as an expansion team in 1978. The franchise played 17 seasons in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), calling six different cities home. The team was originally base ...
of the
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...
, where he ranked seventh in the league with 970 scored points.
In 1979, he was signed by the
San Diego 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 ...
of 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 ...
. He was released on October 17. That same year, he played in 26 games with the
Lehigh Valley Jets, while scoring 406 points. He ended up leaving the United States for the Venezuelan and Swiss semi-pro circuits.
In 1981, he signed with the Presto Fun Drinks of the
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines, composed of twelve company-branded Franchising, franchise teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia ...
.
In 1982, he played in one game with the
Lancaster Lightning
The Rockford Lightning was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). They were based in Rockford, Illinois.
History
The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red R ...
of the
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...
, registering 2 points, 7 rebounds and one assist. That same year, he signed up with Gilbey's Gin Gimlets of the
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines, composed of twelve company-branded Franchising, franchise teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia ...
. He rewarded the team to a second-place finish in the third conference. His 47-game stint with Gilbey's was one of the memorable in league annals, averaging 46.6 points per game. On March 25, 1982, he established an All-time PBA mark for most points (85) in one game at that time, in Gilbey's 123-126 elimination round loss to the
Crispa Redmanizers
The Crispa Redmanizers were a multi-titled Filipino basketball team that played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1975 to 1984. It was one of the nine founding teams of the PBA, winning a total of thirteen PBA championships, ...
.
Personal life
Massey was the nephew of former NBA player
Walter Davis. Although he struggled with drug addiction after his retirement from professional basketball, he had been clean for 12 years. He suffered from
diabetes
Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
and lost a leg to the disease. On January 23, 2014, he died of natural causes at the age of 57 years old.
References
External links
Lew Massey CBA Statistics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Massey, Lew
1956 births
2014 deaths
20th-century American sportsmen
American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines
American men's basketball players
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel players
Basketball players from Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte 49ers men's basketball players
Great Taste Coffee Makers players
Los Angeles Lakers draft picks
People from Pineville, North Carolina
Philippine Basketball Association imports
Shooting guards
Small forwards
Sportspeople from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina