Sedale Eugene Threatt ( ; born September 10, 1961) is an American former 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 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). Born in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, Threatt 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 West Virginia Institute of Technology from 1979 to 1983. Nicknamed "the Thief" for his ability to steal the basketball, Threatt has the distinction of being the last sixth round pick to play in the NBA (the NBA draft was shortened to the now-current two rounds in

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

). He is also notable as the only player in NBA history who was a teammate of

Julius Erving Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

and

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 ...

. He played in the NBA from 1983–1997 and finished his basketball career overseas.

Professional career

Threatt was drafted by 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 ...

in the sixth round of the

1983 NBA draft The 1983 NBA draft took place on June 28, 1983, in New York City. A total of 226 players were selected over 10 rounds by the league's 23 teams. The first overall pick of this draft was 7’4” center Ralph Sampson, predicted as an NBA supersta ...

, and is the only player from West Virginia Tech to have ever played in the NBA. During the

1986 NBA playoffs The 1986 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985–86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Roc ...

, Threatt played a key role for the 76ers, averaging then career-highs of 13.7 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. During the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Bucks, Threatt led all scorers with 28 points during the series deciding game seven, but Philadelphia lost by one point, 113–112. In total, Threatt played for four seasons with the 76ers and was traded to the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

in 1986. In 1988, he was traded to the

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly shortened to Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Division (1967–1970), and ...

for Sam Vincent. He played for Seattle for four seasons before being traded to 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 ...

on October 2, 1991, in exchange for three second round draft picks. Threatt was expected to play a backup role to

. However, after Johnson's sudden retirement for medical reasons (he announced that he was

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...

positive), Threatt became the starting point guard. Threatt's ability to steal the ball earned him the nickname "The Thief" from Lakers commentators

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 ...

and

Stu Lantz Stuart Burrell Lantz (born July 13, 1946) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Spectrum SportsNet. He played college baske ...

. Threatt led the Lakers in assists, steals and minutes played each in his first two seasons. In 1992–93, he became the second player in Lakers franchise history (after Johnson) to lead the Lakers in scoring (15.1), assists (6.9), and steals (1.7). He scored a career high 42 points against the New York Knicks on March 10, 1992, and scored a career playoff high 35 points in Game 1 of the 1993 Western Conference Quarterfinals against the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

. He retired from the NBA after the 1996–97 season and went on to play basketball with the Gymnastikos S. Larissas (Greece) before retiring in 2002.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 45 , , 0 , , 10.3 , , .419 , , .125 , , .821 , , .9 , , .9 , , .3 , , .0 , , 3.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 0 , , 15.9 , , .452 , , .182 , , .733 , , 1.2 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 5.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 70 , , 27 , , 25.1 , , .453 , , .042 , , .833 , , 1.7 , , 2.8 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 9.9 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",

, 28 , , 8 , , 23.9 , , .414 , , .438 , , .792 , , 2.0 , , 2.9 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , 9.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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 ...

, 40 , , 0 , , 19.5 , , .480 , , .000 , , .803 , , 1.3 , , 4.4 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 7.9 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",

, 45 , , 0 , , 15.6 , , .502 , , .100 , , .780 , , 1.2 , , 2.4 , , .6 , , .1 , , 6.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, 26 , , 0 , , 13.6 , , .519 , , .143 , , .833 , , 1.3 , , 2.0 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , 7.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 63 , , 0 , , 19.4 , , .494 , , .367 , , .818 , , 1.9 , , 3.8 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 8.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 65 , , 18 , , 22.8 , , .506 , , .250 , , .828 , , 1.8 , , 3.3 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 11.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 57 , , 25.8 , , .519 , , .286 , , .792 , , 1.2 , , 3.4 , , 1.4 , , .1 , , 12.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 82 , , 82 , , 37.4 , , .489 , , .323 , , .831 , , 3.1 , , 7.2 , , 2.0 , , .2 , , 15.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 82 , , 82 , , 35.3 , , .508 , , .264 , , .823 , , 3.3 , , 6.9 , , 1.7 , , .1 , , 15.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 81 , , 20 , , 28.1 , , .482 , , .152 , , .890 , , 1.9 , , 4.2 , , 1.4 , , .2 , , 11.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 59 , , 2 , , 23.5 , , .497 , , .379 , , .793 , , 2.1 , , 4.2 , , .9 , , .2 , , 9.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 82 , , 8 , , 20.6 , , .458 , , .355 , , .761 , , 1.2 , , 3.3 , , .8 , , .1 , , 7.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

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 ...

, 21 , , 0 , , 15.9 , , .378 , , .400 , , .750 , , 1.1 , , 1.9 , , .7 , , .1 , , 3.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 951 , , 304 , , 23.6 , , .485 , , .293 , , .815 , , 1.8 , , 3.8 , , 1.2 , , .1 , , 9.8

Playoffs

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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 ...

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, 3 , , , , 2.0 , , .333 , , .000 , , , , .7 , , .3 , , .3 , , .0 , , .7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

, style="text-align:left;”,

, 4 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .286 , , , , , , .3 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , .0 , , 1.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...

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, 12 , , 0 , , 26.0 , , .469 , , .000 , , .788 , , 2.1 , , 3.5 , , 1.9 , , .2 , , 13.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

, style="text-align:left;”,

, 3 , , 0 , , 23.3 , , .471 , , , , 1.000 , , 1.7 , , 5.3 , , .3 , , .0 , , 6.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

, style="text-align:left;”,

, 5 , , 0 , , 16.0 , , .412 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 2.2 , , 2.2 , , .2 , , .0 , , 6.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;”,

, 8 , , 1 , , 25.1 , , .476 , , .250 , , .850 , , 1.6 , , 6.1 , , 2.1 , , .0 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, style="text-align:left;”,

, 5 , , 5 , , 27.2 , , .536 , , .364 , , .900 , , 1.6 , , 3.4 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 14.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, style="text-align:left;”, L.A. Lakers , 4 , , 4 , , 40.5 , , .522 , , .667 , , .750 , , 2.0 , , 4.3 , , .5 , , .0 , , 14.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

, style="text-align:left;”, L.A. Lakers , 5 , , 5 , , 41.0 , , .438 , , .231 , , .750 , , 3.4 , , 8.0 , , 2.6 , , .2 , , 18.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

, style="text-align:left;”, L.A. Lakers , 1 , , 0 , , 11.0 , , .250 , , .000 , , , , .0 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, style="text-align:left;”, L.A. Lakers , 4 , , 0 , , 14.3 , , .222 , , .182 , , , , .8 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .0 , , 2.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

, style="text-align:left;”,

, 16 , , 0 , , 16.6 , , .393 , , .300 , , .750 , , 1.1 , , 3.0 , , .4 , , .3 , , 3.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 70 , , 15 , , 21.9 , , .452 , , .266 , , .816 , , 1.6 , , 3.6 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 8.7

Personal life

Threatt is thought to have fathered at least fourteen children, and been married twice. He married his first wife, Nicole Plotzker, in 1992. She later left him for

Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...

; his second marriage was to Britt Johnson. In 2000, Threatt was sentenced to six months in prison for failing to pay child support. Threatt had a plea deal with prosecutors, who recommended five months of probation, but U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf rejected the agreement and sentenced him to prison. Wolf also ordered Threatt to comply with five other outstanding child-support orders for children in other jurisdictions. As of 2012, Threatt and his son Sedale Threatt Jr. ran a basketball school in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Australia. Threatt has another son also named Sedale Threatt Jr., who attended college at

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU), in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, is a private university, private research university. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer. Lehigh University's undergraduate programs have been mixed ...

and played quarterback on the football team. This Sedale Jr. later went into acting.

References

External links

Player Statistics
at Basketball-Reference.com
Historical Player Profile
at

NBA.com 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 ...

College and NBA statistics
at basketballreference.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Threatt, Sedale 1961 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Australia American expatriate basketball people in France American expatriate basketball people in Greece American expatriate basketball people in Switzerland American men's basketball players Basketball players from Atlanta Chicago Bulls players Greek Basket League players Gymnastikos S. Larissas B.C. players Houston Rockets players Los Angeles Lakers players Paris Racing Basket players Philadelphia 76ers draft picks Philadelphia 76ers players Point guards Seattle SuperSonics players West Virginia Tech Golden Bears men's basketball players Therrell High School alumni 20th-century American sportsmen