Bob McAdoo life and biography

Robert Allen 'Bob' McAdoo is a retired American professional basketball player who spent a fourteen-year career playing the center and power forward positions in the National Basketball Association. He is now assistant coach for the Miami Heat.

Career history:

Buffalo Braves (1972–1976)
New York Knicks (1976–1979)
Boston Celtics (1979)
Detroit Pistons (1979–1981)
New Jersey Nets (1981)
Los Angeles Lakers (1981–1985)
Philadelphia 76ers (1986)
Olimpia Milano (Italy) (1986–1990)
Filanto Forlì (Italy) (1990–1992)
Teamsystem Fabriano (Italy) (1993)


Bob McAdoo enters his 16th season as an assistant coach with the Miami HEAT. As a former NBA MVP, McAdoo works primarily with the HEAT big men and has been instrumental in developing their overall skills. He also works on a constant basis with all players to improve their shooting skills, while imparting the wisdom and knowledge derived from a 14-year NBA playing career. McAdoo is in charge of charting the team’s offensive efficiency and focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of opponent’s big men. He also served as the head coach of the HEAT’s Summer League team in 2004.

McAdoo, generally considered the greatest shooting big man in NBA history, enjoyed a storied 14-year playing career in the NBA, which included three consecutive scoring titles from 1973-74 through 1975-76 – making him one of only six NBA players to accomplish the feat. He appeared in five consecutive All-Star games, where he averaged 17.6 points and 6.0 rebounds, as well as being named the NBA MVP in 1975. McAdoo received the game’s greatest honor when he was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Over his career, “Mac” averaged 22.1 points and 9.4 rebounds while connecting on 50.3 percent of his field goal attempts, and has worked with many of the best in the business. In 1982, he was a member of Pat Riley’s first championship team with the Los Angeles Lakers. Former HEAT broadcaster and fellow Hall of Famer Dr. Jack Ramsay was McAdoo’s first coach in Buffalo in 1972. His career also included tours with New York, New Jersey, Boston and Philadelphia. After finishing in 1986 with the 76ers, McAdoo played professionally in Italy (1986-92) where his teams went on to win the Italian Championship three times and the European Championship twice. Individually, he captured MVP honors in both the Italian League and European Championships. Additionally, he appeared in the first McDonald’s Open in 1987, averaging 42 points in losing causes to the Milwaukee Bucks and Russian National team. In May of 2008 he was named as one of the 50 most influential personalities in European Club Basketball over the last half century. McAdoo was one of just 35 players to receive that honor.

McAdoo’s success began early in his career, as he earned the 1972-73 NBA Rookie of the Year award after averaging 18.0 points and 9.1 rebounds for the Buffalo Braves. In each of the next three seasons he averaged at least 30 points and 12 rebounds. McAdoo was an All-American at every level of play, starting in high school, and then at Vincennes JC, where he was a member of the JUCO national championship team in 1970. He also received All-America honors while playing at the University of North Carolina, where he helped guide the Tar Heels to a Final Four appearance. He was recently honored at UNC as part of a halftime ceremony where a banner was hung at the Smith Center honoring UNC’s eight Hall of Fame members. McAdoo also played for the United States in the 1971 Pan American Games.

This past summer he took part in the Basketball without Borders program in Singapore which uses sport to create a positive social change in areas of education, health and wellness. He also participated in the Basketball without Borders program in Beijing during the summer of 2009 and the NBA Legends Tour to South Africa in 1993, which included a goodwill tour with NBA Commissioner David Stern and other players to promote the NBA. Besides his accomplishments on the court, McAdoo was the basketball technical advisor for the 1993 motion picture The Air Up There, starring Kevin Bacon. For his musical exploits on the alto saxophone, McAdoo was selected as a member of the North Carolina All-State High School band team. Rounding out his high school career, he was also the North Carolina High School high jump champion as a senior.

PERSONAL:

McAdoo and his wife, Patrizia, reside in Miami with their children Russell, Rasheeda, and Ryan. McAdoo’s eldest son Robert III and daughter Rita live in New York, while their other son, Ross, also lives in Miami.

Career highlights and awards:

2× NBA Champion (1982, 1985)
NBA MVP (1975)
5× NBA All-Star (1974–1978)
3× NBA Scoring Champion (1974–1976)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1973)
All-NBA First Team (1975)
All-NBA Second Team (1974)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1973)
Euroleague Final Four MVP (1988)
Consensus NCAA All-American First Team (1972)
50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors

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