Luther Burden

Luther Burden was an American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the Virginia Squires, and National Basketball Association (NBA) for the New York Knicks. He was known for his scoring ability and briefly held the record for the highest scoring average by a U.S. player in FIBA World Championship play.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Luther "Ticky" Dean Burden was born on February 28, 1953, in Haines City, Florida, United States of America. He stood 188 cm tall and his weight was listed at 84 kg. Burden played as a right-handed shooter and was a shooting guard.

In 1980, Burden was convicted for his alleged involvement in a bank robbery in Hempstead, New York. He served two years in prison before his conviction was overturned.

He later pleaded guilty to receiving stolen money related to the robbery but was released on time served. After his legal troubles, Burden worked with the YWCA organization, mentoring and coaching basketball.

He passed away on October 29, 2015 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina at the age of 62 due to complications from ATTR amyloidosis.

High School and College Career

Burden attended Philip Schuyler High School in Albany, New York. He then played college basketball for the University of Utah from 1972 to 1975.

In 1975, he was named to the Consensus Second-team All-American and in 1974 and 1975, he was named to the First-team All-WAC.

Professional Career

Burden was drafted by both the Virginia Squires of the ABA and the New York Knicks of the NBA in 1975. He chose to play for the Squires, spending one season with the team before joining the Knicks when the ABA merged with the NBA in 1976.

His playing time decreased significantly in 1977-78, and he was released by the team after that season, ending his professional basketball career.

Burden played for the United States men's national basketball team in the 1974 FIBA World Championship, helping the team win a bronze medal. He averaged 20.2 points per game in the tournament, setting a Team USA record that stood until 2010 when it was broken by Kevin Durant.

Career Highlights

• 1975 - Consensus All-American
• 1974 - FIBA World Championship bronze medal

Medal Record, Representing the United States, Men's Basketball

• Bronze - FIBA World Championship Puerto Rico

Career ABA and NBA Statistics

• Points: 1,762 (13.1 ppg)
• Rebounds: 268 (2.0 rpg)
• Assists: 194 (1.4 apg)