Bill Cartwright is a former professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association. He is a three-time NBA Champion as a player with the Chicago Bulls, and a two-time Champion as a coach. In 1980, he was also named an NBA All-Star.
Player Profile and Personal Life
James William Cartwright was born on July 30, 1957, in Lodi, California. He stands 216 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 111 kg. He has four kids with his high school sweetheart, Sheri Cartwright.
While playing college basketball, he also earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. After retiring from playing basketball, he returned to USF and earned a Master’s Degree in Organization Development. In 2016, he was also named the USF’s Director of University Initiatives.
| Position | Center |
| Height / weight | 2.16 m / 111 kg |
| Born | 30 Jul 1957 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Playing Style | Right Handed |
| Team History | |
Seattle SuperSonics
|
1994 - 1995 |
Chicago Bulls
|
1988 - 1994 |
New York Knicks
|
1979 - 1988 |
High School and College Career
Cartwright attended Elk Grover High School in Elk Grove, California. In 1975, he was named Mr. Basketball USA. While in high school, he also received All-American honors. Also, in 1974 and 1975, he was named California Mr. Basketball.
He attended the University of San Francisco from 1975 to 1979. In 1976, he was named to the Second-team All-WCAC. From 1977 to 1979, he was named the WCAC Player of the Year. In 1977 and 1979, he was also named to the Consensus Second-team All-American.
Playing Career
He joined the NBA in 1979 and was the third overall pick of the draft, chosen by the New York Knicks. He played with the Knicks for 10 years through to 1988. In that time, he was named an NBA All-Star in 1980. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1980.
From 1988 to 1994, he played for the Chicago Bulls. From 1991 to 1993, he was part of the team that won the NBA Championship three times in a row. His final season in the NBA was the 1994-1995 season, he played that with the Seattle SuperSonics.
Coaching Career
He started his coaching career in 1996 when he was hired by the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach. During that time, he was also instrumental in the Bulls winning the 1997 and 1998 NBA championships. He later became their head coach from 2001 through to 2003.
After his stint with the Bulls, he started coaching the New Jersey Nets from 2004 to 2008. From 2008-2012, he coached the Phoenix Suns. In 2013, he coached Osaka Evessa in Japan.
Career Highlights
As a Player:
- 1991–1993 - NBA champion
- 1980 - NBA All-Star
- 1980 - NBA All-Rookie First Team
- 1977, 1979 - Consensus second-teamAll-American
- 1977–1979 - WCAC Player of the Year
- First-team All-WCAC
- 1976 - Second-team All-WCAC
- No. 24 retired by San Francisco Dons
- 1975 - Mr. Basketball USA
- 1975 - First-team ParadeAll-American
- 1974 - Third-team ParadeAll-American
- 1974, 1975 - California Mr.Basketball
As an Assistant Coach:
- 1997, 1998 - NBA champion
Team History:
As a Coach:
- 1996–2001 - Chicago Bulls(Assistant)
- 2001–2003 - Chicago Bulls
- 2004–2008 - New Jersey Nets(Assistant)
- 2008–2012 - Phoenix Suns (Assistant)
- 2013 - Osaka Evessa
