Phil Ford is a former professional basketball player and assistant coach in the National Basketball Association. He was the 1979 Rookie of the Year and he was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team while with the Kansas City Kings.
Player Profile and High School and College Career
Phil Jackson Ford Jr. was born on February 9, 1956, in Kannapolis, North Carolina in the United States. He stands 188 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 79 kg.
| Position | Point Guard |
| Height / weight | 1.88 m / 79 kg |
| Born | 9 Feb 1956 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Playing Style | Right Handed |
| Team History | |
Houston Rockets
|
1983 - 1985 |
Milwaukee Bucks
|
1982 - 1983 |
Kansas City Kings
|
1978 - 1982 |
New Jersey Nets
|
1982 |
He attended Rocky Mount High School in North Carolina. He later went on to play collegiate basketball for the University of North Carolina from 1974 to 1978. Ford received a number of accolades in college including being named the USBWA Player of the Year and the NABC Player of the Year. He also received the John R. Wooden Award. He was also the 1978 ACC Player of the Year and he was the 1975 ACC Tournament MVP.
After he retired from professional basketball, the North Carolina Tar Heels retired his Jersey Number.
Playing Career
He joined the NBA in 1978 and was the 2nd overall pick by the Kansas City Kings. He played with the team from 1978 to 1982. In 1979, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year and he was also named to the NBA All-Rookie Rookie First Team. In the same year, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team.
In 1982, he signed with the New Jersey Nets, and later he played with the Milwaukee Bucks for the 1982-1983 season. He spent his last two seasons in the NBA with the Houston Rockets. He retired in 1985.
Coaching Career
He started coaching in 1988 and was hired as the assistant coach for his alma mater team, the North Carolina Tar Heels. He served as an assistant coach for the team from 1988 to 2000. In 2004, he became an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons. From 2005 to 2007, he was an assistant coach for the New York Knicks. From 2007 to 2011, he served as an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats.
Career Highlights
- 1979 - All-NBA Second Team
- 1979 - NBA Rookie of the Year
- 1979 - NBA All-Rookie First Team
- 1978 - John R. Wooden Award
- 1978 - USBWA Player of the Year
- 1978 - NABC Player of the Year
- 1978 - Sporting News Player of theYear
- 1977, 1978 - Consensus first-teamAll-American
- 1976 - Consensus second-teamAll-American
- 1978 - ACC Player of the Year
- 1976–1978 - First-team All-ACC
- 1975 - ACC tournament MVP
- No. 12 retired by the North CarolinaTar Heels
- 1974 - First-team ParadeAll-American
Team History:
As a Coach:
- 1988–2000 - North Carolina(Assistant)
- 2004–2005 - Detroit Pistons(Assistant)
- 2005–2007 - New York Knicks(Assistant)
- 2007–2011 - Charlotte Bobcats(Assistant)
