Bob Hopkins
Robert M. Hopkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 3, 1934 Jonesboro, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | May 15, 2015 (aged 80) |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball player, coach |
| Known for | Professional basketball career with Syracuse Nationals; coaching at Prairie View A&M, Alcorn State, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Seattle SuperSonics |
Robert M. Hopkins (November 3, 1934 – May 15, 2015) was an American basketball athlete and coach.
Biography
Originating from Jonesboro, La., Hopkins demonstrated outstanding talent across several sports. Although invited to compete as a broad jumper at the 1956 Olympic Games, he opted to pursue a professional basketball career by signing with the Syracuse Nationals. He received all-state recognition multiple times in football, basketball, and baseball. During his tenure at Grambling State University, Hopkins amassed a total of 3,759 points (averaging 29.8 points per game), becoming Grambling’s first player to achieve all-American honors and proceed to a professional career. He was selected four times for all-conference teams and earned all-American status three times. Until 1972, Hopkins held NAIA records in career points, field goals, free throws, and rebounds. His professional playing career spanned four NBA seasons (1956–1960) with the Syracuse Nationals, followed by a stint with the Philadelphia Tapers (1960–1962), which concluded due to a leg injury.
Hopkins transitioned to coaching at Prairie View A&M University during the 1965–66 season, where he led the team to a 16–10 record and secured second place in the SWAC. At Alcorn State University from 1966 to 1969, he guided the Braves to three straight SWAC titles and was honored as Coach of the Year each season. His squads advanced significantly in national competitions, highlighted by an undefeated 27–0 season culminating as NCAA College Division runners-up. The NAIA recognized him with regional Coach of the Year awards.
Between 1969 and 1974, Hopkins coached the Gold Rush squad at Xavier University of Louisiana, compiling an 89–47 record that included four winning seasons, two NAIA District 30 Championships, and consecutive appearances in the NAIA National Tournament. Subsequently, he joined Bill Russell’s coaching staff for the Seattle SuperSonics and succeeded Russell as head coach during part of the 1977–78 NBA campaign. Hopkins recorded a 5–17 mark before Lenny Wilkens took over.
His achievements earned him induction into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1963 and later into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
Hopkins passed away on May 15, 2015, due to heart and kidney failure. His funeral services were conducted at St Monica Catholic Church on Mercer Island.
NBA
Source
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Nbay | Syracuse | 62 | 12.3 | .379 | .746 | 3.8 | .4 | 5.7 |
| Template:Nbay | Syracuse | 69 | 17.7 | .399 | .764 | 5.7 | .7 | 8.2 |
| Template:Nbay | Syracuse | 67 | 22.7 | .403 | .752 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 10.0 |
| Template:Nbay | Syracuse | 75 | 21.5 | .389 | .782 | 6.2 | .7 | 8.7 |
| Career | 273 | 18.8 | .394 | .761 | 5.6 | .7 | 8.2 | |
Playoff Performance
NBA
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Syracuse | 5 | 14.6 | .360 | .667 | 3.8 | .4 | 5.6 | ||||
| 1958 | Syracuse | 3 | 13.0 | .250 | .667 | 4.7 | 0.0 | '4.0' | ||||
| style="text-align:left;" |1958–59 Syracuse Nationals season | 9 | 22.6 | .338 | .824 | 6.7 | 1.0 | 8.2 | |||||
| style="text-align:left;" |1959–60 Syracuse Nationals season | 1 | 19 | .250 | 1.000 | 6 | 0 | - | |||||
| style=text-align:left;1977–78 Seattle SuperSonics season | style=text-align:left; | 22 | 5 | 17 | (dismissed) | — | — | — | — | |||
| Total | 22 | 5 | 17 | — | — | —
External links |
||||||