Leon Wood
Osie Wood III | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 25, 1962 |
| Occupation(s) | Professional basketball player, NBA referee |
| Years active | 1984–1994 (player), 1996– (referee) |
| Known for | NBA player, Olympic gold medalist, NBA referee |
Osie Leon Wood III (born March 25, 1962) is a retired American professional basketball athlete. Recognized as a college All-American, he was chosen in the first round of the NBA draft and secured gold medals at both the Olympic Games and Pan American Games. After concluding his playing tenure, Wood pursued a career as an NBA referee.
Career
Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall, Wood played as a point guard and attended Saint Monica Catholic High School before earning All-American honors at California State University-Fullerton. The Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the 10th overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft. Over six seasons, he competed for six different NBA franchises: the 76ers, Washington Bullets, New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, and Sacramento Kings.
Throughout his NBA tenure, Wood appeared in 274 contests and accumulated 1,742 points, averaging 6.4 points per game. He took part in the first-ever NBA three-point shooting contest during the 1986 All-Star Weekend. Internationally, Wood had short engagements with MTV 1846 Giessen in Germany and CAI Zaragoza of Spain’s ACB League during the 1988–89 season. In the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), he posted averages of 18.1 points and 8.5 assists over 118 games and was named to the second-team All-CBA in 1990. His professional playing career concluded in the Philippine Basketball Association in 1994, where he led Purefoods to a semifinal appearance.
Wood earned two gold medals on the international stage: one at the 1983 Pan American Games and another as a member of the U.S. basketball team at the 1984 Olympics under coach Bobby Knight, where he led all players with an average of 7.9 assists per game.
After retiring from active play, Wood began officiating as an NBA referee starting in 1996.
Other facts
Wood initiated an antitrust legal action against the NBA; however, rulings by both the District Court and Second Circuit Court upheld the league’s position.
External links
- Italian League stats
- "Wood Sues NBA" @ New York Times