Lester Conner
Lester Conner | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 17, 1959 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball player, basketball coach |
| Known for | Former NBA player and professional basketball coach |
Lester Allen Conner (born September 17, 1959) is a former NBA player and currently a professional basketball coach from the United States. Standing 6'4", Conner was a versatile collegiate "swingman," excelling at both shooting guard and small forward positions, and was honored as the 1982 Pac-10 Player of the Year.
Conner was chosen 14th overall in the first round of the 1982 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, his hometown team. He spent his initial four NBA seasons with the Warriors during a 12-year professional playing career. In the NBA, he functioned as a "combo guard," alternating between point guard and shooting guard roles. His professional journey also included a stint with the Rapid City Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Association, where he played on a championship-winning squad.
Following his retirement after the 1994–95 season, Conner shifted into coaching, beginning as an assistant coach under Rick Pitino for the Boston Celtics in 1998 and serving in various assistant coaching positions for over fifteen years.
Biography
Born on September 17, 1959, in Memphis, Tennessee, Conner grew up in Oakland, California and attended Fremont High School, known for its diverse student body. While he participated in high school basketball, he was not a prominent player, starting only occasionally and drawing minimal interest from leading college basketball programs.
Junior College
Conner began his college basketball journey in 1978 at Los Medanos Junior College in Pittsburg, California, where he quickly distinguished himself by averaging 25.2 points per game and guiding his team to a 24–7 record. For the 1979–80 season, he transferred to Chabot Junior College in Hayward, California, earning co-California Junior College Player of the Year accolades. From being an overlooked high school athlete, Conner transformed into a highly sought-after transfer candidate for premier collegiate teams.
1980–81
Among those recruiting Conner were Jerry Tarkanian of University of Nevada-Las Vegas and Oregon State University, led by seasoned coach Ralph Miller, who would later be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Demonstrating initiative, Conner requested Miller to watch him play, resulting in a scholarship offer nearly a month after the official signing period concluded.
At Oregon State, Conner quickly secured a starting spot at small forward alongside future NBA talent such as Steve Johnson. The Beavers entered the 1980–81 season as national contenders with returning players from their impressive 26–4 record that had earned them a #5 national ranking. Primarily coming off the bench, Conner contributed as an adept passer, strong rebounder, and defensive asset.
The Beavers began the season with a perfect 7–0 run and ascended to the #1 national ranking after top-ranked DePaul suffered a loss on January 10, 1981. Despite dominating early opponents, Oregon State ended their regular season with an unexpected 20-point defeat at home against Arizona State. Their season concluded abruptly with a close first-round exit to Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament. Conner averaged 7.0 points and was second on the team with 119 rebounds behind center Steve Johnson, underscoring his important role within this elite program.
1981–82
During Conner's final collegiate year (1981–82), Oregon State faced significant hurdles after losing crucial players, including guards and center Steve Johnson, to the NBA. This resulted in the team losing 71% of its previous season's scoring output and 53% of its rebounding. With the UCLA Bruins holding the #2 national ranking, the odds were against OSU repeating as Pac-10 champions.
A notable newcomer was 6'8" freshman A.C. Green from Benson High School in Portland, who opted for Oregon State over Washington State. Alongside defensive specialist William Brew, small forward Danny Evans, and the adaptable Charlie Sitton, the Beavers achieved an impressive 16–2 record in Pac-10 play, clinching their third consecutive conference championship.
Conner primarily occupied the shooting guard role, leading the Pac-10 with an average of 5.1 assists per game. Despite a commendable performance in the NCAA Tournament, OSU's journey ended when they encountered Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing and Sleepy Floyd.
He concluded the season as the team's top scorer with 14.6 points per game and leading rebounder with 145 boards, narrowly edging out power forward A.C. Green. Over two seasons, Conner contributed to OSU’s remarkable 52–6 record, reflecting an .897 winning percentage.
Honored as the 1982 Pac-10 Player of the Year following teammate Steve Johnson’s recognition, Conner also earned AP All-American status that year. Oregon State coach Ralph Miller regarded him as one of the five best defensive players he had coached during his 38-year tenure.
Professional career
Between 1982 and 1986, Conner was selected 14th overall in the 1982 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, where he spent four seasons.
In 1988, he signed with the Houston Rockets.
From 1989 to 1991, he played for the New Jersey Nets.
The 1991–1992 season saw him with the Milwaukee Bucks.
In 1993, he joined the Los Angeles Clippers.
He played for the Indiana Pacers in 1994.
Conner concluded his NBA tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1995.
Nicknamed "The Molester" for his tenacious defensive steals, he also secured a CBA championship title with the Rapid City Thrillers in 1987.
Regular season
|- | align="left" | 1982–83 | align="left" | Golden State | 75 || 10 || 18.9 || .479 || .000 || .699 || 2.9 || 3.4 || 1.5 || 0.1 || 4.9 |- | align="left" | 1983–84 | align="left" | Golden State | 82 || 82 || 31.4 || .493 || .167 || .718 || 3.7 || 4.9 || 2.0 || 0.1 || 11.1 |- | align="left" | 1984–85 | align="left" | Golden State | 79 || 49 || 28.6 || .451 || .200 || .750 || 3.1 || 4.7 || 2.0 || 0.2 || 8.1 |- | align="left" | 1985–86 | align="left" | Golden State | 36 || 0 || 11.5 || .375 || .286 || .741 || 1.7 || 1.2 || 0.7 || 0.0 || 4.0 |- | align="left" | 1987–88 | align="left" | Houston | 52 || 3 || 7.7 || .463 || .000 || .780 || 0.7 || 1.1 || 0.7 || 0.0 || 2.5 |- | align="left" | 1988–89 | align="left" | New Jersey | 82 || 63 || 30.9 || .457 || .351 || .788 || 4.3 || 7.4 || 2.2 || 0.1 || 10.3 |- | align="left" | 1989–90 | align="left" | New Jersey | 82 || 61 || 28.7 || .414 || .154 || .804 || 3.2 || 4.7 || 2.1 || 0.1 || 7.9 |- | align="left" | 1990–91 | align="left" | New Jersey |35||2||14.0||.523|| .000|| .690||1.6||1.7||1.1||0.0||4.1 |- | align="left" |1990–91 | align="left" | Milwaukee |39||2||13.3|| .396|| .000|| .750||1..4||2..7||1..2||0..0||2..9 |- | align="left" |1991–92 | align="left" | Milwaukee |81||9||17..5|| .431|| .000|| .704||2..3||3..6||1..2||0..1||3..5 |- | align="left" |1992–93 | align="left" | Los Angeles Clippers |31||0||13..6|| .452|| .000|| .947||1..6||2..1||1..1||0..1||2..4 |- | align="left" |1993–94 | align="left" | Indiana |11||0||15..4|| .368|| .000|| .500||2..2||2..8||1..3||0..1||2..8 |- | align="left" |1994–95 | align="left" | Los Angeles Lakers |2||0||2..5|| .000|| .000|||.1000|||0..0|||0..0|||0..5|||0..0|||1..0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career |687||281||21..8|| .453|| .202|||.753|||2..7|||3..9|||1..6|||0..1|||6..3|
Playoff Performance
|- | align="left" | 1987–88 | align="left" | Houston | 1 || 0 || 1.0 || .000 || .000 || 1.000 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 2.0 |- | align="left" | 1990–91 | align="left" | Milwaukee | 1 || 0 || 7.0 || 1.000 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || 2.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 2.0 |- | align="left" | 1992–93 | align="left" | Los Angeles | 5 || 0 || 12.8 || .750 || 1.000 || 1.000 || 1.4 || 2.0 || 0.6 || 0.2 || 4.2 |- | align="left" | 1993–94 | align="left" | Indiana | 6 || 0 || 3.7 || .400 || .000 || 1.000 || 0.7 || 0.0 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 1.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Overall Playoff Career | 13 || 0 || 7.2 || .667 || 1.000 || .857 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 2.4 |}
Coaching career
Conner embarked on his coaching path in the NBA in 1998, joining the Boston Celtics as an assistant under head coach Rick Pitino. He acknowledges Pitino for instructing him on how to effectively project his voice from the sidelines.
He held the assistant coach position twice with the Milwaukee Bucks during the tenure of head coach Terry Stotts, leaving the organization following Stotts' firing after the conclusion of the 2006–07 campaign.
A disciple of former Indiana Pacers head coach Jim O'Brien, Conner collaborated with him on three occasions: initially with the Celtics from 2001 to 2004, then as associate head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2004–05 season, and once more with the Pacers beginning in June 2007.
On February 2, 2010, Conner served as interim head coach for a single game while O'Brien was unavailable, implementing tactical adjustments that resulted in a franchise-high scoring output of 130 points and a commanding win amid a difficult season.
In the year 2010, Conner became the lead assistant to Larry Drew at the Atlanta Hawks. He departed following Drew’s dismissal after the end of the 2012–13 season and subsequently joined the Denver Nuggets staff as an assistant coach for the 2013–14 season.
Though Conner has expressed a desire to return as head coach at Oregon State University, his application was declined due to not possessing a college degree, despite his substantial coaching experience and alumni connection.
Marking a return from coaching retirement, Conner accepted the head coaching role for the Virginia Valley Vipers competing in The Basketball League for the 2024 season, signaling renewed engagement with professional coaching opportunities.
External links
- "Lester Conner," BasketballReference.com
- NBA bio – Lester Conner
- "Interview with Lester Conner," Albany Democrat-Herald, March 17, 2016. (Video)