Luther Rackley

Luther Rackley
Born	Template:Birth date Bainbridge, Georgia, U.S.
Died	November 19, 2017(2017-11-19) (aged 71) Harlem, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Professional basketball player, real estate broker, NBA scout, actor, teacher
Years active	1969–1978 (basketball)
Known for	NBA and ABA basketball player

Luther Rackley Jr. (June 11, 1946 – November 19, 2017) was a professional American basketball athlete who competed for six seasons across the National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA).

Early life

Rackley was born in Bainbridge, Georgia but was raised in Troy, New York, where he attended Troy High School. During his final year, he led the basketball team to an undefeated 22–0 season and achieved a No. 1 national ranking as noted by a scout from the University of Kentucky, earning himself All-American recognition. Throughout his junior and senior years, his team secured victories in 38 out of 40 games, capturing two Class A league titles and two Section II Class A championships. This squad was later honored with induction into the Capital District Hall of Fame in 2011.

College career

Rackley’s collegiate basketball tenure took place at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. As the starting center in his sophomore year, he posted averages of 15.0 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, highlighted by career-best performances of 25 points against both the University of Utah and St. Bonaventure University. Additionally, he tallied 24 points and 19 rebounds versus the University of Detroit and pulled down 25 rebounds in a matchup with the University of Dayton.

His junior year was curtailed to seven games due to academic ineligibility, during which he averaged 9.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest. In his senior season, Rackley led Xavier with averages of 17.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, and a .552 field goal percentage, including two games where he scored a personal best of 29 points.

He graduated with a bachelor's degree in American Government and Political Science and was inducted into the Xavier University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982.

Professional career

In the 1969 NBA draft, Rackley was chosen in the third round as the 37th overall pick by the Cincinnati Royals, while also being selected by the ABA’s Minnesota Pipers. He opted to sign with the Royals for his rookie season in 1969–70, serving as backup center to starter Connie Dierking. Over 66 games, he averaged approximately 19 minutes on court with contributions of 7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

On May 11, 1970, Rackley was selected by the newly formed Cleveland Cavaliers during the NBA expansion draft. In the 1970–71 season with Cleveland, he maintained similar playing time and production levels, averaging just over 19 minutes along with 7.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

The following season (1971–72), after nine appearances for Cleveland, Rackley was traded to the New York Knicks. Acting as a reserve center, he averaged 3.6 points and 2.9 rebounds for that campaign. In the next season (1972–73), he appeared in only one game for New York before being waived; subsequently, he signed with the ABA’s Memphis Tams. There, Rackley participated in 57 games with averages of 7.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest. Notably, the Knicks secured the championship title that year.

On September 28, 1973, Rackley was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia 76ers, appearing in nine games before being released on November 28, 1973.

He extended his playing career within the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA), competing for teams such as the Cherry Hill Rookies, Scranton Apollos, and Wilkes-Barre Barons from 1973 through 1978. During this period, he earned All-EBA first team recognition in 1974.

Personal life

Following his basketball career, Rackley obtained a real estate license and operated as a broker based in New York City. He held the role of Vice President at Walt Frazier Enterprises where he coordinated international tours featuring NBA players' teams. Additionally, Rackley worked as an NBA scout and owned a casting agency specializing in commercials and film productions. He also dedicated several years to teaching within the White Plains, New York school district.

Rackley's acting credits include roles in two films: The Last Dinosaur and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. He was affiliated with the Screen Actors Guild and appeared in numerous television advertisements.

Upon retirement, he resided in Manhattan, New York. His religious faith was Catholic.

Death

Luther Rackley passed away on November 19, 2017, in Harlem, New York.

NBA/ABA

Source

Regular season

-.650 | 5.0 | -.6 | -. | -. | 7.3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - .385 | .727 | 2.4 | .0 | .3 | .4 | 2.0 |- class="sortbottom"

Season	Team	Games Played	Games Started	Minutes Per Game	Field Goal %	Three-Point %	Free Throw %	Rebounds Per Game	Assists Per Game	Steals Per Game	Blocks Per Game	Points Per Game
Template:Nbay	Cincinnati Royals	66		19.0	.449		.636	5.7	.8			7.6
Template:Nbay	Cleveland Cavaliers	74		19.4	.466		.637	5.3	.9			7.6
Template:Nbay	Cleveland Cavaliers	9		7.2	.440		.250	2.3	.3			2.6
Template:Nbay	New York Knicks	62	5	10.0	.428		.583	3.0	.3			3.8
Template:Nbay	New York Knicks	1	0	2.0
Career (NBA)		221	5	15.6	.451		.626	4.5	.6	.3	.4	6.0
Career (overall)		278	5	15.6	.461	. 000.	. 631.	. 4. 6.	. 6.	. 3.	. 4.	. 6. 3.

Playoffs

Season	Team	Games Played	Games Started	Minutes Per Game	Field Goal %	Free Throw %	Rebounds Per Game	Assists Per Game	Points Per Game

-| style="text-align:left;" |1972 -| style="text-align:left;" |1971–72 New York Knicks season#Playoffs New York Knicks]] -|11 |- | 0 |- | 2.6 |- | .143 |- | 1.000 |- | .6 |- | .1 |- | .7 |- }