Manny Leaks

Emanuel Leaks Jr.
Born	(1945-11-27) November 27, 1945 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player (retired)
Years active	1968–1974
Known for	ABA and NBA basketball career

Emanuel Leaks Jr. (born November 27, 1945) is a retired American professional basketball athlete who competed in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Measuring 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m), he occupied forward and center positions while playing at Niagara University from 1965 through 1968, where he posted collegiate averages of 17.3 points and 15.1 rebounds per game.

Early life and college

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Emanuel was one of four siblings raised by Emanuel Sr. and Sadie Leaks. Despite limited financial means, all siblings completed college education. Leaks began engaging with basketball at age 13 and attended East High School, where under coach Chuck Lyons, he developed his skills. After a challenging sophomore year, he significantly advanced his performance, leading East High to the state championship finals as a senior and securing All-State as well as national All-American distinctions. The Cleveland Plain Dealer ranked him tied for fifth place on its high school All-Decade team for the 1960s.

At Niagara University, Leaks was the leading scorer and rebounder during his sophomore season with averages of 17.1 points and 15.8 rebounds per game, followed by similar dominance in his junior year (16.5 ppg, 14 rpg). His senior year coincided with future Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy, where Leaks led the team in rebounds (16 rpg) and ranked second in scoring (17.1 ppg). His rebounding averages from his sophomore and senior years remain among the top records at Niagara. A highlight includes a remarkable performance of 24 points and 30 rebounds against Syracuse University in 1966, competing against future Hall of Famer Dave Bing. In January 1967, he earned placement on the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Association's Weekly All-East Division I Basketball Team and consistently ranked among NCAA Division I leaders in rebounds throughout his collegiate career.

During his tenure at Niagara, Leaks also took an active role in confronting racial discrimination issues within both the university’s administration and student community.

American Basketball Association

Although drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round (20th overall) of the 1968 NBA draft, Leaks chose to join the Kentucky Colonels, who selected him in the eighth round of the 1968 ABA draft. In his rookie season, he participated in 31 games for Kentucky, averaging 7.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while playing close to 22 minutes per contest. In December 1968, he was traded alongside Randy Mahaffey to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Dan Anderson and Oliver Darden.

Leaks secured the starting center role with New Jersey, posting averages of 12.5 points and 14.2 rebounds over nearly 36 minutes per game. After appearing in 20 games for the Nets, he was traded to the Dallas/Texas Chaparrals for a fourth-round draft selection. While with Dallas, across 27 games, he averaged 10.6 points and 9.1 rebounds over about 26 minutes per game. His rookie campaign encompassed a total of 78 games across three franchises, yielding overall averages of 9.7 points and 9.8 rebounds in close to 27 minutes per outing.

In the following season (1969-70), Leaks was a starting center for Dallas, delivering strong numbers with an average of 18.8 points and 12.5 rebounds during nearly 37 minutes per game as the team secured second place in the ABA’s Western Division with a record of 45–39. He finished tied for fourteenth place in ABA MVP voting that year. During the 1970-71 season, after playing 40 games for Dallas, Leaks was traded back to New Jersey Nets in exchange for Levern Tart and Ed Johnson. He completed that season averaging a double-double: 16.2 points alongside 10.7 rebounds while logging almost 33 minutes per game.

The subsequent season (1971-72) saw Leaks suit up for three different ABA teams: nine contests with the Nets, followed by 42 games with the Utah Stars, then concluding with an additional eighteen appearances for The Floridians. In early November of 1971, Utah acquired him from New Jersey by trading a high draft pick plus cash considerations; he served primarily as backup center behind future Hall of Famer Zelmo Beatty. Subsequently, in January 1972, The Floridians exchanged their leading rebounder Ira Harge to Utah for Leaks along with Rick Fisher plus two draft selections. As The Floridians’ starting center across all eighteen games played there, Leaks averaged over forty minutes per game while contributing averages of 15.4 points and 9.8 rebounds.

Leaks wrapped up his ABA career after four seasons with cumulative averages of approximately 13.5 points and just under ten rebounds per game. His professional tenure concluded following salary disagreements with The Floridians franchise, which ceased operations after that season; subsequently, no other ABA teams signed him.

National Basketball Association

Leaks became part of the Philadelphia 76ers roster for the 1972-73 campaign following interest from his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. That season, the 76ers endured a 9–73 record, widely recognized as the poorest performance in NBA history. Leaks started in over 60 contests at the center position, averaging close to 31 minutes, 11 points, and 8.3 rebounds per game. A standout performance occurred on February 28, 1973, when he contributed 20 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks in a rare victory against the Baltimore Bullets, effectively guarding future Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes. Additionally, during that season, he managed to block two shots from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a single matchup.

In 1973, Leaks returned to the 76ers' training camp as one of only four players retained but was ultimately released by new head coach Gene Shue. Subsequently, he signed with Shue's former team, the Capital Bullets, participating in 53 games primarily backing up Hayes and Hall of Famer Wes Unseld. This season marked the conclusion of his professional basketball career.

Over the span of his two NBA seasons, Leaks maintained averages of 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

Honors

In recognition of his collegiate achievements, Leaks was inducted into the Niagara University Athletics Hall of Honor in 1976. He is also enshrined in the Sports Legends of Cleveland Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Following his basketball career, Leaks pursued and obtained a Master's Degree in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University. He later engaged in public relations and community outreach activities within Cleveland. After successfully overcoming cancer treatment in 2002, he took on leadership roles including serving as vice president of the Cleveland chapter of the National Basketball Retired Players Association.