Tom Abernethy

Tom Abernethy
Born	(1954-05-06) May 6, 1954 South Bend, Indiana, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player (retired)
Years active	1976–1983
Known for	Playing in the NBA for Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers; 1976 NCAA champion with Indiana Hoosiers

Thomas Craig Abernethy (born May 6, 1954) is a retired American professional basketball athlete. He competed in college basketball representing the Indiana Hoosiers, where he contributed to securing the national title in the 1976 season. Abernethy was chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1976 NBA draft and went on to play five seasons in the NBA, including stints with the Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Indiana Pacers. He wrapped up his playing career overseas with two years at Italy’s Basket Brescia Leonessa.

In 1996, Abernethy established the Indiana Basketball Academy, an institution dedicated to developing basketball talent and fostering character among thousands of young men.

High school career

Abernethy attended St. Joseph's High School located in South Bend, Indiana. During his senior year, he posted an average of 25.9 points per game and set a new scoring benchmark for South Bend with a total of 648 points. He guided his squad to 22 victories and secured a sectional championship.

Recruitment efforts by the Indiana Hoosiers began while Abernethy was still in high school. Head coach Bob Knight made a personal visit to the Abernethy household, where his mother questioned him about another prospect. Nevertheless, Abernethy had already decided to enroll at Indiana University Bloomington, independent of basketball considerations, ultimately committing to Knight and the Hoosiers program.

College career

Beginning his collegiate journey with the Hoosiers in 1972, Abernethy initially had limited court time due to a strong roster. By his senior year in the 1975–76 season, he earned a starting role, averaging 10 points and 5.3 rebounds each game. The Hoosiers completed an undefeated 32–0 run to win the 1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, marking them as the last team to finish a season unbeaten in college basketball history.

Professional career

Abernethy was picked 43rd overall in the 1976 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. After two seasons with Los Angeles, he was traded in June 1978 to the Buffalo Braves for a second-round draft choice. Shortly afterward, in July, the Golden State Warriors acquired him from the Braves (who had become the San Diego Clippers) in exchange for another second-round pick.

He spent two seasons playing for Golden State and made a brief appearance in the 1980 movie Inside Moves, which included footage from a Warriors game. In December 1980, Golden State released him, and he signed with the Indiana Pacers to finish that season.

Abernethy ended his professional playing days in Italy with Basket Brescia Leonessa. In recognition of his contributions to basketball, he was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Regular season

|- | align="left" | 1976–77 | align="left" | L.A. Lakers | 70 || – || 19.7 || .484 || – || .754 || 4.2 || 1.4 || .7 || .1 || 6.3 |- | align="left" | 1977–78 | align="left" | L.A. Lakers | 73 || – || 18.0 || .498 || – || .820 || 3.6 || 1.4 || .8 || .3 || 6.8 |- | align="left" | 1978–79 | align="left" | Golden State | 70 || – || 17.4 || .515 || .000 || .745 || 3.1 || 1.1 || .6 || .2 || 6.0 |- | align="left" | 1979–80 | align="left" | Golden State | 67 || – || 18.2 || .481 || .000 || .683 || 2.9 || 1.3 || .5 || .2 || 5.4 |- | align="left" | 1980–81 | align="left" | Golden State | 10 || – || 3.9 || .333 || .000 || .667 || .8 || .1 || .1 || .0 || .4 |- | align="left" | 1980–81 | align="left" | Indiana | 29 || – || 8.9 || .429 || .000 || .579 || 1.4 || .6 || .2 || .1 || 2.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 319 || – || 17.0 || .492 || .000 || .747 || 3.2 || 1.2 || .6 || .2 || 5.6

Playoffs

|- | align="left" | 1977 | align="left" | L.A. Lakers | 11 || – || 19.5 || .420 || – || .815 || 3.6 || 2.0 || .6 || .2 || 5.8 |- | align="left" | 1978 | align="left" | L.A. Lakers | 2 || – || 6.0 || .250 || – || 1.000 || 1.0 || .5 || .0 || .0 || 2.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 13 || 4 || 17.4 || .407 || .000 || .828 || 3.2 || 1.8 || .5 || .2 || 5.2 |}

Post-playing career

After concluding his professional basketball journey, Abernethy moved into the commercial real estate industry through the 1990s and contributed as a technical consultant for the 1986 motion picture Hoosiers. In 1995, he established the Indiana Basketball Academy, a youth-focused skills development initiative that has aided more than 25,000 aspiring players, significantly impacting basketball training programs.

Personal life

Abernethy's family includes three sons who each competed in collegiate basketball: twins Andy and Matt represented Bethel College and Grace College respectively, while his youngest son Todd played for the Ole Miss Rebels before transitioning into coaching, presently holding an assistant coaching position with the Georgia Bulldogs men's basketball team.

External links

• College statistics
• Tom Abernethy biography, photos, and details at Lakers Players