Although not many people bring his name up in the conversation when talking about the best basketball players of all time, George Gervin deserves plenty of consideration in that regard. A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and a guy who averaged 25.1 points per game throughout his career, Gervin is one of the greatest players in San Antonio Spurs history.
Gervin’s career transcended what he did in the league. He became an activist and living proof that basketball goes way beyond the court. From his days with the Virginia Squires to his last NBA game with the Chicago Bulls, Gervin put together a Hall of Fame résumé by becoming the first guard to win the scoring title three years in a row.
“He’s the one player I would pay to see,” Jerry West told the Los Angeles Times when Gervin was the finest scorer in basketball, which speaks volumes as to why he’s such an NBA legend. But if you’re still not convinced, we’re going to let you know everything there is to know about The Iceman.
George Gervin – High School And College Career
George Gervin wasn’t exactly an example during his youth. Before his senior year, he struggled on and off the court while attending Martin Luther King, Jr. High School in Detroit. He was going to be cut from the team until assistant coach Willie Meriweather decided to keep him around, and that would be the best decision he could’ve made. Later in his career, Gervin told the press that Meriweather was like a second father to him and the one who taught him the fundamentals of the game.
That final high school year was a turning point in his life, as he had a huge growth spurt and became a local sensation by leading his team to the state quarterfinals. Gervin drew plenty of interest from college scouts and eventually settled for California State University. Nonetheless, he failed to adapt and returned home before even finishing a semester. Then, he transferred to Eastern Michigan University, where he averaged nearly 30 points per game.
Unfortunately, that remarkable streak would be cut short, as he was suspended for the following season and removed from the team after punching a rival during the NCAA College Division national semifinal game. He was also scratched from the Pan-American and Olympic teams, and no one ever thought he would go on to become the Hall of Fame kind of player he was and his career was in serious jeopardy.
George Gervin – Thriving In The ABA
Following his suspension and completely exiled from the basketball world, Gervin joined the Eastern Basketball Association to play for the Pontiac Chaparrals, barely making $500 a month. Then, Johnny Kerr, who was running basketball operations for the Virginia Squires, saw him put on a show with a 50-point explosion, so he decided to give the trouble-maker a shot for the 1972-73 season.
Gervin played out of his mind and started making plenty of cash but his days with the Virginia Squires didn’t last long. The team was struggling financially and was forced to trade both Swen Nater and Julius Erving. After just two seasons, the team was forced to sell Gervin’s contract to the San Antonio Spurs even despite the ABA’s complaints. There, he would go on to dominate the league and have the best years of his career.
George Gervin – Joining The San Antonio Spurs
After a couple of years in the ABA, Gervin became eligible to join the NBA and was even drafted by the Phoenix Suns. However, Gervin told them he would rather stay in the ABA and play in San Antonio. Eventually, the Spurs joined the NBA. Thanks to his unparalleled scoring outbursts, the Spurs won five division titles during his nine NBA seasons, helping head coach Bob Bass turn the team into a ‘backyard basketball’ squad.
Gervin instantly became one of the frontrunners to win the regular-season MVP award and the Spurs slowly became a contender in the Western Conference. Sadly, even though the Spurs won those five division titles during all the NBA seasons he was there, Gervin was never able to lead them to an NBA championship, often falling in the Conference Finals.
But even despite the lack of success in the postseason, the Iceman was still the deadliest scorer in his team. He once missed three games with an injury and came back to score 40 points in his return, just because his replacement Ron Brewer had averaged 30 points per game in his absence. That’s just how easy the game came to him when he was in the zone.
George Gervin Played With Michael Jordan
Even though most people remember George Gervin for his time with the San Antonio Spurs, Gervin played with Michael Jordan during his brief stint with the Chicago Bulls. The Spurs traded Gervin to the Chicago Bulls for forward David Greenwood right before the start of the 1985-86 season. Surprisingly, Jordan wasn’t exactly thrilled about the Chicago Bulls’ decision of bringing a player on the decline that was far beyond his prime. Even so, the 34-year-old Gervin recorded 16.2 points per game during the final year of his career. His stint next to Jordan was pretty limited, though, as Jordan could only make 18 appearances that NBA season due to a broken foot. Gervin played like a star during his final season in the league just to prove that he still had it.
George Gervin – The King Of NBA Scoring Titles
Gervin recorded the highest scoring average in all of the basketball worlds multiple times over the years. He made NBA history by winning the scoring title three times in a row and won more league scoring championships than multiple legends of the game. He won four of those in a five-season span.
One of Gervin’s scoring championships season was one for the ages. He battled toe-to-toe with David Thompson, who scored 73 points in the last game of the regular season. Needless to say, the Iceman wasn’t going to go down without a fight, so Gervin played that one game like it was the last of his career and put up 63 points (including 33 points in the second quarter, then an NBA record) to claim the throne as the best scorer in basketball.
Throughout Gervin’s phenomenal pro career, he had a remarkable streak of 407 games scoring double figures, becoming the biggest scoring threat in all of the central division, and maybe in all of basketball at that time. He was also the first guard to win three consecutive scoring titles, long before Jordan. He played nine NBA seasons and won a scoring title in nearly half of those. Let that sink in. No wonder why he’s in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
George Gervin – Awards And Accolades
Throughout George Gervin’s phenomenal pro career, he was a nine-time All-Star, an All-Star Game MVP, made it to 5 All-NBA First teams, 2 All-NBA Second Teams, won four NBA scoring titles, was a three-time ABA All-Star, made the All-ABA Second Team twice, made the ABA All-Rookie First Team, the ABA All-Time Team, the NBA 50th Anniversary Team, the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, and has his jerseys retired by both the San Antonio Spurs and Eastern Michigan Eagles. He had a career scoring average of 25.1 points per game, adding 5.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per contest. His career-high for a full NBA season was 33.1 points per game in 1979-80.
The former coach of the Ghost Ballers won more league scoring championships than every player but Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain, and even though he never won a regular-season MVP award, he still went down as one of the all-time greatest scorers in basketball history, which is why he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
George Gervin – Net Worth
George Gervin’s estimated net worth is approximately $6 million. He earned this money primarily through his career as a professional basketball player, playing in the NBA for 14 seasons and earning four NBA scoring titles. He also has endorsement deals with various companies that add to his overall wealth.
Why was George Gervin called The Iceman?
Squires player Fatty Taylor once looked at George Gervin and called him “Iceberg Slim”. Simply put, Gervin was as cool as you’d get. He was often easy-going, laidback, and an overall cool person; perhaps the coolest basketball player of all time. More than that, he had ice on his veins when it came to putting the ball on the basket, especially when he had to decide a game from the free-throw line. He was a master of scoring double figures when his team needed him the most, often taking over in the fourth quarter. Moreover, he rarely sweated despite being on the court for nearly 34 minutes a night, but that’s not the only thing why they called him like that-
Gervin will never be remembered as much as other legends of his time such as Magic Johnson but George Gervin is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever set foot on an NBA hardwood. From his NBA debut, Gervin was one of the most dominant scorers in the league season after season and one of the most unique characters you’ll ever get to know.
Did George Gervin invent the finger roll?
Not, it was Wilt Chamberlain who invented this signature shot. However, Gervin enjoyed making a fool out of defenders with the finger roll and was the main one responsible for making it such a popular basketball resource. Thanks to it, he managed to have a career scoring average of over 25 points per game and win multiple league scoring championships, as well as reaching the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Where is George Gervin today?
While George Gervin isn’t often spotted in basketball events or NBA-related activities, he’s still quite an active member of the San Antonio community. Since retiring from the NBA, Gervin has reached out to try and help underprivileged communities. Gervin enjoyed his days with the Spurs and has always looked forward to giving back, which is why he established the George Gervin Youth Center in 1991. His legacy in the area goes way beyond basketball. He’s also served as coach for the Ghost Ballers of the Big 3 basketball league.
