One of the scarce 7-footers of the NBA, Jack Sikma was born on November 15, 1955. While, at the time, such large players had a limited role on the court, Sikma was the exception. Having true passing skill and displaying intelligence when playing, his delicate touch was a valuable asset both for the Seattle SuperSonics and Milwaukee Bucks. Sikma’s coordination was on par with smaller players, something that happened rarely.
When he came into the NBA, he wasn’t all that recognized, as he went to a small college. Even though he was the Player of the Year of his league, people were skeptical about the unknown farmer from Illinois. Still, in his second season he showed what he can do.
A master of the reverse pivot, he’d trick his opponents and would create space for a free shot from up high in the clouds, so much so that the move was named the Sikma Move by his fellow colleagues from the NBA. He perfected it to such a degree that it was an almost unstoppable offense mechanism. It helped his team to victory on multiple occasions; for instance, he led the SuperSonics to their first and only NBA title.
His shots from the perimeter were some of the best and by the time he joined the Milwaukee Bucks, Sikma’s accuracy brought another strong point to the team’s game—three-pointers and phenomenal free throws. Centers were hardly ever good at that, but he managed to finish in first place with the best free throw percentage one season.
Jack Sikma – Early life
Coming from a rural Illinois village called Wichert, Jack Sikma was so good during his school years that he earned himself the nickname The Wichert Wonder. And rightfully so, he led his St. Anne’s High School to fourth place in a state championship, where he averaged 25 points in four games. Playing as a guard for his first three years, he had later grown to 6 feet 10 inches, which made him perfect for the center position, a spot he would stay on for the remainder of his career.
After graduating from high school, enrolled for the Illinois Wesleyan University after multiple Division I schools tried to recruit him.
Jack Sikma – College career
Even though Sikma was much desired by numerous prestigious schools, he chose to stay in his home state of Illinois. His friendship with coach Danny Bridges at the university allowed him to be added to the squad almost immediately. The coach saw immense value in him. He wasn’t the only one to notice that his coordination was at least on par with smaller guys.
Jack Sikma had major success at his university. Averaging 27 and over 15 rebounds in his senior year, he was an NCAA Division 3 All-American. He was also awarded the Most Outstanding Player of the CCIW and was admitted to the D3 Hall of Fame in 2012.
Nobody has beaten Sikma’s all-time score of 2,272 points and 1,405 rebounds in his three university years.
Jack Sikma – NBA career
After his phenomenal years in college, Sikma was drafted in 1977 by the SuperSonics. Coming from Illinois Wesleyan University, a college on the smaller side of things, he was relatively unknown and was chosen as the eighth pick.
Jack Sikma – Seattle SuperSonics
His rookie season was far from outstanding, as he managed a 10.7 point and 8.3 rebound average. Already in his first year, he had a chance of winning an NBA title, but the Sonics were beaten by the Washington Bullets after a seven-game long marathon. Even with no exceptional stats, Sikma made the NBA All-Rookie Team after the season ended.
Jack Sikma – NBA Championship
Having improved his game considerably, Sikma put up way better averages of 15.6 ppg and 12.4 rpg, once again becoming an All-Star and achieving a double-double, not a small feat for an entire season average. Seattle met the Bullets in the finals for a rematch and, this time, won the game, with Sikma scoring the last points of the game from a free throw.
While Sikma had decided to sign a five-year deal with his team and still showed tremendous form on the court, his last seasons with the SuperSonics were less than fruitful. Having never reached the playoffs in his final two seasons, Sikma asked for a trade and started to play for the Milwaukee Bucks since he was unhappy with the present situation. He wanted to aim higher.
To summarize his career in Seattle: he was named an All-Star for seven years, averaging a double-double with 16.8 ppg and 10.8 rpg, together with 3.3 apg, 1.1 spg, 1 bpg, and a field accuracy of .470.
Jack Sikma – Final five seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks
According to the Milwaukee Bucks’ head coach Nelson, Sikma was their key to better play. Struggling with injuries and making a name for themselves in the playoffs, they needed an exceptional center player to fill the gap.
Jack Sikma used his size to his advantage. He was a strong man who wasn’t scared to put up a fight when needed. This was shown by him during his first year and the playoff match against the Celtics. The seven-game marathon was a real thriller. Eight players got fines for brawling on the court and even leaving the bench to fight. Sikma was one of them.
Sikma’s success with the Bucks was proof of his three-point accuracy, and he made the playoffs every year until his career ended. Despite being a center for the team, Sikma was one of the most accurate free-throw shooters in the league, shooting technical free throws for the team. During his 13-year NBA career, Sikma set a then-record of 51 games without making a miss from the charity stripe. His late-career three point shooting was seen as an indication that it would spread to other leagues.
In his final season, Sikma remained a big man who was effective, playing 77 regular season games and three playoff games, including twice pulling down 14 rebounds in a game.
Sikma tallied 13.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in his five seasons with the Bucks while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 88 percent from the line.
Jack Sikma – Coaching career
While Jack Sikma never played a major role as a coach as he was employed as an assistant his entire career, he did have a few years of filling that role. He used his skills to tutor individual players.
From 2003 to 2007, Sikma was an assistant coach for the Seattle SuperSonics. He served as an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets from June 2007 to December 2008. His responsibilities included tutoring center Yao Ming on “big man” playing techniques. On December 6, 2011, he was hired as an assistant coach by the Minnesota Timberwolves, again under Rick Adelman. Beginning in 2017, Sikma served as a coaching consultant for the Toronto Raptors, particularly assisting Jonas Valanciunas.
Jack Sikma – Net Worth
Jack Sikma is a former NBA star who had an impressive career in the league. His net worth is estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million. Sikma’s wealth is primarily derived from his NBA earnings, endorsements and investments.
Is Jack Sikma in the NBA Hall of Fame?
Jack Sikma was one of the most accurate shooters ever. He is the only player in NBA history to lead the league in free-throw percentage (92.2%) while playing center; he was 84.9 percent accurate over his career. Sikma made over 200 three-pointers during his career, shooting 32.8% from downtown. He was inducted into the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame quite recently, in 2019.
What was Jack Sikma good at?
From the line, Sikma was one of the greatest free-throw shooters in history and his career 85 percent success rate is still the best.
Sikma was the first big man to master a face-up game and a consistent jump shot. His reverse pivot is still one of the most famous signature moves in basketball history – Sikma would use it if his defender overplayed him to create space for an unblockable jump shot or drive by for a dunk.
While a fantastic player throughout his career, Sikma’s legacy has been even more significant. Sikma’s jump-shooting big man skills paved the way for the 21st-century stretch fives and pick-and-pop bigs. Dirk Nowitzki notably credited him as an influence on his style of play. In 2019, he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, where he was recognized for his considerable contributions to the game. He was the only center to lead the league in free throw percentage with a tremendous .922.
