It’s not often that we hear about Adrian Dantley, and that has to change right away. Not only he was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, but also one of the ultimate legends from the charity stripe. A scoring threat throughout his entire career, an example of resiliency, hard work, and drawing fouls; Dantley deserves a spot among the greatest scorers to ever lace them up.
It’s not too often that a player can single-handedly lead the way for a struggling team, put them on the map, and earn the respect of his peers with the way he can make a fool out of defenders. It’s not too often that an explosive scorer forces his rivals to change the way they play defense to prevent him from getting to the line at will, especially during a much more physical era of NBA basketball.
I mean, his career statistics speak for themselves. 23,177 total points, 455 rebounds, 2,830 assists, an Olympic gold medal, and the owner of the highest true shooting percentage among players with at least 20,000 total points (.617)
That’s why today, we’re going to talk about a guy who lit his rivals up while playing for seven different teams, and whose fame and wealth didn’t allow him to change who he was. Let’s talk about the original A.D., The Teacher, Adrian Dantley.
Adrian Dantley – Early Years And Growing Up
Adrian Dantley was born on February 28, 1955, in Washington, D.C. His parents got divorced when he was just three years old, so he was raised mostly by his mother, an aunt, and a cousin. Growing up without a dad, Dantley quickly learned to hide his emotions and was quite the introvert, a trait that granted him plenty of success throughout his entire career.
Often expected to fail, Dantley ended up being way more than just a leader and a prolific scorer. His game was unorthodox and even strange to some exempt, often letting his rivals block his first shot before making a fool of them all night long. A small forward like few, his basketball journey got off to an unusual, yet successful start.
Adrian Dantley – High School Career
Dantley attended DeMatha Catholic High School in the small town of Hyattsville, Maryland. There, he’d play for Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wooten and Terry Traux. Also, he was teammates with future NBA player Kenny Carr, helping the team reach a 57-2 overall record during his years with the team.
Despite his length, Dantley’s weight made people question whether he had what it took to stand out in basketball. Deemed ‘Baby Huey’, most thought he was too fat to make it. He responded by practicing obsessively, not taking days off, and going on to become the greatest player in the history of his school.
Besides being a basketball standout, Dantley was also quite smart and well-versed. There’s a story of him getting a 99 on a history test, prompting suspicion by his coach and teacher Wooten. Wooten made Dantley stand up in front of the class and made him answer random questions from the test. When Dantley succeeded, he vowed never to underestimate him again. That spoke volumes of his character.
Where did Adrian Dantley go to college?
Once again expected to fail, Dantley was determined to prove his doubters wrong. He graduated from DeMatha Catholic High School and enrolled at Notre Dame to play for legendary coach Digger Phelps, making an immediate impact with averages of 18.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game as a freshman, and leading them to the 5th spot in the AP poll. Moreover, he played a major role in that legendary UCLA-Notre Dame game which snapped the Bruin’s 88-game win streak, a D1 record that stands to this day.
Dantley played like the best college hoopers in the next two seasons, getting his first First Team All-America selection while averaging 30.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in his second season and 28.4 points and 10.1 rebounds in his junior year.
Dantley finished his days with the Fighting Irish as their all-time leader in free throws attempted (769), and free-throws made (615). He’s also third all-time in their scorers’ list, trailing only Austin Carr and Luke Harangody.
Those impressive performances and averages at Notre Dame granted him plenty of recognition all over the nation. Dantley played for the 1976 US Olympic team for the Montreal Olympics, leading the squad in points per game en route to a gold medal. Following that successful span, Dantley declared for the 1976 NBA Draft. Eventually, he came back to graduate with a degree in Economics.
Adrian Dantley – Buffalo Braves
The Buffalo Braves took him with the sixth overall pick in the Draft. Dantley was able to carry that momentum from his days in Notre Dame right into his rookie season, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 20.3 points per game. However, he was traded after that year despite his great game right out of the gate.
Adrian Dantley – Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers landed Dantley and Mike Bantom in return for Billy Knight, becoming the first Rookie of the Year winner to be traded in his sophomore season. Unfortunately for him, his tenure with the Pacers wouldn’t last long either, as he only made 23 appearances before they traded him and Dave Robisch to the Los Angeles Lakers for James Edward, Earl Tatum, and cash considerations.
Adrian Dantley – Los Angeles Lakers
Dantley would establish himself in the Lakers once and for all. He trailed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second-leading scorer with 19.4 points per game, proving that he was a star in the making. Unfortunately for him, his second season in purple and gold was hampered by injuries, so Jamaal Wilkes eventually took over his spot.
Then, in 1979, the Lakers committed to Wilkes as their go-to guy going forward, so they decided to trade the 23-year-old Adrian Dantley to the Utah Jazz in exchange for veteran big man Spencer Haywood.
Adrian Dantley – Utah Jazz
While the Lakers found more success and made it to the NBA Finals with then-rookie Magic Johnson, Dantley enjoyed quite the ride during his seven seasons with the Jazz. There, he became the most dominant scorer in the league, averaging north of 28 points per game on nearly 58% shooting.
Dantley led the Jazz and averaged more than 30 points per game in three straight seasons. He suffered a major writs injury in 1983 but picked up things right where he left them in 1984, earning honors for his incredible comeback. Then, his poor relationship with Frank Layden over his contract negotiations forced the team to trade him to the Detroit Pistons for Kent Benson and Kelly Tripucka.
Adrian Dantley – Detroit Pistons
Needless to say, Dantley’s numbers took a tumble when he joined the up-and-coming Pistons team. With Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, and Vinnie Johnson doing most of the heavy lifting, he wasn’t asked to do that much.
While his game wasn’t as explosive as it used to be and the team didn’t exactly need him to compete, Dantley turned an already scary squad into a huge contender. For the first time in his career, Dantley had the chance to play for an NBA championship, but the All-Star studded Pistons eventually fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.
Dantley spent two seasons in Michigan before things went south again. He didn’t get along with Thomas, coach Chuck Daly, and General Manager Jack McCloskey, as he wanted a bigger role and more playing time over Dennis Rodman. Then, right in the middle of the 1988-89 seasons, the Pistons traded him to the Dallas Mavericks with a future first-round pick in return for Mark Aguirre.
Adrian Dantley – Milwaukee Bucks, Retirement And NBA History
He played 45 games in Dallas before a leg injury forced him to miss the remainder of the season. He later made 31 appearances next year before they waived him. The end of his career was near and no team seemed willing to give him another shot after his history of injuries and conflict with his head coach.
Then, in 1991, he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent but made just 10 appearances. Dantley retired after a brief stint with Italian team Breeze Arese, where he’d average a whopping 26.7 points per game.
Adrian Dantley – Post-Playing Days
While not a Basketball Hall of Fame coach, Dantley found some success on the bench after his playing days were over. He served as an assistant coach at Towson State from 1993 to 1996. He later became an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets for eight seasons, briefly filling in for George Karl as head coach during the 2009-10 season.
Adrian Dantley – Awards and Accolades of His NBA Career
Over his 15-year career in the NBA, Dantley averaged 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game; scoring over 23,000 career points. He made more than enough merits for being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
During his days in college, he got two Consensus First-Team All-America selections, was a First-Team Parade All-American, and was named Mr. Baketball USA. He also won the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 1976.
When it comes to his days in the NBA, he was a six-time NBA All-Star, made the All-NBA Second Team twice, won NBA Comeback Player of the Year, NBA Rookie of the Year, made the NBA All-Rookie Team, was a two-time Scoring Champion, and had his number 4 jersey retired by the Utah Jazz.
Adrian Dantley – Leader In Free-Throws
As we previously mentioned, Adrian Dantley was the ultimate menace from the free-throw line. His uncanny knack for drawing fouls made him as unstoppable as prime James Harden, averaging over 10 free-throws attempted per game. Free-throw shooting was a huge part of his game throughout his entire career, establishing an iconic routine with four two-handed dribbles and two spins before every single one of his attempts.
Considered one of the greatest free-throw shooters in NBA history, Dantley led the NBA in free throws on a season six times and is still ninth all-time in that regard. Also, he shares the record with Wilt Chamberlain for the most free-throws made in a regular-season NBA game after knocking down 28 in a game against the Houston Rockets.
Adrian Dantley – Net Worth
Adrian Dantley is an NBA Hall of Fame inductee and former professional basketball player. He has amassed a net worth of $1.5 million over the course of his career. Dantley was a six-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA scoring champion, earning him recognition as one of the greatest players in the league’s history.
What Does Adrian Dantley Do Now?
Dantley also coaches basketball prospects in Silver Spring, Maryland, and has served as a father figure for young hoopers in the community for years. Moreover, the six-time NBA All-Star is also a school crossing guard and referees local basketball games in the area.
What Was Adrian Dantley Good At?
Besides his knack for drawing fouls and ability to dominate from the free-throw line, Dantley was also one of the most efficient scorers to ever do it. His signature head-fake often drove opposing defenders crazy, and his high dribble made his rivals unsuccessfully reach for the ball on every single drive.
Despite spending most of his prime on a rebuilding, struggling, recently-relocated Utah Jazz team, Dantley still managed to lead the league in scoring. To put it in context, his team ranked 18th in offensive rating at the time, which speaks volumes of how much of a dominant scorer he was.
Is Adrian Dantley a Hall of Famer?
It took him a while but eventually, Dantley’s career was given the recognition it was due. Despite retiring as a player in 1991, Adrian Dantley was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
How much did Adrian Dantley make in the NBA?
Most of his career earnings are undisclosed. But, according to Basketball-Reference, Dantley earned $4,065,000 from 1984 to 1981 alone. That’s way more than the $1.5 million Celebrity Net Worth claims he’s worth nowadays.
Who is the best NBA player to never win a championship?
Adrian Dantley is just one of many legendary NBA players inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame who, despite having a legendary NBA career, never managed to win an NBA championship. He joins the likes of Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, Steve Nash, Alex English, Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, Dikembe Mutombo, Dominique Wilkins, Elgin Baylor, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and many more players.
