While giants of the NBA game have been the center of attention for most of basketball history, fans have always had a special place in their hearts for shorter players who have overcome the odds. One of the most beloved NBA figures in that category was Nate Tiny Archibald. At 6’1”, he found a way to maneuver around the trees that would get in his way, either to deliver an on point pass to a teammate, or lift a soft touch floater over the outstretched arms of a shot-blocker.
His NBA career would inspire countless other shorter players, who would realize that a lack of height can be overcome with a tremendous level of skill.
Nate Archibald – Childhood
Nathaniel Archibald was born in the Bronx, New York on September 2, 1948. His parents were Julia Archibald and “Big Tiny” Archibald, and it is not hard to guess where the future NBA star’s nickname would come from. However, Nate’s father would end up leaving the home when he was a teenager, which put him in a very difficult position. Nate was the oldest of seven children, and the family lived in an area of New York City where drugs and violence were pretty common. He had to navigate steering clear of the street life that took down many kids from the area, while acting as a de facto parent to his brothers and sisters.
Tiny Archibald was lucky enough to have a hobby that he cared about. While other teenagers in the South Bronx were getting involved with drugs, Archibald was falling more and more in love with the game of basketball.
Nate Archibald – High School
It is not surprising that Archibald was not exactly on everyone’s radar as a prospect. He attended DeWitt Clinton high school, and had visions of playing on their basketball team. However, the coaching staff there didn’t see much potential, and did not bring him on to the varsity team as a sophomore.
This was a difficult pill for Tiny to swallow, but was fortunate to have someone in his corner. Floyd Layne was a well connected sports director in the city, and believed that Archibald could compete at the highest level of high school. Outside of school, the teenager was also gaining fame by playing in high level pickup games at Rucker Park in Harlem.
Taking Layne’s recommendation into consideration, DeWitt Clinton added Archibald to the roster during his junior year. The rest, as they say is history, as he would become one of the most heralded high school players the city had ever seen. He was one of the first players in a line of proud New York City point guards that followed over the years.
Nate Archibald – College
Unfortunately, there was one major obstacle standing in Archibald’s way of continuing his promising basketball career; his grades in the classroom were not very good. His options would be limited because of this, and he would have to expand his horizons if he wanted to keep playing the game he loved at the collegiate level.
The Bronx native would end up leaving New York to play for the University of Texas El-Paso. He likely would’ve been a star playing major college basketball, so his impact at a smaller school in a non-power conference was not at all surprising. For his career at UTEP, he would average exactly 20 points per game. Assist totals were not kept during that time, but he likely was productive in that area as well.
Nate Archibald – Cincinnati Royals
It was going to be interesting to see how Tiny Archibald fared at the NBA level, considering he was only 160 pounds. That was light even for some of the athletes that played back in the day. The Cincinnati Royals selected him with the 19th overall pick in the 1970 NBA Draft. Right away, the former Texas El Paso star would have an opportunity to play for one of the greatest point guards of all time, since Bob Cousy was the head coach at that time.
Although it would be a good learning experience, Cousy also expected a lot out of Archibald because he knew what it took to run a team successfully. Early on in Tiny’s career, he struggled with turnovers, which frustrated the former Celtics legend. That was part of Archibald’s learning curve though, and he would get better at taking care of the ball.
In his second NBA season, he developed into one of the league’s most prolific scorers. He averaged 28 points per game that year, and someone did not make the All-Star team. This snub fueled Tiny for the next several years.
Nate Archibald – Kansas City Omaha Kings
The franchise was not thriving in Cincinnati, so they moved to Kansas City/Omaha ahead of the 1972-1973 season, and changed their nickname to the Kings. Tiny Archibald gave the home fans in his new cities a performance that would never be duplicated again in NBA history. He averaged 34 points per game that year and led the NBA in scoring. Archibald would go on to average over 11 assists that year as well, which paced the NBA in that category as well. It was the first and only time that one player led the entire league in both statistics.
Despite Tiny’s masterful scoring performances, the Kings were not very successful as a team. Cousy would be relieved of his duties during the 1973-1974 season, and Phil Johnson would take over. They would have moderately more success, and made the postseason in Tiny’s final year with the team. They would end up losing in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Nate Archibald – New York Nets
In September 1976, the Kings would trade Tiny Archibald back home to a new NBA team, the New York Nets. The Nets had been one of the four ABA teams that would merge into the NBA, and Archibald would be on the team during its first NBA season. Heading into the 1976-1977 campaign, it seemed like things were trending in a great direction for his career. He would get to represent the city he loved so much, and would appear to get the chance to play on a winning team with Julius Erving.
Unfortunately, Erving would never suit up for the Nets, and the excitement that swirled around the team was gone before the regular season started. It was a difficult year for Archibald, who once again would put up gaudy numbers, but his team would not qualify for the postseason.
Nate Archibald – Boston Celtics
After a bummer of a season, the Nets would trade Archibald to the Buffalo Braves. However, the dynamic point guard would never suit up for them, as he missed the entire 1977-1978 campaign with an Achilles injury. He had difficulty with Achilles pain for several seasons, but he needed to get things right before he returned to the court.
Buffalo(or more accurately, the San Diego Clippers, as they moved before the 1978-1979 season), would send Archibald to the Boston Celtics. It would be a bit of a leap of faith for Boston, who would be taking a gamble on a 30 year old guard coming off of serious injury.
He certainly wasn’t the same player for Boston that he was prior, and the 1978-1979 campaign proved to be more of the same for Tiny. Not only could he not carry the offensive load; the team around him was in a rebuilding state, as they only won 29 games. At this point, it was fair to wonder whether Archibald would just not ever find himself on a winning team.
Everything would change for Archibald, and the franchise in the spring of 1979. Because of their lackluster season the year before, they had a high pick in that draft. With the sixth overall selection they took Larry Bird.
The team’s fortunes completely took off, as Boston went from Eastern Conference doormats to legitimate contenders for the NBA title. While Bird was the main missing link, Tiny Archibald was still a major part of the team. He started all 80 games in the 1979-1980 season, which was a great sign from a health perspective. He would also be named to the All-Star game for the first time since his final season in Kansas City. Earlier in his career, he would be chosen for this honor based on his ability to score at will, and for his prodigious numbers. At this stage, his numbers were much more modest, but he was being recognized for his contributions on a great team.
The 1980-1981 campaign would end up being a magical one in Boston. They would breeze through the regular season, winning 62 games. After sweeping the Chicago Bulls, they would face a difficult test against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Only Erving, who Archibald thought he would play with on the Nets, stood in the way of the team making the NBA Finals. Boston was able to outlast Philadelphia, setting up a matchup with the Houston Rockets. The Celtics would defeat them in six games to win the NBA championship. In the clinching victory, Tiny Archibald scored 13 points and dished out 12 assists.
Archibald would spend two more seasons with the Celtics, and get named to another All-Star team , making that six for him in his career. In the 1982-1983 season, his role with the team would change, as head coach Bill Fitch would elect to deploy him off the bench for most games. Boston would end up losing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals that year to Philadelphia, which would also mark the end of Tiny’s great run with the Celtics.
Nate Archibald – Milwaukee Bucks
During the summer of 1983, the Celtics decided to move on from an aging Archibald. The 34 year old point guard might have been inclined to call it a career at that point, having achieved individual and team success on the highest level.
However, he would continue his career for one more season with the Milwaukee Bucks. They gave him another opportunity to start, but it was apparent that the Bronx native could not contribute too much more to the game. He only played in 46 contests for the Bucks, with pedestrian numbers.
Nate Archibald – Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Nate Tiny Archibald would be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. His enshrinement was a testament to the incredible talent he possessed at his size, but also the unwavering work ethic he relied on to get him out of difficult circumstances growing up in the Bronx.
Who did Nate Archibald play for?
Nate “Tiny” Archibald played for a few different teams during his 13 year NBA career. He started off playing for the Cincinnati Royals, and then the Kansas City/Omaha Kings. The Royals and Kings were not technically two different teams; the Royals franchise rebranded and relocated. After six years with the franchise, Archibald(originally from The Bronx) went home to play for the New York Nets. After missing a whole season due to an Achilles injury, he would end up playing five seasons with the Boston Celtics. Nate Archibald would round out his NBA career playing one last year for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Where did Tiny Archibald go to college?
Nate “Tiny Archibald” became a renowned New York City high school and pickup game legend. It would have made sense for him to stay in the city to play his college basketball to grow his legend within the five boroughs. However, Archibald struggled to keep up his grades in school, which limited his basketball options at the next level. He would end up going very from home to start the next chapter of his athletic career. He played for the University of Texas-El Paso, who were happy to land such a premier prospect. He averaged 20 points per game during his college career.
What was Nate Archibald known for?
Nate Archibald was primarily known for a few things during his basketball career. First of all, his nickname “Tiny”, pretty much gives away what his physical frame was. Despite his short and skinny physique, Archibald found ways to score the ball and make plays at historic clips. In his third NBA season, he led the league in both points per game and assists per game, something that has only been accomplished once in history. Later in his career, he joined the Boston Celtics, and was the starting point guard on the 1981 championship team. It was the first title of his career.
