One of the most underrated and overlooked players in NBA history, Sidney Moncrief was a 6 feet 4 inches guard known for his versatility on the court. Sometimes compared to Michael Jordan, he could do everything at a high level, at least, but his tenacious and terrific defense was probably the greater aspect of his game. Despite having his prime cut short by injuries, he still had a stellar career with five All-Star appearances and a spot in the Hall of Fame was long overdue.
Sidney Moncrief – Early life
Moncrief grew up in housing projects in East Little Rock, Arkansas, where he learned the importance of defending himself and what was his. He played a lot of sports, mainly basketball and football, but fistfights were used to settle many playground squabbles instead of points.
Sidney’s mother, on the other hand, was a terror, in a good way. She was an overbearing taskmaster who expected her son to complete every activity on his list before she returned from work. When she got home, they had to be completed – or else.
Moncrief said that his mother always made sure he did things right. It was because of this discipline that Moncrief would not do anything halfway.
Sidney Moncrief – Hall High School
Moncrief’s upbringing was marked by a strong competitive spirit in the family. Moncrief could be an outstanding student in the classroom when he was against the wall. As a senior at Hall High School in 1975, Moncrief needed to improve his grade point average from 2.3 to qualify for a basketball scholarship from the University of Arkansas. Moncrief graduated with a 3.8 and signed with the Razorbacks the following year after raising his grade point average by 1.5.
College career
In college, Moncrief was a bright spot. Eddie Sutton recognized his defense for the Razorbacks which earned him praise across the country. His capacity to move inside was just as good. Together with Marcin Delph and Ron Brewer, Moncrief was a member of a highly-regarded, enjoyable college team. During his four years at Arkansas, he had tremendous .606 accuracy from the field, finishing among the top players in the nation each season.
When Moncrief went to the University of Arkansas, he was a 6′ 4″ small forward and member of the Ron Brewer-Marvin Delph-led Triplets. The trio got the moniker “The Triplets” because of their on-court play together. Moncrief claims, however, that “The Triplets” were overhyped by the media and they never saw themselves as something outstanding.
Having won the Southwest Conference in 1977, they followed up with advancement to NCAA’s Final Four.
In 1979, Arkansas made it back to the NCAA tournament but lost by a point to Larry Bird and Indiana State University. Bird later praised Moncrief, calling him strong, flawless in form, and knowledgeable about the game.
Sidney Moncrief – NBA career
The Milwaukee Bucks, in their fourth season under Don Nelson, were in need of a tough guard to fortify the physical combination of Junior Bridgeman and Marques Johnson.
The Milwaukee Bucks took Moncrief in as the fifth pick in 1979, behind, for instance, Magic Johnson. The Bucks managed to acquire Bob Lanier, who, although quite old for an NBA player, was still really good.
Sidney Moncrief – Milwaukee Bucks and humble beginnings
While Moncrief’s rookie season was far from exceptional, the Milwaukee Bucks were on their way to great improvement. From third place in their division, the Bucks managed to fight their way to number one and finished the season with 49 wins, marking their first year of the seven-year-long streak of division titles. Still, the powerful teams in the form of the Sixers and Celtics would go on to eliminate Milwaukee throughout their streak of playoff appearances.
Moncrief played in almost all games during his initial 1979-80 season and managed to average 8.5 ppg, not too shabby for a rookie. His second year was far better with an average of 14 points. Although Moncrief brought value, the Bucks lost to the 76ers after winning 60 games in the regular season. Philadelphia’s victory was all but easy: Milwaukee put up a respectable fight and took the match to Game 7 where they lost 99-98.
Sidney Moncrief – Further improvements
As time went by, Moncrief was getting more and more comfortable with his still quite new job in the NBA. His stats have grown to 19.8 points per game as well as 6.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists. This year would prove to be the best when it came to his rebounding. Making an appearance in 80 contests and showing tenacity on the court, he was named a member of the All-Defensive and All-Star team, marking the premier year of the five straight seasons where he got the honors.
In the next few years, Moncrief, who was on the shorter side of the NBA, decided to practice his jumping abilities to narrow the gap between him and bigger guys. This paid off as the following seasons saw him getting an average of 20 ppg as well as totals of no less than 300 assists and 330 rebounds, making him one of the best all-around basketball players.
To give you an idea of how good Sidney Moncrief was at defense: the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award was created because of him to honor the defensive skills of NBA players in 1982-83. As such, he was the first player in NBA history to earn that trophy. This season became one of his best with his contributions of 22.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, as well as 3.9 assists per game. His field accuracy was not too shabby as well with 52.4%. Apart from influencing the NBA to create an award, he also got a spot in the All-NBA First Team. Moncrief won two consecutive Defensive Player of the Year.
Sidney Moncrief – Man of many talents
Soon enough, he was the talk of the town. Some experts argued that he was the best when it came to versatility. He did everything and always tried to back up his team with leadership and being everywhere on the court. It was hard to find another player who could contribute this amount of utility.
While the team was well-rounded and Moncrief was playing his heart out, the Bucks couldn’t make their way through the playoffs. Even though they managed to defeat the powerful Celtics with their star player Larry Bird in the conference semifinals, Philadelphia’s team appeared to be even better. That was also the year when the Sixers won the NBA finals versus the Lakers in just four games.
Almost the same thing happened the next season of 1983-84 except they lost with the Celtics this time. Boston would go on to win the title against the Lakers.
In 1984-85, after sweeping the Bulls in only four games, Milwaukee was once again eliminated by their nemesis Celtics, even though they won 59 games and the division title. Despite winning the title again a year later, plowing the Nets in three games and eliminating the Sixers in tough seven games, Celtics proved to be too strong taking the match home in only four games.
Sidney Moncrief – Knee troubles and other health issues
The following year, Milwaukee had started to decline and lost the division title to the Atlanta Hawks. Moncrief had a difficult season, with knee and foot ailments plaguing him all year, limiting him to just 43 games and a measly 11.8 points per game average. In the postseason, they managed to get past Philadelphia, but the Celtics had their own plans, taking the victory in a difficult seven games.
“When you play against Moncrief, you’re in for a night of all-around basketball,” said Jordan, in 1986. “He’ll hound you everywhere you go, both ends of the court. You just expect it.”
In 1987-88, Milwaukee were still going down a slope. Their poor performance was surely affected by Moncrief’s new health problems. Tendinitis and neck pain hindered his ability to play. The knee problem was also developing. His cartilage was getting ground against the bone because of his unnaturally-high kneecaps and he had to go through surgery to remove a part of a bone at some point over the season. It was the second season straight where he put up low (for his standards) numbers of 10.8 ppg, with showing up for only 56 games.
Sidney Moncrief – Change of uniform
The next season was Moncrief’s last with the Bucks. A second-highest scorer for the team behind the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he bounced back when recovering from the injury and posted 12.1 points over 62 games. Apart from being on the podium for the best scorers, Moncrief was also first in free throws, second in games played and assists, and fourth in rebounds.
Sidney Moncrief – Atlanta Hawks
Sidney Moncrief’s short bout with the Atlanta Hawks was less than impressive, as he has been moved from a key player role to the bench. While he appeared on the court in 72 games of his last season, he wasn’t happy with just over 15 minutes and 4.7 points per game. And so, Moncrief’s career came to an end.
Sidney Moncrief – Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Moncrief left the league with 15.6 points (11,931 total), 4.7 rebounds (3,575 total), and 3.6 assists (2,793 total) per game. His playoff appearances were a bit better at 16.0, 5.0, and 3.4. Inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019, Moncrief is still regarded as one of the best and most consistent players, even though he wasn’t shining as brightly as Bird or Johnson. Some would argue that he was even better, simply because of his versatility on the court. One thing is known for sure—Moncrief was one of the best.
Sidney Moncrief – Net Worth
Sidney Moncrief, an NBA Hall of Famer, is estimated to have a net worth between $1 million and $5 million. He was a five-time NBA All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks during his 11-year career. After retiring from the NBA in 1991, Moncrief has continued to stay involved in basketball through various business ventures.
What was Sidney Moncrief known for?
Sidney Moncrief was known for being one of the best basketball players of his generation. A five-time NBA All-Star, he was also the first two-time winner of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. In 2019, he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Where is Sidney Moncrief now?
Sidney Moncrief is currently living in the Dallas area with his wife of four years, Takisha. The couple runs Moncrief One Team, corporate coaching, and a motivational program. In addition to running the business, Sidney has also written six books related to the program’s mission.
Why did Sidney Moncrief retire?
In the end, however, Moncrief felt that the toll of injuries had simply become too great. He didn’t want to risk further damage by continuing to play, so he decided to step away from the game. Moncrief left Milwaukee as the franchise’s second-highest scorer, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Who played with Sidney Moncrief on the Bucks?
Alton Lister, Marques Johnson, Terry Cummings, Bob Lanier, Ricky Pierce, Jack Sikma, Moses Malone, Dominique Wilkins, and Kevin Willis all played with Sidney Moncrief on the Bucks. That’s a lot of talent on one team! Sidney was a great player and he was lucky to have such talented teammates.
What was Sidney Moncrief known for?
Even though his number one strength was exceptional defense play, he still put up great numbers in scoring. Still, he decided to focus on what he did best. Moncrief had the instinct of a seasoned player, even early in his professional years. He was great at intercepting passes, extending his arm at the perfect time.
Apart from interceptions, he was also pretty good at steals from dribbling players as well as obstructing attacking players’ view when looking for shots from the perimeter as well as fast breaks. Moncrief made sure that nobody got a free shot in his presence. This didn’t go unnoticed as he won the second straight Defensive Player of the Year for the 1983-84 campaign.
How long did Sidney Moncrief play in the NBA?
Moncrief went on to play 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association, including ten seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. That’s a long time for anyone, let alone a professional athlete. But it’s not surprising when you consider that Moncrief was one of the league’s most consistent players during his tenure.
