Doug Collins

:This article is about the United States basketball figure. For the Canadian columnist, see Doug Collins (columnist).

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Paul Douglas Collins (born July 28, 1951 in Christopher, Illinois), better known as Doug Collins, is a former NBA basketball player and announcer who has also been the head coach of a number of NBA teams.

Related Topics:
July 28 - 1951 - Christopher, Illinois - NBA - Basketball

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Collins enjoyed a successful high school career in his home state, after which he went on to become one of the best college players in his country. He chose to play for a college that was close to the area where he grew up, when, in 1969, he began attending Illinois State University.

Related Topics:
High school - College - 1969 - Illinois State University

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He graduated from that college in 1972, then he was chosen to represent the United States at the infamous 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. Those games are mainly remembered for two things: The terrorist attack that left several Israeli athletes dead, and the gold medal basketball game between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Related Topics:
1972 - United States - 1972 Summer Olympics - Munich, Germany - Terrorist attack - Israel - Soviet Union

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Collins was one of the most notable players on that tournament's version of the United States national basketball team. The United States was undefeated in Olympic basketball competition history, and widely expected to remain undefeated after these Olympics.

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With time having apparently expired in the gold medal game, the United States had a 71-70 lead and seemed to have secured yet another gold medal. However, in a very controversial move, it was decided by the game's referees that there were still three seconds left to play, allowing the Soviet Union to have one more chance, which they utilized to make a lay-up, and give the United States its first ever Olympic loss by a 72-71 margin.

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Collins and his teammates have remained upset of the outcome of the game ever since. They refused to accept the Olympic silver medal during the medal ceremony, and, even as the International Olympic Committee approached him and the rest of his teammates about thirty years later to see if they accepted the medal, they refused. Collins has been interviewed several times for television documentaries to talk about that game, and he still expresses anger and disappointment when reminded of it.

Related Topics:
International Olympic Committee - Television - Documentaries

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After that controversial game, Collins went on to be drafted by the Denver Nuggets of the ABA. In a 1973 supplementary draft, he was chosen by the New York Nets. Despite being drafted by ABA teams, he never played in that league, making his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers during the 1973-1974 season. He only played 25 games his first year as a 76er, averaging 8 points per game.

Related Topics:
Denver Nuggets - ABA - 1973 - New York Nets - Philadelphia 76ers - 1974

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His numbers improved substancially over the next few seasons, scoring almost 18 points and dishing out 2.6 assists while grabbing almost 4 rebounds per game in 81 games played during the 1974-75 season, and then scoring 20.8 points per game and grabbing four rebounds per game in the 1975-76 season.

Related Topics:
75 - 76

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He kept scoring an average of about 19 points and grabbing an average of about four rebounds per game for the next three seasons, becoming an important player in the 76ers team that reached the NBA Finals during the 1976-1977 season. Although he was teamed with Julius Erving, among others, the 76ers could not overcome Bill Walton and the Portland Trailblazers in those finals, losing four games to two.

Related Topics:
NBA Finals - 1977 - Julius Erving - Bill Walton - Portland Trailblazers

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During the 1978-79 season, Collins suffered a serious injury, which limited him to only 47 games that year, and eventually forced him into retirement as a basketball player. His last season was the 1980-81 season, where he could only play 12 games before announcing his retirement.

Related Topics:
1978 - 79 - 1980 - 81

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Collins scored a total of 7,427 points in 415 NBA games, for an average of 17.9 points per game, while grabbing 1,339 rebounds for 3.2 per game and passing for 1,368 assists, averaging 3.3 assists a game. As the three point shots were new to basketball when Collins retired, he only took one of those during his NBA career, missing it.

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Collins later on resurfaced as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from the middle to the late 1980s, becoming Michael Jordan's first NBA coach. Although the Bulls had a string of playoff appearances during Collins' tenure, they were unable to win a championship, and Collins was replaced by his assistant, Phil Jackson.

Related Topics:
Chicago Bulls - 1980s - Michael Jordan - Phil Jackson

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Collins then, in 1995 was named the head coach of the Detroit Pistons, He served in Detroit until 1997 when he was fired at the end of the season and replaced by Alvin Gentery.

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Collins then became a television broadcaster, working for many years at various networks, such as NBC and TNT. He worked as a broadcaster for about a decade and a half, before being hired to coach again, by the Washington Wizards, before the start of the 2001-2002 NBA season. After the Wizards fired Collins following the 2002-2003 season Collins returned to announcing games for TNT.

Related Topics:
NBC - TNT - Washington Wizards - 2001 - 2002 - 2003

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In eight seasons as an NBA head coach, Collins amassed a 332-287 won-loss record (.536 winning percentage) and a 15-23 won-loss record in the playoffs (.395).

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