Offensive Game
Three-time scoring champion and 1975 MVP. A revolutionary offensive big for his era — could shoot from beyond the modern three-point arc, score in the post, and attack the rim. One of the most prolific scorers of the 1970s.
Career Journey
Robert Allen McAdoo Jr. is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a five-time NBA All-Star and named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1975. He won two NBA championships in four consecutive trips to the Finals in four years with the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s. In 2000, McAdoo was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
Offensive Game
Three-time scoring champion and 1975 MVP. A revolutionary offensive big for his era — could shoot from beyond the modern three-point arc, score in the post, and attack the rim. One of the most prolific scorers of the 1970s.
Defensive Game
Solid defender who could protect the rim and rebound ferociously. Not a primary defensive anchor but provided credible two-way value at his position during his Braves years.
Intangibles
North Carolina-calibrated basketball intelligence shaped by Dean Smith — one of the most sophisticated coaching minds of the century. McAdoo's understanding of angles, positioning, and shot selection was exceptional.
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
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Buffalo Braves
1972-1976
New York Knicks
1976-1979
Boston Celtics
1979
Detroit Pistons
1979-1981
New Jersey Nets
1981
Los Angeles Lakers
1981-1985
Philadelphia 76ers
1985
Los Angeles Clippers
1986-1988
Personal Life & Family
Status
Married
Parents & Siblings
Off the Court
Greensboro NC youth basketball programs
North Carolina alumni basketball development
Did You Know?
McAdoo's 34.5 PPG in 1974-75 remains one of the highest scoring averages in NBA history — a season in which he also won the MVP Award while playing for an expansion franchise that had never reached the Finals.
He played in the NBA for 14 seasons across eight different teams — a journey that required constant adaptation and that produced championships with the Lakers almost a decade after his prime years with Buffalo.
McAdoo was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000, receiving the recognition his playing career earned even though his most celebrated seasons came on a franchise (the Buffalo Braves/Clippers) that has largely been forgotten.
He later became a successful NBA assistant coach with the Miami Heat, helping coach Dwyane Wade and the 2006 championship team — making him one of a small group of NBA players who won championships both as a player and on a coaching staff.
Career Honors
NBA MVP (1975)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1973)
3x NBA Scoring Champion (1974-1976)
2x NBA Champion (1982, 1985 with Lakers)
5x NBA All-Star
NBA champion as assistant coach with Miami Heat (2006)
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2000)
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