18.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 7.4 APG, 47 FG%, 22 3PT%, 81 FT%
“On his way to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Nathaniel “Tiny” Archibald learned all about rising from desperate surroundings to extraordinary heights. It was an education that started early in life and served him well through a 14-year playing career that led him from the lowly Cincinnati Royals to an NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics.
Before retiring at the end of the 1983-84 season, Archibald became the only player ever to lead the league in both scoring and assists in a season (34.0 ppg, 11.4 apg in 1972-73). At the time of his retirement, he also had 6,476 regular-season assists, which ranked ninth among the career leaders. He played in six All-Star Games. And in an era when the game threatened to become the exclusive domain of gargantuan players, the 6-1 Archibald proved that there would always be room for a speedy, smart and creative small man.
Born and raised in the South Bronx’s Patterson housing projects, one of America’s most ravaged neighborhoods, Archibald used his deftness with a basketball to steer clear of the drugs and violence that claimed many of his peers. Fate, fortitude and inspiration from unlikely places helped him persevere to become the pride of Patterson.” [Read]
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[Sources: NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.com]
