WAYNE HIGHTOWER
HIGHTOWER, WAYNE A.
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA (Overbrook HS)
| CATEGORY | TOTAL | 1960 | 1961 | |
| YEAR | So. | Jr. | ||
| POSITION | D/F | C/F | ||
| HEIGHT | 6'8 | 6'8 | ||
| WEIGHT | 192 | 192 | ||
| JERSEY | ||||
| Games Played/Started | 53/ | 28/ | 25/ | |
| Points | 1128 | 611 | 517 | |
| Per Game | 21.3 | 21.8 | 20.7 | |
| Rebounds | 573 | 282 | 291 | |
| Per Game | 10.8 | 10.1 | 11.6 | |
| FG: Attempts | 993 | 512 | 481 | |
| Made | 401 | 209 | 192 | |
| Percent | 40.4 | 40.8 | 39.9 | |
| FT: Attempts | 484 | 285 | 199 | |
| Made | 326 | 193 | 133 | |
| Percent | 67.4 | 67.7 | 66.8 | |
| Production Points/Game | ||||
| Production Points/Minute |
1960: Lettered, Starter, All Big 8, Conference Scoring Champ
1961: lettered, Starter, All Big 8
KU lost all-leaguer Wayne Hightower after his junior season ('61) but that was due to grades and a need for money via pro play in Europe.
Source: Bill Mayer, KUSports.com 3/30/03
PROFESSIONAL CAREER:
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Procareer: |
1960-61 |
Round drafted: 1 |
San Francisco Warriors |
1962-64 |
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Baltimore Bullets |
1964-66 |
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Detroit Pistons |
1967 |
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Denver Rockets (ABA) |
1967-69 |
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Los Angeles Stars (ABA) |
1969-70 |
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Utah Stars (ABA) |
1970 |
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Texas Chaparrals (ABA) |
1971 |
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Carolina Cougars (ABA) |
1971-72 |
Link to pro stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hightwa01.html
http://www.databasebasketball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=HightWa01
Wayne
A. Hightower
(born January 14, 1940, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a retired American
basketball player who had a long and productive career in the NBA and ABA during
the 1960s and early 1970s. He is 6'8", played power forward and center
positions.
Hightower went to Kansas, and after graduation moved to Spain and signed for
Real Madrid, whom he led to a domestic championship and the final of the
European Champions Cup, which the team lost.
He was drafted in the 1962 NBA Draft at the 7th spot overall by the San
Francisco Warriors, with whom he played for 3 seasons. The pinnacle of his NBA
career came with the Warriors, together with fellow Philadelphia native Wilt
Chamberlain he reached the 1964 NBA Finals. Hightower recorded his best season
that year, averaging 13.2 and 7.2 PG. He later played for several other teams,
moving to play in the ABA in 1967 before retiring in 1972.
______________________
Wayne Hightower (Overbrook)
Class of 1958
One of the city's early
basketball sensations, Hightower followed Wilt Chamberlain at Overbrook and
Kansas. Hightower was a starter on the 1957 and 1958 Public League and City
Championships teams. In the 1958 City Title Game he registered 23 points and 18
rebounds, as Overbook finished undefeated at 22-0. At Kansas, he excelled as
well earning All-American Honors and performing admirably in the NCAA
Tournament. Eventually he was the 5th pick in the NBA Draft. Hightower was a
consistent player throughout his NBA career. He was also very influential in the
rise to promience of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when he joined
the league during the twilight of his career, he gave the upstart league
legitimacy in the eyes of the basketball Public.