Tommy Burleson

Quick Facts

Full Name	Tommy Burleson
Occupation	Basketball Player
Date Of Birth	Feb 24, 1952(1952-02-24)
Age	72
Birthplace	Crossnore
Country	United States
Birth City	North Carolina
Horoscope	Aquarius

Tommy Burleson Biography

Tommy Burleson is one of the most popular and richest Basketball Player who was born on February 24, 1952 in Crossnore, North Carolina, United States. Tom Loren Burleson (born February 24 1952) is a famous American professional basketball player who played in the past. A 7’2” wing, Burleson played for North Carolina State University’s 1974 NCAA national team.

Prior to the 1974 NBA draft, it seemed like a given that Burleson was going to be picked to the Phoenix Suns. However, since Seattle made a trade of Dick Snyder to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the final moments and the Sonics had the option to choose before the Suns and the two teams competed to sign a deal with Burleson. After weighing both offers, Burleson picked Seattle.

As a collegian, Burleson teamed with All-American David Thompson, guard Monte Towe and forward Tim Stoddard (who would go on to have success as a Major League Baseball pitcher) to dethrone UCLA and win the 1974 NCAA Championship. Burleson was the MVP of the 1973 and 1974 ACC Tournaments and was All-Final Four in 1974. Burleson’s defense of UCLA superstar Bill Walton was key to the Wolfpack’s semifinal win. He was a member of the 1973 World University Games Gold Medal basketball team.

In 1983 Burleson founded the Tommy Burleson Basketball Camp, which is held in collaboration with the Avery County Parks and Recreation Department in North Carolina.

The Seattle SuperSonics as the third overall pick during the 1974 NBA Draft, Burleson entered the league alongside Artis Gilmore, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the title of the most tall active NBA player with seven feet two inches. The team was named as a member of the 1974-1975 NBA All-Rookie Team. Under the guidance of Coach Bill Russell, Burleson recorded excellent playoff performances in 1977 and 1975 for Seattle. For his time in the playoffs, Burleson averaged 20.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game over 15 games played in the playoffs. The second season he played as a professional turned out to be his best with an average of 15.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. As he was beginning to make his mark in the NBA the injury occurred when he was by a fight that was brewing between the teammate and a rival teammate. This injury was the catalyst for his decline steadily throughout the following years.

Tommy Burleson Net Worth

Tommy Burleson is one of the richest Basketball Player from United States. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Tommy Burleson 's net worth $5 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)

Burleson was also a part from his team in 1971 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team which was unable to win a controversial gold-medal game against Russia’s Soviet Union. The whole 2002 Olympic Basketball team believed they were cheated and decided unanimously to reject the gold.

In the 1972 Olympics which took place at Munich, Burleson unwittingly walked into a parking space in which were the Israeli hostages were taken before they were taken via helicopter out of the Olympic village, and then killed. Burleson was shackled against the wall by one of the terrorists and instructed not to look or move at the hostages while they walked across the lot. Burleson is the sole athlete who was in contact with Israeli Olympians for 45 minutes prior to when they passed away.

When Burleson was recruited he was officially measured at 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) tall, but the coaching staff at North Carolina State decided to list him at 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m). Burleson wanted to be listed at his actual height but the coaching staff said he would officially be the tallest player in American basketball and it would bring a lot of good exposure to him and the school. The ploy worked and Burleson was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1974.

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Tommy Burleson height 7 ft 2 in Tommy weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Who is Tommy Burleson Dating?

According to our records, Tommy Burleson is possibily single & has not been previously engaged. As of December 1, 2023, Tommy Burleson’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record : We have no records of past relationships for Tommy Burleson. You may help us to build the dating records for Tommy Burleson!

Facts & Trivia

Tommy Ranked on the list of most popular Basketball Player. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in United States. Tommy Burleson celebrates birthday on February 24 of every year.

Where is Tommy Burleson now?

After basketball, Tommy returns to the mountains of Avery County. He and his wife Denise have three sons, Robert, David, and Quentin. Tommy has been the Director of Inspections and Planning for Avery County for many years now, as well as a grower and seller of Christmas trees.

Did Tommy Burleson play in the NBA?

Burleson was known throughout his amateur and pro career as a good shot blocker. He played seven seasons in the NBA with Seattle, the Kansas City Kings and the Atlanta Hawks.

How tall was tom Burleson?

7′ 2″

Who did Tommy Burleson play for?

All teams

Who won the NCAA basketball championship in 1974?

NC State Wolfpack men’s basketball