Retired Numbers: Wes Unseld





VIDEO


Take a look at this video tribute of Unseld, which includes interviews from his teammates and opponents as well as video of his world famous outlet pass.

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  • #41 Wes Unseld
    As a player, Wes Unseld seemed to have been chiseled from a block of granite, with a stoic demeanor and an iron resolve to win. A 6-7 bull of a center, he forged his reputation on relentless rebounding, bone-jarring picks, and laser-beam outlet passes. He did all the unspectacular things that led to glamorous victories. He was the league's MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1968-69 and a five-time NBA All-Star who captained the Baltimore and Washington Bullets to four NBA Finals appearances in the 1970s and to a championship in 1977-78.


    Bio
    Full Name: Wesley Sissel Unseld
    Born: March 14, 1946 in Louisville, Ky.
    Height: 6-7 Weight: 245 lbs.
    College: Louisville
    Drafted by: Baltimore Bullets, 1968 (second overall)
    Honors: Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame (1988); NBA Rookie of the Year (1969); NBA MVP (1969); All NBA First Team (1969); NBA All-Star (1969-'73, '75); NBA Champion (1978); NBA Finals MVP (1978); J. Walter Kennedy Citzenship Award (1975); One of the Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).

  • Click here for a complete bio
  • Franchise Records
    1st all-time in games played - 984
    3rd all-time in total points - 10,624
    1st all-time in minutes played - 35,832
    3rd all-time in field goals made - 4,369
    6th all-time in field goals attempted - 8,586
    7th all-time in free throws made - 1,883
    3rd all-time in free throws attempted - 2,976
    1st all-time in total rebounds - 13,769
    2nd all-time in rebounds per game - 14.0
    1st all-time in assists - 3,822
    4th all-time in steals - 628

    Franchise Playoff Records
    1st all-time in games played - 119
    2nd all-time in total points - 1,260
    1st all-time in minutes played - 4,889
    2nd all-time in field goals made - 522
    1st all-time in field goal percentage - .493
    2nd all-time in free throws made - 234
    1st all-time in total rebounds - 1,777
    1st all-time in assists - 453

    CAREER STATS AS A BULLET
    YEAR
    G
    MIN
    PTS
    PPG
    FGM
    FGA
    PCT
    FTM
    FTA
    PCT
    REB
    RPG
    AST
    APG
    1968-69
    82
    2970
    1131
    13.8
    427
    897
    .476
    277
    458
    .605
    1491
    18.2
    213
    2.6
    1969-70
    82
    3234
    1325
    16.2
    526
    1015
    .518
    273
    428
    .638
    1370
    16.7
    291
    3.5
    1970-71
    74
    2904
    1047
    14.1
    424
    846
    .501
    199
    303
    .657
    1253
    16.9
    293
    4.0
    1971-72
    76
    3171
    989
    13.0
    409
    822
    .498
    171
    272
    .629
    1336
    17.6
    278
    3.7
    1972-73
    79
    3085
    991
    12.5
    421
    854
    .493
    149
    212
    .703
    1260
    15.9
    347
    4.4
    1973-74
    56
    1727
    328
    5.9
    146
    333
    .438
    36
    55
    .655
    517
    9.2
    159
    2.8
    1974-75
    73
    2904
    672
    9.2
    273
    544
    .502
    126
    184
    .685
    1077
    14.8
    297
    4.1
    1975-76
    78
    2922
    750
    9.6
    318
    567
    .561
    114
    195
    .585
    1036
    13.3
    404
    5.2
    1976-77
    82
    2860
    640
    7.8
    270
    551
    .490
    100
    166
    .602
    877
    10.7
    363
    4.4
    1977-78
    80
    2644
    607
    7.6
    257
    491
    523
    93
    173
    .538
    955
    11.9
    326
    4.1
    1978-79
    77
    2406
    843
    10.9
    346
    600
    .577
    151
    235
    .643
    830
    10.8
    315
    4.1
    1979-80
    82
    2973
    794
    9.7
    327
    637
    .513
    139
    209
    .665
    1094
    13.3
    366
    4.5
    1980-81
    63
    2032
    507
    8.0
    225
    420
    .524
    55
    86
    .640
    673
    10.7
    170
    2.7
    Totals
    984
    35832
    10624
    10.8
    4369
    8586
    .509
    1883
    2976
    .633
    13769
    14.0
    3822
    3.9

    PLAYOFF STATS AS A BULLET
    YEAR
    G
    MIN
    PTS
    PPG
    FGM
    FGA
    PCT
    FTM
    FTA
    PCT
    REB
    RPG
    AST
    APG
    1968-69
    4
    165
    75
    18.8
    30
    57
    .526
    15
    19
    .789
    74
    18.5
    5
    1.3
    1969-70
    7
    289
    73
    10.4
    29
    70
    .414
    15
    19
    .789
    165
    23.6
    24
    3.4
    1970-71
    18
    759
    238
    13.2
    98
    208
    .462
    46
    81
    .568
    339
    18.8
    69
    3.8
    1971-72
    6
    266
    74
    12.3
    32
    65
    .492
    10
    19
    .526
    75
    12.5
    25
    4.2
    1972-73
    5
    201
    49
    9.8
    20
    48
    .417
    9
    19
    .474
    76
    15.2
    17
    3.4
    1973-74
    7
    297
    71
    10.1
    31
    63
    .492
    9
    15
    .600
    85
    12.1
    27
    3.9
    1974-75
    17
    734
    182
    10.7
    71
    130
    .546
    40
    61
    .656
    276
    16.2
    64
    3.8
    1975-76
    7
    310
    49
    7.0
    18
    39
    .462
    13
    24
    .542
    85
    12.1
    28
    4.0
    1976-77
    9
    368
    67
    7.4
    30
    54
    .556
    7
    12
    .583
    105
    11.7
    44
    4.9
    1977-78
    18
    677
    169
    9.4
    71
    134
    .530
    27
    46
    .587
    216
    12.0
    79
    4.4
    1978-79
    19
    736
    195
    10.3
    78
    158
    .494
    39
    64
    .609
    253
    13.3
    64
    3.4
    1979-80
    2
    87
    8
    9.0
    7
    14
    .500
    4
    6
    .667
    28
    14.0
    7
    3.5
    Totals
    119
    4889
    1260
    10.6
    513
    1040
    .493
    234
    385
    .608
    1777
    14.9
    453
    3.8

    Wes Unseld Quotes
    "I'm a Bullet. I've always been a Bullet, and I always will be."

    "I know that night in and night out the guy I play against will have more physical ability, but I feel like if I go out against a guy and play him 40 or 48 minutes a game or whatever, toe to toe, head to head, he is going to get tired or beat up or bored for two or three minutes. That will be enough to make sure he doesn't win the game for his team."

    ''I didn't do anything very pretty. My contributions were in the intangibles. But they were the type of things that help to lead a team.''

    Phil Chenier on Unseld
    "He was amazing. "He was only (6-7) but would say, 'Don't worry about the boards.' There has never been anyone better at rebounding, outlet passes and setting picks."