Scott Wedman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | small forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | July 29, 1952 Harper, Kansas |
| High school | Mullen in Denver, Colorado |
| College | Colorado |
| Draft | 6th overall, 1974 Kansas City Kings |
| Pro career | 1974–present |
| Former teams | Kansas City-Omaha Kings Kansas City Kings Cleveland Cavaliers Boston Celtics Seattle SuperSonics |
Scott Dean Wedman (born July 29, 1952 in Harper, Kansas) is a former NBA basketball player. He was drafted by Kansas City-Omaha Kings in the first round in the 1974 NBA Draft.
Wedman was a prolific shooter. He represented the Kansas City Kings twice in the NBA All-Star Game. During his time in Kansas City, Wedman gained the nickname "The Invisible Hulk" because of his extensive sessions in the weight room. On March 4, 1979, Wedman was involved in a 1-car accident, when his Porsche overturned on a rainy highway in Kansas City. At the time, doctors credited his conditioning with only keeping him out of action for a few games.
He hit a career plateau in 1979-80 and 1980-81, with a scoring average of 19.0 points per game. On January 2, 1980, he scored 45 points in an overtime win at Utah for his career high. Wedman was a key cog in Kansas City's playoff run in 1981. Despite finishing the regular season with a 40-42 record, the Kings caught fire, beating Portland and Phoenix before losing in the Western Conference finals to Houston in five games.
At the 1981 NBA Draft, seeing that the Kings could not afford to keep both Wedman and fellow All-Star Otis Birdsong, Kansas City traded both players to other teams and received far less in value. Wedman was dealt to Cleveland for a first-round draft pick.
The Kansas City franchise went 30-52 in 1981-82 and never approached the same attendance levels at Kemper Arena before owners moved the team to Sacramento in 1985.
Wedman never found the same scoring groove after bring traded to Cleveland, where he averaged only 10.9 points per game in 1981-82.
On January 14, 1983, Wedman was traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics for Darren Tillis and cash. He was instrumental as a key player off the bench in the Celtics' NBA championships in 1984 and 1986. Boston fans remember Wedman's performance in the Memorial Day Massacre, an appellation for Game 1 of the 1985 NBA Finals. Coming off the bench, Wedman hit all 11 of his shots, including four three-pointers, in Boston's 148-114 win over the Lakers. He often spelled Larry Bird and Kevin McHale or replaced them whenever they were injured.
Wedman was also a strict vegetarian during his playing career, not for any moral reasons but for health purposes. For this, Wedman was teased mercilessly by both Bird and McHale in practices and at meals.
On October 16, 1987, he was traded by the Celtics with Sam Vincent to the Seattle SuperSonics for a 1989 second-round draft choice. However, he retired and did not play a game for the SuperSonics.
He coached the now-defunct Kansas City Knights of the American Basketball Association.
Wedman returned to Kansas City where he lives today and operated his real estate business.
