Frank Brickowski
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Power forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Weight | 240 lb (110 kg) |
| Born | August 14, 1959 Bayville, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| College | Penn State |
| Draft | 57th overall, 1981 New York Knicks |
| Pro career | 1981–1997 |
| Former teams | Cagiva Varese (1981-1982) Maccabi Tel Aviv (1983-1984) Seattle SuperSonics (1984-1986, 1995-1996) Los Angeles Lakers (1987) San Antonio Spurs (1987-1990) Milwaukee Bucks (1991-1994) Charlotte Hornets (1994) Boston Celtics (1996-1997) |
| Awards | 1980 John Lawther Award |
Francis Anthony (Frank) Brickowski (born August 14, 1959 in Bayville, New York) is a retired American professional basketball player, formerly in the National Basketball Association.
Contents |
[edit] College and overseas career
Brickowski played college basketball for 4 years as a power forward/center for Pennsylvania State University. He won the John Lawther Award in 1980 as Penn State's MVP.[1] Brickowski was selected with the 11th pick of the third round of the 1981 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. The Knicks considered him not quite ready for the NBA, so he began his professional basketball career in Italy.[2] After a year in Italy, he played for another year in France, and the Knicks relinquished their draft rights after the 1982-83 NBA season.[1] Brickowski then played another season overseas for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.
[edit] NBA career
Brickowski signed with the Seattle Supersonics for the 1984-85 NBA season on September 23, 1984, finally being able to play in the NBA.[1] After two decent seasons, he signed on with the Los Angeles Lakers, but only played part of one season before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs, along with Petur Gudmundsson, two draft choices and cash, for Mychal Thompson.[3] Although Brickowski only played 7 games the rest of that season, he played 3 more productive seasons for San Antonio, including scoring a career-high 16 points per game during the 1987-88 NBA season.
During the 1990 off-season, the salary cap went up, which led to Brickowski being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Paul Pressey, which the Bucks agreed to due to an injury to Larry Krystkowiak.[4] He was a productive player during his time in Milwaukee, but it was not without trouble. During the 1991-92 NBA season, Brickowski was found with an ounce of marijuana at his Montana ranch. Brickowski pleaded guilty,[5] and was forced to pay a $2,000 fine and undergo drug counseling.[6] At the 1994 trading deadline, The Bucks traded Brickowski to the Charlotte Hornets with a first-round draft pick for Mike Gminski.[7] After spending the rest of the season with Charlotte, Brickowski signed on with the Sacramento Kings.[8] However, Brickowski injured his shoulder during the preseason. He aggravated the injury in a practice in January, and ended up being lost for the entire 1994-95 NBA season.[9]
Although he had a second year on his contract with the Kings, Brickowski signed on for a second stint with Seattle, in which he became a surprising contributor in terms of three-pointers, hitting 32 of 79 (.405). He helped Seattle make it to the 1996 NBA Finals against Chicago. During that series, Brickowski became notorious in his very physical defense against Dennis Rodman that led to several technical and flagrant fouls. After a season with Seattle, he signed on as a free agent with the Boston Celtics on August 1, 1996.[1] He played 17 games for Boston, and was released July 7, 1997,[1] and retired.
One year after he retired in 1997, he joined a team of retired NBA players on a tour of China for a series of exhibition games against the Chinese national team.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Boston Celtics player statistics: Frank Brickowski. Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
- ^ Sports People; McKoy to Europe. Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
- ^ SPORTS PEOPLE; Moncrief Activated. Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
- ^ SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Salary Cap Goes Up. Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
- ^ Brickowski Pleads Guilty to Marijuana Possession. Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
- ^ SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Brickowski Is Sentenced. Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
- ^ NBA breaks trend with exciting 2001 trading deadline. Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
- ^ SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Kings Tell Tisdale No and Brickowski Yes. Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
- ^ PRO BASKETBALL; Kings' Brickowski Is Lost for Season. Retrieved on 2007-03-05.
- ^ The Big O: News & Background. Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
