Melvin Turpin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Melvin Harrison "Mel" Turpin (born December 28, 1960, in Lexington, Kentucky) is a former American professional basketball player.
A 6'11" center, Turpin attended the University of Kentucky for four seasons before being drafted as the sixth overall pick in the first round by the Washington Bullets in the 1984 NBA Draft, and immediately traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Turpin struggled with his weight, and after five seasons with the Cavaliers, Utah Jazz and the Bullets, he retired. Earning the derisive nicknames "Dinner Bell Mel" and "The Mealman", Turpin would be considered one of the biggest busts in a draft class that included Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton.[1]
As evidenced in post-retirement interviews, however, Turpin maintained a healthy sense of humor in regards to his disappointing career, telling Sports Illustrated: "In my day, they thought the big man was supposed to be thin. They didn't know too much. It was medieval".[2]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- College and NBA stats at basketball-reference.com
|
||||||||
 |
This biographical article relating to a U.S. basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 1960s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
