| No. 0, 6 | |
|---|---|
| Power forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Date of birth | December 16, 1959 |
| Place of birth | Bernice, Louisiana |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Mansfield (Mansfield, Louisiana) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Notre Dame (1977–1981) |
| NBA Draft | 1981 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall |
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
| Pro career | 1981–1996 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1981–1986 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1986–1988 | New Jersey Nets |
| 1988–1990 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1990–1991 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1991–1993 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1993 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1993–1994 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1994–1995 | Benetton Treviso (Italy) |
| 1995–1996 | Buckler Bologna (Italy) |
| As coach: | |
| 1998–1999 | Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA) |
| 2007–2008 | Houston Takers (ABA) |
| 2008–2009 | Arizona Rhinos (ABA) |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 13,623 (16.0 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,696 (4.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,609 (1.9 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Orlando Vernada Woolridge (born December 16, 1959 in Bernice, Louisiana) is a former professional basketball player in the NBA.
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Woolridge was born in Bernice, Louisiana, a town dependent on the lumber industry. After attending local schools, he went to the University of Notre Dame, where he played collegiate basketball. He played in the Final Four in 1978 as a freshman with teammate Bill Laimbeer (the two would later reunite as teammates of the Detroit Pistons during the 1990s). Woolridge helped guide Notre Dame to NCAA tournament appearances in 1980 and 1981. As a senior in 1981, Woolridge made a last-second fall-away jumper to end #1 Virginia's 28-game winning streak; he also earned second team All-American status that year.
Woolridge was selected sixth in the 1981 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, where he played for his first five seasons. During the 1984-85 season, Woolridge averaged 22.9 points/game and combined with rookie teammate Michael Jordan to average over 51 points/game. At 6'9" 215 lbs, Woolridge's exceptionally strong legs and lean body made him one of the most gifted dunkers in professional basketball. While unstoppable on the open court, his one-dimensional play did not complement Jordan's skills. He moved on to the New Jersey Nets for the 1986-87 season, in which he averaged 20.7 points/game. After playing 19 games during the 1987-88 season, Woolridge was suspended by the league for violation of the league substance abuse policy.
With his career in jeopardy, he signed on as a role player with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons. Under coach Pat Riley, the Lakers used Woolridge's skills to provide an offensive spark off the bench. His athletic abilities meshed better with the passing skills of Magic Johnson than when he was teamed with Jordan. His 55.6% field goal percentage during the 1989-90 season was 5th in the league.
Woolridge was traded to the Denver Nuggets, which played an unusual novelty hurry-up offense under head coach Paul Westhead (1990–91). The prolific offense resulted in Woolridge's averaging 25.1 points/game and a career high 6.8 rebounds/game, but did not result in many team wins. For a substantial period of the year, Woolridge led the NBA in scoring, but he missed almost half of the season due to an eye injury.
After his only season in Denver, Woolridge played with the Detroit Pistons the entire 1991-1992 season. He split the 1992-1993 season between Detroit and the Milwaukee Bucks, and finished his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers (1993–1994). He holds NBA career averages of 16.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
He played professionally in Italy for Benetton Treviso (1994–95, won the European Cup and Italian Cup under Mike D'Antoni) and Buckler Bologna (1995–96) (won Italian Supercup).
After retiring as a player, Woolridge coached the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA in 1998 and 1999. Woolridge currently coaches the Arizona Rhinos of the ABA.
Orland Woolridge's son Renaldo Woolridge studies at the University of Tennessee, and, 6'8", he plays for the Volunteers basketball team. His younger son Royce Woolridge started at the University of Kansas in the fall of 2010. Standing 6'2", he also plays collegiate basketball there.[1]
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