Karl Tilleman

Karl Tilleman
Personal information
Born (1960-11-01) November 1, 1960
Ogden, Utah
Nationality Canadian / American
Listed height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight 183 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school Sir Winston Churchill
(Calgary, Alberta)
College Calgary (1980–1984)
NBA draft 1984 / Round: 4 / Pick: 79th overall
Selected by the Denver Nuggets
Position Shooting guard
Number 30, 32, 7
Career highlights and awards
  • Currently holds Olympic record for most three point baskets in a single game (ten) (tied with Carmelo Anthony and Oscar Schmidt)
  • Named the University of Calgary's greatest athlete of all-time by an online poll, in conjunction with the university's 40th anniversary
  • Broke the Canadian collegiate basketball point-per-game record with 32.9 points-per-game
  • CIAU scoring champion (1982–83)
  • Four-time CIAU All-Canadian (1981–84)
  • Two-time Mike Moser Memorial Trophy Award winner (1982–83), the first to accomplish that feat in back-to-back years
  • Three-time Conference Player of the Year (1981–83)
  • Two-time University of Calgary Male Athlete of the Year (1981, 1983)
  • City of Calgary Male Athlete of the Year (1983)
  • Three-time conference scoring champion (1982–84)
  • Four-time unanimous Canada West University Athletic Association All-Star (1981–84)
Medals
Competitor for  Canada
Universiade
1983 Edmonton National team

Karl Michael Tilleman (born November 1, 1960) is a Canadian basketball player whose respected Olympic-team coach, Jack Donohue, called "the best three-point shooter in the world."[1] Tilleman currently holds the Olympic record for the most three-point baskets in a single game, hitting ten of sixteen three-point shots, and scoring 21 points in a row for Canada, in a game against Spain in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.[2][3] Tilleman's Olympic three-point record has never been broken, but has been tied twice, initially by Oscar Schmidt of Brazil, in 1996, and then by Carmelo Anthony of the USA, in 2012.[4][5][6]

Tilleman had some of his best games against the United States. For example, in the 1983 Pan American Games, Tilleman scored 28 points in a head-to-head showdown with Michael Jordan; Tilleman's "excellent shooting" kept Canada in that tight game, which was tied 15 times.[7][8][9] In the 1987 World University Games, where "Canada challenged the U.S. men all the way," Tilleman again led Canada (and all players) scoring 21 points against a talented U.S. team led by future NBA stars B.J. Armstrong (Chicago Bulls) and Mitch Richmond (Golden State), and coached by the iconic Mike Krzyzewski.[10][11][12]

Tilleman is a two-time Olympian. He had strong performances in both the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where Canada finished fourth, and in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where Canada finished sixth.[13] In the 1988 Olympics, Tilleman was Canada's second leading scorer, had the highest points per minute of any Canadian player, and set the Olympic record for three-point baskets in a single game.[14] In 1984, Tilleman was 6th on the Canadian team in scoring, and again had the highest points per minute of any Canadian player (with a minimum of 50 minutes played).[15] In Canada's initial game against the United States in 1984, where Michael Jordan again led the US, Tilleman scored 10 points, one point less than the team high, while only playing 7 minutes.[16] In the 1984 Olympic bronze-medal game, Tilleman played especially well, and was Canada's second-leading scorer with 13 points (shooting 60% from the field), in a hard-fought loss to Yugoslavia, where Canada had pulled to within one point with one minute left in the game.[17][18]

Tilleman was drafted by the Denver Nuggets as their second draft pick and the 79th overall in 1984,[13] the only player for the University of Calgary Dinos ever drafted by a NBA franchise;[19] Tilleman was the fourth-highest NBA draft pick of any Canadian University (CIAU) basketball player in history.[20]

Tilleman had an unprecedented athletic career at the University of Calgary in Canada. He was voted the University's all-time greatest athlete receiving an astonishing five times more votes than the closest runner-up.[19] Tilleman has been inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.[13] He also has been inducted into the University of Calgary's Hall of Fame and had his jersey retired by the University.[21]

Tilleman and his Canadian teammates shocked the world in 1983 when they captured the men's basketball gold medal at the World Student Games held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.[13] Canada's 1983 gold-medal performance was one of the two finest moments in Canada's rich basketball history (the other was when Canada won the silver medal in men's basketball at the 1936 Berlin Olympics).[22] In winning the 1983 Universiade gold medal, Canada solidly defeated powerhouse teams from the United States and Yugoslavia, both of which were laden with future NBA stars such as Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, and Drazen Petrovic.[22] Canada's 1983 Universiade gold medal, the only gold medal Canada has ever won in international men's basketball competition, has been described as the "Miracle on Wood."[23]

Tilleman was internationally recognized for his "superb shooting" skills with "ballistic range," which allowed him to take games "into his own hands," as he did when he scored 22 points in the second half against Puerto Rico in the 1983 Pan American Games,[24] and when he drained 23 points in a single ten-minute quarter in the 1988 Utah Summer Games.[25] Tilleman's personal record for three-pointers appears to have been set in 1986 against a talented NCAA Division I team, the Montana State Bobcats, who were the 1986 Big Sky Conference champions and were undefeated at home that season. Tilleman lit up the Bobcats scoring 50 points - on the cats' home court - hitting an amazing 13 three pointers and setting a record for the most points in a men's basketball game at Montana State's Worthington Arena.[1]

Tilleman is at the top of the Canadian University basketball record books. He hit every free throw he attempted during the entire 1983-84 regular season, except one, resulting in a record-setting 98% free throw percentage that has never been broken.[26] Tilleman broke the Canadian basketball points-per-game scoring record with a 32.9 points-per-game average (before Canada adopted the three-point line for college basketball).[27] He was named the most outstanding Canadian University male basketball player two years consecutively, the first to accomplish that feat.[13] Tilleman was the Canadian University scoring champion in 1982 and 1983.[21] He was voted a first team All-Canadian 4 consecutive years.[21] And, he broke the University of Calgary's all-time point-per-game record and became Calgary's all-time leading scorer with an average of 25.9 point-per-game (again, before Canada adopted the three-point line).[21] Tilleman was the Canada-West Conference scoring champion for three consecutive years (1982-84), the Conference player of the year for three consecutive years (1981-83), and a unanimous first-team Conference all-star for four consecutive years.[21][28]

In addition to his respected athletic career, Tilleman has distinguished himself as an attorney and in his charitable service in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As a young attorney, he clerked for former Chief Justice Warren Burger and Justice Clarence Thomas, at the United States Supreme Court in 1992-93.[29][30] Tilleman appears to be the only Olympian to clerk for a Justice of the United States Supreme Court.[31] Later in his career, Tilleman became the managing partner of Steptoe & Johnson's Phoenix office,[32] and has held many leadership positions with his firm, while also representing many high-profile companies, including the Harlem Globetrotters, the University of Southern California, AIG, and Metlife, Inc.[29] In the LDS Church, where there is no paid local clergy,[33] Tilleman has served as a bishop and stake president in Phoenix, Arizona, and as mission president of the Canada Vancouver Mission.[32] Tilleman currently serves as an Area Seventy for the church in its North America Southwest Area.[34]

Professional/Legal Career

Tilleman graduated from Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School summa cum laude (with highest distinction), Order of the Coif in 1990 while also serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the BYU Law Review.[29] Tilleman's record-setting performance in the 1988 Olympics was particularly noteworthy in that he was already in his second year of law school, and competing for the top spot in his law-school class, while at the same time training for, and then representing Canada in, the 1988 Olympics.[25]

After graduation, he clerked for Hon. John T. Noonan of the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit from 1990-1991.[29] A year later, Tilleman had the prestigious honor of being selected as a law clerk by both Chief Justice Warren Burger and Justice Clarenece Thomas at the United States Supreme Court from 1992–93.[29][30] No other Canadian Olympian (and it appears no other Olympian from any country) has also been selected as a law clerk by a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.[31]

For the past 15 years Tilleman has been a partner at Steptoe & Johnson, where he was appointed managing partner of Steptoe's Phoenix office;[30][35] Tilleman is currently the Practice Group Leader for Steptoe's world-wide complex commercial disputes practice group, the largest practice group in the firm, and was voted by his partners onto the firm's executive committee.[29] His practice focuses on litigating antitrust, intellectual property, RICO, insurance coverage and bad faith, construction and environmental disputes.[29] He has similarly earned awards and recognition as an attorney, which include being selected to Best Lawyers in America for insurance law from 2011–15, Southwest Super Lawyers for business litigation from 2009–15, Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers for general commercial litigation from 2011–12, and Arizona's Finest Lawyers in 2011.[29] Additionally, Tilleman was interviewed by the White House for an appointment as a Federal Court Judge, but upon realizing that accepting the position would considerably alter his priorities, he declined the offer.[36] His clients include many high-profile insurance, healthcare, money transfer and entertainment companies. In a non-exclusive list, he has represented State Farm, Allstate, AIG, and Metlife in numerous bad-faith actions, Western Union, the University of Southern California in a multi-million antitrust and RICO lawsuit, and he was the lead trial lawyer for the Harlem Globetrotters in an intellectual property action filed in Federal Court by former Globetrotter superstars Meadowlark Lemon, Curly Neal, and others.[29][30]

Charitable/Ecclesiastical Service/Family

In between his Olympic performances, Tilleman served as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in the California Arcadia Mission, speaking Spanish and working in Latino neighborhoods throughout the Los Angeles area.[36] Additionally, while living in Phoenix, he was called to serve as a bishop[32] and as a stake president.[32] On March 26, 2011, he accepted a three-year assignment from the Church to serve as the mission president of the Canada Vancouver Mission.[32] He put his legal practice on hold to fulfill the assignment, which ended on July 1, 2014. While serving as a mission president, Tilleman suffered a devastating fall, after being attacked by a bull mastiff dog, which left him paralyzed from the neck down because of a tear in the center of his spinal cord.[36] He fought to overcome that paralyzing and potentially life-threatening injury to complete his three-year term as a mission president and then continue his practice of law with Steptoe & Johnson.[36] Tilleman was born in Ogden, Utah to hard-working and loving parents, Bill and Jean Tilleman. He moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, as a young boy when his father accepted a teaching position at the University of Calgary. Tilleman and his wife, Holly Benson Tilleman, have been married for 28 years, and have five children: Karl Benson, Daniel William, Mary Barbara-Jean (Caywood), Michael Robert, and Sarah Elizabeth.[37] Tilleman currently serves as an Area Seventy for his church in the church's North America Southwest Area.[34]

Athletic career

International career

Tilleman played for the Canadian Men's National Team from 1981 to 1984 and from 1986 to 1988.[13] In 1983, he represented Canada on the team that won Gold in the World Student Games held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.[13] Later that year, in the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela, Tilleman knocked down 28 points despite being guarded most of the game by Michael Jordan, and before the three-point shot was adopted for international basketball.[7][8] He participated in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, where Canada finished fourth overall.[13] In that Olympics, Tilleman averaged 7.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg, and 1.1 apg, and Tilleman scored 10 points in Canada's initial game against the United States, which was his first rematch against Michael Jordan after the 1983 Pan American Games.[38]

After interrupting his basketball career to serve a mission for his church, Tilleman continued to represent Canada from 1986 through the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul Korea, where he averaged 11.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg,[38] which points per game was second highest on the Canadian team in that Olympics.[13] He had exceptional performances against Egypt and Spain where he scored 29 and 37 points respectively, with his shooting performance against Spain setting an Olympic record for three-point shots made in single game (10/16).[2][4][38]

In the mid 80s, Tilleman enjoyed tremendous success playing in AAU tournaments across the United States against top-caliber NCAA talent and future NBA players. For example, playing against many league allstars from the Big Sky and other NCAA conferences in the 1983 Western Invitational Tournament in Lewistown, Montana, Tilleman "blistered the nets" averaging 41.25 points—per game—setting a record for the prestigious 30-year-old tournament.[39] The next year, playing for the Brewster Heights Packing Company, Tilleman and his teammates (including three other Canadian Olympic team members) won the WIT by narrowly defeating the Lewistown Boosters, a team led by John Stockton, the future NBA Allstar and all-time NBA assist leader.[40]

University

First Season (1979–80)

Prior to university, Tilleman attended Sir Winston Churchill High School where he led his team to the Calgary City Championship and later to the 4A Provincial Championship Finals.[13] He started his freshman year and averaged 14.1 points per game with a 49 field goal percentage, and 1.9 rebounds per game,[41] and was selected as a Canada West Conference Second Team Allstar as a freshman.[28]

Second Season (1980–81)

In his second season, Tilleman greatly enhanced his performance which brought increased recognition and honors. He averaged 27.5 points per game, nabbed 4.8 rebounds per game, and had a 55.9 FG% -- a remarkable season-long shooting percentage given Tilleman's range and how heavily he was guarded by opposing teams.[41] With this performance he was named the University of Calgary Male Athlete of the Year, Conference Player of the Year, a unanimous first team Canada West Athletic Association all-star, and a CIAU first team all-Canadian.[21]

Third Season (1981–82)

In his third season he almost averaged a double-double with 32.9 ppg and 8.1 rpg with a 47.5 FG% [41] With this scoring, Tilleman broke the previously held CIAU points per game scoring record of 31.3 ppg.[27] Additionally, he maintained his honors as first team Canada West all-star, Conference Player of the Year, and CIAU all-Canadian, while additionally establishing himself as the CIAU MVP, and Conference and CIAU scoring champion of the year.[21]

Fourth Season (1982–83)

In his fourth season Tilleman averaged 30.9 ppg and 4.1 rpg with a 51.5 FG%,[41] which led him again to earn first team Canada West all-star, Conference player of the year, CIAU all-Canadian, and University of Calgary male Athlete of the Year awards, while additionally being recognized as the City of Calgary's Male Athlete of the Year by Calgary Sports Media.[21] His scoring again lead him to be the Conference and CIAU scoring champion of that year.[21]

Fifth Season (1983–84)

In the 1983-1984 season Tilleman again averaged superb numbers with 31.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, a 48.5 FG%, and an incredible 98 free throw percentage, missing only one free throw during the entire Canada West regular season.[26][41] With this he again was recognized as a Canada West first team all-star, CIAU all-Canadian, and the Conference scoring champion.[21] In 1984 after his collegiate eligibility, he was drafted in the fourth round by the Denver Nuggets; however, upon arriving in Denver, he suffered from the flu and a sprained ankle and was consequently cut from the team.[36]

Post-career awards

After his final season game for the Dinos, Tilleman's number 30 jersey was retired by the university.[21] In 1995, he was inducted into the university's athletic hall of fame.[21] On April 5, 2007, as part of a celebration of the university's 40th anniversary, Tilleman was voted on an online poll as the university's all-time greatest athlete, receiving 26 per cent of the votes, more than five times the votes of any other athlete.[19] In 2008, Tilleman was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 Benson, Lee; Robinson, Doug (1992). Trials & Triumphs: Mormons in the Olympic Games (1st ed.). Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company. p. 210. ISBN 0-87579-628-1.
  2. 1 2 "Spain 94 Canada 84". www.apnewsarhive.com. Associated Press. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  3. ↑ "1988 Olympic Games: Tournament for Men". archive.fiba.com. FIBA. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Moreau, D'Joumbarey. "Carmelo Anthony Should Own The 2012 Olympic Basketball Scoring Record". bleacherreport.com. Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ Limón, Carlos. "Juegos Londres 2012: EEUU vence a Nigeria 156-73 y bate el récord olímpico de anotación". The Huffington Post (Spanish Version). Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  6. ↑ HERAS, RUBÉN. "Estados Unidos acribilla a Nigeria y rompe todos los récords". RTVE.es. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  7. 1 2 Benson, Lee; Robinson, Doug (1992). Trials & Triumps: Mormons in the Olympic Games (1st ed.). Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company. p. 205. ISBN 0-87579-628-1.
  8. 1 2 "Tisdale Triggers U.S. Win". newsok.com. Oklahoman. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Tisdale Leads U.S. Over Canada". newspaperarchive.com. Hutchinson News (UPI) via Newspaper Archive. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Fourteenth World University Games - 1987". archive.usab.com. USA Basketball. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Box Scores (basketball, at p. 18)". Newspapers.com. Galveston Daily News. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Lapses By Canadian Team Costly At University Games". newspaperarchive.com. Lethbridge Herald (Canadian Press) via newspaperarchive.com. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Karl Tilleman". Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  14. ↑ "1988 Olympic Games: Tournament for Men". archive.fiba.com. FIBA. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  15. ↑ "1984 Olympic Games: Tournament for Men". fiba.com. FIBA Archive. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  16. ↑ "1984 Olympic Games: Tournament for Men". FIBA Archive. fiba.com. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  17. ↑ "1984 Olympic Games: Tournament for Men". FIBA Archive. fiba.com. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  18. ↑ Moran, Malcom. "Basketball; Spain Defense Test for U.S.". www.nytimes.com. New York Times.
  19. 1 2 3 "Tilleman Named the Greatest Dino of All Time". The University of Calgary.
  20. ↑ Phillips, Curtis. "42 Canadians drafted to NBA since 1947 -- FULL list!". northpolehoops.com. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Karl Tilleman". The University of Calgary.
  22. 1 2 Vogt, Rob. "Canada's Greatest Basketball Moments". http://robvogt80s. Blogspot. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  23. ↑ UPI. "Canada Wins Gold Medal". news.google.com. Ellensburg Daily Record, July 12, 1983.
  24. ↑ Farber, Michael. "Canada's Cagers Lose in Overtime". Google News. Google News/Montreal Gazette. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  25. 1 2 Taylor, Scott. "Karl Who? Hoop Star Tilleman Isn't Unknown Commodity in His Native Canada". Deseret News. Deseret News. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  26. 1 2 "Men's Basketball, History, 1983-84 Year in Review, at page 6" (PDF). Canadawest.org. Canada West Athletic Association. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  27. 1 2 Buchmiller, Golden. "Karl is the King of the court in Canada". The Desert News. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  28. 1 2 "Men's Basketball History, 1979-80 Year in Review, at page 8" (PDF). canadawest.org. Canada West Athletic Association. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Karl M. Tilleman". Steptoe and Johnson LLP.
  30. 1 2 3 4 Sunnucks, Mike. "Karl Tilleman's varied background includes Olympic basketball, U.S. Supreme Court". www.bizjournals.com. Phoenix Business Journal.
  31. 1 2 Janetski, Joyce. "A Courtroom With A View". digitalcommons.law.byu.edu. J. Reuben Clark Law Society/J. Reuben Clark Law School. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 "New mission presidents", Church News, 2011-03-26.
  33. ↑ "Why Don't Mormons Have Paid Clergy?". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  34. 1 2 Markland, Cecily. "Karl M. Tilleman Called as New Area Seventy". arizonabeehive.com. Arizona Beehive. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Karl M. Tilleman". LexisNexis.
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 Carter, Larry. "Karl Tilleman: An Example of Determination and Endurance". lds.org. LDS Church/lds.org. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  37. ↑ Hurtado, Allison. "A Family on a Mission". ahwatukee.com. Ahwatukee Foothills News/East Valley Tribune. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  38. 1 2 3 "Karl Tilleman". Sports Reference LLC.
  39. ↑ Arthur, Jim. "Western Invitational Tournament - 50 years (at page 71 of 90)". Montana Memory Project -- Central Montana Historical Project. News-Argus Printing, Lewiston, Montana. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  40. ↑ Arthur, Jim. "Western Invitational Tournament - 50 years (at page 74 of 90)". Montana Memory Project -- Central Montana Historical Project. News-Argus Printing, Lewiston, Montana. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  41. 1 2 3 4 5 "Karl Tilleman". The Draft Review.

External links

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