Alvan Adams

Early life

Adams was born in Lawrence, Kansas, and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Adams was named after the biblical figure Alvan. His father worked as a petroleum geologist.

Adams attended Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City where he led the basketball team to a 67–11 record as a three-year starter.

College career

During 26 games of the 1973–74 season Adams tied an Oklahoma school record with 21 double-doubles for a season by a Sooner (Garfield Heard, 1969–70 also had 21 in 27 games). That record stood until it was broken by Blake Griffin on February 14, 2009.

Adams is one of only three players in the history of the University of Oklahoma men's basketball program to score at least 40 points and get 20 rebounds in a game along with Wayman Tisdale (61 points, 22 rebounds against Texas–San Antonio in 1983) and Blake Griffin (40 points, 23 rebounds against Texas Tech on February 14, 2009). After his junior season, Adams declared for hardship status in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and made himself eligible for the 1975 NBA draft.

Adams is one of only four Sooners to have his college jersey (#33) retired by the OU program (Wayman Tisdale (#23), Mookie Blaylock (#10) and Stacey King (#33) are the other three).

Professional career

Adams was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the fourth pick of the 1975 NBA draft. Adams was a rookie on a Suns team whose season included an improbable playoff run that took them all the way to the 1976 NBA Finals. In the same year, he was selected to play in the All-Star Game and won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award as well as being named to the All-NBA Rookie Team.

On February 22, 1977, Adams recorded a triple-double with 47 points, 18 rebounds and 12 assists against the Buffalo Braves. He is one of five players in NBA history (along with Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Russell Westbrook and Vince Carter) to have as many as 46 points and 16 rebounds in a triple-double performance. Furthermore, Adams is one of two players to have recorded multiple games of at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks in the NBA during their rookie season, along with Victor Wembanyama.

Adams's jersey number (33) was retired by the Suns, but on the signing of free agent Grant Hill, Adams granted him permission to wear his familiar No. 33 with the Suns.

Adams is the franchise leader in games played (988), minutes played (27,203), rebounds (6,937), and steals (1,289); second in field goals made and attempted; third in assists; and fourth in blocks.

In 2000, Adams served as the vice president for facility management for the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

|- | 80 || – || 33.2 || .469 || – || .735 || 9.1 || 5.6 || 1.5 || 1.5 || 19.0 |- | 72 || – || 31.6 || .474 || – || .754 || 9.1 || 4.5 || 1.3 || 1.2 || 18.0 |- | 70 || – || 27.3 || .485 || – || .730 || 8.1 || 3.2 || 1.2 || .9 || 15.5 |- | 77 || – || 30.7 || .530 || – || .799 || 9.2 || 4.7 || 1.4 || .8 || 17.8 |- | 75 || – || 28.9 || .531 || .000 || .797 || 8.1 || 4.3 || 1.4 || .7 || 14.9 |- | 75 || – || 27.4 || .526 || .000 || .768 || 7.3 || 4.6 || 1.4 || .9 || 14.9 |- | 79 || 75 || 30.3 || .494 || .000 || .781 || 7.4 || 4.5 || 1.4 || 1.0 || 15.1 |- | 80 || 75 || 30.6 || .486 || .333 || .829 || 6.9 || 4.7 || 1.4 || .9 || 14.2 |- | 70 || 13 || 20.7 || .462 || .000 || .825 || 4.6 || 3.1 || 1.0 || .4 || 9.6 |- | 82 || 69 || 26.0 || .520 || .000 || .883 || 6.1 || 3.8 || 1.4 || .6 || 14.7 |- | 78 || 45 || 25.7 || .502 || .000 || .783 || 6.1 || 4.2 || 1.3 || .6 || 10.8 |- | 68 || 40 || 24.9 || .503 || .000 || .788 || 5.0 || 3.3 || .9 || .5 || 11.1 |- | 82 || 25 || 20.1 || .496 || .500 || .844 || 4.5 || 2.2 || 1.0 || .5 || 7.5 |- class="sortbottom" | 988 || 342 || 27.5 || .498 || .133 || .788 || 7.0 || 4.1 || 1.3 || .8 || 14.1 |- class="sortbottom" | 1 || 0 || 11.0 || .500 || – || – || 3.0 || – || – || – || 4.0

Playoffs

|- | 19 || – || 35.2 || .452 || – || .817 || 10.1 || 5.2 || 1.4 || 1.1 || 17.9 |- | 2 || – || 35.5 || .455 || – || 1.000 || 8.0 || 2.0 || 1.0 || .5 || 16.0 |- | 12 || – || 31.0 || .475. || – || .710 || 7.5 || 4.4 || .9 || 1.0 || 12.8 |- | 8 || – || 31.4 || .566 || – || .895 || 9.6 || 5.8 || .9 || 1.3 || 16.1 |- | 7 || – || 31.1 || .450 || – || .714 || 5.9 || 3.7 || .6 || .1 || 10.6 |- | 7 || – || 33.3 || .522 || – || .786 || 7.9 || 3.7 || 2.0 || .7 || 16.9 |- | 3 || – || 28.0 || .469 || – || .714 || 6.0 || 4.7 || .6 || 1.7 || 11.7 |- | 17 || – || 18.4 || .421 || – || .679 || 5.1 || 2.5 || 1.0 || .6 || 8.4 |- | 3 || 3 || 26.3 || .500 || – || .833 || 5.7 || 3.7 || 2.3 || 0.3 || 17.0 |- class="sortbottom" | 78 || – || 29.3 || .473 || – || .766 || 7.5 || 4.1 || 1.1 || .9 || 13.8

Personal life

Adams is married and has two children.

References

References

1. (January 29, 1998). "Adams An OU Architect Putnam City Star Helped Build Program, Not Arena".
2. (March 15, 1976). "A rising young Sun".
3. "Adams, Alvan Leigh".
4. Helsley, John. (February 15, 2009). "Blake Griffin has 40 points, 23 boards for No. 2 Sooners against Texas Tech". [[The Oklahoman]].
5. "Capel's Sooners Still Streaking". Oklahoma Sports / SoonerSports.com (CBS Interactive).
6. Latzke, Jeff. (February 14, 2009). "Blake Griffin has 40 points, 23 boards for No. 2 Sooners against Texas Tech".
7. "Alvan Adams Makes NBA History After Eating 47 Chicken Wings".
8. "Retired Jerseys". Oklahoma Sports / SoonerSports.com (CBS Interactive).
9. '''NOTE''': OU does not retire the number, but the jersey, "Tisdale 23"; Griffin also wears #23.
10. Elias, Peter. – Elias Says: [https://web.archive.org/web/20171201132607/http://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=270407017 "Kidd, Carter match feat not done since Jordan, Pippen in 1989"]. – [[Associated Press]]. – (c/o [[ESPN]]).
11. Writer, Joe Buettner {{!}} Transcript Sports. (April 11, 2020). "OU men's basketball all-time team: Alvan Adams was a star from start to finish of Sooner career".
12. (March 23, 2024). "Jackson scores 28, including winner in final seconds, as Grizzlies top Wembanyama, Spurs, 99-97".
13. Faye, Brad G.. (July 11, 2007). "Oklahoma Kid 'OK' With Grant Hill Wearing No. 33". [[National Basketball Association]] – NBA.com.
14. (May 3, 1988). "Adams' Father Dies".