Jamaal Wilkes

Early life

Jackson Keith Wilkes was born in Berkeley, California. He was one of five children of L. Leander Wilkes, a Baptist minister, and Thelma (Benson) Wilkes. At the time, his parents had two daughters. Their oldest son died of crib death at 13 months when Thelma was four months pregnant with Wilkes. The death led Leander, who worked at the Oakland Naval Base, to enter the ministry.

Because he did not like the nickname Jackie, Wilkes went by Keith. His family had brief stays in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and Dayton, Ohio, before he grew up in Ventura, California, Wilkes attended Washington Elementary School and Cabrillo Middle School. He skipped the fifth grade. His older sister Naomi skipped two grades. A tomboy, she played basketball and helped Wilkes learn the game. She went to Stanford University at age 16.

As a junior at Ventura High School in 1969, Wilkes earned his second all-league selection in the Channel League and was named the league's player of the year. His decision to move was controversial, but his Ventura coach, Bob Swanson, supported him. "If he was my kid I would have done the same thing", said Swanson. "He was a 16-year-old kid. He belonged with his family."

Starring for Santa Barbara High School with fellow future NBA player Don Ford, Wilkes led the Dons to 26 consecutive wins, and reached the playoff semifinals during the 1969–70 season. Wilkes was voted the California Interscholastic Federation Class AAAA Player of the Year by the Helms Foundation. Scholastic Magazines, and Sunkist–Coach and Athlete.

College career

In his first year at the University of California, Los Angeles, Wilkes averaged a team-high 20.0 points per game on their freshman team, who went 20–0 and outscored their opponents by almost 39 points per game. The squad included Greg Lee (17.9) and Bill Walton (18.1, 16 rebounds, 68.6 field goal percentage). A group of UCLA students typically watched the freshman practice at Pauley Pavilion. One day, one of the regulars, UCLA band member Oliver Trigg, was impressed by a move that Wilkes made. At dinner, he came up to the team, which was eating dinner together at the dormitory dining hall, and gushed that Wilkes' move was "smooth as silk". The players started teasing Wilkes and calling him "Silk".

In Wilkes' sophomore year in 1971–72, Bruins' broadcaster Dick Enberg heard a couple of teammates calling him "Silk", and began using it on the air. Departed from that team were Sidney Wicks, Curtis Rowe, and Steve Patterson, who won three straight NCAA titles together. Wilkes and fellow sophomores Walton and Lee entered the starting lineup, joining the only returning starter, Henry Bibby, and Larry Farmer. The Bruins scored over 100 points in their first seven games, en route to a perfect 30–0 season, winning by an average of 30.3 points per game. and was a second-team All-Pacific-8 selection. In a close title game, UCLA won 81–76 over Florida State. The Seminoles' Reggie Royals was assigned to defend Wilkes but was asked to drop back to help guard Walton. Wilkes had a season-high 23 points on 11-of-16 shooting and added 10 rebounds, while Walton earned the first of his two Final Four Most Outstanding Players with 24 points and 20 rebounds. They were both named to the all-tournament team.

Wilkes averaged 14.8 points and was named a consensus first-team All-American in 1972–73, when UCLA again finished 30–0. The only other teammate scoring in double figures, Wilkes had 16 points along with seven rebounds. Wilkes ended his senior year with a career-high 16.7 points per game,

In three years, Wilkes' teams compiled an 86–4 record, averaging 15.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game with a field goal percentage of 51.4. A three-time first-team Academic All-American (1972–1974), Wilkes graduated from UCLA in 1974 with a BA in economics.

NBA career

Golden State Warriors

Wilkes was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 1974 NBA draft with the 11th overall pick. Prior to his first season in 1974–75, few people had championship expectations for the Warriors. replacing incumbent Derrek Dickey. Paired with Rick Barry at small forward, and was also second on the team in rebounding with 8.2 per game. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. "[Wilkes] knows he must play the boards, and goes up against the [Paul] Silases and [Spencer] Haywoods each night. He's not flashy. But he gets the job done", said Barry. Teammate Bill Bridges added that Wilkes "is so intelligent and fundamentally sound. He makes contributions even when he's not scoring. He's already a complete player".

In the playoffs, Wilkes averaged 15.0 points and was praised for his defense against Chicago's Bob Love and Elvin Hayes of Washington, who Golden State swept in the 1975 NBA Finals. The following season in 1975–76, he was named to his first NBA All-Star Game. Wilkes' scoring average improved to 17.8 in the regular season and 15.9 in the postseason,

After three years with Golden State, averaging 16.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, Wilkes signed with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent. Vertlieb denied making such an agreement. He was upset that some Bay Area sportswriters portrayed him as a deserter for playing out his option and signing with their in-state Pacific Division rival.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers were coming off a league-high 53-win season, but had been eliminated 4–0 in the Western Conference finals by the eventual NBA champion Portland Trail Blazers. Wilkes was the top-rate forward that Lakers head coach Jerry West coveted. Wilkes' career with the Lakers began solidly in 1977–78, and Lakers fans thought he was overrated. He bounced back the following season with his best pro season to date, averaging 18.6 points per game and shooting 50.4%. For a five-season span from 1978 through 1983, he was the Lakers' second-leading scorer behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Wilkes was a free agent leading up to the 1979–80 season, and new Lakers owner Jerry Buss made it a priority to re-sign him. He re-signed to a reported long-term deal at $600,000 per year. but was overshadowed by the rookie Johnson, who started at center in place of an injured Abdul-Jabbar and finished with 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists. "Jamaal Wilkes had an unbelievable game", said Johnson in 2011. "Everybody talked about my 42 [points], but it was also his [37-point effort]."

Wilkes had his best offensive season in 1980–81, when he averaged 22.6 points, which ranked 11th in the NBA, shot 52.6% and played in the 1981 NBA All-Star Game. However, the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Houston in a best-of-three series. In 1982, Wilkes signed a long-term contract extension with the Lakers. They selected James Worthy with the first overall pick of the 1982 NBA draft, which they acquired from a trade made three years before. Although Wilkes was still in his prime, Wilkes received his third All-Star selection in 1983.

In 1983–84, Wilkes missed seven regular season games and the first seven games of the playoffs due to a gastrointestinal virus. In the five previous seasons since 1978–79, he had missed just three games out of 410 and twice led the team in minutes played. Wilkes finished the regular season averaging 17.3 points, and led the team in scoring 18 times, but none after February 28, as the infection began taking its toll. Upon returning in the playoffs on May 8 against Dallas, Wilkes received a standing ovation from the Forum crowd. Out of shape after the layoff, he saw limited play and averaged only 4.5 points in 14 games while shooting just 40%. He had entered the postseason with a streak of 58 consecutive games scoring 10+ points in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Worthy shined at small forward and was a key for the Lakers while starting in the finals against the Boston Celtics.

After hearing his name in trade rumors during the offseason,

Wilkes' leg atrophied, and he had to learn to walk again. with three years and $2.4 million remaining on his guaranteed contract. The team attributed the move to the NBA salary cap, freeing him to negotiate with any team without his Lakers' salary affecting that team. Wilkes also became expendable after they drafted A. C. Green.

Los Angeles Clippers

On September 27, 1985, Wilkes was signed by the Los Angeles Clippers for the league minimum salary of $70,000. However, he was out for almost a month of the season due to a sprained ankle. On December 24, Wilkes shocked the Clippers by announcing his retirement after a 12-year career, noting his lack of contributions to the team. He was averaging 5.8 points in 15 minutes per game. In 2015, he said that he thought he could help the Clippers reach the playoffs, but realized the team had a losing culture and "thought I was better off retiring". It was the first losing team of his pro career, and his first team with a losing record since he began playing basketball in the third grade. His pro teams had never missed the playoffs. After his success in the NBA, he ruled out continuing in Europe. "I could still walk down the street without limping. There were more reasons to get out than to stay in it”, said Wilkes.

Player profile

Nicknamed "Silk" for his smooth moves, Most of his baskets came on mid-range jump shots.

Wilkes had an unorthodox but reliable jump shot, releasing the ball with a patent corkscrew motion behind his ear and over his head that resembled a slingshot. delaying release of the ball to avoid it being blocked. Wooden said that he would not have encouraged that form, but Wilkes consistently made his shots, so the coach left it alone. Barry called Wilkes' shooting form "the ugliest I ever saw. Until I started analyzing it. Yeah, he had that crazy right elbow flying out, but it came back straight to the basket before he let it go. In practice, it was ridiculous how easily he scored off me." Lakers teammate Norm Nixon said: "That shot was so ugly that people would say he can't make that shot, but he always surprised."

Many believed that the slender Wilkes would not be able to handle the physical demands of the NBA. He worked out with Nautilus equipment. He was not muscular, but Wooden said he was strong and never injured in college. Wilkes did not talk much on the court and showed little emotion. According to Wooden, he was not passive and was able to compete without fighting or being animated. When called for a foul, Wilkes raised his index finger and acknowledged the call, believing that officials appreciated non-complainers.

Wilkes, who was upstaged throughout his career by star teammates — prioritized winning over individual accolades. "I learned at a very young age, you can debate who the best player was or wasn't, but you can't debate who won or lost", he said. According to Wilkes, he re-signed with the Lakers in 1979 realizing that he would be overlooked, but opted for the opportunity to win an NBA championship. Nevertheless, he did enjoy recognition. Asked if he ever felt slighted, he replied: "Slighted may be a bit strong, but it was something I was sensitive to. But I enjoyed the lifestyle. That was the tradeoff." Wilkes felt valued by teammates, coaches and owners. "Post-basketball it might have rankled me a bit more", he added.

Legacy

Wilkes was never the leading man on his championship squads, but was outstanding in a supporting role in the shadow of stars Walton at UCLA, Barry with Golden State, and Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson on the Lakers. Wilkes enjoyed his best NBA seasons with the Lakers,

According to the Los Angeles Times, Wilkes' "Silk" nickname "may be one of the most appropriate in sports". They wrote that "Wilkes' problem, from a public relations standpoint, may be that he makes everything look too easy". are arguably more synonymous with Showtime, with Wilkes sometimes forgotten. "I don't think [Wilkes] got the credit he deserved, either in college or the pros", said Wooden. "He was unspectacular, but he played his same consistent game all the time."

For his NBA career, Wilkes registered 14,664 points (17.7 per game), 5,117 rebounds (6.2), and shot 49.9%, averaging 16.1 points per game in 113 postseason games. He played in the 1976, 1981, and 1983 All-Star Games and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team twice. The Sporting News named Wilkes to its NBA All-Pro Second Team three years. In his first nine seasons, he rarely missed a game, seven times playing in at least 80 games.

Wilkes was inducted into the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pac-10 Men's Basketball Hall of Honor in 2007. In 2012, almost three decades since he last played in the NBA, when he was presented by former teammates Walton, Barry, Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson—each Hall of Famers. His number was retired by both Ventura and Santa Barbara High School.

In multiple interviews, including one with the New York Post in 1985, Wooden was asked to describe his ideal player: "I would have the player be a good student, polite, courteous, a good team player, a good defensive player and rebounder, a good inside player and outside shooter. Why not just take Jamaal Wilkes and let it go at that." The Los Angeles Times called Wooden's praise "probably the greatest honor any player could receive". Al Attles, Wilkes' head coach at Golden State, said "Whatever we asked of him–scoring, defense, rebounding, playing bigger forwards–he did and did well."

Acting

Wilkes made his feature-film debut playing the lead titular character of basketball player Nathaniel "Cornbread" Hamilton in the 1975 drama Cornbread, Earl and Me. He made a guest appearance on an episode of the television program Trapper John, M.D. in 1981.

Later years

After retiring from playing basketball, Wilkes worked in real estate, but he said there was "too much haggling and arguing", while he considered himself a "people person" and wanted to "help people solve problems". He was a co-author of the book Success Under Fire: Lessons For Being Your Best In Crunch Time. In 2003, he co-founded Jamaal Wilkes Financial Advisors, a firm specializing in wealth management. He co-authored his autobiography, Smooth as Silk: Memoirs of the Original, which released in 2015.

Wilkes was hired as vice president of basketball operations by the Los Angeles Stars for the inaugural season of the new American Basketball Association (ABA) in 2000. At Wilkes' request, Wooden also joined the Stars as a consultant.

Personal life

Wilkes and his first wife had a daughter who was born in 1977 with a hole in her heart and weighing just 3 lb. During that period, Wilkes separated from his wife and filed for a divorce, ending their two-year marriage. He was also in a paternity suit that year, but was judged not to be the father.

Wilkes married his second wife Valerie in 1980. They had three more children—two sons and a daughter. graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where he played basketball as 6 ft shooting guard. He became a sports agent. His younger son, Jordan, who also graduated from Berkeley, played as a 7 ft center. He joined the Lakers' basketball operations staff before the 2014–15 season.

Wilkes was involved with orthodox Islam for two years before converting, His parents were initially shocked and upset. but he continued to use his birth surname only for purposes of public recognition.

In December 1990, Wilkes was pulled over by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers and handcuffed. A Black American, he accused them of racial profiling and filed a complaint. According to Wilkes, they said his license plate was about to expire and handcuffed him for 15–20 minutes after he responded, "Well, its not expired". He did not follow up after Rodney King was beaten by four police officers three months later, which was captured on video. Wilkes figured that the King incident was an indisputable case of racist behavior by the LAPD. However, the officers were acquitted in 1992, leading to riots in Los Angeles County.

NBA career statistics

Source:

Regular season

|- | 82 || — || 30.7 || .442 || — || .734 || 8.2 || 2.2 || 1.3 || .3 || 14.2 |- | 82 || 82 || 33.1 || .463 || — || .772 || 8.8 || 2.0 || 1.2 || .4 || 17.8 |- | 76 || — || 33.9 || .478 || — || .797 || 7.6 || 2.8 || 1.7 || .2 || 17.7 |- | 51 || — || 29.2 || .440 || — || .716 || 7.5 || 3.6 || 1.5 || .4 || 12.9 |- | 82 || 82 || 35.5 || .504 || — || .751 || 7.4 || 2.8 || 1.6 || .3 || 18.6 |- | 82 || 82 || 37.9 || .535 || .176 || .808 || 6.4 || 3.0 || 1.6 || .3 || 20.0 |- | 81 || — || 37.4 || .526 || .077 || .758 || 5.4 || 2.9 || 1.5 || .4 || 22.6 |- | 82 || 82 || 35.4 || .525 || .000 || .732 || 4.8 || 1.7 || 1.1 || .3 || 21.1 |- | 80 || 80 || 31.9 || .530 || .000 || .757 || 4.3 || 2.3 || .8 || .2 || 19.6 |- | 75 || 74 || 33.4 || .514 || .250 || .743 || 4.5 || 2.9 || 1.0 || .5 || 17.3 |- | 42 || 8 || 18.1 || .488 || .000 || .773 || 2.2 || 1.0 || .5 || .1 || 8.3 |- | 13 || 1 || 15.0 || .400 || .333 || .815 || 2.2 || 1.2 || .5 || .2 || 5.8 |- class="sortbottom" | 828 || 245 || 32.9 || .499 || .135 || .759 || 6.2 || 2.5 || 1.3 || .3 || 17.7 |- class="sortbottom" | 3 || 0 || 18.0 || .481 || — || 1.000 || 4.7 || 2.3 || 1.3 || .0 || 11.0

Playoffs

|- | 17 || — || 29.6 || .446 || — || .702 || 7.0 || 1.6 || 1.5 || .8 || 15.0 |- | 13 || — || 34.6 || .430 || — || .778 || 7.9 || 2.2 || .9 || .6 || 15.9 |- | 10 || — || 34.6 || .429 || — || .821 || 8.0 || 1.6 || 1.6 || .6 || 15.5 |- | 3 || — || 36.0 || .469 || — || .545 || 8.7 || 2.7 || 1.0 || .3 || 12.0 |- | 8 || — || 38.4 || .477 || — || .676 || 8.5 || 2.0 || 1.9 || .3 || 18.4 |- | 16 || — || 40.8 || .476 || .000 || .815 || 8.0 || 3.0 || 1.5 || .3 || 20.3 |- | 3 || — || 37.7 || .438 || .000 || .667 || 2.7 || 1.3 || .3 || .3 || 18.0 |- | 14 || — || 38.2 || .502 || .000 || .776 || 5.0 || 2.6 || 1.1 || .2 || 20.0 |- | 15 || — || 39.3 || .498 || .000 || .614 || 6.0 || 3.4 || 1.3 || .7 || 19.9 |- | 14 || — || 14.0 || .400 || .000 || .636 || 1.9 || .6 || .3 || .1 || 4.5 |- class="sortbottom" | 113 || — || 33.6 || .465 || .000 || .727 || 6.4 || 2.2 || 1.2 || .5 || 16.1

Publications

Notes

References

References

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2. {{cite basketball-reference. (March 29, 2012)
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7. Potkey, Rhiannon. (January 27, 2013). "'Where it all began'". Ventura County Star.
8. Potkey, Rhiannon. (January 29, 2013). "Ventura High honors Wilkes' legacy". Ventura County Star.
9. Thomas, Chuck. (April 6, 1969). "New Worlds To Conquer". Ventura County Star-Free Press.
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50. (1985-12-25). "Wilkes Stuns Clippers by Announcing His Retirement". Los Angeles Times.
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54. Springer, Steve. "No One Notices Absence of Silk". Los Angeles Times.
55. Drooz, Alan. (August 27, 1989). "Smooth as Silk Enterprises : Ex-Laker Star Jamaal Wilkes Has Taken His Transition Game From the Court to the Business World". Los Angeles Times.
56. Bonk, Thomas. (October 6, 1984). "Wilkes Fighting For Job". Los Angeles Times.
57. Springer, Steve. (May 9, 1984). "Their Season Ends, but the Mavericks Shed No Tears". Los Angeles Times.
58. Bonk, Thomas. (August 29, 1985). "Wilkes Waived, Ending an 8-Year Laker Career". Los Angeles Times.
59. Goldaper, Sam. (1985-10-24). "Clippers' Bargain Will Cost the Lakers". The New York Times.
60. (December 25, 1985). "Wilkes Retires". the New York Times.
61. Dwyer, Kelly. (September 6, 2012). "Jamaal Wilkes, Hall of Famer". Yahoo Sports.
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63. [[#bolch2018. Bolch 2018]], p. 118.
64. Kroner, Steve. (May 25, 2009). "CATCHING UP WITH... Jamaal Wilkes". SFGate.
65. national player of the year]] Walton to lead the Bruins to two consecutive national championships, extending their record streak to seven.[[#bolch2018. Bolch 2018]], pp. 16, 119, 129.
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67. "Pac-12 Conference 2011–12 Men's Basketball Media Guide". [[Pac-12 Conference]].
68. (April 2, 2012). "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2012". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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70. Zant, John. (January 1, 2013). "Hoop News: Basketball Roundup and a Farewell to Sports Fan Danny Ramirez". The Independent.
71. Sayles, Damon. (May 24, 2022). "NBA 75: From Kyrie to Shaq to Kareem, remembering some of the best movies featuring NBA stars past and present". The Athletic.
72. Thomas, Jeff. "Hall of Famer Jamaal Wilkes enthralls crowd with stories from UCLA and the Lakers". MassLive.
73. (August 28, 2005). "Authors to Relates Stories of Business Success Under Pressure". San Fernando Valley Business Journal.
74. Hallman, Charles. (October 28, 2015). "'Smooth as Silk' Wilkes reflects on a stellar career". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
75. (March 24, 2006). "Four NASA scientists to speak at women's conference". Los Angeles Daily News.
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78. Crowe, Jerry. (January 31, 2001). "Wooden Becomes Star Among the Stars". [[Los Angeles Times]].
79. (August 13, 1977). "Services Set for Wilkes' Daughter". Los Angeles Times.
80. (June 30, 1977). "Wilkes asks divorce". Press-Telegram.
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84. [http://www.calbears.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208187246&DB_OEM_ID=30100 Omar Wilkes Cal profile]
85. [http://www.calbears.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208187250&DB_OEM_ID=30100 Jordan Wilkes Cal profile]
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88. Cotton, Anthony. (February 9, 1981). "Like Snow On A Bamboo Leaf". Time Inc.
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90. McDonald, Jerry. (July 6, 2020). "Former Warriors talk social justice: Jamaal Wilkes reacts to George Floyd murder, his own experience with police and the importance of resuming NBA season". Marin Independent Journal.