Swen Nater
| File:Swen Nater with UCLA shooting.png
Nater shooting with UCLA in 1972–73
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 14, 1950 Den Helder, North Holland, Netherlands |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Wilson (Long Beach, California) |
| College |
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| NBA draft | 1973 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16th overall |
| Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Playing career | 1973–1985 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 31, 10, 35, 41 |
| Career history | |
| 1973 | Virginia Squires (ABA) |
| 1973–1975 | San Antonio Spurs (ABA) |
| 1975–1976 | New York Nets (ABA) |
| 1976 | Virginia Squires (ABA) |
| 1976–1977 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1977–1983 | Buffalo Braves / San Diego Clippers |
| 1983–1984 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1984–1985 | Australian Udine (Italy) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career ABA and NBA statistics | |
| Points | 8,980 (12.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 8,340 (11.6 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,235 (1.7 apg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Swen Erick Nater (born January 14, 1950) is a retired Dutch professional basketball player, primarily in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the only player to have led both the NBA and ABA in rebounding. Nater was a two-time ABA All-Star and was the 1974 ABA Rookie of the Year. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, winning two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles.
Contents
Early life
Swen Nater was born in the Netherlands, his parents divorcing when he was three years old. When his mother remarried and the family's economic situation deteriorated, she, her husband, and Swen's younger brother moved to the United States, leaving Swen and his sister in an orphanage. After three years it appeared they would remain in the Netherlands until a television show, It Could Be You (a forerunner to This Is Your Life), discovered the situation and brought the two siblings to America to be reunited—on TV—with the rest of the family. At age nine, he was in a new country and did not speak a word of English.[1][2]
College career
Nater attended and played basketball at Cypress College, a junior college in Cypress, California (where he met his wife, Marlene). He played little as a freshman, but was a Community College All-American as a sophomore. He earned a scholarship to UCLA, and reshirted his first year.
Nater helped John Wooden's UCLA Bruins win two NCAA titles. He was a backup to Bill Walton, and he never started a collegiate game—his primary role was helping to develop Walton in practice.[3][4]
Professional career
Nater was drafted by The Floridians in the 1972 ABA Draft, and then by the Virginia Squires in the June 1972 ABA dispersal draft after the Floridians' demise.[5][6] Nater was also drafted in the first round of the 1973 NBA Draft with the 16th overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks;[7] he is the only NBA first round pick who played in the NCAA without ever starting a college game.[2] In August 1973, he opted to sign with the Squires.[6] On November 21, 1973 the Squires traded Nater to the San Antonio Spurs for a draft pick and $300,000.[6]
With the Spurs, Nater was the American Basketball Association Rookie of the Year and [4] and led the ABA in field goal percentage in 1974. He led the ABA in rebounding in 1975. He was named to the All-ABA Second Team in 1974 and 1975, and participated in the ABA All-Star Game both seasons.[5] During his three seasons in the ABA, Nater played for the Spurs, Squires, and the New York Nets.
Nater's NBA career began with the Milwaukee Bucks, and he was traded after one season to the Buffalo Braves. When the Braves played in San Diego, Nater became a local favorite. Nater led the NBA in rebounding average during the 1979-80 season, making him the only player ever to lead both the NBA and ABA in rebounding.[4]
Before the 1983-84 season, Nater was traded by the Clippers along with a just-drafted Byron Scott to the Los Angeles Lakers for Norm Nixon, Eddie Jordan, and a 1986 second-round draft pick (which would eventually be dealt to the Phoenix Suns and become Jeff Hornacek). Nater and Scott helped lead the Lakers to the NBA Finals that year, but the next season the team did not offer him a guaranteed contract.
Nater played for Australian Udine in the Italian League, where he was the best paid player and led the league in rebounding even though the team ended up being relegated. The next season he initially accepted an offer from Barcelona in the Spanish League, but ultimately he changed his mind and decided to retire.
After the NBA
He built the basketball program Christian Heritage College in San Diego, California, and coached from 1985 to 1995.[8] He left the position because it "was high on work and low on pay."
He then went to work for Costco, for whom he is a sporting goods assistant buyer.[3][8]
Nater lives in Enumclaw, Washington with his wife of 40 years, Marlene, on a 10-acre ranch in the Cascade Mountains.[8] They have two grown daughters.[2]
Nater has also co-authored books with legendary basketball coaches Wooden and Pete Newell.
Publications
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See also
- List of National Basketball Association season rebounding leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most rebounds in a game
References
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Media related to Swen Nater at Wikimedia Commons- Career statistics and player information from NBA.comLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). and Basketball-Reference.com
- Career statistics and player information from WNBA.comLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). and Basketball-Reference.comLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
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- ↑ http://www.coachswen.com/Swen%20Nater%27s%20Bio.htm
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- ↑ 5.0 5.1 BasketballReference.com Swen Nater page
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 RememberTheABA.com Virginia Squires detailed year by year notes page
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- Pages with reference errors
- Pages with broken file links
- 1950 births
- Living people
- Basketball players at the 1972 NCAA Men's Division I Final Four
- Basketball players at the 1973 NCAA Men's Division I Final Four
- Buffalo Braves players
- Cypress Chargers men's basketball players
- Dutch basketball players
- Dutch expatriate basketball people in the United States
- Dutch sportsmen
- Lega Basket Serie A players
- Los Angeles Lakers players
- Miami Floridians draft picks
- Milwaukee Bucks draft picks
- Milwaukee Bucks players
- New York Nets players
- Pallalcesto Amatori Udine players
- People from Den Helder
- Power forwards (basketball)
- San Antonio Spurs players
- San Diego Clippers players
- UCLA Bruins men's basketball players
- Virginia Squires draft picks
- Virginia Squires players
- Wilson Classical High School alumni
