.jpg) Cartwright in 2025 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1957-07-30)July 30, 1957 (age 68) Lodi, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Elk Grove (Elk Grove, California) |
| College | San Francisco (1975–1979) |
| NBA draft | 1979: 1st round, 3rd overall pick |
| Drafted by | New York Knicks |
| Playing career | 1979–1995 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 25, 24 |
| Coaching career | 1996–2013 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1979–1988 | New York Knicks |
| 1988–1994 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1994–1995 | Seattle SuperSonics |
Coaching | |
| 1996–2001 | Chicago Bulls (assistant) |
| 2001–2003 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2004–2008 | New Jersey Nets (assistant) |
| 2008–2012 | Phoenix Suns (assistant) |
| 2013 | Osaka Evessa |
| 2014 | Mexico |
| Career highlights | |
As player:
As assistant coach:
| |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 12,713 (13.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 6,106 (6.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,390 (1.4 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
James William Cartwright (born July 30, 1957) is an American former professionalbasketball player and a former coach. A 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m)center, he played 16 seasons in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) for theNew York Knicks,Chicago Bulls andSeattle SuperSonics, helping the Bulls capture consecutive championships in the1991,1992 and1993 seasons. He attended Elk Grove High School inElk Grove, California,[1][2] and playedcollege basketball for theSan Francisco Dons. Following his playing career, he served as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, theOsaka Evessa of thebj League and theMexico men's national basketball team as well as an assistant coach for several years in the NBA.
James William Cartwright was born to James and Marie Cartwright on July 30, 1957, inLodi, California.[3][4][5]
In high school, Cartwright played basketball for the Elk Grove Thundering Herd under coach Dan Risley. With Cartwright on the squad, the team went undefeated in the 1973–1974 season and was named the best high school basketball team in California in both 1974 and 1975. In 1975, Elk Grove won the NorCal Tournament of Champions.[6] In 1974 and 1975, Cartwright was named California High School State Basketball Player of the Year. In 1975, he was named California High School Sports Athlete of the Year.[7]
As a prep star, Cartwright was just as highly regarded as fellow prepsDarryl Dawkins andBill Willoughby.[8]
Cartwright graduated fromElk Grove High School in 1975.[6]
Cartwright played college basketball at the University of San Francisco and was a consensus second-team all-American in1977 and1979. During the 1978/79 USF season, Cartwright played on one of the tallest starting lineups in collegiate history with the 7'1" Cartwright at center, the 7'0"Wallace Bryant at power forward, and the 6'10"Guy Williams at small forward. He graduated as the all-time leading scorer for the Dons, averaging 19.1points and 10.2rebounds per game. Cartwright led San Francisco to three trips to the NCAA tournament, to the first round in the1977 and to the Sweet Sixteen in both1978 and1979.[9][failed verification]
| Year | Team W-L | G | FG | FGA | FG% | FT | FTA | FT% | RBs | Avg | Pts | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 22–8 | 30 | 151 | 282 | 53.0 | 72 | 98 | 73.5 | 207 | 6.9 | 374 | 12.5 |
| 1977 | 29–2 | 31 | 241 | 426 | 56.6 | 118 | 161 | 73.3 | 262 | 8.5 | 600 | 19.4 |
| 1978 | 23–6 | 21 | 168 | 252 | 66.7 | 96 | 131 | 73.3 | 213 | 10.2 | 432 | 20.6 |
| 1979 | 22–7 | 29 | 268 | 443 | 60.6 | 174 | 237 | 73.4 | 455 | 15.7 | 710 | 24.5 |
| Total | 96–23 | 111 | 828 | 1406 | 58.9 | 460 | 627 | 73.4 | 1137 | 10.2 | 2116 | 19.1 |
Cartwright was the third overall pick in the1979 NBA draft selected by theNew York Knicks, making his only careerAll-Star Game appearance in his first season.[10] He averaged more than 20 points per game in his first two seasons for the Knicks, but after playing no fewer than 77 games in his first five seasons, a series of foot injuries caused him to miss the entire 1984–1985 season.[11] Following that season, the Knicks drafted centerPatrick Ewing with the number-one overall pick in the1985 NBA draft. However, ongoing foot problems limited Cartwright to only two appearances during the1985–1986 season.[12][13] When Cartwright returned for the1986–1987 season, he and Ewing would often start and play together but during the1987–1988 season Cartwright was relegated to the bench.[14]
.jpg)
On June 15, 1988, Cartwright was traded, along with two draft picks, to theChicago Bulls for forwardCharles Oakley and two draft picks.[15] The Bulls were willing to part with Oakley, the league's second-leading rebounder in the1986–87 and1987–88 seasons, because of their need for a center and the rapid development of power forwardHorace Grant.[16] Cartwright was the Bulls' starting center during their string of three consecutive NBA championships in1991,1992 and1993. During the1992–93 season, Cartwright took an elbow to the throat during a regular-season game against theIndiana Pacers that fractured hislarynx and left him with a hoarse voice.[17]
The Bulls, who were withoutMichael Jordan thefollowing season following his retirement, made the1994 NBA playoffs but were eliminated in a controversial game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Knicks. Cartwright departed the team thereafter as an unrestricted free agent.
Cartwright left the Bulls as a free agent and signed with theSeattle SuperSonics. He only played in 29 games for the Sonics, and retired after the1994–95 NBA season.
A year after his retirement, Cartwright joined the Bulls once again as an assistant coach under Phil Jackson ahead of the1996–97 NBA season. He was a member of the championship-winning teams in1997 and1998. The Bulls went through significant changes following the1997–98 season, with not only Jordan and Pippen leaving, butTim Floyd taking over as head coach from Jackson. The Bulls had a lengthy rebuilding effort, and Cartwright took over the Bulls 27 games into the2001–02 season, going 17–38 after the team's 4–23 start under Floyd and interim head coachBill Berry, the latter whom coached for two games before Cartwright was named interim head coach. The Bulls finished 21–61 on the year and the following season Cartwright was promoted from interim to permanent head coach. In the2002–03 season the Bulls finished 30–52, but Cartwright would last only 14 games into the2003–04 season — going 4–10 — before being fired.[18]Pete Myers and finallyScott Skiles coached the Bulls immediately following Cartwright's tenure.
In 2004, theNew Jersey Nets hired Cartwright as an assistant coach underLawrence Frank. In 2008, Cartwright was named as an assistant coach for thePhoenix Suns underTerry Porter. Sunsgeneral managerSteve Kerr hired the former big man to help coach veteran big manShaquille O'Neal, all-starAmar'e Stoudemire, and upcoming draft picks.[19] After the Suns dismissed Porter and promoted assistantAlvin Gentry, Cartwright stayed on as assistant coach with the team.
In January 2013, Cartwright was hired to coachOsaka Evessa of the Japanesebj league.[20][21] There, he was credited for turning the franchise around.[22] When Cartwright arrived, Evessa had lost 19 of its 24 games. With Cartwright at the helm, the team won 17 of its final 28 games, including 10 straight at one point, posting a 22–30 record for the season.[23][24] He did not return the following season, citing his desire to be closer to his family in Chicago.[25]
In September 2014, Cartwright was hired as the head coach of theMexico men's national basketball team ahead of the2014 Central American and Caribbean Games, replacing recently firedSergio Valdeolmillos.[26] Five months later, he was replaced byEddie Casiano who himself was fired after only two months without coaching a game and replaced by the aforementioned Valdeolmillos.[27][28]
Cartwright married his junior high school sweetheart, Sheri, and together they have four children (Justin, Jason, James and Kristin). He also has two grandkids. He earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from USF and later obtained a master's degree in organization development in 1998 from the same institution. In 2016, Cartwright became USF's director of university initiatives.[29]
Cartwright is an avid fan ofdoo-wop music from the 1950s and 1960s,[30] and playsguitar and collectstransistor radios as hobbies.[31][32]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–80 | New York | 82 | 38.4 | .547 | – | .797 | 8.9 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 21.7 | |
| 1980–81 | New York | 82 | 35.7 | .554 | .000 | .788 | 7.5 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 20.1 | |
| 1981–82 | New York | 72 | 50 | 28.6 | .562 | – | .763 | 5.8 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 14.4 |
| 1982–83 | New York | 82 | 82 | 30.1 | .566 | – | .744 | 7.2 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 15.7 |
| 1983–84 | New York | 77 | 77 | 32.3 | .561 | .000 | .805 | 8.4 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 17.0 |
| 1985–86 | New York | 2 | 0 | 18.0 | .429 | – | .600 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 6.0 |
| 1986–87 | New York | 58 | 50 | 34.3 | .531 | – | .790 | 7.7 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 17.5 |
| 1987–88 | New York | 82 | 4 | 20.4 | .544 | – | .798 | 4.7 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 11.1 |
| 1988–89 | Chicago | 78 | 76 | 29.9 | .475 | – | .766 | 6.7 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 12.4 |
| 1989–90 | Chicago | 71 | 71 | 30.4 | .488 | – | .811 | 6.5 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 11.4 |
| 1990–91† | Chicago | 79 | 79 | 28.8 | .490 | – | .697 | 6.2 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 9.6 |
| 1991–92† | Chicago | 64 | 64 | 23.0 | .467 | – | .604 | 5.1 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 8.0 |
| 1992–93† | Chicago | 63 | 63 | 19.9 | .411 | – | .735 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 5.6 |
| 1993–94 | Chicago | 42 | 41 | 18.6 | .513 | – | .684 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 5.6 |
| 1994–95 | Seattle | 29 | 19 | 14.8 | .391 | – | .625 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.4 |
| Career | 963 | 676 | 28.5 | .525 | .000 | .771 | 6.3 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 13.2 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 14.0 | .500 | – | – | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | New York | 2 | 24.5 | .353 | – | .667 | 6.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 10.0 | |
| 1983 | New York | 6 | 28.7 | .581 | – | .773 | 5.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 11.2 | |
| 1984 | New York | 12 | 33.2 | .556 | – | .863 | 8.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 17.4 | |
| 1988 | New York | 4 | 0 | 19.0 | .500 | – | .733 | 4.8 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 7.3 |
| 1989 | Chicago | 17 | 17 | 34.3 | .486 | – | .700 | 7.1 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 11.8 |
| 1990 | Chicago | 16 | 16 | 28.9 | .413 | – | .674 | 4.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 8.1 |
| 1991† | Chicago | 17 | 17 | 30.1 | .519 | – | .688 | 4.7 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 9.5 |
| 1992† | Chicago | 22 | 22 | 37.8 | .474 | – | .419 | 4.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 5.6 |
| 1993† | Chicago | 19 | 19 | 23.4 | .465 | – | .778 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 6.3 |
| 1994 | Chicago | 9 | 8 | 21.0 | .326 | – | .813 | 4.9 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 4.6 |
| Career | 124 | 99 | 28.2 | .482 | – | .725 | 5.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 8.9 | |
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 2001–02 | 55 | 17 | 38 | .309 | 8th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Chicago | 2002–03 | 82 | 30 | 52 | .366 | 6th in Central | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Chicago | 2003–04 | 14 | 4 | 10 | .286 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 151 | 51 | 100 | .338 | — | — | — | — | |||
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osaka Evessa | 2013 | 28 | 17 | 11 | .607 | 7th in Western | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)