 Murphy in 2008 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1948-05-09)May 9, 1948 (age 77) Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Listed weight | 165 lb (75 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Norwalk (Norwalk, Connecticut) |
| College | Niagara (1967–1970) |
| NBA draft | 1970: 2nd round, 18th overall pick |
| Drafted by | San Diego Rockets |
| Playing career | 1970–1983 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 23 |
| Coaching career | 1990–1993 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1970–1983 | San Diego / Houston Rockets |
Coaching | |
| 1990–1993 | Houston Rockets (assistant) |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 17,949 (17.9 ppg) |
| Assists | 4,402 (4.4 apg) |
| Steals | 1,165 (1.5 spg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Calvin Jerome Murphy (born May 9, 1948) is an American former professionalbasketball player who after a prolific collegiate career atNiagara University, where he averaged 33.1 points per game over his three years, played in theNational Basketball Association as a guard for theSan Diego/Houston Rockets from 1970 to 1983. He is currently a member of the Houston Rockets' Space City Home Network broadcast team. Standing at a height of 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m), Murphy has the distinction of being the shortest NBA player inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and to play in anNBA All-Star Game (the latter since tied byIsaiah Thomas in2016).
Before basketball, Calvin Murphy was a world-classbaton twirler. He says he was "bullied into it" as his mother and all six of her sisters were twirlers.[1] As an 8th grader, in 1963, he won a national championship in baton twirling.[2] His reputation as a twirler earned him invitations to perform at major sporting events and the1964 New York World's Fair.[3] In 1977, at the height of his basketball career in Houston, Murphy won the Texas State Men's Twirling Championship.[1]
He played basketball forNorwalk High School, where he was All-State three times and All-America twice. He is a member of the Connecticut Coaches Association Hall of Fame and a Connecticut Sportswriters Gold Key Award winner.[2] Norwalk High School's address is now 23 Calvin Murphy Rd. in his honor.[3]
Murphy attendedNiagara University, where he was a three-time All-American. He scored 2,548 points in 77 games (33.1 points per game).[2]
One of his best games was a 68-point outing against Syracuse University at Niagara's Gallagher Center.[4] In 1970, he led Niagara to the1970 NCAA tournament and advanced to the second round, where they lost to Villanova. During his career he was famous for being one of "The Three M's", along withPete Maravich andRick Mount, both of whom were NCAA Men's Division I Basketball All-Americans at the same time as Murphy.
Murphy is a member of the Alpha Nu Omega chapter of theIota Phi Theta fraternity, being initiated alongside fellow future Hall of FamerElvin Hayes.[5]
Murphy was drafted by theSan Diego Rockets (now the Houston Rockets) as the first pick in the second round (18th overall) of the1970 NBA draft. In his first season, after averaging 15.8 points and 4 assists per game, Murphy was nominated to theNBA All-Rookie team. A diminutive guard at 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm), Murphy was known for his quickness and defensive ability.[2] During the1975 NBA Playoffs, Murphy averaged a postseason career-high of 24.4 points and 5.6 assists per game,[6] as the Rockets advanced past theNew York Knicks in the first round (Houston was in the Eastern Conference at the time), before being eliminated by theBoston Celtics in the semifinals.[7] Two seasons later, on March 18, 1978, Murphy set a career high with 57 points scored during a 106–104 loss to theNew Jersey Nets.[8] The following year, he earned his onlyAll-Star selection.
During the1980-81 NBA season, Murphy played a key role in the Rockets making it to the NBA Finals. That postseason run, on April 17, 1981, Murphy led the Rockets to a decisive Western Conference Semifinals Game 7 win over theSan Antonio Spurs with 42 points, a postseason career high.[9] After advancing past theKansas City Kings in the conference finals, in the1981 NBA Finals Murphy and the Rockets lost to theBoston Celtics in a six-game series. Murphy retired in 1983 to make way for younger players.[10]
Murphy was one of the best free-throw shooters in league history, setting NBA records for most consecutive free throws made and for the highest free throw percentage in a single season (1980–1981), though both records have since been broken. He set many other records within the Rockets organization, including that of all-time leading scorer until that record was broken in 1994 byHakeem Olajuwon. Despite being among the shortest players in the league, Murphy was considered to be an "enforcer" due to his physical playing style and willingness to confront other players for hard fouls.[11] Murphy was inducted into theBasketball Hall of Fame in 1993.[2]
After retirement, Murphy continued to work for the Rockets organization in numerous roles, mainly as television analyst for Rockets games. He is currently the halftime and post-game analyst for local Rockets broadcasts on Space City Home Network.[2]
In 2004, he faced trial in Houston for sexually abusing five of his daughters. He was acquitted of these charges in December of that year.[12]
He hostedThe Calvin Murphy Show onESPN Radio's Houston affiliate from 2007 until its cancellation in January 2010.[13][14]
| 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 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970–71 | San Diego | 82 | – | 24.6 | .458 | – | .820 | 3.0 | 4.0 | – | – | 15.8 |
| 1971–72 | Houston | 82 | – | 31.0 | .455 | – | .890 | 3.1 | 4.8 | – | – | 18.2 |
| 1972–73 | Houston | 77 | – | 22.0 | .465 | – | .888 | 1.9 | 3.4 | – | – | 13.0 |
| 1973–74 | Houston | 81 | – | 36.1 | .522 | – | .868 | 2.3 | 7.4 | 1.9 | .0 | 20.4 |
| 1974–75 | Houston | 78 | – | 32.2 | .484 | – | .883 | 2.2 | 4.9 | 1.6 | .1 | 18.7 |
| 1975–76 | Houston | 82 | – | 36.5 | .493 | – | .907 | 2.5 | 7.3 | 1.8 | .1 | 21.0 |
| 1976–77 | Houston | 82 | – | 33.7 | .490 | – | .886 | 2.1 | 4.7 | 1.8 | .1 | 17.9 |
| 1977–78 | Houston | 76 | – | 38.2 | .491 | – | .918 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 1.5 | .0 | 25.6 |
| 1978–79 | Houston | 82 | – | 35.9 | .496 | – | .928 | 2.1 | 4.3 | 1.4 | .1 | 20.2 |
| 1979–80 | Houston | 76 | – | 35.2 | .493 | .040 | .897 | 2.0 | 3.9 | 1.9 | .1 | 20.0 |
| 1980–81 | Houston | 76 | – | 26.5 | .492 | .235 | .958* | 1.1 | 2.9 | 1.5 | .1 | 16.7 |
| 1981–82 | Houston | 64 | 0 | 18.8 | .427 | .063 | .909 | 1.0 | 2.5 | .7 | .0 | 10.2 |
| 1982–83 | Houston | 64 | 0 | 22.2 | .447 | .286 | .920 | 1.2 | 2.5 | .9 | .1 | 12.8 |
| Career | 1,002 | – | 30.5 | .482 | .139 | .892 | 2.1 | 4.4 | 1.5 | .1 | 17.9 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 15.0 | .600 | – | – | 1.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | .0 | 6.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Houston | 8 | – | 38.1 | .462 | – | .895 | 2.4 | 5.6 | 1.8 | .1 | 24.4 |
| 1977 | Houston | 12 | – | 35.0 | .479 | – | .933 | 1.6 | 6.3 | 1.6 | .2 | 19.3 |
| 1979 | Houston | 2 | – | 36.5 | .290 | – | .889 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 4.0 | .5 | 13.0 |
| 1980 | Houston | 7 | – | 37.9 | .537 | .500 | 1.000 | 1.4 | 3.7 | 1.6 | .0 | 18.7 |
| 1981 | Houston | 19 | – | 28.4 | .495 | .286 | .967 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 1.4 | .0 | 18.1 |
| 1982 | Houston | 3 | – | 19.0 | .227 | .000 | .875 | 1.0 | 1.3 | .3 | .0 | 5.7 |
| Career | 51 | – | 32.5 | .475 | .286 | .932 | 1.5 | 4.2 | 1.5 | .1 | 18.5 | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |