 Chambers in Phoenix for the 2022 Gateway Cebrity Fight Night | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1959-06-21)June 21, 1959 (age 66) Ogden, Utah, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Fairview (Boulder, Colorado) |
| College | Utah (1977–1981) |
| NBA draft | 1981: 1st round, 8th overall pick |
| Drafted by | San Diego Clippers |
| Playing career | 1981–1997 |
| Position | Power forward |
| Number | 8, 22, 24, 42, 25 |
| Career history | |
| 1981–1983 | San Diego Clippers |
| 1983–1988 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1988–1993 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1993–1995 | Utah Jazz |
| 1995–1996 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 1997 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 1997 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 20,049 (18.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 6,703 (6.1 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,283 (2.1 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Thomas Doane Chambers (born June 21, 1959) is an American former professionalbasketball player. From 1981 to 1997, he played in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) as well as internationally. Apower forward, Chambers was selected to fourNBA All-Star Games and was a two-timeAll-NBA Second Team member during his career. In December 2021, he was nominated for theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame[2] but did not advance to the list of finalists.[3]
Thomas Doane Chambers was born on June 21, 1959 inOgden, Utah. Chambers starred atFairview High School inBoulder, Colorado. Hailing from an athletic family, Chambers was a promising 6-2 guard at the end of his sophomore year. Suddenly, he grew six inches during the next six months. As a junior, teammates marveled that he had not lost any coordination with his growth.[4] Abroken wrist as a senior forced him to use his left hand more, improving his game. An all-Colorado high school player, he was hotly recruited and enrolled at Utah.
AtUtah, Chambers played center with star forwardDanny Vranes. The two led successful teams in theWestern Athletic Conference. He ran the floor well and had good shooting range. On Feb. 5, 2022, Chambers' jersey and number, 42, were retired during the Utes' game against Oregon.
At the NBA level he moved to power forward.
Chambers was drafted by theSan Diego Clippers (now theLos Angeles Clippers) with the 8th pick in the1981 NBA draft. After signing a $1.5 million four-year contract,[5] he played at forward for the first time after being a center in college. On the injury-riddled young Clippers roster his rookie year, Chambers ended up the team's top scorer at 17.2 points per game, and he made 52.5% of his shots. On April 15, 1982, he set a then-career-high points total of 39 points in a 129–123 win against thePortland Trail Blazers.[6]
The next season, on October 29, 1982, Chambers scored 29 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in San Diego's home opener, a loss to the Phoenix Suns.[6] In the same season, the team had drafted power forwardTerry Cummings, who was the Rookie of the Year that year, and the club felt it had to choose between the two young prospects. They traded Chambers andAl Wood forJames Donaldson,Greg Kelser,Mark Radford, a 1984 first-round draft pick (Michael Cage was later selected) and a 1985 2nd round draft pick (Calvin Duncan was later selected).[7]
Teaming with centerJack Sikma and guardGus Williams, Chambers became a key piece to a winning team in his third NBA season. He played all 82 games and averaged 18.1 points per game. In 1983, though, Williams was traded, and the point guard who starred wasGerald Henderson. After posting a team-high 21.5 points per game the season before, Chambers fell to third-most on the team in shot attempts, taking only 28 more shots more than Henderson that season. He still led the team at 18.5 points per game, but felt he was being passed around in the offense.
1986–87, however, was a big season for Chambers. RookieNate McMillan took over Henderson's spot and Chambers became one of three key scorers for the Sonics. He posted 23.3 points per game to reach All-Star status for the first time. Chambers made 85% of 630 free throw tries that season. He also again played all 82 games. He was the star of the1987 NBA All-Star Game, played in Seattle. He scored 34 points on 13 of 25 shooting and was named Game's Most Valuable Player. With the SuperSonics, he averaged 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.[8]
An avid hunter and horseback rider, Chambers had no interest in playing outside of thewestern United States. He accepted a then-very pricey offer to join the Phoenix Suns in June 1988. Seattle declined to match the offer. He made three All-Star appearances as a Suns player.
In Phoenix, coachCotton Fitzsimmons expected Chambers to shoot the ball. In 1988–89 Chambers scored 25.7 points per game. In 1989–90 his total rose to 27.2 points per game. Just as his scoring hit new highs, his team also improved. Point guardKevin Johnson was the passer Chambers had long-awaited, and the duo became an outstanding NBA tandem. On March 24, 1990, Chambers scored a Suns-franchise-record 60 points during a win over his former team the Sonics,[9] while playing through a hamstring injury.[10]
Former Seattle teammate,Xavier McDaniel, joined the team in 1990–91, and the now 31-year-old Chambers again accepted a more team-oriented role for the Suns. His scoring, and the team's success, declined. He had been twice named All-NBA Second Team, but now just tried to fit in. In 1992–93, the fifth and final season in Phoenix,Charles Barkley arrived to give the team the rebounder the team had long needed to truly contend. The now 33-year-old Chambers accepted a role assixth man, while Barkley andDan Majerle were the team's key scorers. That team made it to the1993 NBA Finals, where they lost in six games toMichael Jordan'sChicago Bulls. In the last game of the series, and in what would be the last game of his Suns tenure, Chambers scored 12 points in a 99–98 Game 6 loss.[11]
Chambers still felt he had more to contribute, and accepted an offer to join the Utah Jazz in August 1993. He backed up starKarl Malone, and re-teamed withJeff Hornacek from the Suns. The Jazz improved immediately and made it to the 1994 Western Conference Finals. Now age 35, Chambers had one more year to give before ending his first stint in the NBA as a 20,024-point NBA scorer.
Chambers joinedMaccabi Tel Aviv inIsrael, for a season of play in theIsraeli Super League and theFIBA EuroLeague, during the 1995–96 season. He signed a one-year contract with the Israeli club for a reported $500,000 that made him the highest paid player in Israel.[12] In the Israeli Super League, Chambers averaged 17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.[13] He also won the Israeli League championship that season with Maccabi. In the FIBA EuroLeague's1995–96 season, Chambers averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.7 steals per game, in 32.8 minutes per game.[14]
After his stint in Israel, Chambers signed a contract with theCharlotte Hornets. He played twelve games with the Hornets but was waived.
Chambers played in one more NBA game, with thePhiladelphia 76ers, during the 1997–98 regular season[7] before retiring. In the last game of his career which was against theCleveland Cavaliers, played on November 26, 1997, he had six points. He also had two rebounds, and two steals for the 76ers, in his only appearance with the team.[15]
Chambers appeared in 16 NBA seasons as a member of theSan Diego Clippers,Seattle SuperSonics,Phoenix Suns,Utah Jazz,Charlotte Hornets, andPhiladelphia 76ers.[16] He scored 20,049 total points in the NBA for a career average of 18.1 points per game. His career high was a 60-point performance with the Suns against the Sonics on March 24, 1990.[17] He appeared in fourNBA All-Star Games during his career (1987, 1989, 1990, and 1991), earning game MVP honors in 1987 after scoring 34 points. He also played in the1993 NBA Finals as a member of the Suns, but the team lost to theChicago Bulls.[16] He is one of just two players (alongsideAntawn Jamison) currently eligible for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame who havescored 20,000 points and who have not been inducted.
Chambers was inducted into thePhoenix Suns Ring of Honor in April 1999 and became the first inductee since the Ring of Honor was installed at America West Arena (nowFootprint Center). As part of the induction ceremony, he received a bronze statue by artist Sam Wickey recreating his 1989 dunk over theNew York Knicks guardMark Jackson.[18] Chambers was also honored by being inducted into theUtah Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and theArizona Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.[19][20] Of all former NBA players that are (or have been) eligible for election to theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Chambers is one of only three players (along withAntawn Jamison andJoe Johnson) to have scored 20,000 or more career points without being elected to the Hall of Fame.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–82 | San Diego | 81 | 58 | 33.1 | .525 | .000 | .620 | 6.9 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 17.2 |
| 1982–83 | San Diego | 79 | 79 | 33.7 | .472 | .000 | .723 | 6.6 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 17.6 |
| 1983–84 | Seattle | 82 | 44 | 31.3 | .499 | .000 | .800 | 6.5 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 18.1 |
| 1984–85 | Seattle | 81 | 60 | 36.1 | .483 | .273 | .832 | 7.1 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 21.5 |
| 1985–86 | Seattle | 66 | 26 | 30.6 | .466 | .271 | .836 | 6.5 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 18.5 |
| 1986–87 | Seattle | 82 | 82 | 36.8 | .456 | .372 | .849 | 6.6 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 23.3 |
| 1987–88 | Seattle | 82 | 82 | 32.7 | .448 | .303 | .807 | 6.0 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 20.4 |
| 1988–89 | Phoenix | 81 | 81 | 37.1 | .471 | .326 | .851 | 8.4 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 25.7 |
| 1989–90 | Phoenix | 81 | 81 | 37.6 | .501 | .279 | .861 | 7.0 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 27.2 |
| 1990–91 | Phoenix | 76 | 75 | 32.6 | .437 | .274 | .826 | 6.4 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 19.9 |
| 1991–92 | Phoenix | 69 | 66 | 28.2 | .431 | .367 | .830 | 5.8 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 16.3 |
| 1992–93 | Phoenix | 73 | 0 | 23.6 | .447 | .393 | .837 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 12.2 |
| 1993–94 | Utah | 80 | 0 | 23.0 | .440 | .311 | .786 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 11.2 |
| 1994–95 | Utah | 80 | 4 | 15.3 | .457 | .167 | .807 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 6.2 |
| 1996–97 | Charlotte | 12 | 5 | 6.9 | .226 | .667 | .750 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.6 |
| 1997–98 | Philadelphia | 1 | 0 | 10.0 | 1.000 | — | 1.000 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 6.0 |
| Career | 1,107 | 743 | 30.6 | .468 | .307 | .807 | 6.1 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 18.1 | |
| All-Star | 4 | 1 | 21.0 | .518 | .400 | .773 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 19.3 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Seattle | 5 | — | 38.2 | .475 | .000 | .667 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 13.6 |
| 1987 | Seattle | 14 | 14 | 35.6 | .449 | .333 | .808 | 6.4 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 23.0 |
| 1988 | Seattle | 5 | 5 | 33.6 | .549 | .000 | .829 | 6.2 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 25.8 |
| 1989 | Phoenix | 12 | 12 | 41.3 | .459 | .409 | .859 | 10.9 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 26.0 |
| 1990 | Phoenix | 16 | 16 | 38.3 | .425 | .263 | .879 | 6.7 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 22.2 |
| 1991 | Phoenix | 4 | 4 | 35.5 | .409 | .000 | .737 | 5.8 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 17.0 |
| 1992 | Phoenix | 7 | 0 | 27.7 | .459 | .571 | .844 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 15.6 |
| 1993 | Phoenix | 24 | 1 | 15.7 | .388 | .400 | .815 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 7.3 |
| 1994 | Utah | 16 | 0 | 20.3 | .361 | .000 | .793 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 5.8 |
| 1995 | Utah | 5 | 0 | 12.0 | .500 | .333 | .692 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 6.4 |
| Career | 108 | 52 | 28.3 | .440 | .303 | .827 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 15.4 | |
After his playing career ended, Chambers bought a ranch inNorth Ogden south ofBrigham City, Utah for himself and his family which became known as Shooting Star Ranch. Soon after that, he became a community relations representative for the Suns, sold his ranch in Ogden, and moved permanently toScottsdale, Arizona with his family.
He won aRocky Mountain Emmy alongside senior editor Tommy Arguelles for their work onSunderella Suns, a film commemorating the 40th anniversary of the1975–76 Phoenix Suns season and the impact that the season had on the state ofArizona overall.[21]
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