 Carter in 1969 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1945-02-14)February 14, 1945 (age 81) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Franklin (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Mount St. Mary's (1965–1969) |
| NBA draft | 1969: 3rd round, 43rd overall pick |
| Drafted by | Baltimore Bullets |
| Playing career | 1969–1977 |
| Position | Guard /small forward |
| Number | 3, 5 |
| Coaching career | 1978–1994 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1969–1971 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1971–1976 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1976–1977 | Milwaukee Bucks |
Coaching | |
| 1978–1981 | Mount St. Mary's (women's) |
| 1981–1983 | Atlanta Hawks (assistant) |
| 1983–1985 | Chicago Bulls (assistant) |
| 1985–1987 | Washington Bullets (assistant) |
| 1987–1993 | Philadelphia 76ers (assistant) |
| 1993–1994 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 9,271 (15.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,381 (3.9 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,122 (3.5 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Fredrick James Carter (born February 14, 1945), nicknamed "Mad Dog" or "Doggy",[1][2] is an American formerprofessional basketball player and coach, who played in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) for eight seasons (1969–77) for theBaltimore Bullets,Philadelphia 76ers, andMilwaukee Bucks.[2] He also coached the Mount St. Mary's Women's Basketball Team for three years to a 60-32 record and three years of AIAW tournament play.
Carter was born on February 14, 1945, inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, one of four children. His father was a junk dealer and his mother a domestic worker. He attendedBenjamin Franklin High School.[3][2] He was All-Public League in Philadelphia his senior year, playingcenter, averaging 17points per game.[4] He had decided to drop out and join the Army, but there was no one there to swear him in. Instead, he went with a girlfriend to visitCheyney University for her freshman orientation. He realized he could compete in college and decided to finish high school.[1]
Carter was recruited by fellow Philadelphian, andCollege Basketball Hall of Fame Coach,Jim Phelan ofMount St. Mary's College (the "Mount"; now Mount St. Mary's University) inEmmitsburg, Maryland. Phelan was scouting a Philadelphia high school all-star game in which Carter participated and won Most Valuable Player. Phelan decided to recruit Carter for the Mount. Carter later applied and was accepted to the school in 1965, but had a concern. The school had only integrated in the early 1960s, and on his drive to the rural campus with Phelan, Carter asked how many black students attended the Mount. Phelan told him to look in mirror (he would be the only one).[5]
In fact, the school did not pose a serious problem for Carter. Fans at basketball games would chant "In Fred We Trust", and Phelan and his wife Dottie became Carter's surrogate parents on campus. But he faced obstacles when going to play teams in the American South. Among other things, during a tournament atRandoph-Macon College inAshland, Virginia, he was punched twice while retrieving his warmups at halftime.[5] AtHampden-Sydney College, also in Virginia, he was called "every name in the book". On another trip, a restaurant refused Carter service, and the whole team walked out with him.[6]
The team's record during Carter's tenure was 81-27, with aMason-Dixon Conference title. He scored 1,840 points, averaging 21.9 points and 11 rebounds a game. He was injured during part of his senior year after being poked in the eye.[6][7]
A 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) guard, Carter was selected by the Baltimore Bullets in the third round (43rd overall) of the1969 NBA draft.[3][6] Bullet teammate, and fellow Philadelphian,Ray Scott gave Carter the nickname "Mad Dog" after Carter once bit Scott during a one-on-one practice drill.[6] Carter played on Bullets teams that included futureNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame playersGus Johnson,Earl Monroe, andWes Unseld, as well as players likeJack Marin,Kevin Loughery, and Scott.[6] They taught Carter what was needed to be a successful NBA player.[1]
In the final game of the1971 Eastern Conference playoffs against the Bullets archrivals, theNew York Knicks, with 68 seconds remaining and the Bullets up by two points, Carter hit a 20-foot jump shot that secured victory for the Bullets. The Bullets were so desperate to defeat New York, who had knocked them out of the playoffs the last two years,[8][9] that with one minute left, during a timeout, coachGene Shue looked heavenward and prayed, "'Please, let us win this one.'" They did, 93-91, and the shot made Carter a hero in Baltimore. He had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists in the victory.[6][10]
Despite the heroics, Carter was traded two games into the next season, along with Loughery, to thePhiladelphia 76ers forArchie Clark, a1973 second-round selection (19th overall–Louie Nelson) and cash, on October 17, 1971.[1][11][12] He averaged nearly 14 points a game for the Sixers that first year.[2] The next season, he led the 76ers by averaging 20 points a game,[2] but played for a team that has the worst single season win-loss record in NBA history, 9-73.[3] Carter is sometimes remembered as the best player on the worst team. He has described the experience as a building block in life, teaching him how to get through hard times, staying motivated by the principles of respecting oneself and respecting the game.[1]
Carter played four more years for the Sixers, averaging 21.4, 21.9 (10th in the league), and 18.9 points per game; 4.8, 4.4 and 3.6 rebounds per game; and 5.7, 4.4. and 4.5 assists per game in the following three seasons. The 76ers reached the playoffs in 1976, where Carter averaged 28 points per game in three games against theBuffalo Braves. Carter was traded to theMilwaukee Bucks for his final season, 1976-1977, when a severely sprained ankle ended his career.[3][5][2][13]
Over the course of his NBA playing career Carter scored 9,271 points, averaging 15.2 points a game, with a 42.5 field goal percentage.[2][5]
Carter came back to the Mount when he was hired to coach the women's basketball team in April 1978. He wound up putting in more time coaching than when he was a player. Phelan said Carter worked the women's team harder than Phelan worked the men's team. Carter took the team to a 19-12 record in the 1978-1979 season, and a place in the EasternAIAW Division II tournament (coming in fourth); an 18-9 record in the 1979-1980 season (coming in third in Eastern AIAW Division II tournament); and a 23-11 record in 1980-1981 (coming in third in Eastern AIAW Division II tournament).[13][14]
Carter later became the assistant coach for theAtlanta Hawks (1981-1983),Chicago Bulls (1984-1985), andWashington Bullets (1985-1987). He was an assistant coach for the 76ers from 1987 to 1992, and in the beginning of the 1992-1993 season before becoming the head coach of the Sixers for almost two seasons, from late-1992 to mid-1994.[15][6]
Following his coaching tenure with the Sixers, Carter began a successful career as a basketball analyst. He spent eight years atESPN and five years atNBA TV, before his retirement.[6] During his time as co-host ofNBA Tonight he was known for his claim of being "the best player on the worst team in NBA history."[16]
On December 1, 2007, Carter had his jersey, number "33", retired at halftime of the Mount St. Mary's v.Loyola College of Baltimore men's basketball game at Coach Jim Phelan Court in Knott Arena in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He was the first Mountaineer basketball player to have his number retired.[7]
Carter is also known for popularizing the "fist bump."[17]
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969–70 | Baltimore | 76 | – | 16.0 | .358 | – | .690 | 2.5 | 1.6 | – | – | 5.2 |
| 1970–71 | Baltimore | 77 | – | 22.2 | .417 | – | .650 | 3.3 | 2.1 | – | – | 10.4 |
| 1971–72 | Baltimore | 2 | – | 34.0 | .222 | – | .333 | 9.5 | 6.0 | – | – | 7.5 |
| 1971–72 | Philadelphia | 77 | – | 27.9 | .444 | – | .630 | 4.0 | 2.6 | – | – | 13.8 |
| 1972–73 | Philadelphia | 81 | – | 37.0 | .421 | – | .704 | 6.0 | 4.3 | – | – | 20.0 |
| 1973–74 | Philadelphia | 78 | – | 39.0 | .430 | – | .709 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 21.4 |
| 1974–75 | Philadelphia | 77 | – | 39.6 | .447 | – | .738 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 21.9 |
| 1975–76 | Philadelphia | 82 | – | 36.5 | .417 | – | .702 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 18.9 |
| 1976–77 | Philadelphia | 14 | – | 16.9 | .426 | – | .526 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 6.9 |
| 1976–77 | Milwaukee | 47 | – | 18.6 | .416 | – | .753 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 8.3 |
| Career | 611 | – | 30.0 | .425 | – | .693 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 15.2 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969–70 | Baltimore | 7 | – | 36.1 | .383 | – | .607 | 4.4 | 3.4 | – | – | 14.1 |
| 1970–71 | Baltimore | 18 | – | 33.2 | .415 | – | .644 | 4.6 | 2.0 | – | – | 14.6 |
| 1975–76 | Philadelphia | 3 | – | 41.7 | .433 | – | .867 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 28.0 |
| Career | 28 | – | 34.8 | .410 | – | .687 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 15.9 | |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 1992–93 | 26 | 7 | 19 | .269 | 6th inAtlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Philadelphia | 1993–94 | 82 | 25 | 57 | .305 | 6th inAtlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Career | 108 | 32 | 76 | .296 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | |||