Alex English
(Born 1954)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1997
Card Shown:
2006-07 Upper Deck
Signatures Decades
Position: SF
Height: 6’7″
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Alex English was a prolific scorer who was a master of the mid-range game. He took high-quality shots and his high release point enabled him to get off shots in the crowded key area. English was also an efficient scorer, connecting on 50.7% of his shots during his NBA career.
Not a flashy player, English’s accomplishments on the hardwood were sometimes overlooked by the casual basketball observer. His Denver Nuggets teams were entertaining and high-scoring. Their fast-break style led them to lead the league in points scored several times.
Awards and Honors
- Alex was selected out of South Carolina by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 23rd overall selection in the 1976 NBA Draft. Other Hall of Fame players selected in that draft were Adrian Dantley (6th), Robert Parish (8th), and Dennis Johnson (29th).
- English was the NBA’s leading scorer in the 1980’s, scoring more points in that decade than superstars Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Dominique Wilkins.
- Alex was selected as an NBA All-Star for eight consecutive seasons from 1982-1989.
- English won the NBA scoring title in 1982-83, averaging 28.4 points per game.
- In 1987-88, Alex received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, which is given annually to a player, coach, or trainer who demonstrates outstanding service and dedication to the community.
Points of Interest
- Alex led the Denver Nuggets to the playoffs in nine consecutive years although they never made it the NBA Finals. On those Denver teams, English played with stars such as Kiki Vandeweghe, Dan Issel, David Thompson, Fat Lever, and Calvin Natt.
- English was an iron-man of sorts, playing in at least 78 of the 82 regular season games in every year except for his rookie campaign.
- At his retirement, Alex was the 7th leading scorer in NBA history, amassing 25,613 points. The only players who had scored more points than English were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone, Oscar Robertson, and John Havlicek.
- In fifteen NBA seasons, English took 21,036 shots. Only 83 of those were from behind the three-point arc. The most three-pointers he ever attempted in a season was fifteen in 1986-87.
- Alex was the first NBA player to achieve eight consecutive 2,000-point seasons. He scored 23 or more points per game nine seasons in a row from 1980-81 through 1988-89.
Statistics
Alex English Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com