Kenneth Eugene Wilburn (June 8, 1944 – October 6, 2016) was an American professional basketball player.[1] He played college basketball for the Central State Marauders from 1962 to 1966 and set a career scoring record.[2] He led the team to an National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championship in 1965.[3] Wilburn played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA), American Basketball Association (ABA), and the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL)/Eastern Basketball Association (EBA). Wilburn was a three-time EPBL/EBA champion with the Allentown Jets. He won the EPBL Most Valuable Player award in 1968 with the Trenton Colonials and the EBA Most Valuable Player award with the Allentown Jets in 1974.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 8, 1944 River Rouge, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | October 6, 2016 (aged 72) Ecorse, Michigan, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | River Rouge (River Rouge, Michigan) |
| College | Central State (1962–1966) |
| NBA draft | 1966: 4th round, 39th overall pick |
| Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Playing career | 1966–1979 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 6, 9, 10, 30, 12 |
| Career history | |
| 1966–1968 | Trenton Colonials |
| 1967–1968 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1968 | New York Nets |
| 1968–1969 | Denver Rockets |
| 1969 | Minnesota Pipers |
| 1969–1975 | Allentown Jets |
| 1978–1979 | Lancaster Red Roses |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
| Points | 208 (3.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 212 (3.9 ppg) |
| Assists | 29 (0.5 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Wilburn joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in November 1967 to provide reinforcement after the team had lost several players to injuries.[3][4] He returned to the team for the 1968–69 season,[5] but was waived in November 1968.[6]
Wilburn became a school teacher after his retirement from playing and taught at Chelsea Heights Elementary School in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[7] He was indicted on December 21, 1996, on charges that he sexually assaulted six students on school field trips and in his home between September 1990 and June 1995.[8]
References edit
- ^ "Legacy".
- ^ "Ken Wilburn Rookie of the Year". Washington Afro-American. April 4, 1967. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b Lawrence Casey. "Beleaguered Bulls try new face". Chicago Defender. November 2, 1967. 39.
- ^ "Clemens out with injury; add Wilburn". Chicago Tribune. November 2, 1967. C1.
- ^ "Bulls invite 8 rookies to camp". Chicago Defender. September 10, 1968. 25.
- ^ Robert Logan. "Only 891 see Bulls beat Seattle". Chicago Tribune. November 8, 1968. C1.
- ^ "Former ABA, NBA Journeyman Accused Of Molesting Five Female Students". Associated Press. September 6, 1996. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ Pristin, Terry. "Teacher Named in Assaults". Retrieved 2018-11-20.