| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 14, 1940 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | April 18, 2002 (aged 62) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 192 lb (87 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Overbrook (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Kansas (1959–1961) |
| NBA draft | 1962 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall |
| Selected by the San Francisco Warriors | |
| Playing career | 1961–1972 |
| Position | Power forward / Center |
| Number | 55, 20, 12, 54, 35 |
| Career history | |
| 1961–1962 | Real Madrid |
| 1962–1965 | San Francisco Warriors |
| 1965–1967 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1967 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1967–1969 | Denver Rockets |
| 1969–1971 | Los Angeles / Utah Stars |
| 1971 | Texas Chaparrals |
| 1971–1972 | Carolina Cougars |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
| Points | 6,568 (11.6 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,966 (7.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 959 (1.7 apg) |
Stats  at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Wayne A. Hightower (January 14, 1940 – April 18, 2002) was an American professional basketball player who had a long and productive career in the NBA and ABA, during the 1960s and early 1970s. He was a 6'8" power forward and center. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
College career
Hightower played college basketball at Kansas, with the Kansas Jayhawks.
Professional career
After graduating from college, Hightower moved to Spain, and signed with Real Madrid, whom he led to the 1961–62 season Spanish national domestic league championship, and the 1962 final of FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague), which the team lost. He led the Spanish League in scoring that season.[1]
He was drafted in the 1962 NBA draft, at the 7th spot overall, by the San Francisco Warriors, with whom he played for 3 seasons.
The pinnacle of his NBA career came with the Warriors, when together his teammate and fellow Philadelphia native, Wilt Chamberlain, he reached the 1964 NBA Finals. Hightower recorded his best season that year, averaging 13.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
He later played for several other teams, and moved on to play in the ABA, in 1967, before retiring in 1972.
Death
Hightower died from a heart attack on April 18, 2002, in his hometown of Philadelphia, aged 62.[2][3]
Notes
- ^ Máximos Anotadores
- ^ WAYNE HIGHTOWER : De la Copa de Europa con el Real Madrid, a la NBA. April 26, 2002
- ^ Wayne Hightower, 62, Basketball Player. New York Times. April 27, 2002. Retrieved on October 17, 2009.