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Howard Porter (basketball)

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Howard Porter
Porter in 1972
Personal information
Born(1948-08-31)August 31, 1948
Stuart, Florida, U.S.
DiedMay 26, 2007(2007-05-26) (aged 58)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolBooker (Sarasota, Florida)
CollegeVillanova (1968–1971)
NBA draft1971: 2nd round, 32nd overall pick
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Playing career1971–1978
PositionPower forward / small forward
Number54
Career history
1971–1974Chicago Bulls
1974New York Knicks
1974–1977Detroit Pistons
1977–1978New Jersey Nets
Career highlights and awards
*Selection later vacated
Career NBA statistics
Points4,215 (9.2 ppg)
Rebounds1,872 (4.1 rpg)
Blocks212 (0.6 bpg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Howard Porter (August 31, 1948 – May 26, 2007) was an American professional basketball player. At 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and 220 lb (100 kg), he played as a forward and a center.

Early life

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Porter was born in Stuart, Florida. While in the 8th grade, he played on the varsity team at Stuart Training School, the high school for Martin County blacks.[1] He attended Booker High School in Sarasota, Florida. The highlight of his high school career occurred in 1967, when he led Booker to the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association Class A State Basketball Championship.

College career

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Porter then played collegiately at Villanova University, where he was a three-time All-America selection. He took Villanova to the 1971 NCAA Championship Game, in which Villanova lost to UCLA 68–62. Porter was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 25 points in the final game. However, he was later ruled ineligible for the honor because he had signed a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Condors of the American Basketball Association during the middle of his senior year.[2] To the present day, the MOP for the 1971 Final Four is listed as "*Vacated".[citation needed]

Professional career

[edit]

Porter never played for the Condors, instead joining the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1971. He played seven seasons in the NBA as a member of the Bulls, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, and New Jersey Nets.[3]

His best professional season was in 1976–77 with Detroit, when he averaged 13.2 points and 5.9 rebounds, playing alongside fellow Villanova teammate Chris Ford.[4]

Porter was nicknamed "Geezer" during his time at Villanova and had become a fan favorite at the Pistons' then-home, Cobo Arena.[5]

Post-NBA life

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Porter had retired from the NBA in 1978 at 29 years old in a career cut short by injuries, including a blood clot in his lungs, and a cocaine addiction, a significant problem in the 1970s NBA. He was arrested in 1985 and served six months in jail for drug possession. He entered a drug rehabilitation program in Minnesota in 1989, remained in the area, and in 1995 began working as a probation officer for Ramsey County.[6][7][8]

2007 disappearance and murder

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Howard Porter disappeared on May 18, 2007. He was found severely beaten in a Minneapolis alley in the early morning hours of May 19 and died on May 26 of injuries sustained during the assault.[9]

Local police arrested a 33-year-old prostitute named Tanya Washington, who Porter had solicited, in connection with his murder.[10] Washington was later released by police, who stated that there was not enough evidence to file charges against her.[11] On September 4, police announced that they had arrested and charged Rashad Arthur Raleigh with Porter's murder, who had attacked the former NBA star in a robbery set-up.[12] Raleigh is serving a life sentence for the crime.[13]

Porter is interred at Washington Park Cemetery in Orlo Vista, Florida. He had three children, Ebony, Howard Jr. and Keelee.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Porter Left His Mark on Stuart". Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Florida). June 9, 2007. p. 38.
  2. ^ "Campus Publications and Media". Publications.villanova.edu. Archived from the original on August 29, 2006. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  3. ^ "Howard Porter Stats".
  4. ^ "Howard Porter Stats - Basketball-Reference.com". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  5. ^ Goldaper, Sam (September 24, 1974). "Porter Carries Hope for New Life on Knicks". The New York Times.
  6. ^ "How Howard Porter died: A tale of sex, drugs, violence". September 4, 2007.
  7. ^ "Howard Porter, Villanova All-American, Dead at 58". The New York Times. May 28, 2007.
  8. ^ "Finally forgiven: The Howard Porter story". December 14, 2014.
  9. ^ "Porter dies from beating injuries at age 58", ESPN, updated May 28, 2007.
  10. ^ "KSTP.com - Woman arrested in Porter case released". Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved June 5, 2007.
  11. ^ "Kyw.com - Woman Released in Beating Death of Howard Porter". Archived from the original on July 7, 2007. Retrieved June 5, 2007.
  12. ^ "Murder charge filed in death of ex-Villanova star". ESPN.com. September 4, 2007. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  13. ^ "Offender Locator - Offender Information". Archived from the original on November 22, 2004. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
  14. ^ "Vacated* *Twenty-Five Years Ago an Asterisk Replaced the Name of Villanova's Howard Porter, Who Was Stripped of His Final Four Outstanding Player Award. His Life Hasn't Been the Same Since".
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