NAME
|
SEASON(S) WITH GENERALS
|
NBA TEAM
|
SEASON(S) WITH THE NBA
|
| Rick Barry | 1964-65 | San Francisco Golden State Houston |
1965-67 1972-78 1978-80 |
| Ron Cavenall | 1983-84 | New York New Jersey |
1984-85 1988-89 |
| Charlie Criss | 1976-77 | Atlanta Atlanta-S.D. Milwaukee Atlanta |
1977-81 1981-82 1983-84 1983-85 |
| Jerry Fowler | 1955-56 | Milwaukee | 1951-52 |
| Louis Herman “Red” Klotz | 1952-84 | Baltimore | 1947-48 |
| Carl “Red” Meinhold | 1953-54 | Baltimore | 1947-48 |
| Jon O’Boyle | 1952-53 | Milwaukee | 1952-53 |
| Med Park | 1955-56 | St. Lois St. Lois – Cin Cincinnati |
1955-58 1958-59 1959-60 |
| George Patterson | ????-1967 | Detroit | 1967-68 |
| Sam Pellom | 1977-79 | Atlanta Milwaukee |
1981-82 1982-83 |
| Joe Smyth | 1954-56 | N.Y. – Balt. | 1953-1954 |
| Ron Sobie | 1960-61 | New York N.Y. -Minn |
1956-59 1959-1960 |
| Sam Worthen | 2008-present (Coach) |
Chicago Utah |
1980-81 1981-82 |
Other Washington Generals that never actually played in the NBA but deserve note are listed below.
- William “Bill” Spivey (A general from 1953-56) played for Saperstein’s ABL from 1961-63 playing for the L.A. Jets and the Hawaii Chiefs, who later became the Long Beach Chiefs from 1962-63. The ABL of this time was hoping to merge with the NBA but that failed to materialize. Had it not been for his failure to testify against others in a point shaving scheme banning him from the NBA, most experts predict he would have had a very successful NBA career.
- Basketball hall of famer Nancy Lieberman played for the Generals in the 1987-88 season. She has never played in the NBA for obvious reasons, but she has played in the 1976 Olympics woman’s basketball team where she won a silver medal, and was on the 1980 Olympic team but never played in the Olympics due to the famous boycott. She became the first woman to play in a men’s basketball league in 1986 playing for the Springfield Fame in the USBL. Nancy also played for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury in 1997 holding the record for the oldest player in the WNBA, until she played briefly for the Detroit Shock in 2008 at 50, beating her own record. Nancy currently serves as the head coach of the Dallas Legends, an NBA developmental team. This made Lieberman the first coach of a men’s professional basketball team. Clearly, while never in the NBA Nancy has had the most storied basketball career of any Washington General player.
- Harvey Babetch (1956-58) Was drafted by the Milwaukee Hawks, but turned them down to play with the Washington Generals, primarily overseas in their Texas Cowboy persona.
- NBA player Dennis Rodman formed the Bad Boy All-Stars during the 2007 NBA All-Star weekend to play against the Globetrotters. This was in actuality the Washington Generals under another name and with Rodman thrown in. However, because it was only one game and has never been officially acknowledged it was the Washington Generals I didn’t include him in the above list.
- Orbie Bowling was drafted in the 1963 draft by the New York Knicks but never played, went on the play for the Generals in 1963-64. Bill Campion who played with the Generals from 1977-84 was drafted in the 1975 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks but never played. Likewise, Benny Purcell who played with the Generals from 1952-56 was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in 1952 but never played a game. Frank Stephens who was with the Generals in 1964-65 (and later with the Globetrotters) was drafted by St. Lois but never played. Finally Current globetrotter Coach Donald “Clyde” Sinclair was drafted by the Bullets in 1982, and although he never played he went on to play for the Generals in 1987-88 and then to the Globetrotters.
- Kent Culuko who played with the Generals in 1996-97, Dick Kinder from 1956-58, Herman Schayes 1954-59, and Joe Guthrie from 1953-54 all signed with the NBA as free agents but never played in a game.
