Sports
George Gervin
born 1952 · basketball shooting guard
Hall of Fame scorer nicknamed "the Iceman", born and raised in Detroit, who became one of the greatest shooting guards in ABA and NBA history after starring at Eastern Michigan.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan
age 74- Also known as
- the Iceman
- Detroit years
- 1952–1971
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Gervin grew up in Detroit and struggled to find his footing at Martin Luther King High School until a late growth spurt turned him into a dominant scorer as a senior, earning him a Detroit Free Press All-State selection in 1970. He then played at Eastern Michigan University in nearby Ypsilanti, averaging nearly 30 points a game as a sophomore before turning pro with the Pontiac Chaparrals of the Continental Basketball Association. A Virginia Squires scout spotted him there and signed him to the ABA, launching a career that carried him to the San Antonio Spurs, four NBA scoring titles and a spot among the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Gervin later returned to Detroit briefly in 2004 to fill in on morning radio. He remains one of the most celebrated basketball players the city has produced.
Highlights
- Detroit Free Press All-State selection in 1970
- Four-time NBA scoring champion with a 26.2 career points-per-game average
- Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996) and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team (2021)
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, inducted 1996
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Studied here · late 1960s–1970
Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School
Where a late growth spurt turned him into a dominant high school scorer.