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Marvin Webster

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Not to be confused with Martell Webster.

Marvin Webster
Personal information
Born(1952-04-13)April 13, 1952
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
DiedApril 4, 2009(2009-04-04) (aged 56)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Listed height7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Listed weight225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High schoolEdmondson (Baltimore, Maryland)
CollegeMorgan State (1971–1975)
NBA draft1975: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Playing career1975–1987
PositionCenter
Number10, 40
Career history
1975–1977Denver Nuggets
1977–1978Seattle SuperSonics
1978–1984New York Knicks
1986Pensacola Tornados
1987Milwaukee Bucks
Career highlights and awards
Career ABA and NBA statistics
Points4,302 (7.0 ppg)
Rebounds4,218 (6.8 rpg)
Blocks881 (1.4 bpg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2018

Marvin Nathaniel Webster (April 13, 1952 – April 4, 2009) was an American professional basketball player. He played one season in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and nine in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Denver Nuggets (1975–77), Seattle SuperSonics (1977–78), New York Knickerbockers (1978–84) and Milwaukee Bucks (1986–87). His nickname was The Human Eraser because of his impressive shot blocking talent.[1]

College career

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Born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of a Baltimore preacher, Webster attended Edmondson High School in the city.[2] A four-year basketball letterman at Morgan State University, he earned the nickname "The Human Eraser" as a junior when he averaged eight blocked shots a game while helping the Bears capture the 1974 NCAA Division II Championship. He averaged 21 points and 22.4 rebounds and was named Division II player of the year.[3]

Webster still holds eight career school records: 1,990 points, 2,267 rebounds, 19.5 rebounds per game, 785 field goals made, 424 free throws made, 644 free throws attempted, 722 blocks and 110 games started.[4] His 740 rebounds in 1974 and 2,267 career total are still second all-time in NCAA history in their respective categories.[5] He was named to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball 50th Anniversary All-Elite Eight Team in 2006.[6]

College statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1971–72 Morgan State 26 – – .453 – .687 16.1 – – – 13.2
1972–73 Morgan State 28 – – .514 – .686 23.2 – – – 18.5
1973–74 Morgan State 33 – – .545 – .697 22.4 – – – 21.4
1974–75 Morgan State 27 – – .562 – .490 17.0 – – – 15.7
Career 114 – – .524 – .658 19.9 – – – 17.5

Professional career

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Webster was selected in the first round of both the NBA and ABA Drafts in 1975 (third overall by the Atlanta Hawks, first overall by the Denver Nuggets, respectively). After signing with the Nuggets, he was diagnosed with a form of hepatitis, and played only 38 games as a rookie in 1975–76.[7]

A 7' 1" center, Webster helped the Nuggets reach the 1976 ABA Finals and win the 1976–77 NBA Midwest Division championship as a backup to Dan Issel. Before the 1977–78 season, the Nuggets traded Webster, Paul Silas, and Willie Wise to the Seattle SuperSonics for Tom Burleson, Bobby Wilkerson and a first-round draft pick. With Webster as the starting center, rookie Jack Sikma, Gus Williams, and Dennis Johnson, the SuperSonics won the 1977–78 NBA Western Conference championship and reached the 1978 NBA Finals. His finest season was his single year with Seattle, in which he averaged 14.0 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game.[8] He raised his performance in the SuperSonics’ 22-game playoff run that year, averaging 16.1 points, 13.1 rebounds, and more than 2.6 blocks per game.[8] Webster still holds the SuperSonics' record for rebounds in one half with 21.[9]

In 1978, the Knicks signed Webster as a free-agent. As compensation, the NBA awarded the SuperSonics the playing rights to power-forward Lonnie Shelton and the Knicks’ 1979 first-round draft pick.[10] In his first season with the Knicks, Webster averaged 11.3 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game. Webster never again reached double figures in either category in the NBA after that.[8] Webster missed the 1984–85 and start of the 1985–86 season with hepatitis before retiring from the Knicks.[3]

Webster played briefly in the Continental Basketball Association, and later with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1986–87 season.[3]

Webster was found dead in a Tulsa, Oklahoma hotel room on April 4, 2009.[11] He was 56 years old. It is believed that he died of a coronary artery disease.[3]

Career statistics

[edit]
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

ABA

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1975–76 Denver 38 – 10.5 .458 .000 .705 4.6 0.8 0.2 1.4 4.3
Career 38 – 10.5 .458 .000 .705 4.6 0.8 0.2 1.4 4.3

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1975–76 Denver 13* – 11.9 .420 .000 .536 5.5 0.7 0.1 1.1 4.4
Career 13 – 11.9 .420 .000 .536 5.5 0.7 0.1 1.1 4.4

NBA

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1976–77 Denver 80 – 16.0 .495 – .650 6.1 0.8 0.3 1.5 6.7
1977–78 Seattle 82 – 35.5 .502 – .629 12.6 2.5 0.6 2.0 14.0
1978–79 New York 60 – 33.8 .473 – .573 10.9 2.9 0.4 1.9 11.3
1979–80 New York 20 – 14.9 .481 .000 .750 4.0 0.5 0.2 0.6 4.4
1980–81 New York 82 – 20.8 .466 .250 .638 5.7 0.9 0.3 1.2 5.2
1981–82 New York 82 32 23.0 .491 .000 .635 6.0 1.2 0.3 1.1 6.2
1982–83 New York 82 0 18.0 .508 .000 .589 5.4 0.6 0.4 1.6 5.4
1983–84 New York 76 5 17.0 .469 .000 .564 4.8 0.7 0.4 1.3 3.8
1986–87 Milwaukee 15 0 6.8 .526 1.000 .750 1.7 0.2 0.2 0.5 1.8
Career 579 37 22.4 .489 .333 .617 7.0 1.2 0.4 1.4 7.1

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1976–77 Denver 6 – 16.0 .500 – .667 6.7 0.5 0.3 1.8 5.0
1977–78 Seattle 22* – 41.1 .489 – .675 13.1 2.6 0.3 2.6 16.1
1980–81 New York 2 – 31.5 .500 .000 .000 5.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 6.0
1982–83 New York 6 – 19.2 .389 .000 .636 4.7 0.5 0.0 1.2 4.7
1983–84 New York 12 – 17.0 .483 .000 .600 4.7 0.3 0.3 1.4 3.1
Career 48 – 28.8 .485 .000 .647 8.8 1.4 0.3 2.0 9.6

Personal life

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Webster was married to Mederia Webster.[12] Webster's son, Marvin Webster Jr., was recruited to play basketball at Temple University, but died at age 19 from a heart attack prior to his sophomore season.[13]

Later in his life, Webster lived in Metuchen, New Jersey.[14]

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Webster is one of five 1970s Seattle SuperSonics players whose names are featured on characters in "The Exterminator," the third episode of Season 1 of iZombie. The other four are Freddie Brown, Gus Williams, Wally Walker and Don Watts.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Harvin, Al. "People in Sports," The New York Times, Friday, March 21, 1975. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  2. ^ Hannon, Kent. "Cashing In On Marvin's Guardin'," Sports Illustrated, January 6, 1975. Archived December 3, 2012, at archive.today
  3. ^ a b c d Goldstein, Richard (April 8, 2009). "Marvin Webster, Basketball's Human Eraser, Dies at 56". The New York Times.
  4. ^ 2008–09 Morgan State University Men's Basketball Media Guide – Bears Records.
  5. ^ Official 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Records Book – Individual Collegiate Records (Career).
  6. ^ "Walt Frazier, Phil Jackson, Earl Monroe, Jerry Sloan Highlight NCAA Division II Men's Basketball 50th Anniversary All-Elite Eight Team". NCAA. March 6, 2006. Retrieved April 9, 2009. [dead link]
  7. ^ Moss, Irv. "Webster center of attention for Nuggets in '70s," The Denver Post, Thursday, April 9, 2009.
  8. ^ a b c "Basketball-Reference.com:Marvin Webster". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
  9. ^ "Sonics 40th Anniversary Team: 1976–83 Era". nba.com. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
  10. ^ Condotta, Bob (July 9, 2018), "Lonnie Shelton, starter for Sonics' 1979 NBA title team, dies at age 62", The Seattle Times
  11. ^ Ken Murray. Marvin Webster dead at 56. The Baltimore Sun. Thursday, April 9, 2009. Retrieved on April 9, 2009.
  12. ^ Robinson, Bob (May 18, 1978). "Mederia Webster's dreams prove prophetic". The Oregonian. p. D1.
  13. ^ "Marvin Webster Jr., 19, Dies After Heart Attack". Seattle Times. August 14, 1997. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
  14. ^ Araton, Harvey. "Remembering Marvin Webster, Once a Knicks Savior", The New York Times, April 8, 2009. Accessed June 27, 2011. "I had an address for him at a condominium development in Metuchen, N.J., where he was said to be working in real estate. A few months after Marvin Jr.’s death, I slipped a note under his door, with my telephone number, which went uncalled. A neighbor told me that Webster was not seen very often and generally kept to himself."
  15. ^ Nussbaum, Danielle. "iZombie recap: 'The Exterminator,'" Entertainment Weekly, Wednesday, April 1, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
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