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for
Seattle. For his playoff career, Burleson averaged 20.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game in 15 career playoff games. His second season as a professional proved to be his best, as he averaged 15.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. Just as he began to come into his own in
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When
Burleson was recruited he was officially measured at 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) tall, but the coaching staff at North Carolina State decided to list him at 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m). Burleson wanted to be listed at his actual height but the coaching staff said he would officially
536:. Burleson was held at gunpoint against a wall by one of the terrorists, and told not to move or look at the hostages as they came through the parking lot. He is the last athlete who had any contact with the Israeli Olympians 45 minutes before they died.
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with his wife Denise. In 2022 he retired after 28 years as the county's
Planning and Inspections/Building and Code Department Director. He previously served as an Avery County commissioner. He also operates Tommy Burleson and Sons Christmas Trees farm.
709:"Tommy Burleson, Monte Towe, and David Thompson, N.C. State University basketball - 0008569 - NC State University Libraries' Rare and Unique Digital Collections | NC State University Libraries' Rare and Unique Digital Collections"
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He and his wife have three sons: Robert, David, and
Quentin. He is an avid supporter of North Carolina State University. He has served for several years as a Special Ambassador to the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.
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to the Soviet Union. The entire 1972 Olympic
Basketball team believed they had been cheated and voted unanimously to not accept the silver. Burleson did not play vs. the USSR, suspended by coach
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at the last minute, the Sonics gained the right to pick before the Suns, so the two teams vied for a contract with
Burleson. After considering both offers, Burleson chose Seattle.
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Burleson is a native of Avery County, North
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be the tallest player in
American basketball and it would bring a lot of good exposure to him and the school. The ploy worked and Burleson was featured on the cover of
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In 1983 Burleson founded the Tommy
Burleson Basketball Camp, which is held in collaboration with the Avery County Parks and Recreation Department in North Carolina.
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and win the 1974 NCAA Championship. Burleson was the MVP of the 1973 and 1974 ACC Tournaments and was All-Final Four in 1974. Burleson's defense of UCLA superstar
532:, Burleson unwittingly walked into a parking lot where the Israeli hostages were brought before they were removed by helicopter from the Olympic village and later
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578:, Burleson entered the league tied with Artis Gilmore and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the tallest active NBA player at 7 feet 2 inches. He was named to the 1974–75
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He is credited with having rescued a woman from an apartment fire in
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was key to the Wolfpack's semifinal win. He was a member of the 1973 World University Games Gold Medal basketball team.
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Burleson was known throughout his amateur and pro career as a good shot blocker. He played seven seasons in the
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from scoring. The injury was instrumental in his steady decline over the next several years.
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Burleson was also a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team that lost a
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for bringing his fiance' to the Olympic village, a violation of team rules.
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Olympic silver medalists for the United States in basketball
790:"A Basketball Tale: How a Youth of 7‐4 Made a Million at 22"
450:(born February 24, 1952) is an American former professional
683:"37th Tommy Burleson Basketball Camp Another Major Success"
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NC State Wolfpack men's basketball 1973–74 NCAA champions
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United States men's national basketball team players
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Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
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764:"Tom Burleson and the 1972 Munich Olympics"
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762:TheStrengthoftheWolf (August 24, 2012).
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650:honoring the fifty greatest players in
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16:American basketball player (born 1952)
1713:Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics
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908:. November 13, 2000. Archived from
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122:: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
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541:controversial gold medal game
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628:Avery County, North Carolina
286:honored by NC State Wolfpack
214:Career highlights and awards
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367:at Basketball-Reference.com
252:Second-team All-American –
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263:Third-team All-American –
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948:Basketball-Reference.com
530:Olympics held in Munich
96:Newland, North Carolina
33:Burleson from the 1974
736:WRAL (July 30, 2018).
582:. Playing under coach
458:, Burleson played for
308:Career NBA statistics
241:Consensus second-team
1688:Atlanta Hawks players
499:Major League Baseball
1703:Centers (basketball)
853:"The Newland Needle"
829:The Kansas City Star
42:Personal information
1561:Jan van Breda Kolff
912:on December 2, 2012
580:NBA All-Rookie Team
572:Seattle SuperSonics
565:Cleveland Cavaliers
176:Seattle SuperSonics
129:Seattle SuperSonics
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905:Sports Illustrated
880:. February 8, 2012
794:The New York Times
687:High Country Press
626:Burleson lives in
610:with Seattle, the
518:Sports Illustrated
448:Tom Loren Burleson
86:Career information
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204:Atlanta Hawks
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70:Listed height
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59:(age 72)
49:
45:
40:
36:
30:
25:
19:
1636:Kevin Stacom
1631:Phil Lumpkin
1611:Dennis DuVal
1591:Leonard Gray
1566:Billy Knight
1549:Second round
1505:Keith Wilkes
1495:Tom McMillen
1480:Scott Wedman
1470:John Shumate
1464:
1394:Tom McMillen
1378:
1358:Keith Wilkes
1328:Doug Collins
1232:Tim Stoddard
1213:
1136:Coach:
1098:
916:December 19,
914:. Retrieved
910:the original
903:
894:
882:. Retrieved
872:
860:. Retrieved
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832:. p. 15
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584:Bill Russell
569:
557:Phoenix Suns
554:
538:
527:
524:Olympic team
517:
514:
495:Tim Stoddard
493:and forward
484:All-American
481:
473:
447:
446:
295:All-American
292:
290:Second-team
278:(1972, 1973)
243:All-American
34:
18:
1668:1952 births
1601:Aaron James
1596:Leon Benbow
1540:Gary Brokaw
1525:Al Eberhard
1475:Bobby Jones
1455:Bill Walton
1448:First round
1389:Kevin Joyce
1384:Larry Finch
1367:Second Team
1353:Bill Walton
1226:Phil Spence
561:Dick Snyder
510:Bill Walton
428:1972 Munich
109:(1971–1974)
91:High school
1662:Categories
1626:Eric Money
1621:Jesse Dark
1606:Phil Smith
1576:Gus Bailey
1515:Len Elmore
1374:Jim Brewer
1343:Ed Ratleff
1321:First Team
1255:Norm Sloan
1250:Head coach
1220:Monte Towe
1208:Moe Rivers
666:References
551:Pro career
491:Monte Towe
470:Early life
454:. A 7′2″
390:basketball
357:at NBA.com
53:1952-02-24
1586:John Drew
1556:Don Smith
1039:Henderson
802:0362-4331
654:history.
601:Phil Ford
576:NBA draft
534:massacred
520:in 1974.
199:1980–1981
138:1974–1981
115:NBA draft
1338:Bo Lamar
1125:15
1115:14
1109:McMillen
1105:13
1099:Burleson
1095:12
1085:11
1075:10
1069:D. Jones
1059:B. Jones
884:March 3,
807:March 3,
773:March 3,
747:March 3,
742:WRAL.com
718:March 3,
693:March 3,
614:and the
545:Hank Iba
489:, guard
324:Rebounds
143:Position
107:NC State
35:Agromeck
1129:Ratleff
1065:9
1055:8
1045:7
1035:6
1029:Collins
1025:5
1015:4
938:NBA.com
862:May 28,
836:May 28,
592:1975-76
588:1974-75
563:to the
502:pitcher
478:College
276:All-ACC
103:College
1089:Brewer
1079:Forbes
1049:Bantom
940:
800:
642:Honors
466:team.
456:center
404:
388:Men's
376:Medals
351:
334:Blocks
314:Points
297:(1970)
293:Parade
271:(1974)
153:Number
147:Center
65:, U.S.
1119:Joyce
1019:Davis
365:Stats
349:Stats
918:2008
886:2020
864:2024
838:2024
809:2020
798:ISSN
775:2020
749:2020
720:2020
695:2020
590:and
506:UCLA
434:Team
269:NABC
258:1974
247:1973
236:1974
226:1975
187:1980
183:1977
171:1977
167:1974
120:1974
47:Born
1242:MOP
1236:44
1230:42
1224:30
1218:25
1212:24
1206:10
1139:Iba
608:NBA
462:'s
254:UPI
1664::
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265:AP
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