Orlando Woolridge

Woolridge starred for Notre Dame where he played for four seasons under Coach Digger Phelps, who said that Woolridge's cousin Willis Reed, a Hall of Fame center for the Knicks, had recommended him. He helped the Fighting Irish reach the NCAA Tournament in each of his four collegiate seasons, including the Final Four as a freshman in 1978. One of his defining moments came during his senior year at Notre Dame when he hit a jump shot at the buzzer to beat No. 1-ranked Virginia on national television, ending the Cavaliers' 28-game winning streak. His professional career began in 1981 when he was drafted in the first round, sixth overall by the Chicago Bulls. Known for his high-flying dunks and ability to throw down lob passes, Woolridge played 13 seasons in the NBA for the Bulls, Lakers, Nets, 76ers, Nuggets, Bucks, Pistons and spent his final two seasons playing in Italy. During the 1987-88 season, he was with the New Jersey Nets when he told the NBA he had a cocaine problem. He was suspended for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, and he was signed by the Lakers after completing a drug rehabilitation program in Van Nuys. He retired in 1996 and coached the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association in the late 1990s and was the first former N.B.A. player to coach in that league and was named the Sparks' interim head coach in 1998, led them to a 20-12 record in 1999 with the interim label removed. It was the team's best mark in its three-year history, but he was fired at the season's end for what management called philosophical differences. Show less «