George Gervin Biography and interesting facts
George “The Ice Man” Gervin was one of the greatest scoring machines the NBA has ever seen. He was nicknamed “Iceman” because of his poise on the court and the way he had the ability to hit the “big fish” with the game on the line.
Gervin was an ABA legend long before he made his mark in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs. He could hit open shots like he was a machine. However, his claim to fame was when he could spin in the air hitting a vanishing jump shot and layups without looking back that no one could defend. When the “Iceman” got hot, no one could cool him down.
Gervin was so good on the court that even his opponents were some of his fans. In the 1978 Eastern Conference semifinals, he drove to the hoop against the infamous Elvin Hayes. The “Iceman” drove to the basket and hit a miraculous lopsided one-handed shot from a seemingly impossible angle. Those were just two of his 46 points that night. A stunned Elvin Hayes walked over and gave Gervin a high-five.
During George Gervin’s basketball career, his shooting hand rarely got cold. In 9 of 10 NBA seasons he averaged more than 20 points per game in the NBA. His points per game weren’t even the most exciting part of his game. When Gervin stepped onto the court, everyone knew the game was about to heat up.
Towards the latter part of Gervin’s career, he developed a drug habit. In 1989 he overdosed on cocaine and checked himself into a Houston rehab clinic when he realized the seriousness of his problem. After successful drug treatment, Gervin turned to basketball to help him through the rehab process. That winter, he played for the Quad City Thunder of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). At 37 years old, George averaged more than 20 points per game.
Interesting facts about George Gervin:
- George Gervin was a struggling bench player on his 10th grade high school team. He was only 5’8 at the time. After the summer break he came back and his coach was surprised when he showed up at 6’3″. He no longer had problems and became a starter after that.
- He had a brother named Derrick who played for the New Jersey Nets from 1989 to 1991.
- He played in 12 consecutive All Star Games.
- Gervin once had 407 consecutive games from November 23, 1978 to December 16, 1983 in which he scored 10 or more points.