The guy could score with the best in history. Hudson averaged a career high 27.1 points, along with 6.2 rebounds and 3,2 assists, playing alongside Maravich in the back-court with his averages of 26.1 points 4.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists. [6], As a junior at the University of Minnesota, in 1964-1965, Hudson averaged 24.8 points and 10.7 rebounds. The University of Minnesota then offered Hudson a scholarship, and the North Carolina A&T coach “told me I should take this opportunity to play in the big time, that I was good enough for that,” Hudson told The Charlotte Observer in 2009. In seven of those years, Hudson averaged more than 20 points per game, including a career-high 27.1 points per game during the 1972-73 season. An All-America selection and All-Big Ten first-team selection in 1965, "Sweet Lou" Hudson finished his career with 1,329 points, which ranks 14 th on the Gophers' all-time list. • Hudson was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. [18] Hudson made his first NBA All-Star Team in 1969. The guy could score with the best in history. traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Ollie Johnson. He was named an All-American and First Team All-Big Ten. "Young people today don't know how good Lou Hudson really was," Wilkins, a Hall of Famer, told The Associated Press. franchise record along with Bob Pettit and Dominique Immediately, Hudson impacted the team with his [25], Hudson was an All-Star, averaging 26.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Hawks in 1970-1971, while playing in the back court with newly drafted Pete Maravich (23.2 ppg) and alongside Walt Bellamy. premier shooting ability while averaging 21.9 ppg in There was a time, in the not-so-distant past, when Lou Hudson was one of the most lethal scorers in the NBA. Atlanta's Sports Heroes, Media Registration and “I was a loyal team person. Born: July 11, 1944 in Greensboro, North Carolina us Died: April 11, 2014 College: Minnesota High School: Dudley in Greensboro, North Carolina Draft: St. Louis Hawks, 1st round (4th pick, 4th overall), 1966 NBA Draft That’s the kind of player that deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. [41], “I enjoyed playing the game,” Hudson told The New York Times in 2004. Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 30 December 2020, at 03:40. ... Lou Hudson … points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists. court. Elgin Baylor and Jerry West first accomplished the feat for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1964–65. Information. He averaged 21.1 [22] Hudson averaged 26.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in the Bulls series win. [12], After starring at the University of Minnesota, Hudson was selected by the St. Louis Hawks with the 4th pick of the 1966 NBA draft, behind Cazzie Russell, New York Knicks, Dave Bing, Detroit Pistons and Clyde Lee, San Francisco Warriors. Hudson has the distinction of scoring the first-ever basket for the Atlanta Hawks, playing at Alexander Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta. "He was a hell of a player. The Hawks were defeated by the New York Knicks 4-1 in the Eastern Conference playoffs, despite Hudson averaging 25.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the series. The guy could score with the best in history. [37], Over his final two seasons, with the Lakers, Hudson averaged 11.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists, playing under Coach Jerry West and alongside Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Dantley and Jamaal Wilkes, as well as Norm Nixon, Ron Boone and a young Michael Cooper. Wilkins for the most points (57 points) in a single – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced the list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2021, including first-time nominees Doug Collins, Michael Cooper, Howard Garfinkel, Lou Henson, Paul Pierce, Val Ackerman, Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson. He played in 17 games with the injury and led the Golden Gophers to a 14-10 record, averaging 19.8 points and 8.1 rebounds. He had also been recruited by North Carolina and Coach Dean Smith. The Hawks defeated the Chicago Bulls 4-1 in the Western Division playoffs, before losing 4-0 to the Lakers in the Western Division Finals. The sensational facilitator for the event was Hall Board Member and Curator Micheal Hudson. 1972-73, which had only been equalled by two other players in NBA history at that time. SHOOTING GUARD – LOU HUDSON – A six-time All-Star as a member of the St. Louis and Atlanta Hawks. [42], In 2014, Hudson died after a stroke, at age 69. Hudson played in an offensive era of basketball in the 1960s and 1970s for the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers. until the 1968-69 season after the franchise moved to SPRINGFIELD, Mass. You go back and look at his career and look at the numbers and see what he did and you understand.”[1], Hudson's son, Lou, Jr. died suddenly in 1996, at age 18. [40], Hudson made public appearances as an "ambassador" for the "Power to End Stroke" organization. In the greatest Hawks of all-time. After scouts saw Hudson score 30 points with a broken hand as a college senior, they knew what a sensation he was. Lou Hudson. I went out every night and played to the best of my ability because I enjoyed basketball. Lou Hudson. Hudson passed away in 2014. In 1991, Hudson was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame at the University of Minnesota. The guy could score with the best in history. Hudson, a 1991 inductee into the Minnesota Athletics Hall of Fame, was 69. 1966, the St. Louis Hawks first round pick in the NBA The NBA has been sending players to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame since 1959, when George Mikan entered. Hudson averaged 21.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 61 career playoff games. [1][2], Hudson became part of the first black recruiting class at Minnesota, as he, Archie Clark and John Yates enrolled at the University of Minnesota in 1964. University of Minnesota. [17][18], Hudson returned to form in 1968-1969, averaging 21.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the Hawks, in their first season after moving from St. Louis to Atlanta. Lou Hudson. ... Lou Hudson … Gopher Glory: 100 Years of University of Minnesota Basketball. Atlanta. On September 30, 1977, Hudson was "He was a hell of a player. - Page 14 The formal reopening is scheduled for 2019 but will include a special class of inductees (the first in 12 years) to be announced on Oct. 24, 2018, at the second-annual Minnesota Sports Awards gala, presented by Sports Minneapolis, at U.S. Bank Stadium. Baseball. Atlanta missed the playoffs both seasons. [35][36], On September 30, 1977, Hudson was traded by the Atlanta Hawks to the Los Angeles Lakers for Ollie Johnson. “Young people today don’t know how good Lou Hudson really was,” said Wilkins, a Hall of Famer who grew up in Washington, N.C. “He was a hell of a player.