Alvan Adams

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Adams was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the fourth pick of the 1975 NBA draft. As a rookie, he helped lead the Suns on an improbable playoff run all the way to the 1976 NBA Finals. That same year, he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, was selected to the All-Star Game, and was named to the All-NBA Rookie Team. On February 22, 1977, Adams recorded a triple-double with 47 points, 18 rebounds, and 12 assists against the Buffalo Braves. He is one of five players in NBA history (along with Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Russell Westbrook, and Vince Carter) to have as many as 46 points and 16 rebounds in a triple-double performance. He is also one of two players to have recorded multiple games of at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks in the NBA during their rookie season, along with Victor Wembanyama.

In Their Own Story

Born in Lawrence, Kansas, and raised in Oklahoma City, Adams attended Putnam City High School where he led the basketball team to a 67–11 record as a three-year starter. The team was undefeated during his senior year and won a state championship. He was named Oklahoma High School Player of the Year and a Parade All-American in 1972. At the University of Oklahoma, during the 1973–74 season, Adams tied a school record with 21 double-doubles in 26 games (matching Garfield Heard's 1969–70 mark). He is one of only three players in OU history to score at least 40 points and grab 20 rebounds in a game, alongside Wayman Tisdale and Blake Griffin. After his junior season, Adams declared for hardship status in the NBA and made himself eligible for the 1975 draft. His college jersey (#33) is one of only four retired by the OU program.

Reader's Guide

Alvan Adams is the franchise leader in games played (988), minutes played (27,203), rebounds (6,937), and steals (1,289); he ranks second in field goals made and attempted; third in assists; and fourth in blocks. His career spanned from 1975 to 1988, entirely with the Phoenix Suns. After retiring, Adams served as vice president for facility management for the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, starting in 2000. He is married and has two children.

Did You Know?

• Adams was named after the biblical figure Alvan.
• His mother, Ilse, was from Austria and met his father, Richard Paul, when they were students at the University of Kansas.
• Adams tied an Oklahoma school record with 21 double-doubles during the 1973–74 season, a record that stood until Blake Griffin broke it on February 14, 2009.
• He is one of five players in NBA history to have as many as 46 points and 16 rebounds in a triple-double performance.
• Adams granted Grant Hill permission to wear his retired No. 33 jersey with the Suns.