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Wayne Embry

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Wayne Embry
Embry in the 1964–1965 Cincinnati Royals program
Personal information
Born (1937-03-26) March 26, 1937 (age 88)
Springfield, Ohio, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High schoolTecumseh (New Carlisle, Ohio)
CollegeMiami (Ohio) (1955–1958)
NBA draft1958: 3rd round, 22nd overall pick
Drafted bySt. Louis Hawks
Playing career1958–1969
PositionCenter
Number34, 32, 15, 28
Career history
1958–1966Cincinnati Royals
1966–1968Boston Celtics
1968–1969Milwaukee Bucks
Career highlights

As executive:

Career statistics
Points10,380 (12.5 ppg)
Rebounds7,544 (9.1 rpg)
Assists1,194 (1.4 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Basketball Hall of Fame
Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame
Wayne Embry (left) and David Robinson meeting with Reuven Rivlin, president of Israel, at Beit HaNassi, August 2017

Wayne Richard Embry (born March 26, 1937) is an American former professional basketball player and basketball executive. Embry's 11-year playing career as a center spanned from 1958 to 1969 playing for the Cincinnati Royals, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, all of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After his playing career, Embry transitioned to a career as a professional basketball executive, becoming the first African-American general manager and team president in NBA history.

Since 2004, Embry has served as a senior basketball advisor for the Toronto Raptors.

Early life

[edit]

Embry was born on March 26, 1937, in Springfield Ohio. He was raised on a family farm five miles outside of Springfield, on a 70-acre property with four separate homes for his nuclear family, his grandparents, and two uncles. He attended Tecumseh High School near New Carlisle, Ohio, where he was a three-year letter winner and earned Honorable Mention All-State honors.[1][2][3] In his first year at Tecumseh, Embry was the only African-American student in the school.[4]

College career

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Embry was recruited to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, by coach Bill Rohr, who won Embry over by emphasizing academics rather than basketball as the primary reason to attend Miami.[2] Embry became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He was nicknamed "Goose" by his basketball teammates.[5]

As a two-time all-Mid-American Conference center, Embry, a team captain, led the then-Redskins to conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 1957 and 1958.[4][5] He led the MAC in scoring and rebounding in those two seasons, averaging 23.1 and 24.9 points, and 17.2 and 18.1 rebounds per game as a junior and senior, respectively.[6][7]

Embry still holds several school records, including best career rebounding average (15.5) (through the 2024-25 season).[8] He ranks among Miami leaders in the all-time scoring list with 1,401 points (just outside the top-10) and is second on the total rebounding list with 1,117 (two behind Ron Harper's 1,119).[8] He holds both Miami and MAC[citation needed] records for most rebounds in a game with 34 (in a game where he also scored 39 points and hit the winning shot in a one-point overtime victory), and season (488).[9][10][11][12] He was one of only 14 players in MAC history to total more than 1,000 career points and rebounds, and was the first Miami player to reach both of those numbers in a career.[13][12][5]

He was selected to the Helms Athletic Foundation All-America third team as a senior, and he was a two-time honorable mention All-America selection in 1957 and 1958.[14]

He was inducted in the second class of the Miami Athletics Hall of Fame in 1970.[14] He became the fourth player in Miami history to have his jersey (23) retired.[15]

Embry earned a Bachelor of Science in education from Miami.[16]

NBA playing career

[edit]

Embry was originally drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the third round of the April 1958 NBA draft (23rd overall).[17]

Cincinnati Royals

[edit]

In early August 1958, before ever playing for the Hawks, he was traded closer to home to the Cincinnati Royals. The Royals were rebuilding due to the loss of team star forward Maurice Stokes and their inability to sign star center Clyde Lovellette. Stokes became paralyzed with encephalitis in mid-March 1958, after hitting his head and falling unconscious three days earlier during the final game of the regular season against the Minneapolis Lakers. Stokes was still paralyzed at the time of the trade, and remained so for the rest of his shortened life.[18][19][20][21][22]

Lovellette and the Royals were also at loggerheads over his contract, as Lovellette wanted a sizable pay increase after an excellent 1957-58 season and the Royals were unwilling to meet his demands. Lovellette was traded to St. Louis for Embry and four other rookies: Gerry Calvert, Darrell Floyd, Jim Palmer and Ken Sidle.[23][24][25][26] Embry became the only African-American on the Royals' roster.[3]

As a Royals' rookie, Embry averaged 11.4 points and nine rebounds in only 24.1 minutes per game. However, the Royals record fell from 33–39 in 1957-58 to 19–53 in his rookie year. The following season his rebounding average increased to 9.5 per game, even though his playing time was less than 22 minutes per game (while also scoring 10.6 points per game). The Royals again played poorly, however, and finished 19–56.[23][27]

Future Hall of fame guard, and one of the 75 greatest NBA players of all time, Oscar Robertson arrived to the team in 1960, reviving the Royals, who finished the season 33–46.[28][29][30] Embry blossomed with Robertson's joining the team. He made the Western division all-star team for the first time as a backup at center (Lovellette being the starting center); averaging 14.4 points and 10.9 rebounds on the season, in just 28.3 minutes per game.[31][32][3] On offense, Embry was notable for his pick and roll play with Robertson, for whom Embry became an enforcer.[33][3] Robertson's encouragement improved Embry's game. Embry at times appeared to be a blocker on the court, a protector of teammates.[citation needed] A powerful 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and 240 pounds (109 kg), Embry was nicknamed "The Wall" for his sturdy build.[23][3]

Embry (1960-63), Robertson (1960-63) and Jack Twyman (1961-63) were all NBA All-Stars for Cincinnati during the next three years.[23][34][35] The Royals' record improved to 43–37 (1961-62) and 42–38 (1962-63).[27] In 1963, he was selected team captain of the Royals.[3] The 1962-63 Royals won the Eastern division semifinals over the Syracuse Nationals, before losing the Eastern division finals to the Boston Celtics in a seven game series.[36] Overall during the 1963 NBA Playoffs, Embry averaged postseason career highs of 16.8 points and 13.5 rebounds per game.[37] He averaged 12.7 rebounds and 16 points per game in the Boston series, facing Celtics center Bill Russell.[38]

The next season, the 1963–64 Cincinnati Royals surged to the second-best record in the NBA (55–25), with future Hall of fame teammate Jerry Lucas now added, and Robertson named the league's most valuable player.[39][40][41] That season, on December 1, Embry totaled a career high 39 points scored in a 114-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.[42][43] Embry was selected an all-star for the fourth consecutive year (joining Lucas and Robertson on the all-star team), and was 9th in most valuable player voting.[44][45] He averaged 17.3 points and 11.6 rebounds in 36.4 minutes per game.[46]

Embry was selected to the all-star team again in 1964-65 for the fifth consecutive season, though his regular season averages (10 rebounds and 12.7 points per game) were the lowest since his second season with the Royals.[23] In Embry's final season with the Royals (1965-66), his playing time was reduced to less than 24 minutes a game, and he had career-lows in rebounding and scoring averages.[23]

During Embry's years with the Royals, the team was never able to surpass the Eastern conference's Boston Celtics of Red Auerbach and Bill Russell, or the Philadelphia 76ers with Wilt Chamberlain to reach the NBA finals in their quest for an NBA title; losing to the Celtics again in the 1964 Eastern division finals,[47] the 76ers in the 1965 Eastern division semifinals,[48] and the Celtics in the 1966 Eastern division semifinals, in Embry's last games as a Royal.[49]

Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks

[edit]

Nearly retiring to be a regional sales leader for Pepsi-Cola, Embry was talked out of retirement by friend Bill Russell, the new player/coach for Boston. Embry played crucial reserve minutes for Russell and aided that team's surprising 1967–68 NBA title run.

That offseason, when the Milwaukee Bucks were formed, they claimed Embry from the Celtics in the expansion draft, and Embry started at center for the Bucks for the 1968–69 season. In the first game in Bucks franchise history, Embry scored 15 points and grabbed 20 rebounds.[50][51] Embry retired at the end of the season.

NBA career statistics

[edit]
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship  *  Led the league

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1958–59 Cincinnati 66 - 24.1 .387 - .656 9.0 1.5 - - 11.4
1959–60 Cincinnati 73 - 21.8 .439 - .514 9.5 1.1 - - 10.6
1960–61 Cincinnati 79* - 28.3 .451 - .668 10.9 1.6 - - 14.4
1961–62 Cincinnati 75 - 35.0 .466 - .690 13.0 2.4 - - 19.8
1962–63 Cincinnati 76 - 33.0 .458 - .667 12.3 2.3 - - 18.6
1963–64 Cincinnati 80 - 36.4 .458 - .650 11.6 1.4 - - 17.3
1964–65 Cincinnati 74 - 30.3 .456 - .644 10.0 1.2 - - 12.7
1965–66 Cincinnati 80* - 23.5 .411 - .603 6.6 1.0 - - 7.6
1966–67 Boston 72 - 10.1 .409 - .569 4.1 0.6 - - 5.2
1967–68† Boston 78 - 13.9 .400 - .589 4.1 0.7 - - 6.3
1968–69 Milwaukee 78 - 30.2 .427 - .664 8.6 1.9 - - 13.1
Career 831 - 26.2 .440 - .640 9.1 1.4 - - 12.5

Playoffs

[edit]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1961–62 Cincinnati 4 - 32.0 .467 - .778 11.3 2.0 - - 14.0
1962–63 Cincinnati 12 - 32.8 .450 - .662 13.5 1.3 - - 16.8
1963–64 Cincinnati 10 - 36.3 .381 - .622 12.4 2.1 - - 13.4
1964–65 Cincinnati 4 - 30.8 .438 - .818 6.3 2.0 - - 12.8
1965–66 Cincinnati 5 - 27.8 .421 - .583 6.8 0.4 - - 7.8
1966–67 Boston 5 - 7.6 .387 - .500 2.6 0.6 - - 5.2
1967–68† Boston 16 - 10.1 .390 - .448 2.8 0.4 - - 3.7
Career 56 - 24.1 .418 - .645 8.0 1.1 - - 10.1

NBA front-office career

[edit]

Embry later became an assistant manager for the Bucks, keeping an eye for former Royals teammates he could lure to the rising contender. He was instrumental in numerous signings to aid the team, including Robertson. His remarkable teaming with then-named Lew Alcindor quickly produced an NBA title, with Embry by then rising into Milwaukee's front office.

After retiring as a player he became the first African-American NBA general manager, managing the Milwaukee Bucks (1972–1979), Cleveland Cavaliers (1986–1999), and Toronto Raptors (2006). He was selected NBA Executive of the Year in 1992 and 1998.

In 2004, Embry was hired to be the senior basketball advisor to Rob Babcock, the rookie general manager for the Toronto Raptors. After one season, Embry was elevated from senior advisor to president, bypassing Babcock in the chain of command when the board cited a lack of confidence in Babcock's moves. On January 26, 2006, Embry was named the interim general manager for the Raptors after the firing of Babcock, a position he held for two months until Bryan Colangelo was hired as the general manager. Embry has continued to serve as senior basketball advisor for the Raptors. Since then, the Raptors went on to become NBA champions in 2019.

Personal life and legacy

[edit]

Embry and his wife Terri have two daughters and one son. He also has a granddaughter.[52][16] He is distantly related to Marty Embry, another professional basketball player.

He has been a founder and CEO of his own businesses, and member of numerous nonprofit and corporate boards of directors, including Kohl's, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Centerior Energy and Ohio Casualty Insurance.[16]

He is the author of an autobiography The Inside Game: Race, Power and Politics in the NBA (University of Akron Press, 2004), with Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Embry has been a trustee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame since 1974 and has served on various senior-level committees for the NBA and USA Basketball. In recognition of his career both on the court and in the front office, he was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame as a contributor to the sport in 1999. He also served as a member of Miami's Board of Trustees for 14 years, including one year as chair.[53]

Embry was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of the charter class.[15] He was the 2013 recipient of the Ohio Heritage Award,[54] recognizing an Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame inductee for his or her contributions to the state of Ohio off the court.

A portion of US Route 40 in front of Tecumseh High School near Springfield, Ohio was named in Wayne Embry's honor.[55]

On May 18, 2021, Miami University unveiled a statue which stands at the south entrance of Millett Hall, the university's basketball arena. It captures Embry’s likeness and signature hook shot.[56] Private donations funded the creation of the statue and a Wayne Embry Scholarship, which will support Miami varsity men’s basketball student-athletes. The university also presented Embry and his late wife, Theresa “Terri” Embry (Miami ’60), with the Freedom Summer of ’64 Award, which is bestowed each year upon a distinguished leader who has inspired the nation to advance civil rights and social justice.[57]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Wayne Embry : 2006 Charter Class : Inductees : Hall of Fame : Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame". ohiobasketballhalloffame.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Archdeacon, Tom (February 10, 2019). "Spotlight shines on basketball legend Wayne Embry". dayton-daily-news. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Phillips, Larry (September 30, 2014). "Embry Broke Ground In NBA". The News-Messenger (Fremont, Ohio). pp. 8A – 9A.
  4. ^ a b Sports, Luceo. "NHSBCA-Ohio_Wayne_Embry". oh.nhsbca.org. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c "Wayne Embry". Lived Experiences Through Storytelling at Miami. May 19, 2025. Archived from the original on May 19, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  6. ^ "1956-57 Men's Mid-American Conference Season Summary". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  7. ^ "1957-58 Men's Mid-American Conference Season Summary". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Miami (OH) Men's Basketball Leaders & Records - Career". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  9. ^ Surface, Bill (February 15, 1957). "Only 400 Watch F. G. Twin Bill". The Courtier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky). p. 21.
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  12. ^ a b "Wayne Embry (2012) - MAC Hall of Fame". getsomemaction.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  13. ^ "Men's Mid-American Conference Career Leaders and Records for Total Rebounds". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
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  16. ^ a b c "Wayne Embry". www.nndb.com. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  17. ^ "1958 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  18. ^ "Unhappy Birthday For Maurice Stokes". The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts). June 17, 1958. p. 33.
  19. ^ Furlong, Bill (December 24, 1961). "Friends To Greet Stokes At Christmas Party Monday". The Forum (Fargo, North Dakota). pp. D1.
  20. ^ "Pro Cage Star Maurice Stokes Now Improving". The Morning Union (Springfield, Massachusetts). August 24, 1958. p. 23.
  21. ^ Carter, Bob. "ESPN Classic - Stokes' life a tale of tragedy and friendship". www.espn.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  22. ^ "1957-58 Cincinnati Royals Schedule". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  23. ^ a b c d e f "Wayne Embry Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  24. ^ "Hawks' Floyd Goes To Royals". The Herald-Sun (Durham, North Carolina). August 6, 1958. p. 16.
  25. ^ "St. Louis Hawks Acquire Lovellette". Hays Daily News (Hays, Kansas). September 16, 1958. p. 7.
  26. ^ "Clyde Lovelette Traded By Royals To St. Louis Hawks". The Cumberland News (Cumberland, Maryland). September 17, 1958. p. 19.
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  30. ^ "NBA 75th Anniversary Team | NBA.com". NBA. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
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  34. ^ "Oscar Robertson Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  35. ^ "Jack Twyman Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
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  37. ^ "Wayne Embry Per Game Playoffs". Basketball Reference.
  38. ^ "1963 NBA Eastern Division Finals - Royals vs. Celtics". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  39. ^ "1963-64 NBA Standings". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
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  42. ^ "Wayne Embry Career High 39 Points". Statmuse.
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  51. ^ "When the Milwaukee Bucks took the court for their first game ever, 50 years ago this week". Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.
  52. ^ "WAYNE EMBRY – THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE TORONTO RAPTORS". www.nba.com. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  53. ^ "Wayne Embry '58". www.miamiathleticfund.org. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  54. ^ "Wayne Embry Ohio Heritage Award". ohiobasketballhalloffame.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  55. ^ "MURedHawks.com – The Official Athletic Website of Miami University". www.muredhawks.com. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  56. ^ "Miami honors Wayne and Theresa Embry with Freedom Summer of '64 Award". Miami University. May 19, 2021.
  57. ^ Wayne Embry (Miami '58) Statue Dedication, retrieved January 19, 2022
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