Alvan Adams

Alvan Adams

Known as the "Oklahoma Kid" and "Double A," Alvan Adams was an All-American basketball player from Putnam City, who later blazed trails at the University of Oklahoma before playing 13 seasons in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns.

Adams lettered three years at Putnam City, helping lead his team to the 4A State Championship and earning All-American and High School Player of the Year honor in 1972. He picked the University of Oklahoma over schools such as Maryland, UCLA, Vanderbilt and Kansas.

At OU he proceeded to set a number of new records such as most points in a game (43), the most rebounds in a game (28), the highest single season scoring average of 26.5 as a junior and the highest single rebounding average of 13.3 as a junior. He was the only unanimous selection on the Big Eight Conference 1970s All-Decade Team.

In 1974, Adams was selected to play on the USA Team that toured China and played in the World University Games in Moscow. He carried a 3.8 grade point average in pre-medicine while at OU and was on the Dean's Honor List. He was named both the Big Eight Player of the Year and MVP of the Big Eight Tournament three times.

Before by-passing his senior year for the NBA draft, Adams set Sooner records of 1,707 points and 938 rebounds. He was named "Rookie-of-the-Year in 1976 and during 13 pro seasons with the Phoenix Suns he scored a total of 13,910 points.

He ranks on the Suns all time list being first in rebounds (6,937), had 4,012 assists, 1,289 steals and played in a total of 988 games. In his pro-career, he averaged 14.1 points and 7 rebounds per game, a .788 percentage from the free throw line. He averaged 4.1 assists per game and ranked third in line behind Wilt Chamberlain's 4.4 and Bill Russell's 4.3.

Adams was the Sun's first "Rookie of the Year," and was the only rookie selected to the 1976 NBA All-Star Game. He was instrumental in the Suns winning their first Western Conference title and their participation in the 1976 championship. He led all scorers in the 1976 championship finals against the Celtics, leading with 138 total points and single game high of 33.

Adams is director of operations for the America West Arena and events coordinator for the Suns and the city's arena football and tennis franchises

Alvan Adams

Date: 03/05/97 16:31

· Position: Center

· Height: 6-9

· Years at Oklahoma: 1972-75

· College highlights: Scored 1,946 points in three seasons, ranking seventh on Oklahoma's career points list.... Was Big Eight player of year in 1975.... Had 34 points and 28 rebounds against Indiana State as freshman.

· After college: Averaged 14.1 points in 13 NBA seasons and holds Phoenix Suns records for career games and rebounds.... Now an executive with America West Arena and Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix

Alvan Adams, Phoenix Suns Center, June 7, 1976

Posted: Tuesday December 01, 1998 10:32 AM

Manny Millan

He was known as the Oklahoma Kid coming out of college, but his heart has been in Phoenix for almost a quarter century. In the spring of 1975 Alvan Adams chose to skip his senior year at Oklahoma and enter the NBA draft. The next fall the 6'9", 220-pound rookie was the starting center for the Suns. In Phoenix he was reunited with coach John MacLeod, who had recruited Adams, a standout at Putnam City High in Oklahoma City, to the Sooners but had left for the NBA after Adams's freshman year. Despite his relatively small stature, Adams excelled in his first season with the Suns, averaging 19.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists en route to becoming the NBA Rookie of the Year and leading the Suns to the Finals for the first time. There they fell to the Boston Celtics in six games.

Recalling the aftermath of the Game 6 loss, Adams, 44, says, "I remember looking around at the old guys in the locker room—guys like Pat Riley—and feeling sorry for them because they only had a year or two left. I thought I'd have lots of chances to win the championship, but in 12 years with Phoenix I never got back to the Finals. Magic Johnson showed up." Adams showed up too: He remains the Suns' career leader in games played (988), rebounds (6,937) and steals (1,289). Phoenix retired his number 33 in 1988.

Scott Troyanos

Adams's job today includes making sure the rafters that support his retired jersey are up to par. As senior vice president and assistant general manager of Phoenix-based Sports and Entertainment Services, Adams serves as the facility manager for the Suns' home, America West Arena, as well as Bank One Ballpark. He lives in Phoenix with his wife, Sara, and their children, Justin, 18, and Emily, 16.

The Kid recently took care of some unfinished business. Adams had been several courses shy of a degree in letters (a major that encompasses history, philosophy, literature and languages) when he left college. He knew that his mother, Ilse, a college German professor who died when Alvan was a senior in high school, would have liked to have seen him graduate. He began taking courses in the summer of 1993, and last May he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Oklahoma. "I told my kids, You always have time for something you really want," says Adams. "I decided I really wanted to finish."

—Jennifer Zajac

Issue date: November 30, 1998

Adams' play triggered Sooners' rejuvenation

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•Alvan Adams

By RANDY COVITZ Staff Writer
Date: 03/05/97 16:31

Before Wayman Tisdale, and before Billy Tubbs, the most significant name in modern Oklahoma basketball was Alvan Adams.

The signing of Adams, a 6-foot-9 center from Oklahoma City's Putnam City High School in 1972, signaled the rebirth of Oklahoma basketball and was the impetus for the construction of Lloyd Noble Arena.

Though Adams left Oklahoma the season before the arena opened in 1975, his presence set the tone for the Sooners' accomplishments of the 1980s.

"The little success we had for a couple of years helped get the new building, helped attract Billy Tubbs, and Billy and those good players kept filling it," said Adams, a three-time All-Big Eight selection and the conference player of the year in 1975.

Oklahoma fans could thank -- and blame -- former Sooners Coach John MacLeod for Adams' decision to enroll at Oklahoma and leave after his junior year. MacLeod recruited Adams to Oklahoma but left for the Phoenix Suns after an 18-8 season in Adams' freshman year.

Adams joined the Suns after his junior year when they made him the fourth pick of the 1975 draft.

In three seasons of playing in the dingy OU Fieldhouse, Adams was a model of consistency. He averaged 22.1, 21.2 and 26.6 points per game and 13.2, 12.1, and 13.3 rebounds. Adams left Oklahoma as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,946 points, though he's now ranked seventh behind players for whom he paved the way, such as Tisdale, Stacey King and Ryan Minor.

The Sooners were 18-8 again in Adams' sophomore year under Joe Ramsey, but after a 13-13 junior year, he followed MacLeod to the Suns.

"How many people have a chance to break in with a pro team of their choice?" Adams said. Adams' first exposure to the NBA was unforgettable. As the league's Rookie of the Year, he led the Suns to the NBA finals, where they lost in six games to Boston in a series remembered for the Celtics' triple-overtime win in game five.

"I figured I'm going to have plenty of chances to get back to the finals," Adams said, "but I never got back."

Adams, 42, concluded his career in 1988 -- the year Oklahoma lost to Kansas in the NCAA title game. In 13 NBA seasons, he averaged 14.1 points and 7.0 rebounds. He is now vice president/assistant general manager of America West Arena and the Bank One Stadium in Phoenix.