Nationality American 1954–1957 Newport News HS Position Center 1953–1954 Warwick HS Height 1.93 m | Number 32 Role Basketball Player Listed height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Name Bill Chambers | |
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Born December 13, 1930 (age 93)
Lynchburg, Virginia ( 1930-12-13 ) NBA draft 1953 / Round: – / Pick: – Education College of William & Mary, E. C. Glass High School | ||
William B. "Bill" Chambers (December 13, 1930 – July 11, 2017) was an American college basketball player and coach for the William & Mary Tribe.
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High school
He attended E. C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, Virginia where he led his team to a state championship and an undefeated season (22–0) during his senior year.
William & Mary
Chambers then went on to play collegiately for the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia from 1950 to 1953. He earned all-state, All-Southern Conference and Helms All-American status while playing for the Tribe. On February 14 of his senior year, Chambers set an NCAA single game rebound record of 51 against the University of Virginia. It is a record that still stands to this day. He was also selected as Virginia's Outstanding Collegiate Basketball Player that same year.
Chambers ended his William & Mary career with 1,456 points. He also set the Virginia schools' record for rebounds in a single season when he grabbed 509 in 1951–52. His jersey number (#32) was retired and now hangs in the rafters of William & Mary Hall.
NBA
In the 1953 NBA Draft, Chambers was selected by the Minneapolis Lakers as their 11th pick. Despite the selection, he was cut by the Lakers during preseason.
Coaching career
In 1957, Chambers returned to his alma mater to coach his former team after several years of highly successful high school coaching. Over the course of the next nine seasons (six of which were winning years), he compiled at 113–110 career record, a win total not surpassed by any other W&M men's basketball coach until Tony Shaver passed the mark in February 2013. The most notable win during his tenure was on January 30, 1960, when his unranked Tribe defeated No. 4 West Virginia University 94–86. The win broke the Mountaineers' 56-game Southern Conference winning streak. For his accomplishments, Chambers has been inducted into the William & Mary Hall of Fame. In 1995, Chambers was also inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Later years and death
After retiring from coaching in 1966, Chambers worked in sales and management for the Converse shoe company and later became a salesman of sporting goods in Florida. In 1990, he was appointed vice president of sales for Russell Athletic.
Chambers died on July 11, 2017, in Alexander City, Alabama, following a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 86.