Sidney Wicks

Early life

Wicks was born in Los Angeles, on September 19, 1949. He attended Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, but because of non-qualifying grades in high school, he had to attend Santa Monica College for a year until he could go to his preferred university, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Wicks later earned Academic All-America honors at UCLA in 1971. He earned a degree in sociology from the school.

A 6'8" power forward/center, Wicks was a phenom at UCLA, playing on three straight NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championships from 1969 to 1971, the Bruins' star player on the latter two, being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in 1970, Helms National Co-Player of the Year (1970) USBWA and Sporting News Player of the Year (1971) and two-time consensus All-American in 1970 and 1971. On February 1, 1996, his jersey #35 was retired in a halftime ceremony at UCLA's home court, Pauley Pavilion. Wicks was an 1985 inductee into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame and in 2010, was selected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Professional career

The Portland Trail Blazers selected Wicks with the second pick of the 1971 NBA draft after paying the Cleveland Cavaliers $250,000 not to select him, and the Dallas Chaparrals chose him in the 1971 ABA draft. After averaging 24.5 points and 11.5 rebounds, Wicks was named NBA Rookie of the Year. He also played in the NBA All-Star Game that season.

Wicks played for the Trail Blazers from 1971 to 1976, earning a total of four selections as an All-Star (1972–1975) and averaging over 20 points per game each of his first four seasons. He holds the Blazers' franchise record for rebounds in a game with 27, and averaged 22.3 points per game and 10.3 rebounds a game in his five years with the team.

In October 1976 he was sold to the Boston Celtics, while Portland went on to win its only NBA championship the next season. Wicks played for the Celtics from 1976 to 1978. Wicks then went to the San Diego Clippers and played there until 1981. Overall, Wicks averaged 16.8 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game over ten seasons and 760 games. He had four seasons averaging over 20 points per game, and four seasons averaging over 10 rebounds per game, accomplishing both of those feats in the same season three times (1971–72, 1972–73, and 1974–75). His scoring average dropped every year after his rookie season. Following his NBA career he played one season in Italy.

Awards and honors

Later years and family

Following his playing career, he lived for a year in Italy before returning to the United States. He served as an assistant coach at UCLA during Walt Hazzard's four years as head coach. Following coaching he entered the real estate field, living in Atlanta, Florida, and Los Angeles.

At 9 a.m. on May 5, 1989, in Mira Mesa, San Diego, California, Wicks was seriously injured in a car accident. He had been driving a 1974 Cadillac and making a left turn through an intersection when a loaded cement truck, which was approaching the intersection at a perpendicular angle, failed to stop at a red light and struck the driver's side door. Wicks had his ruptured spleen removed at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California. He also had facial lacerations and minor head injuries. Jeffrey Neal Brown, a 34-year-old Poway resident, was a passenger in Wicks' car, and suffered a mild concussion and facial injuries. He was also treated at Scripps Memorial Hospital. The cement truck was being driven by 30-year-old Harry Arthur Auman, who was not injured in the crash.

Wicks was married from 1973 to 1979 and has one daughter, Sibahn Epps. As of 2006, he lived in North Carolina and Los Angeles.