Nicknamed after his father, who would later come to be known as “Big Tiny,” Archibald was far from the biggest NBA player. He was listed at 6-foot-1 (some would say he was 5-foot-10, 5-foot-11 tops) and 150 pounds. He was a second-round pick in the 1970 NBA Draft — a class that included Bob Lanier, Rudy Tomjanovich, Pete Maravich, Dave Cowens and Calvin Murphy, all of whom were selected ahead of him. But before the likes of Allen Iverson and Kyrie Irving showed that a smaller point guard could dominate the league, Archibald was one of the NBA’s first and finest to score one for the little guy.
His efforts ultimately earned him a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archibald lands at No. 67 on The Athletic’s Top 75.
Using a screen from Mike Ratliff, Archibald works his way toward the hoop. Despite his diminutive stature, Archibald built his game to go inside. (NBAE Photos / NBAE via Getty Images)
- Averaged 34.0 points per game, leading the league and a record for guards at the time
- Averaged 11.38 assists per game, leading the league and just behind the Big O’s record of 11.48 per game
- Set an NBA record for assists in a season with 910
- Scored 40 or more points 18 times, most ever for a guard
- Scored 50 or more points three times, also most for a guard
- Had 14 consecutive games of 10-plus assists, a league record
- Had three 20-plus assist games
- Scored 30.8 percent of the team’s 8,822 points
- Dished 42.9 percent of the team’s 2,118 assists
- Led the league with 46.0 minutes per game
Archibald finally reached the basketball mountaintop when he won a title with the Boston Celtics in 1981. (Dick Raphael / NBAE via Getty Images)
