Ex-Hawk Washington handled NBA’s biggest and best
After power forward Jim Washington joined the expansion Chicago Bulls in 1966, head coach Johnny Kerr had a marketing idea. Washington measured at 6-feet, 7 inches, but Kerr listed him at 6-6 when filling out the official roster for the 1967-68 season.
“Johnny wanted to have the shortest center in the league,’’ said Washington, who later played 3 1/2 seasons for the Hawks. “So he shaved an inch off my height. It worked, as a lot of people wrote about me playing center and only being 6-6.’’
How did it work out on the court? Actually, not too bad. While Washington was going against some of the behemoths of the era including Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Nate Thurmond, his numbers were good.
Washington explains: “You have to understand that back then big centers didn’t come out of the middle and guard you. I was quick and I could jump and I could get to the boards. So offensively, it worked out.’’
During that 1967-68 season, Washington played in all 82 games, almost every one of them at center and averaged 12.5 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. But the next season he was moved back to power forward and had his best professional season, averaging 14 points and 10.6 rebounds.
“I was a power forward but I enjoyed that one year at center,’’ said Washington. “The good thing was that was the year that Wilt was worried about being the assist leader in the league and tops in field goal percentage. The centers that year had a tough time keeping me off the boards. I would say the two toughest guys that actually came out and defended me were Bob Lanier at Detroit and Nate Thurmond. But I held my own.’’
