What he did: Kevin Willis never met a suit he didn't like. Or, for that matter a pair of denim jeans. In a league built on fashion, Willis could dress with the best and could play with the best. Only an NBA All-Star once, Willis now spends his days in the land of big and tall clothing after surviving 23 years in the golden years of Jordan and Magic and is only one of 15 players in NBA history who produced over 16,000 career points and 11,000 career rebounds. He played in 1,424 games, fifth on the all-time list, and 38,362 minutes and the seven-footer even finished with 1,328 assists.
But it was an inauspicious beginning for Willis, who was born in Los Angeles and played his high school basketball in Detroit. He played his first year of college ball at nearby Jackson Community before receiving a visit there from NBA great Magic Johnson. After a little nudge from the former Michigan State star, Willis headed to Lansing himself in 1981 and played three years for the Spartans, where Willis would average 13.3 points and 9.6 rebounds his junior season but struggled at times in the physical Big Ten. Off the court, he was developing his love for clothes, majoring in fashion and textiles.
The Hawks took him 11th in what may have been the best NBA draft of all time in 1984, the year Hakeem Olajuwon went No. 1 to Houston, Sam Bowie second to Portland, Michael Jordan third to Chicago and then Sam Perkins to Dallas and Charles Barkley to Philadelphia. When Willis made it to Atlanta and began to swap elbows with conference heavyweights like Detroit and Chicago, he realized quickly he would have to put pounds on what was a skinny frame as well as getting into the weight room. His work habits turned him into a ferocious rebounder and his nine seasons in Atlanta were good ones as the team made the playoffs six times. His most productive year came in the 1991-92 season when he averaged 18.3 points and 15.5 rebounds a game, second in the league to Dennis Rodman (18.7).
He was then traded to the Miami Heat in November 1994 for Grant Long. Willis, who would make more than $33 million in his career, would also play for Golden State, Houston, Toronto, Denver, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas. He did come back to Atlanta in 2005 for 29 games and he won an NBA title with the Spurs in 2003, playing in 98 playoff games over his career. He retired after his last stint with the Hawks and sat out a season before Dallas owner Mark Cuban talked him into one more season and he played five games in the 2006 season. His last one was when he was 44 years and 224 days old to become the oldest player ever in modern day NBA history.
It was a rather easy transition from the NBA to the real world for Willis. While he was playing in 1988, Willis opened a custom wear store in Atlanta for big and tall men with college teammate Ralph Walker. Willis, who appeared in some reality TV shows back in 2008, is also a mainstay these days at Hawks games and fans love to see which pair to fashion jeans he is going to be wearing.
Where he lives: Willis, 52, lives in Roswell and has two children, son Kevin Jr. and daughter Jadis.
What he does now: Willis still has his store, the very popular "Willis & Walker" in Buckhead where NBA stars love to shop when they are in town. He also plays a lot of golf when he is not working out and there is his foundation that raises money for Atlanta Children's Village, a 125-acre residential facility which supports foster care and at-risk children.
On the current Hawks: "I think they are one of the most exciting, well-coached teams in the league. They don't have a superstar but they play like a super team. They talk and communicate and really are a pleasure to watch. I really like going out there to watch and always seem to find a way to get there. This team is building something special.''
On the best Hawks teams he played for: It was the '96 team when we won the Central Division. We went seven games with Boston and we should have finished it (in Game 6) in Atlanta. We were young compared to Boston. Their experience came to the forefront. But watching 'Nique (Dominique Wilkins) and (Larry) Bird was incredible in those last two games. We thought that would carry us to the finals the next year. Not quite.''
On the best big man he faced: "That's easy. It was Olajuwon. He was so good on both ends of the court. His offense was unstoppable and defensively he was intimidating and had great timing and made you do things you were not comfortable doing.''
On his meeting in college with Magic Johnson: "I spent a year at community college and Magic came down to the college to recruit me. I felt 'wow' and we had lunch together. At the time the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan were after me but Michigan thought I needed another year. As soon as I heard that I picked Michigan State. I said I will show Michigan … that was always my motivation.''
On his NBA title with the Spurs: "I had been in the league 18 years and was trying to position myself to get myself a ring. I was surrounded by a great core of players with David Robinson and a young Tim Duncan. They brought me in to give those guys a spell. It really was a match made in heaven. I was able to take some of the heat off those guys.''
On his trip to the White House with the Spurs: "I remember talking to President Bush. We had a long conversation and he was talking about how sharp I was and how tall I was. It was really cool.''
On his legacy: "It has to do with a lot of confidence and training. It is all about how I handle myself and is also true today. It came from my parents. Even though they were separated, they instilled in me a lot of good things. Family always came first and I was all about not putting myself in a position that could get me in trouble. It was an honor to play in the NBA but that wasn't going to make me change as a person. I kept my nose clean and treated people the right way. It's a pretty easy thing to live by.''
On his love for clothes and his store: "The place is very modern and has a timeless feel. I am all about having the best materials and it is somewhere when a big guy can come in and feel comfortable. I want everything to fit well and, to be honest, our clothes sell themselves. I have always been into clothes and over the years have done things to learn about the fashions, how clothes are made, etc. I am all about educating the buyer.''
On the style of jeans he will be wearing at the next Hawks game: "Well, you'll just have to come out and see them.''
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