Robert Eugene Bass was an American basketball coach and executive who worked in college basketball, the American Basketball Association, and the National Basketball Association.
23 Facts About Bob Bass
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2.
Bob Bass studied at Tulsa Rogers High School in Oklahoma.
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Bob Bass attended Oklahoma Baptist University in 1947, where he served as captain of the basketball team until his graduation in 1950.
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Bob Bass later did study at University of Oklahoma, where he graduated with a master's degree.
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Bob Bass served as the head basketball coach at Oklahoma Baptist for 15 years and was named the NAIA Coach of the Year in 1967.
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Bob Bass led the Bison to the National Finals in 1965.
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Bob Bass' professional coaching career started with the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association in 1967, which he coached for two seasons.
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In 1969, Bob Bass was hired as head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders replacing Gene Gibson.
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Bob Bass cited a challenge to return to the college game and a distaste for the long pro season and its demands on his time away from family for accepting the position of head coach at Texas Tech.
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Bob Bass coached The Floridians of the ABA for two years before the team folded at the end of the 1972 season.
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Bob Bass energized crowds with his team's style of "schoolyard basketball".
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Bob Bass orchestrated a blockbluster trade for Larry Kenon in 1975.
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Various players that Bob Bass acquired to play for the Spurs included David Robinson and Avery Johnson.
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Bob Bass drafted David Robinson with the first overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft despite knowing that Robinson, a graduate of the Naval Academy, had two years of military service to do before he could play basketball.
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Bob Bass won the NBA Executive of the Year Award after the year ended.
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In 20 seasons with the franchise, Bob Bass saw the Spurs reach the postseason seventeen times with him serving as either coach, general manager or vice president of basketball operations.
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In May 1994, Bob Bass left the Spurs to become general manager of the Charlotte Hornets to replace Dave Twardzik.
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Bob Bass soon traded Alonzo Mourning for Glen Rice, Matt Geiger, Khalid Reeves and a 1996 first-round draft pick.
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Bob Bass traded for players such as Vlade Divac on the day of the NBA draft and sent Larry Johnson to the New York Knicks for Anthony Mason and Brad Lohaus.
20.
The Hornets won 54 games and Bob Bass won his second Executive of the Year award.
21.
The Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2002, and Bob Bass stayed with the team, which saw him draft David West with the 18th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
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Bob Bass retired in 2004, having seen the Hornets never finish with a losing record under his tenure.
23.
Bob Bass died in his San Antonio home on August 17,2018 at the age of 89; he was survived by his wife of 68 years.