1. Jack Wayne Sikma was born on November 14,1955 and is an American former professional basketball center.
25 Facts About Jack Sikma
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Jack Sikma was a seven-time NBA All-Star with the Seattle SuperSonics, who drafted him in the first round with the eighth overall pick of the 1977 NBA draft.
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Jack Sikma was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
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Jack Sikma was known for his trademark reverse pivot and step back behind-the-head jumper, coined as the "Sikma move", along with his distinctive blond hair during his playing days, which he wore in a pageboy early in his career and in a curly style later on.
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Sikma was born in Kankakee, Illinois to Grace and Clarence Sikma and attended St Anne High School in St Anne, Illinois.
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Jack Sikma played collegiately at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, graduating in 1977 and majoring in accounting.
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Jack Sikma liked that Illinois Wesleyan had several Division I schools on their schedule.
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At Illinois Wesleyan, Jack Sikma was a three-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-American and averaged 27.0 points and 15.4 rebounds as a senior.
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Jack Sikma was chosen as the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Most Outstanding Player for three straight years.
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Jack Sikma was a two-time Academic All-American and was selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-American Hall of Fame.
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At Illinois Wesleyan, Jack Sikma remains the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder averaging 21.2 points and 13.1 rebounds.
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Jack Sikma was a first-round pick, drafted with the eighth overall selection in the 1977 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.
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Jack Sikma was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team at the end of the season.
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In 1984, Jack Sikma signed a five-year contract with the Supersonics.
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Jack Sikma continued his All-Star caliber play, but was forced to undergo finger surgery in 1985.
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Jack Sikma was once a member of that elite caste of NBA players considered "untouchables," stars so closely identified with the city they play in that trading them would be unthinkable.
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Milwaukee Coach Don Nelson felt Jack Sikma was the missing piece of a team that had frequently dominated the regular season before being exposed at the center position in the playoffs.
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Into his final season, Jack Sikma remained an effective big man, playing 77 regular season games and three playoff games, including twice grabbing 14 rebounds in a game.
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Jack Sikma averaged a double-double in points and rebounds in eight seasons, always averaged double-digit points-per-game figures throughout his career, and after his stint with the Sonics, he maintained consistent numbers while playing with the Milwaukee Bucks in his final five seasons.
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Jack Sikma was one of the most accurate shooting centers in NBA history.
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From 2003 to 2007, Jack Sikma was a Seattle SuperSonics assistant coach.
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In June 2007 Jack Sikma was hired by the Houston Rockets as an assistant coach under Coach Rick Adelman.
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Jack Sikma was a pioneer as one of the earliest sharp-shooting big men, a role that would become common after the turn of the 21st century.
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Towards the end of his career where his lack of athleticism prevented Jack Sikma from using his eponymous move and no other big men appeared to be able to replicate it, he stated that coaches were inquiring him about the technique, even though he believed it would be defunct upon his retirement.
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Jack Sikma's Sikma moves remains widely taught in amateur basketball, including being one of College Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bo Ryan's five required skills for his team's big men, being cited by local, girls' basketball coaches in 2019, and being strongly touted by college players born well after Sikma's retirement.