Len Elmore
Leonard J. Elmore (born March 28, 1952) is an American attorney, sports broadcaster, and former professional basketball player.[1]
Elmore achieved All-American status as a center for the University of Maryland Terrapins, contributing to a strong home record at Cole Field House during his tenure from 1971 to 1974.[2][3] Selected in the first round of both the 1974 NBA Draft (13th overall by the Washington Bullets) and the ABA Draft, he played ten seasons professionally, appearing in 658 games across the ABA and NBA for teams including the Indiana Pacers, Kentucky City Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, and New York Knicks, averaging 6.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.[1] After retiring in 1984, Elmore earned a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1987, becoming the first NBA player to graduate from the institution.[3] His legal career included serving as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, roles as senior counsel and partner at law firms, and work as a sports agent and CEO of ventures like iHoops.[3] In broadcasting, Elmore provided analysis for over 31 years with networks such as ESPN, CBS Sports, and Fox Sports.[3] Currently, he lectures on sports management at Columbia University, where he received the 2019 Dean’s Excellence Award, and holds board positions including with the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.[3]
Early Life and Education
Childhood and Family Background
Leonard J. Elmore was born in 1952 in a public housing project in Brooklyn, New York, to working-class parents who placed a high value on education as a means of socioeconomic advancement.[4] His father, a lifelong New Yorker, worked as a truck driver for the New York City Department of Sanitation, while his mother, who hailed from Louisiana, was employed as a clerk; neither had college experience but encouraged academic pursuit in their children.[5][6][4] Elmore was raised alongside two brothers and one sister in the family's Brooklyn home, where parental emphasis on learning and social awareness shaped his early worldview.[2][7] Following fourth grade, his parents, both in city sanitation roles, relocated the family to a modest house in Queens, marking an incremental improvement in their circumstances.[8] This upbringing in modest urban settings instilled resilience and a drive for self-improvement that informed Elmore's subsequent achievements.[5][4]High School Basketball
Elmore was recruited to Power Memorial Academy, a private Catholic high school in New York City renowned for its basketball program, after being identified as a promising talent by his physical education teacher during his earlier schooling in Springfield Gardens.[2] There, he developed as a 6-foot-9 center, building on the legacy of the school's earlier dominance, including Lew Alcindor's undefeated 1964–65 squad that compiled a 71-game winning streak.[9] In his senior year of 1970, Elmore helped lead Power Memorial to the New York City high school basketball championship.[6] The team's performance that season earned it recognition as the top-ranked high school basketball program in the nation.[10] These accomplishments underscored Elmore's emergence as a dominant rebounder and interior presence, paving the way for his recruitment to the University of Maryland.[11]College Career at University of Maryland
Len Elmore joined the University of Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team as a sophomore in the 1971–72 season under head coach Lefty Driesell, playing as a 6-foot-9 center.[12] During his three active seasons (1971–74), he helped elevate the program to national prominence, with the teams finishing ranked No. 11, No. 8, and No. 4 in the Associated Press poll, respectively.[13] In his sophomore year (1971–72), Elmore averaged 10.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game, anchoring the frontcourt en route to the program's first National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship on March 21, 1972, with a 82–65 victory over Georgetown at Madison Square Garden.[14][13] As a junior in 1972–73, he posted 10.0 points and 11.2 rebounds per game while earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors for the first time.[15] His senior season in 1973–74 marked a breakout, leading the ACC in total rebounds with 412 (a Maryland single-season record that still stands) and averaging 14.6 points, 14.7 rebounds (third nationally), and 1.7 assists per game; he was named a consensus second-team All-American, repeat All-ACC selection, and All-ACC Tournament team member.[16][17][18] Over his college tenure, Elmore amassed 1,017 points and 1,053 rebounds—the only Terrapins player to reach 1,000 in both categories—while securing three All-ACC nods and two All-ACC Tournament honors.[13] His rebounding prowess and defensive presence were instrumental in Maryland's 76–16 record during his varsity years, though the team fell short of NCAA Tournament bids amid ACC scheduling and selection controversies.[12]| Season | Games Played | Points per Game | Rebounds per Game | Assists per Game | Notable Honors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–72 | 26 | 10.8 | 11.0 | 1.2 | NIT Champion |
| 1972–73 | 27 | 10.0 | 11.2 | 1.3 | All-ACC |
| 1973–74 | 28 | 14.6 | 14.7 | 1.7 | Consensus All-American, All-ACC, ACC Rebounding Leader (412 total) |
Postgraduate Legal Education
After retiring from his professional basketball career in 1984, Elmore enrolled at Harvard Law School, where he pursued a Juris Doctor degree from 1984 to 1987.[19] [20] He graduated in 1987, becoming the first NBA player to earn a law degree from Harvard Law School.[3] [21] This milestone distinguished Elmore as the only professional basketball player from the league to complete the program at that institution to date.[20] His undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland in 1974 had prepared him academically, but the transition to legal studies marked a deliberate shift toward public service and advocacy.[19]Professional Basketball Career
ABA Draft and Early Professional Years
Elmore was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 1974 American Basketball Association (ABA) Draft, following his All-American senior season at the University of Maryland.[22] [23] Although also chosen 13th overall in the 1974 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets, Elmore opted for the ABA, signing a multi-year contract with the Pacers on June 28, 1974, citing a preference to play in Indiana under coach Larry Brown.[24] [1] Elmore made his professional debut with the Pacers on October 18, 1974, during the 1974–75 ABA season, where he quickly established himself as a defensive specialist and rebounder, contributing to a team that reached the ABA playoffs but lost in the first round to the Kentucky Colonels.[1] Over 75 games that season, he averaged 7.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, leveraging his 6-foot-9 frame and physicality in the paint.[1] His role emphasized shot-blocking and rebounding, aligning with the Pacers' emphasis on gritty, fundamental play amid the league's high-scoring, fast-paced style. In the 1975–76 ABA season, Elmore's second and final year in the league before the ABA-NBA merger, he appeared in 82 games for the Pacers, improving to 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while helping the team secure a playoff berth, though they again exited early against the Colonels.[1] These early professional years solidified his reputation as a reliable big man in a competitive environment, where the Pacers finished with records of 45–39 and 50–34, respectively, amid the ABA's territorial draft dynamics and financial challenges.[1] Elmore's choice of the ABA over an immediate NBA path reflected the league's appeal to recent college stars seeking playing time and lucrative contracts prior to the 1976 merger.[24]NBA Transition and Team History
Following the ABA–NBA merger in 1976, which incorporated four ABA franchises including the Indiana Pacers into the NBA, Elmore transitioned seamlessly to the league with his existing team, having played for the Pacers in the ABA since the 1974–75 season.[1] Although selected by the Washington Bullets in the first round (13th overall) of the 1974 NBA Draft, Elmore had opted for the ABA's Pacers, and the merger allowed him to continue there without a dispersal draft redistribution.[1] In his NBA debut season of 1976–77, however, Elmore appeared in just 6 games, sidelined for most of the year by a knee injury sustained amid the league integration.[5] Elmore rebounded in the 1977–78 season, logging 69 games for the Pacers and averaging 7.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, before playing a full 80 games in 1978–79 with averages of 6.9 points and 6.3 rebounds.[1] He departed Indiana prior to the 1979–80 season, joining the Kansas City Kings, where he suited up for 58 games, contributing 5.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per outing in a reserve role.[1] The following year, 1980–81, Elmore signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, appearing in 72 games and posting 4.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while providing frontcourt depth.[1] Elmore then moved to the New Jersey Nets for the 1981–82 and 1982–83 seasons, playing 81 games in the former (4.7 points, 3.9 rebounds) and 74 in the latter (3.9 points, 3.5 rebounds), primarily as a backup center.[1] He concluded his NBA tenure with the New York Knicks in 1983–84, participating in 65 games with modest output of 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game before retiring at age 32.[1] Across his seven NBA seasons, Elmore totaled 505 games, averaging 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds, serving consistently as a reliable but unspectacular big man in rotation roles.[1]Playing Style, Achievements, and Criticisms
Elmore played primarily as a power forward and center, standing at 6 feet 9 inches and weighing 220 pounds, where he excelled in defensive rebounding and interior defense rather than perimeter scoring or highlight-reel plays.[1][24] His style emphasized gritty, team-oriented contributions, such as battling for offensive boards and providing physicality in the paint, which aligned with his college reputation as a dominant rebounder who avoided individualistic flair.[4] Key achievements in his professional career include being selected in the first round of the 1973 ABA Draft by the Indiana Pacers and the 1974 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets (13th overall), opting to sign with the Pacers for their ABA affiliate before the league merger.[24][1] He appeared in the 1975 ABA Finals with the Pacers, facing the Kentucky Colonels in a series loss, contributing as a rookie rotation player alongside teammates like Billy Knight.[25] Over 10 seasons split between the ABA and NBA, spanning teams including the Pacers (ABA and NBA), New York Knicks, and Kansas City Kings, Elmore established himself as a reliable veteran, transitioning seamlessly post-merger in 1976.[1] While Elmore's rebounding prowess carried over from college—where he led the ACC in rebounds and set Maryland records—no major professional accolades such as All-Star selections or league honors were recorded, reflecting a solid but non-elite role-player trajectory.[10] Public criticisms of his on-court performance were minimal in contemporary accounts, with evaluations centering instead on his defensive reliability rather than offensive limitations or unmet superstar expectations from his draft status.[24] Some retrospective views note his career as journeyman-like, contributing depth without leading in scoring categories, though this aligns with the era's demands for versatile big men in competitive leagues.[4]Career Statistics and Records
Elmore's professional basketball career spanned ten seasons from 1974 to 1984, beginning in the American Basketball Association (ABA) with the Indiana Pacers before transitioning to the National Basketball Association (NBA) following the leagues' merger in 1976.[1] In the ABA, he appeared in 153 regular-season games, averaging 10.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 40.6% from the field and 75.0% from the free-throw line.[1] His NBA tenure covered 505 games across five teams—Indiana Pacers, Kansas City Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, and New York Knicks—with per-game averages of 4.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 0.8 blocks, alongside field-goal and free-throw percentages of 41.3% and 72.3%, respectively.[1] Career totals reflect his role as a defensive specialist and reserve forward/center: 658 games played, 3,948 points, 3,360 rebounds, 616 assists, and 674 blocks.[1] Elmore recorded single-game career highs of 35 points, 21 rebounds, and 6 assists during his professional tenure, though he did not achieve league-wide records or individual awards such as All-Star selections or statistical leadership in any category.[1]| League | Games | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | BPG | FG% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABA | 153 | 26.2 | 10.6 | 7.9 | 1.0 | 1.8 | .406 | .750 |
| NBA | 505 | 18.6 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 0.9 | 0.8 | .413 | .723 |
| Total | 658 | 20.3 | 6.0 | 5.1 | 0.9 | 1.0 | .411 | .736 |