Pat Cummings

Pat Cummings (born July 11, 1956 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania) is a retired American professional basketball player.

A 6-foot-9½ center with an accurate shooting touch, Cummings spent the most productive stretch of his 12-year career with the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, averaging better than 12 points and 8 rebounds for four straight campaigns.

A product of Greater Johnstown High School and the University of Cincinnati, Cummings was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks as a junior-eligible in 1978 (the year Boston Celtics used the same rule to draft Larry Bird). After playing out his senior season Cummings came to the Bucks in 1979. Over the next three seasons he saw limited action in a frontcourt that already included Bob Lanier and Harvey Catchings. Nevertheless, Cummings shot better than 50 percent from the floor and averaged more than 6 points each year.

NBA career

In 1982 the 2-year-old Dallas Mavericks acquired him for a pair of draft choices. Cummings became the Mavs’ starting center and averaged 12.5 points and 8.2 rebounds. After putting up similar numbers the following season he signed with New York as a free agent.

In 1984–85 Cummings notched the best scoring average of his career, 15.8 points per contest. In 1985–86 he finally succumbed to the foot problems that had been nagging him for years. After averaging 15.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in 31 games, Cummings bowed out for the season and had surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle.

Cummings never quite returned to form. He spent two more seasons with the Knicks, sharing time in the frontcourt with Bill Cartwright and Patrick Ewing, before signing as a free agent with the expansion Miami Heat in 1988. After two seasons as a backup to Rony Seikaly, Cummings was waived late in the 1989–90 campaign.

After a four-game stint with the Utah Jazz in 1990–91, Cummings left the NBA at age 34.

In 12 NBA seasons he averaged 9.6 points and 5.6 rebounds

External links

• Pat Cummings at Basketball-Reference.com