Nate Archibald Childhood

Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Archibald was born on September 2, 1948 in New York, NY. He is the son of Julia Archibald. Nate got his nickname 'Tiny' from his father, Big Tiny. Nate grew up in the South Bronx, a rough area plagued by drugs and crime. His parents parted ways when he was a teenager.  Despite these adversities, basketball kept Archibald from going down the wrong path.  Tiny’s basketball skills made him a playground legend in New York.

Nate Archibald High School Stats and Awards

Nate attended Dewitt Clinton High School. During his sophomore year, Nate didn’t make the high school team. A dejected Archibald had to be convinced to give basketball, as well as school, another try. He did so, and again, rose above the adversity to play well and earn All-City honors. He was unable to secure a college scholarship from a major program due to his grades and enrolled in Arizona Western Community College.

Nate Archibald College Career Stats and Notes

Tiny played for Arizona Western for one year in 1966 before transferring to UTEP for three years from 1967-70. He averaged 20 points and 3 rebounds during his UTEP career. Tiny led the Miners to the NCAA Tournament in 1970. He was a First Team All-WAC selection in 1970.

Nate Archibald NBA Career Stats and Notes

Nate was selected 19th overall by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1970 NBA Draft. He had a great start to his career, leading the league in scoring and assists in 1972. He had set the mark for highest ppg average for a point guard at 34 which still stands.

After four years with the franchise, Tiny was traded to the New York Nets in 1976. He only lasted a season in New York before being traded to the Buffalo Braves.

Tiny didn’t step on the court for the Braves as he tore his Achilles and missed the entire season. The Braves ended up trading him to the Boston Celtics. Tiny had some success with the Celtics as he was part of their NBA championship winning team during the 1980-81 season. Teamed with Future Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, the Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets in six games. Tiny stayed with the Celtics for two more years before joining the Milwaukee Bucks. He played for the Bucks for one season which was his last in the NBA. Tiny was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991.

Tiny Archibald 1972-73 NBA Season Scoring Title

Although given the nickname Tiny, his game was anything but small during his Hall of Fame career. Standing at 6’1”, Archibald went toe to toe with the giants of the league. Nothing proved that more than his 1972-73 season.

Tiny had a MVP caliber season in 1972-73. He averaged 34 points and 11 assists per game that year, becoming the second point guard to win the scoring title (Dave Bing 1967-68). The next closest scoring leader was the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at 30.4. He had some huge games that year, scoring more than 50 points three times. His stellar season led to First Team All-NBA and All-Star selections.

List of Basketball Hall of Fame Members