Larry Steele

From Hoopedia

Larry Steele was a 6'5" guard/forward who was a member of the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers NBA world champions. Steele was also the NBA leader in steals in the 1973-74 season, the first year that stat was kept. In that year Steele had 217 steals, or 2.68 steals per game.

Steele was born on May 5, 1949. He played three years for the Kentucky Wildcats, from the 1968-69 season to the 1970-71 season. In his senior season Steele was named Most Valuable Player for the Wildcats. He played in 24 games and shot 51% from the field, despite having a broken hand for part of the season. Steele also scored 314 points that year and 781 in his career.

Steele was drafted in the third round of the 1971 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers in the team's second year of existence. He was the 37th pick in that draft. Steele played in 72 games for the Blazers (in which season?), scoring 366 points, pulling down 282 rebounds and handing out 161 assists. He played all nine of his NBA years with the Trail Blazers. He was forced to retire in 1981 because of injury.

In his time with the Blazers Steele played in 610 games, scored 5009 points (average of 8.2 ppg). Steele also had 846 steals in his career and still has the all-time record for Portland disqualifications at 45 games. He had one Triple-Double, on November 16, 1974 versus the Lakers, when he had 11 rebounds, 10 steals (tied with Clyde Drexler as a Blazers franchise recored) and 12 points. In that game Steele was only one assist away from a quadruple-double.

Larry Steele's number 15 jersey was retired by the Blazers.