George Gervin

George Gervin, nicknamed "the Iceman," is an American former professional basketball player born April 27, 1952, in Detroit, Michigan. He attended Martin Luther King Jr. High School, where he struggled on and off the court until his senior year; a growth spurt allowed him to average 31 points and 20 rebounds and lead his school to the state quarterfinals. He was a Detroit Free Press All-State selection in 1970.

Gervin received a scholarship to play under coach Jerry Tarkanian at California State University, Long Beach, but experienced such culture shock that he returned home.

He went on to play in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), suiting up for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls. Across all 14 of his ABA and NBA seasons, Gervin averaged at least 14 points per game, and he finished with an NBA career scoring average of 26.2 points per game.

Widely regarded as one of the top ten shooting guards in NBA history, Gervin was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and in 2021 he was included on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.