Leon Wood

For the author, see Leon J. Wood.

Leon Wood
Personal information
Born (1962-03-25) March 25, 1962 (age 62)
Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolSaint Monica
(Santa Monica, California)
College
NBA draft1984: 1st round, 10th overall pick
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Playing career1984–1994
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
Number20, 32, 33, 1, 22
Officiating career1996–present
Career history
1984–1986Philadelphia 76ers
1986Washington Bullets
1986–1987New Jersey Nets
1987–1988San Antonio Spurs
1988Atlanta Hawks
1988–1989CAI Zaragoza
1989–1990Santa Barbara Islanders
1990New Jersey Nets
1990Sacramento Kings
1990–1991Rapid City Thrillers
1991Pallacanestro Varese
1991Gießen 46ers
1991–1992Rapid City Thrillers
1992–1993CRO Lyon
1993–1994Fargo-Moorhead Fever
1994Onyx Caserta
1994Purefoods TJ Hotdogs
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1984 Los Angeles Team competition
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1983 Caracas Team competition

Osie Leon Wood III (born March 25, 1962), is an American former professional basketball player. A college All-American, he was a first round NBA draft pick, and both an Olympic and Pan-Am Games gold-medalist. He subsequently has had a career as an NBA referee.

Career

A 6'3" point guard from Saint Monica Catholic High School, Wood was an All-American at California State University-Fullerton. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the 10th pick in the first round of the 1984 NBA draft and played in six NBA seasons for six different teams: the 76ers, Washington Bullets, New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings.

In his NBA career, Wood played in 274 games and scored a total of 1,742 points (6.4 points per game). He was a contestant in the first NBA 3-point shootout at the All-Star Weekend in Dallas in 1987.[1] Wood had a short European professional league stint in Germany for MTV 1846 Giessen, where he was signed for the playoffs and appeared in three games, scoring a total of 77 points.[2] He also played for CAI Zaragoza (ACB League) in the 1988–1989 season. Wood played four seasons in the Continental Basketball Association, averaging 18.1 points and 8.5 assists in 118 games, being named second-team All-CBA in 1990.[3] Wood last played professional basketball in the Philippine Basketball Association in 1994, where he led the Purefoods franchise to a semifinal finish.[4]

Wood is a two-time International gold-medalist, winning at the 1983 Pan American Games and as a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team coached by Bobby Knight. Wood averaged 7.9 assists to lead the 1984 Olympic team.[5]

He became an NBA official in 1996.[6]

Other facts

Wood filed lawsuit against NBA for violations of antitrust laws. Both District Court and Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled in favor of NBA.[7]

References

  1. ^ Ex-PBA import now NBA ref
  2. ^ 46ers Hall of Fame: Leon Wood
  3. ^ 1994–95 Official CBA Guide and Register, page 358
  4. ^ Notable NBA players who played in the PBA
  5. ^ LOOKBACK: How the 1984 NBA Draft made an impact on the PBA
  6. ^ NBA Officials: Referee Biographies
  7. ^ Wood v. National Basketball Ass'n, vol. 809, January 21, 1987, p. 954, retrieved August 22, 2019