Archibald, "Nate" (Nathaniel)
Basketball
b. Sept. 2, 1948, New York, NY
Nicknamed "Tiny" early in his career, the 6-1, 160-pound Archibald later preferred to be called "Nate." He spent a season at Arizona Western, a junior college, averaging 29.5 points a game, then transferred to the University of Texas-El Paso, where he averaged an even 20 points from 1967-68 through 1969-70.
Drafted in the second round by the NBA's Cincinnati Royals in 1970, Archibald was a backup for two seasons and moved into the starting lineup as a point guard after the team became the Kansas City/Omaha Kings in 1972-73. He led the NBA in with a 34.0 average and in assists with 11.4 per game, becoming the only player ever to lead in both those categories in the same season.
Archibald was traded to the New York Nets in 1976, but appeared in only 34 games because of injuries. He then went to the Buffalo Sabres. After he missed the entire 1978-79 season with a torn Achilles tendon, Archibald was traded to the Boston Celtics. He played as a backup in his first season with Boston, but became a starter again in 1979-80.
The Celtics released him after the 1982-83 season and Archibald finished his career with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1983-84. In 876 regular season games, he scored 16,481 points, an average of 18.8, with 6,476 assists. He added 667 points and 306 assists in 47 playoff games.