"Seattle SuperSonics" Tommy Burleson Hand Signed 3X5 Card Todd Mueller COA

Description

Up for auction the
"Seattle SuperSonics" Tommy Burleson Hand Signed 3X5 Card.
This item is authenticated by Todd Mueller Autographs and comes with their certificate of authenticity.
ES-2341
Tom Loren Burleson
(born February 24, 1952) is an American former professional
basketball player
. A 7′2″
center
, Burleson played for
North Carolina State University
's
1974 NCAA national championship
team. During the 1972
Olympics held in Munich
, Burleson unwittingly walked into a parking lot where the Israeli hostages were brought before they were removed by helicopter from the Olympic village and later
massacred
. Burleson was held at gunpoint against a wall by one of the terrorists, and told not to move or look at the hostages as they came through the parking lot. He is the last athlete who had any contact with the Israeli Olympians 45 minutes before they died.
Burleson was also a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team that lost a
controversial gold medal game
to the Soviet Union. The entire 1972 Olympic Basketball team believed they had been cheated and voted unanimously to not accept the silver. Before the 1974 NBA draft, it appeared almost certain that Burleson would be taken by the
Phoenix Suns
. But because Seattle traded
Dick Snyder
to the
Cleveland Cavaliers
at the last minute, the Sonics gained the right to pick before the Suns, so the two teams vied for a contract with Burleson. After considering both offers, Burleson chose Seattle.
Drafted by the
Seattle SuperSonics
as the third overall player in the 1974
NBA Draft
, Burleson entered the league tied with Artis Gilmore and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the tallest active NBA player at 7 feet 2 inches. Named to the 1974–75
NBA All-Rookie Team
. Playing under coach
Bill Russell
, Burleson recorded strong playoff performances in both 1975 and 1976 for Seattle. For his playoff career, Burleson averaged 20.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game in 15 career playoff games. His second season as a professional proved to be his best, as he averaged 15.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. Just as he began to come into his own in the NBA, he was injured breaking up a fight between his teammate and an opposing team member. The injury was instrumental in his steady decline over the next several years. Burleson was known throughout his amateur and pro career as a good shot blocker. He played seven seasons in the
NBA
with Seattle, the
Kansas City Kings
and the
Atlanta Hawks
.