LARRY WRIGHT - 101 Greats of European Basketball

“This small genius, as we had been saying for some
time, made the difference between the two teams. His
last baskets were his trademark... Wright was the hero
of the game and an idol cheered by the Roman ‘tifosi’.
At 67-69, Wright left his genius and class indelibly imprinted
on us with two otherworldly baskets and gave
all hope back to his team at 67-73... Wright put an end
to the game playing a reggae groove that was worth
a European crown. Barcelona’s champagne bottle remained
unopened.”
That was Wright’s stellar moment in Europe. It was
his “second ring” and a great personal satisfaction for
his two seasons in Rome.
“Larry was an offensive guard, a natural scorer, a
fighter,” Bianchini remembered. “He was not a pure
point guard, but a mix of point and shooting guard
and that only made his potential greater. His fighting
character came from his difficult childhood, marked by
family poverty. He was a very responsible man and he
always cared a lot for his family.”
From Rome to Udine and back
Even though some sources say that Wright also won
the Intercontinental Cup with Banco di Roma in September
of 1984 in Sao Paulo against, again, FC Barcelona
(86-85), it is not true. He wasn’t on the team anymore
because the previous season he had to deal with injury
problems. He basically only played in the EuroLeague
and the club decided not to renew him.
He missed the whole 1984-85 season due to injuries,
but he was back for the next one and had his best
year in Italy. He was wearing the jersey of Fantoni Udine,
where he averaged 31.9 points, 4.4 assists and 3.1
boards. He stayed with Udine for one more season, also
with good numbers: 26.8 points, 3.6 assists and 3.3
rebounds. For the 1987-88 season, already at 34 years
old, he was back to Rome and delivered 22.7 points, 2.5
assists and 3.4 rebounds. It was his last active year in
the elite. He had played 149 games in Italy averaging
25.1 points, 2.9 assists and 3.2 boards in 38.8 minutes.
He hardly ever left the court!
Wright retired in 1990. He stayed in the basketball
world as a scout for several NBA teams and later
worked as coach of the Grambling State Tigers for nine
seasons. He was back to Rome on October 6, 2006, for
a game between Lottomatica Roma and the Phoenix
Suns that the EuroLeague organized with the NBA on
the NBA Europe Live Tour. Of course, the older Rome
fans who had told their sons about him gave Wright a
warm ovation.
The man with two rings.
101 greats of european basketball
Larry Wright
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