Larry Steele

Larry Nelson Steele, born on 5 May 1949 in Greencastle, Indiana, is an American former professional basketball player, best known for being on the Portland Trail Blazers team that won the 1977 NBA Finals. He grew up in Bainbridge, Indiana, and played at the University of Kentucky under coach Adolph Rupp, where he was a three-year starter. The Trail Blazers drafted him in 1971 and he spent his entire nine-year NBA career with the club, retiring at the end of the 1979-80 season because of knee injuries. He led the NBA in steals in 1973-74, the first season the league recorded them, at 2.68 per game, and the Trail Blazers retired his number 15 jersey on 11 October 1981. Afterward he worked in the Blazers front office and as a broadcaster, and coached the University of Portland from 1987 to 1994.