Nate Archibald

Archibald was an assistant coach, spending one season in the University of Georgia and two with Texas-El Paso (where he worked with Tim Hardaway). He has also coached the New Jersey Jammers of the USBL and in a Boston recreational league. Archibald coached in the National Basketball Development League in 2001. He resigned a year later to take a position with the NBA's community relations department. Archibald was also named the head coach for the Long Beach Jam in 2004 in the revived ABA, but he would ultimately resign from his position on January 17, 2005 during their second and final season in the ABA.

He completed his bachelor's degree from University of Texas-El Paso by going back for three consecutive summers just prior to finishing his NBA career. He then taught in the New York City school system and attended night school at Fordham University. He received a master's degree from Fordham University in 1990 and a professional diploma in supervision and administration in 1994. He began long-distance correspondence work toward a doctorate from California Coast University in 2000 but ceased his studies because of "his lack of funds and the motivation to complete a long-distance correspondence curriculum." He has stated his hope to complete the degree in the future at Fordham.

After being waived by the Celtics, Archibald played the 1983–84 season with the Bucks; this was his final season. He started at point guard in all 46 games he played.

On February 15, 1982, Archibald recorded a tenure-high 23 assists in a 145-144 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Buffalo traded him to the Boston Celtics as part of a 7-player deal before the start of the next season. His career at the Celtics started poorly. He showed up 20 pounds overweight. However, he adjusted and helped guide the Celtics to the best record in the NBA for three consecutive years (1979–1982). Archibald won his first and only NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1980–81 season alongside young NBA star Larry Bird. In Game 6 of the 1981 NBA Finals, Archibald recorded 13 points and 12 assists as the Celtics closed out the series against the Houston Rockets.

Although he was the Kings' most popular player, he was traded to the New York Nets for two first round draft picks (future all-star Otis Birdsong and rookie of the year Phil Ford), Jim Eakins and Brian Taylor in 1976. Archibald would go on to average a comparatively low 20.5 points per game in his 34 games with the Nets.

Injured for much of the 1976–77 season, he was traded by the Nets to the Buffalo Braves before the 1977–78 season, again for two first round draft picks (this time eventually becoming renowned defender Micheal Ray Richardson and prolific scorer Clifford Robinson), as well as George Johnson. Archibald tore his Achilles tendon and never played a regular-season game for the Braves.

During the 1975 NBA Playoffs, Archibald made the postseason for the first time in his career after the then-Kansas City Kings finished 44-38 in the regular season. Archibald went on to average 20.2 points and 5.3 assists in a six game series loss in the first round to Bob Love and the Chicago Bulls.

Archibald was an All-NBA First Team selection three times (1973, 1975, 1976) and an All-NBA Second Team selection two times (1972, 1981). A seven-time NBA All-Star Game selection (1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, and 1982), he was named the 1981 NBA All-Star Game MVP. Archibald led the NBA in free throws made three times and free throw attempts twice. He competed in 876 professional games, scored 16,841 points (18.8 points per game), and dished out 6,476 assists. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. Nate Archibald was inducted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. In 2021, he was announced as part of the NBA's 75th anniversary team.

On November 18, 1972, Archibald recorded 51 points and 14 assists in a 127–117 win over the Houston Rockets.

In 1972–73 season, Archibald led the NBA in scoring and assists (with 34 points and 11.4 assists, in 46 minutes a game, with all three averages being career-highs), becoming the only player to win the titles in both categories in the same season. (In the 1967–68 season, Oscar Robertson led the NBA in points and assists per game but did not win the titles because they were based on totals rather than averages at the time. His scoring average of 34.0 points per game broke the NBA record for a guard and, as of 2020, is still a record for point guards. His 910 assists that season (11.4 assists per game) was also an NBA record at the time, breaking Guy Rodgers' mark of 908. He was named the Sporting News NBA MVP that season.

Archibald was selected in the second round of the 1970 NBA draft (19th pick) by the Cincinnati Royals. He was also drafted by the Texas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association. In his NBA debut, Archibald recorded 17 points and 7 assists in a 128–104 loss to the New York Knicks. On March 13, 1971, Archibald set a then-career-high by scoring 47 points in a 136-127 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Archibald played for the Royals/Kings franchise from 1970 to 1976.

Despite playing only in blowouts as a junior, the shy, quiet teen managed to blossom into a high-school star, being named team captain and an All-City selection in 1966. Off the court, Archibald began to attend school regularly and worked to improve his poor academic standing, which deterred most colleges from offering him a scholarship. To improve his chances of playing major college basketball, Archibald enrolled at Arizona Western College, transferring to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) the following year. He had three standout seasons at El Paso, from 1967 to 1970 under Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins.

Nathaniel "Tiny" Archibald (born September 2, 1948) is an American retired professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA), most notably with the Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City–Omaha Kings and Boston Celtics. In 1991, he was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.