 Lee as a senior at Marquette | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 5, 1956 Santurce, Puerto Rico |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | DeWitt Clinton (The Bronx, New York) |
| College | Marquette (1974–1978) |
| NBA draft | 1978: 1st round, 10th overall pick |
| Selected by the Atlanta Hawks | |
| Playing career | 1975–1990 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 15 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1975–1977 | Cardenales de Río Piedras |
| 1978–1979 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1979–1980 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1980 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1984 | Cardenales de Río Piedras |
| 1985 | Brujos de Guayama |
| 1985 | Atléticos de San Germán |
| 1986–1989 | Leones de Ponce |
| 1990 | Polluelos de Aibonito |
| As coach: | |
| 1999 | Indios de Mayagüez |
| 2001–2002 | Tiburones de Aguadilla |
| 2002–2004 | Gigantes de Carolina |
| 2009 | Cangrejeros de Santurce |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Alfred "Butch" Lee Jr. (born December 5, 1956) is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player. Lee was the first Puerto Rican and first Latin American-born athlete to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), accomplishing this after being selected in the first round of the 1978 NBA draft.[1]
He began his career in the NCAA, where he gathered several "Player of the Year" recognitions and earned All-American honors as both a junior and senior while at Marquette University. Lee was selected as the Most Outstanding Player at the 1977 Final Four where he led the Warriors to the school's first national championship. The university recognized this by retiring his jersey.
In the NBA, he played for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Lee concluded his career in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He is known to be the only Puerto Rican professional basketball player to win championships in the NCAA, NBA, and BSN. Lee was also a member of the Puerto Rican national team.
- ^ Joshua Motenko (July 10, 2006). "The Globalization of Basketball: Latin America". NBADraft.net. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2014.