Jerry Graves
Personal information
Born(1938-09-12)September 12, 1938
Lexington, Tennessee
DiedFebruary 7, 2021(2021-02-07) (aged 82)
Jackson, Tennessee
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolLexington (Lexington, Tennessee)
CollegeMississippi State (1958–1961)
NBA draft1961: 2nd round, 19th overall pick
Selected by the Chicago Packers
PositionForward
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× First-team All-SEC (1960, 1961)
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Jerry Lynn Graves (September 12, 1938 – February 7, 2021) was an American basketball player.[1] He was banned from the National Basketball Association (NBA) for his involvement in the 1961 college basketball point shaving scandal during his senior season playing for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.[2]

Graves played at Lexington High School in his hometown of Lexington, Tennessee, where he set a state record for points scored in a season with 1,156 during his senior year.[3] Graves played college basketball for the Mississippi State Bulldogs from 1958 to 1961 and was a two-time first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection.[4] He was voted "Mr. Mississippi State" as the university's most popular student in 1960 and led the Bulldogs to the SEC regular season championship in 1961.[5]

Graves was selected by the newly-formed Chicago Packers as the 19th overall pick in the 1961 NBA draft but elected to sign with the Chicago Majors of the American Basketball League (ABL).[6] On April 27, 1961, he was alleged to have been involved in a point shaving scandal during his senior season.[7] He refused the allegation and said he "played [his] best for Coach McCarthy in every game".[8] However, Graves admitted that he accepted $4,750 in bribes from gamblers who bet on Bulldogs games and paid him if he won.[8][9] He was expelled from Mississippi State University and banned from the NBA.[2][9]

Graves worked as a teacher, principal, coach and superintendent for 42 years.[1][3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Jerry Lynn Graves Obituary". Reed's Chapel Funeral Home. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Cleveland, Rick (August 31, 2018). "New season, new fears about sports betting for Mississippi football's 'Big Three'". Mississippi Today. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Former LHS Basketball Players, Coaches Honored". TN Yesterday. December 4, 1996. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  4. ↑ "2019–20 Basketball Record Book" (PDF). Mississippi State University. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  5. ↑ Johnson, Raymond (April 28, 1961). "Jerry Graves Scandal's Impact Leaves Associate of Guilty Aghast". The Tennessean. p. 34. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  6. ↑ "NBA Reiterates Stand, Bans Players in Fixes". The Morning Call. April 29, 1961. p. 11. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  7. ↑ "10 More Snared in Cage Scandal" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. April 28, 1961. p. 5. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Veazey, Kyle (October 2, 2012). Champions For Change: How the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Their Bold Coach Defied Segregation. Arcadia Publishing.
  9. 1 2 "Grand Jury to Get Jerry Graves Case". Clarion-Ledger. May 10, 1961. p. 21. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
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