About Jerry Chambers
Born 1943. Jerry Chambers is an American basketball player.
Jerome Purcell Chambers (born July 18, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player. At 6'5" and 185 pounds, he played as a small forward.
Early life Chambers attended Spingarn High School in Washington, D.C., transferring to Eastern High School after being cut from the basketball team.
College career
Chambers then attended the University of Utah from 1963 to 1966, winning the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player award in 1966, despite his Runnin' Utes finishing fourth at the 1966 Final Four.
Chambers is the only player to ever earn MOP for a fourth-place team (the 3rd place game was eliminated in 1981). His 143 points in four games remains an NCAA Tournament record, with 70 of them coming in the Final Four—38 against eventual national champion Texas-Western, and 32 more in the third-place game against the Duke Blue Devils.
For his career at Utah, Chambers averaged a double-double, 24.6 points and 11.2 rebounds. As a senior in 1965–1966, he averaged 28.8 points and 11.6 rebounds. His 892 points in 1965–1966 remains second all time at Utah.
Professional career He played four professional seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers (1966–1967), Phoenix Suns (1969–1970), Atlanta Hawks (1970–1971) and Buffalo Braves (1971–1972). Chambers then played two seasons in the American Basketball Association as a member of the San Diego Conquistadors (1972–1973) and the San Antonio Spurs (1973–1974).
His best season was with San Diego under Coach K.C. Jones, when he averaged 11.9 points and 4.4 rebounds.
He missed the 1967–1968 and 1968–1969 seasons due to military service.
Chambers retired with 2,667 combined NBA/ABA career points, averaging 8.3 points and 3.2 rebounds.
Honors/Personal Chambers and the 1966 Final Four Utah team were honored on March 4, 2017, at halftime of the Utah game against Stanford.
Chambers worked for the Los Angeles City Parks and Recreation department for many years.
Career statistics
NBA/ABA Source
Regular season Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Playoffs Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jerry Chambers's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Jerry Chambers?
American basketball player (born 1943)
When was Jerry Chambers born?
Jerry Chambers was born on 18 July 1943 in Washington, D.C..
What is Jerry Chambers's occupation?
Jerry Chambers is a basketball player.
What nationality is Jerry Chambers?
Jerry Chambers is American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jerry Chambers. https://biography.guide/jerry-chambers/
MLA: "Jerry Chambers." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jerry-chambers/.
Chicago: "Jerry Chambers." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jerry-chambers/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence
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