Marvin Webster

Marvin Nathaniel Webster (April 13, 1952 – April 4, 2009) was an American professional basketball player. He played one season in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and nine in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Denver Nuggets (1975–77), Seattle SuperSonics (1977–78), New York Knickerbockers (1978–84) and Milwaukee Bucks (1986–87). His nickname was the Human Eraser because of his impressive shot blocking talent.

College career Born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of a Baltimore preacher, Webster attended Edmondson High School in the city. A four-year basketball letterman at Morgan State University, he earned the nickname "the Human Eraser" as a junior when he averaged eight blocked shots a game while helping the Bears capture the 1974 NCAA Division II Championship. He averaged 21 points and 22.4 rebounds and was named Division II player of the year.

Webster still holds eight career school records: 1,990 points, 2,267 rebounds, 19.5 rebounds per game, 785 field goals made, 424 free throws made, 644 free throws attempted, 722 blocks and 110 games started. His 740 rebounds in 1974 and 2,267 career total are still second all-time in NCAA history in their respective categories. He was named to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball 50th Anniversary All-Elite Eight Team in 2006.

Professional career Webster was selected in the first round of both the NBA and ABA Drafts in 1975 (third overall by the Atlanta Hawks, first overall by the Denver Nuggets, respectively). After signing with the Nuggets, he was diagnosed with a form of hepatitis, and played only 38 games as a rookie in 1975–76.

A 7' 1" center, Webster helped the Nuggets reach the 1976 ABA Finals and win the 1976–77 NBA Midwest Division championship as a backup to Dan Issel. Before the 1977–78 season, the Nuggets traded Webster, Paul Silas, and Willie Wise to the Seattle SuperSonics for Tom Burleson, Bobby Wilkerson and a first-round draft pick. With Webster as the starting center, rookie Jack Sikma, Gus Williams, and Dennis Johnson, the SuperSonics won the 1977–78 NBA Western Conference championship and reached the 1978 NBA Finals. His finest season was his single year with Seattle, in which he averaged 14.0 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. He raised his performance in the SuperSonics’ 22-game playoff run that year, averaging 16.1 points, 13.1 rebounds, and more than 2.6 blocks per game.

In 1978, the Knicks signed Webster as a free-agent. As compensation, the NBA awarded the SuperSonics the playing rights to power-forward Lonnie Shelton and the Knicks’ 1979 first-round draft pick. In his first season with the Knicks, Webster averaged 11.3 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game. Webster never again reached double figures in either category in the NBA after that. He was 56 years old. It is believed that he died of a coronary artery disease. Webster's son, Marvin Webster Jr., was recruited to play basketball at Temple University, but died at age 19 from a heart attack prior to his sophomore season.

Later in his life, Webster lived in Metuchen, New Jersey.

Popular culture references Webster is one of five 1970s Seattle SuperSonics players whose names are featured on characters in "The Exterminator," the third episode of Season 1 of iZombie. The other four are Freddie Brown, Gus Williams, Wally Walker and Don Watts.