Sam Perkins

Samuel Bruce Perkins (born June 14, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and executive. Perkins was a three-time college All-American, was a member of the 1982 national champion North Carolina Tar Heels, and won a gold medal with the 1984 United States men's Olympic basketball team. Perkins played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 17 seasons.

Early life Perkins was born in Brooklyn, New York, He later attended and graduated from Shaker High School in Latham, New York. He was named large-school high school player of the year by the New York State Sportswriters Association in 1980, and was also named to the 35 Greatest Boys McDonald's All Americans team.

College career Perkins attended the University of North Carolina, playing basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels from 1980 to 1984 and graduating with his class. He was named ACC Rookie of the Year in 1981 and starred alongside future NBA Hall of Famers James Worthy and Michael Jordan on the Tar Heels' 1982 NCAA championship team. He was a three-time All-American, and named the 1984 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year.

Professional career

Perkins was chosen by the Dallas Mavericks as the fourth overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft, with Dallas, the Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Indiana Pacers. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1985, and scored a career-high 45 points on April 12, 1990. Perkins tied an NBA record on January 15, 1997, by making eight three-pointers without a miss. He appeared in three NBA Finals: in 1991 (with the Lakers), in 1996 (with the SuperSonics), All three Finals were lost to teams coached by Phil Jackson. In game one of the 1991 NBA Finals, Perkins made a game-winning three-point shot to defeat the Chicago Bulls.

In 2008, Perkins was named vice president of player relations for the Indiana Pacers. That September, he was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. Perkins held his position with the Pacers until 2010.

In 2011, Perkins traveled to South Sudan as a SportsUnited Sports Envoy for the U.S. Department of State. In this capacity, he worked with Dikembe Mutombo to lead a series of basketball clinics and team-building exercises with 50 youth and 36 coaches. This helped contribute to the State Department's mission to remove barriers and create a world in which individuals with disabilities enjoy dignity and full inclusion in society.

Perkins was named to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.

Personal life Perkins was raised a Jehovah's Witness. During his professional career, he stood away from his line of teammates for the national anthem due to his faith.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs Perkins has the distinction of having the fourth-most playoff games appeared in without having been on a team that won the NBA Championship. The only players with more playoff appearances and zero rings, as of the 2025 season, are Hall of Fame Utah Jazz teammates Karl Malone and John Stockton and current player James Harden.