Jerry Graves

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]

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

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. "Jerry Lynn Graves Obituary". Reed's Chapel Funeral Home. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  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. "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. Veazey, Kyle (October 2, 2012). Champions For Change: How the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Their Bold Coach Defied Segregation. Arcadia Publishing.
  9. "Grand Jury to Get Jerry Graves Case". Clarion-Ledger. May 10, 1961. p. 21. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
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