Leonard Gray (1995) - Hall of Fame - Long Beach State University Athletics

Leonard Gray

Induction:
1995

There was so much anticipation on February 1, 1972 when Leonard Gray, a 6-8, 240-lb. sophomore transfer from Kansas, became eligible. Before a sellout crowd of 7,746 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Gray proceeded to convert 7-of-7 from the floor and scored 16 points to give Jerry Tarkanian's 49ers a 83-62 win over UC Irvine. Over the next three seasons, LBSU went 73-10, winning three conference championships. In 1972-73, he shot a single-season record .565 from the floor, as he left the amongst the all-time greats in rebounding (9.3). During his senior year, under Lute Olson, the 49ers were ranked No. 3 nationally and he was named the Pacific Coast Athletic Association Player of the Year and was an honorable mention All-American. He was drafted in the second round by the Supersonics, and played with Seattle and Washington during his NBA career. He passed away on June 13, 2006 at the age of 54.