“I’ve always been a late bloomer”, Stevenson said in his retirement speech, “but I’ve always caught up to the group and made them pay for leaving me behind.” The crowd laughed as they always have through his wacky career as his post game interviews were always comedy gold. After being traded to San Diego in his fourth year, Stevenson gave himself the nickname, “The Artisan” and his pranks on his teammates were top notch.
That doesn’t mean that he was a one trick pony, as his tricks on the court were fantastic. Starting out in Boston where he rotted on the bench for his first three years, where he averaged all of 8.5 minutes a game in 147 games, he was mercifully dealt to San Diego. An overnight success for the Riders, he went from averaging 4.6 points and 2.5 rebounds for Boston to 15.7 points and 6.8 rebounds the very next season. Lasting only two seasons in San Diego when big bucks were thrown at him, he decided on Cleveland where his hype grew even more. He played in three All Star games, starting one in 2035, and was named to the NBA First Team in 2035 for the Cavaliers.
Not only was his play award worthy, his endurance and stamina was second to none. In the ten year span from 2028 to 2037, Stevenson played all 82 games in each season except for two games in 2031 where he was rested for the final two games of the season. That means he played 818 games out of 820 which is fantastic body control and will power to push through niggling injuries and having the luck to not have any major ones. He moved onto New Orleans, Phoenix and Portland where he played good minutes before formally retiring this season. His only regret was “not winning a title like the rest of the Rookie Six guys” but he can rest easy knowing he was a star in the best league in the world.
C Art Stevenson (Houston), 6’11”, 273lbs, drafted round 1: pick 15 (2025)
Teams represented – Boston, San Diego, Cleveland, New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland
Career Highs
Points – 39
Assists – 5
Rebounds – 22
Blocks – 8
Steals – 5
Double Doubles – 274
Triple Doubles – 0
Player of the Game – 98
Player of the Week – 0
Player of the Month – 0
Titles Won – 0
All Star Games – 3
Career Averages
Points – 13.8
Assists – 1.0
Rebounds – 6.7
Steals – 0.5
Blocks – 1.4
1x All Rookie Second Team – 2025
2x All Star Game Reserve – 2033, 2036
1x All Star Game Starter – 2035
1x All NBA First Team – 2035
1x All NBA Third Team – 2036
