Pétur Guðmundsson (basketball)

Pétur Guðmundsson
Personal information
Born (1958-10-30) October 30, 1958
Reykjavík, Iceland
Nationality Icelandic
Listed height 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)
Listed weight 260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
High school Mercer Island
(Mercer Island, Washington)
College Washington (1977–1980)
NBA draft 1981 / Round: 3 / Pick: 61st overall
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Playing career 1980–1992
Position Center
Number 40, 34, 35
Career history
As player:
1980 Club Atlético River Plate (Argentina)
1980–1981 Valur (Iceland)
1981–1982 Portland Trail Blazers
1982–1984 Íþróttafélag Reykjavíkur (Iceland)
1984–1985 Sunderland Maestros (United Kingdom)
1985–1986 Tampa Bay Thrillers (CBA)
1986 Kansas City Sizzlers (CBA)
1985–1986 Los Angeles Lakers
19871989 San Antonio Spurs
1989–1990 Sioux Falls Skyforce (CBA)
1990 New Haven Skyhawks (USBL)
1990–1992 UMF Tindastóll (Iceland)
1992 Sioux Falls Skyforce (CBA)
As coach:
2000 Valur/Fjölnir (Iceland)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
This is an Icelandic name. The last name is a patronymic, not a family name; this person is properly referred to by the given name Pétur.

Pétur Karl Guðmundsson (born October 30, 1958) is a retired Icelandic professional basketball player from Reykjavík. He was the first Icelander ever to play in National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a 2.18 m (7'2"), 118 kg (260 lb) center and played college basketball at the University of Washington, in Seattle, United States.

Pétur[1] was selected in the third round of the 1981 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, for whom he played during the 1981-82 season. In August 1983 the Blazers traded him to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for a 1984 third-round draft pick.[2][3] He played with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1985-86 but was traded to the San Antonio Spurs along with Frank Brickowski, two draft picks and an undisclosed amount of money in exchange for Mychal Thompson.[4]

In 1986, Pétur was set to play for the American CBA's Kansas City Sizzlers but was denied a work permit by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.[5][6]

He also coached Icelandic basketball team Valur/Fjolnir.[7]

Nicknamed the Iceman, Petur was great in the clutch and despite his height a great free throw shooter.

Notes

  1. Although he is properly referred to by his given name, most non-Icelandic statistical sources in basketball list him with the Anglicized name of Petur Gudmundsson, with Gudmundsson (incorrectly) treated as a surname.
  2. Pistons: All-Time Transactions; accessed April 17, 2007
  3. Basketball transactions, August 19, 1983; accessed April 17, 2007
  4. Laker Dream, February 15, 1987; accessed April 17, 2007
  5. Work Permit Denied, February 1, 1986; accessed April 17, 2007
  6. The rest of the world nearly has caught up to the U.S., posted August 28, 2001; accessed April 17, 2007
  7. Former UMFK basketball standout Drazen Jozic to play professionally in Iceland, August 25, 2000; accessed April 17, 2007
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