George Gervin ( ; born April 27, 1952), nicknamed "the Iceman", is an American former professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls. Gervin averaged at least 14 points per game in all 14 of his ABA and NBA seasons, and finished with an NBA career average of 26.2 points per game. In 1996, Gervin was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and in 2021, Gervin was named as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history. Early life High school Gervin attended Martin Luther King, Jr. High School in Detroit. He struggled on and off the court until he reached his senior year, when a growth spurt allowed him to average 31 points and 20 rebounds and lead his school to the state quarterfinals. He was a Detroit Free Press All-State selection in 1970. College Gervin received a scholarship to play under Coach Jerry Tarkanian at California State University, Long Beach, but he had such a culture shock that he returned home before the first semester was over. He transferred to Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan and averaged 29.5 points as a sophomore forward in 1971–72. While competing in an NCAA College Division national semifinal game in Evansville, Indiana, Gervin punched a Roanoke player. Gervin was suspended for the following season and eventually was removed from the team. Invitations to try out for the Olympic and Pan-American teams were withdrawn. Professional career Virginia Squires In 1972–73, Gervin initially played in Michigan for the Pontiac Chaparrals of the Continental Basketball Association, where he was spotted by Johnny Kerr, a Vice President, Basketball Operations for the Virginia Squires of the ABA. In January 1973, Kerr signed Gervin to the Squires for a $40,000 a year contract. Gervin's time in Virginia would be short-lived, however. The Squires' finances had never been stable, and they had been forced to start trading their best players to get enough money to stay alive. In the space of only four months, they traded Julius Erving and Swen Nater for cash and/or draft picks. During the 1974 ABA All-Star Weekend, rumors abounded that the Squires were in talks about dealing Gervin for cash. The rumors turned out to be true; on January 30, Gervin was sold to the Spurs for $228,000.