030 - Larry Kenon
Special K … Basketball’s baddest forward—or so he’d say … “I’m the greatest forward in the game. I’ve always felt that way. Because of that, I’m not in awe of Julius Erving or any other player.” … Cocky or confident? The media couldn’t decide. Most underrated one year, most selfish the next … Undeniable: Put up 20.7 points and 10.3 rebounds over five seasons with the Spurs—first player in franchise history to average 20 and 10 over his career. The Admiral matched him years later. Duncan fell just short. That’s it—though Wemby looks like a cinch of making this a threesome … Scored career-high 51 points on 23-of-32 shooting, Mar. 30, ’80. At HemisFair Arena—his final night in silver and black … Played above the rim like few before him. Oversized hands allowed him to palm a basketball like it was a grapefruit … Peter Vecsey: “Able to take down rebounds one-handed, some two feet higher than most.” … Dubbed “Governor of the Glass” by the Spurs publicity department … Led his team in boards six of his first seven seasons. Averaged 11.1 rebounds in the ABA—11th in league history … Especially dangerous on the offensive glass. 10.7 offensive rebound percentage, ninth all-time. Twice cracked the league’s Top 10 in a season … One of five participants in pro basketball’s first slam-dunk contest. The others: Erving, Gervin, Gilmore, Thompson—all Hall of Famers. Halftime of ABA’s final All-Star Game, Jan. 27, ’76. At Denver’s McNichols Arena. Perfect on all five attempts. Didn’t matter—The Doctor snagged the $1,200 prize, launching from the free throw line … Talent or hard work? Junior year at Birmingham’s Ullman High: Weights tied to his ankles. Coach had him jump over benches lined up across the court. “The rest of the guys were practicing and all I was doing was hopping over these benches, 10 in a row, jump … jump … jump all day long.” … And it paid off. “All that jumping I did in high school really developed that part of my game. Now I enjoy going over people like that—nobody up there but me. It’s a great feeling.” … Defensively? More thief than enforcer. Preferred ball-hawking to body-banging. “I play what I call finesse defense. I try to steal the ball.” … Set NBA record for most steals in a single game with 11 on Dec. 26, ’76., against Kansas City. “On that night the [Kings’] guards just continued to feed into my talent and that led to a lot of turnovers.” … Played in the shadows of Dr. J, and then The Iceman …
Never embraced the sidekick role … “In New York I felt I’d always be the other guy. I don’t feel I received just publicity as a player. You know, one game I might score 37 or 38 points and get a bunch of rebounds but the next day they (papers) would talk about Dr. J.” … San Antonio was more of the same. Told reporters Spurs fans suffered from Gervinitis …
First round hardship pick by the TAMs in the ABA’s top secret ’73 draft. But he’d refused to negotiate with Memphis owner Charlie Finley … “If he wouldn’t give Vida Blue what he was worth, and he’s one of the few dudes around who can fill a ballpark, what do you think he’d offer me?” … Somehow signed with the Nets for a chunk of Roy Boe’s and his 19 partners’ dough—$1.4 million over six years. Reports conflicted as to exactly how they got it done. Vecsey’s verdict years later: “Outright stolen” ... Charlie cried foul: “No one can sign him. Any bleep-bleep that wants to sign him can do so over my dead body, OK?” … Sounded like a standoff; turned out to be a swap meet. Memphis received a couple of backups in return: Jimmy Ard and Johnny Baum … Born and raised in the south. What’d he do with his newfound wealth? Nothing flashy. Bought his mom and younger sisters a house, and himself a brand new ’73 Monte Carlo … Spent the summer in New York City. Played on Vecsey’s Rucker Park squad … Culture shock moment: Watching softball played on a downtown New York blacktop. “He was both hypnotized and mystified,” Vecsey recalled. “How do they slide?” he asked … Spent just two seasons in New York alongside The Doctor … All-Star. All-Rookie. ABA champ in ’73-74; won it all in 14 games—fastest title run in ABA history … Next season? All-Star again. But there’d be no repeat. Marvin Barnes and the Spirits bounced the Nets in round one … Fallout: Traded that summer to San Antonio for center Swen Nater … New York coach Kevin Loughery: “People said Larry was tough to coach but that wasn’t true. He just always felt he was as good as Doc. It wasn’t a negative that Larry felt that way. That’s just how confident he was.” … Three more All-Star seasons followed—one before the merger; two after. Though he fumed when he wasn’t chosen to play in the mid-season classic in ’77 … Made headlines in ’79 when he asked for a one-year $800,000 deal—after Moses’ near-$1-million-a-year payday. Settled for a reported $500,000 with San Antonio, when no one else bit … After his 51-point game: “It’s been a hard year on me mentally because I’ve been playing without security. I’ve played on one-year contracts for the last three years and I’ll never do it again.” … So it wasn’t surprising when he left the Alamo behind. Sept. ’80: Jumped to Chicago after inking a three-year deal for nearly $1.2 million … Didn’t mesh with the Bulls. Numbers dipped each season. And so did the minutes. Cut loose in year three … “I have nothing good to say about the Bulls organization. There’s nobody there who uses anything involving brains” … Brief stops with Golden State and Cleveland followed. And then was gone … Before the pros? … Two seasons at Amarillo JC. Averaged 24.6 and 18.2 as a freshman, 27.6 and 25.1 as a sophomore. Set single-game marks with 53 points and 37 rebounds … Two-time MVP. Two-time National JC All-America … Heavily recruited. Chose Memphis State—where they’d call him Dr. K … Racked up 20.1 and 16.7 as a junior. Posted 25 double-doubles in 30 career games … NCAA tournament run: Two 20-20 games. Dropped 20 in the final—an 87–66 loss to Walton’s Bruins. “We feared no one back then, and he didn’t scare me a bit, even though I was playing center at the time.” … All-Tourney. Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. All-America honors from Basketball Weekly, Converse, and AP … Born Larry Joe Kenon, December 13, 1952, in Birmingham, AL. Also nicknamed Mister K and just plain K … Changed his first name to Muhsin after converting to Islam in ’84 … Filed successful discrimination suit against Oak Hills when his daughters were denied opportunity to compete … Worked as a roofing salesman; later sold used cars … Inducted into multiple sports halls of fame—except the one in Springfield, Mass. … No. 35 jersey hangs from the rafters at Memphis’ FedExForum ... Upon further review: “It was a lot of fun to play with those guys. We had a lot of camaraderie and a lot of growth together. It was a good deal. Life was fun.”
Sources: Amarillo Globe-Times, 4/22/1971 [AJC Badgers freshman stats and honors], 2/16/1973 [Doctor K], 4/3/1973 [AJC recruitment]; Birmingham Pot-Herald, 8/23/1999; Charlotte Observer, 2/10/2019 [slam dunk contest details]; Chicago Tribune, 10/26/1980 [three-year contract at nearly $400 per year]; 6/29/1982 [Westhead’s fastbreak running offense], 11/24/1982 [waived by Bulls; quotes]; Cleveland Plain Dealer, 4/2/2006 [“It was a lot of fun to play with those guys. We had a lot of camaraderie and a lot of growth together. It was a good deal. Life was fun.”]; Commercial Appeal, 4/26/1973, 5/12/1973 [truth re Kenon signing by Nets and ABA involvement], 1/9/1974 [Just Plain K], 2/15/2014 [No. 35 jersey retired by Memphis]; Fort Worth Star Telegram, 2/21/1979 [Malone’s million-a-year deal]; Greenville News, 3/18/1973 [superb jumper, seemingly tireless, and has a fine shooting touch—gets his shot away away quickly]; Hartford Courant, 6/15/1977 [Sloan explanation for Kenon’s benching]; Memphis Press Scimitar, 2/8/1973, 11/14/1973 [first reference of Mister K nickname in print; Special K nicknames; quotes re contract, college]; Monroe Morning World, 3/18/1973 [Doctor K]; Newark Star-Ledger, 3/18/1974 [prior to the pros stats; quotes], 2/15/1981 [Bulls GM Rod Thorn: “You can’t have five guys who can just play defense. I think Larry is a heckuva player.”]; Newsday, 5/9/1973, 9/25/1990 [Oak Hill settlement]; New York Daily News, 4/24/1973 [Vecsey Vida Blue quote], 8/4/1973 [$1.4 million over six years—all guaranteed], 11/22/1973 [Vecsey rebounding quote]; New York Post, 6/12/2009 [Kenon outright stolen from Finley’s Tams]; New York Times, 1/9/1983; Philadelphia Daily News, 4/23/1979; San Angel Standard-Times, 4/2/1978 [Walton quote]; San Antonio Express-News, 3/18/1973 [Doctor K], 6/5/1975, 3/19/1976 [“My potential is unlimited. I think on any given night I can do what I want to on the basketball floor.”], 4/7/1977 [Gervinitis and Silasitis]; San Antonio Light, 4/16/1978 [My game is quickness and finesse quote], 4/15/1979 [greatest forward quote]; 11/28/1982 [bad, bad Mr. K, baddest forward in the NBA], 6/6/1984 [name changed to Muhsin after converting to Muslim], 9/20/1990 [Oak Hill suit]; 12/31/1989; Sporting News, 5/25/1974 [won title in record 14 games], 2/11/1978 [Witt: Governor of the Glass], 1/12/1980 [upset when he wasn’t chosen to play in ‘77 all-star game]; Spurs Media Guide (1979); Hoop du Jour 2.0, 12/21/2020 [Vecsey playground quote]; ashof.org, accessed 12/14/2025; gotigersgo.com, accessed 12/14/2025; gotigersgo.com, accessed 12/20/2025; mysanantonio.com, accessed 12/14/2025; panhandlesports.org, accessed 12/14/2025; https://tshf.net, accessed 12/14/2025; comptroller.texas.gov, accessed 12/14/2025 [indicted for failing to remit tax by dealer].