“Bernard King found himself in a substance abuse trap”: Why New Jersey Nets dealt the Hall of Famer to Utah Jazz while his on-court performance slumped

In the mid-1980s, Bernard King was one of the most unstoppable scorers in the league.

He was a member of the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Washington Bullets during his NBA career. King was selected seventh overall in the 1977 NBA Draft by the New York Nets.

After a stellar collegiate career at Tennessee, he was an instant hit as a rookie. King posted 24.2 points per game and grabbed 9.5 rebounds per game. Walter Davis of Phoenix edged him out for Rookie of the Year.

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He was traded to the Utah Jazz following a successful sophomore season due to his off-the-court issues. In 1979-80, he only played in 19 games for the Jazz before undergoing substance abuse treatment.

Despite multiple knee injuries that threatened to end his career, King was able to contribute offensively for a number of different teams. He was a two-time All-Star for the Knicks and led them to back-to-back playoff appearances.

He led the league in scoring in 1984-85 and averaged more than 22 points per game in his career. King was a four-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA First Team selection, and a more-than-19,000-point career scorer.

Bernard King had a substance abuse problem that almost derailed his entire career

Bernard King was one of the top players for the New Jersey Nets. He had an excellent rookie season for the Nets.

King had a substance abuse problem. One night during the 1978-79 season, he was found asleep at the wheel of his car. He was arrested for drunk driving and cocaine possession. The charges were later dropped.

The incident did not sit well with the head coach, Kevin Loughery. The Nets head coach was known for being good at managing self-absorbed stars. Loughery felt that he was not getting through to King and was losing control of the team.

Tony has been a Knicks fan since the days of Jazz legend Bernard King.

(That’s Jim Boylan the Bulls coach in 2007-08 also involved in the trade, not Jim Boylen the former U of U coach and the Bulls coach from 2017-20) https://t.co/XGtVnVPXBT pic.twitter.com/3BPeXo2IoI

— Dr Grizzlove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying… (@GrizzImperative) May 24, 2021

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Several months later, the Nets traded Bernard King to the Utah Jazz. King was only able to appear in 19 games, spending most of his time in rehab for substance abuse.

And, despite the fact that he never won a championship and suffered a number of devastating injuries, he unquestionably deserves a place in the Hall of Fame.