Jim Ard
A reliable and physical big man who carved out a decade-long NBA career as a valued role player and enforcer off the bench.
Born 1948 (age 78)·American basketball player·Birthday: September 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jim Ard's path to professional basketball was forged in the tough, team-oriented system at the University of Cincinnati. A strong, 6'8" forward and center, he wasn't a headline scorer but a player who understood his role: rebound, defend, and provide a physical presence. Drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, he found his niche as a dependable reserve for several teams throughout the 1970s. His most notable success came as a key part of the deep and talented 1976 Boston Celtics championship team, contributing minutes and muscle behind stars like Dave Cowens. Ard's career is a testament to the value of the specialist, the player whose contributions in practice and in short, intense bursts on the court are essential to a winning formula.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jim was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Jim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an NBA championship as a member of the 1976 Boston Celtics.
- Played ten seasons in the NBA for six different franchises, demonstrating lasting value as a role player.
- Was a consistent rebounder, averaging over 5 rebounds per game for his career in limited minutes.
- Played college basketball for the University of Cincinnati, competing in the tough Missouri Valley Conference.
Did You Know?
He was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 3rd round of the 1970 NBA draft.
Ard played for the New York Nets in the ABA during the 1974-75 season before the ABA-NBA merger.
His son, Brandon Ard, also played professional basketball internationally.
He finished his NBA career with the Washington Bullets in the 1979-80 season.
“My job was to rebound, defend, and set the hard screens that free others.”
