Phil Hubbard
A gold-medal Olympian and physical power forward whose tenacious rebounding carved out a decade-long NBA career and a second act in coaching.
Born 1956 (age 70)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: December 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Phil Hubbard played basketball with the force of a man who knew his role and mastered it. At the University of Michigan, he was a cornerstone of the Wolverines' success, a relentless forward known for cleaning the glass. That grit earned him a spot on the legendary 1976 U.S. Olympic team, the last amateur squad to win gold, where he played alongside future Hall of Famers. His professional career was defined by blue-collar consistency. Drafted by the Detroit Pistons, he became a reliable starter, first for the Pistons and then for the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he spent the bulk of his ten-year NBA tenure. Hubbard wasn't a flashy scorer; his value was in physical defense, smart positioning, and securing possessions. After retiring, he seamlessly transitioned to the sidelines, serving as a respected assistant coach for nearly two decades, most notably with the Washington Wizards, imparting his hard-nosed understanding of the game to a new generation.
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.
Phil was born in 1956, 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 Phil Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Phil's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
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
1969Became a teenager
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
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the 1976 United States men's basketball team in Montreal.
- Played ten seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Cleveland Cavaliers, appearing in over 600 games.
- Was a key starter on the University of Michigan's 1976 NCAA Tournament runner-up team.
- Served as an assistant coach in the NBA for over 15 years, including a six-year stint with the Washington Wizards.
Did You Know?
He was inducted into the University of Michigan's Athletic Hall of Honor in 1992.
He played his final NBA season in Italy before retiring as a player.
He served as head coach of the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the NBA G League affiliate of the Lakers.
“You have to own the boards; rebounding is a matter of will.”
