Sam Perkins
A versatile 6'9" big man known for his smooth three-point shot, Perkins was a champion at every level from college to the NBA.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American basketball player·Birthday: June 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Sam Perkins carved out a seventeen-year NBA career not with flashy dunks, but with a combination of fundamental skill, high basketball IQ, and a shooting touch unusually soft for a man his size. His journey to professional stardom was paved with gold; at the University of North Carolina, he was a three-time All-American and a key pillar on the 1982 NCAA championship team, playing alongside Michael Jordan. That summer, he won an Olympic gold medal with the 1984 U.S. squad. In the NBA, selected fourth overall in the famed 1984 draft, 'Big Smooth' brought reliability to four different franchises. His ability to stretch the floor as a center or power forward, knocking down long-range jumpers, made him a modern prototype before the era fully embraced the concept. While never the sole star, Perkins was the ultimate professional—a player whose consistent, intelligent contributions helped define the frontcourt for the Lakers, Supersonics, and Pacers during their competitive peaks.
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.
Sam was born in 1961, 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 Sam Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Sam's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
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
1966Started school
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
1974Became a teenager
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
1977Could drive
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
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an NBA championship with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1996, starting at center.
- Earned an Olympic gold medal as a member of the 1984 U.S. men's basketball team.
- Was a cornerstone of the 1982 NCAA champion North Carolina Tar Heels, named a First-Team All-American that year.
- Played in 1,286 NBA regular-season games, averaging 11.9 points and 6.0 rebounds over 17 seasons.
Did You Know?
He was drafted one spot ahead of Charles Barkley in the 1984 NBA Draft.
His nickname, 'Big Smooth,' perfectly captured his effortless playing style and outside shooting ability.
He hit a pivotal three-pointer in Game 1 of the 1991 NBA Finals for the Lakers against the Chicago Bulls.
After his playing career, he worked in the front office for the Indiana Pacers.
“The three-point shot changed the game for a big man like me.”
