Bob Kauffman obit

Robert ‘Bob’ Kauffman, 69: He worked hard in NBA and through life

 

 He was not on the list.

Win or lose, Robert Alan “Bob” Kauffman always believed in giving his all in basketball and in life.

The former three-time National Basketball Association All-Star was known as the consummate utility player.

His strong work ethic and intensity gained him the respect of other players and were principles he instilled in his four daughters.

“Everyone who played with Dad liked that he was such a hard worker,” said his daughter Carey Kauffman of Decatur. “He was very physical on the court. He was 6-8 and held his own against some of the toughest players. No part of the game was too small for him. He was like the blue-collar worker who got the job done.”

Kauffman, who had a heart condition, died July 25 at his Lilburn home. He was 69. His funeral was Aug. 1 at Calvary Chapel in Lilburn.

Born on July 13, 1946, in Brooklyn, N.Y., Kauffman grew up in Scarsdale, N.Y. He began playing basketball in junior high school and was a starter on his high school varsity team.

From 1964 to 1968, Kauffman played forward at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, and helped put the college’s basketball program on the map, said former Guilford teammate and college basketball coach Dave Odom of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He played under coach Jerry Steele.

“Bob turned a program that was experiencing great difficulty winning into a program that was feared. He was an absolutely fierce competitor,” Odom said. “He loved his teammates and his college and was committed to being the best basketball player and the best student and the best person he could be.”

During his four seasons at Guilford, Kauffman earned All America and Most Valuable Player honors and helped the college win 86 games and three consecutive trips to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics tournament. In his senior year he was named to five different All-America squads.

He was inducted into Guilford’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1973, and the college retired his jersey number, 44, in 2009.

In 1968, Kauffman graduated with a history degree and was the third overall pick by the Seattle Supersonics. He played in the NBA for seven years with four teams: Seattle, the Chicago Bulls, the Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) and the Atlanta Hawks.

He posted career averages of 11.5 points, seven rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, and made the All-Star team for three years while playing for Buffalo.

Struggling with an arthritic hip, he retired in 1975 after one season with the Hawks. Kauffman then served as a Hawks assistant general manager, followed by a stint as general manager and coach with the Detroit Pistons in 1977-78.

He later returned to Atlanta where he started a residential construction business and devoted time to his family.

Although Kauffman never pushed his daughters to play basketball, he encouraged them to give it their all after they expressed interest, said his daughter Lara Kauffman of Smyrna.

All four daughters went on to play varsity basketball at Brookwood High School in Gwinnett County, and, like their dad, attended college on basketball scholarships.

While their father never interfered with their high school coaches, he was quick to give the referees an earful and call out his daughters’ missteps.

“He would tell the refs to call a foul on me,” Carey said, laughing. “If I wasn’t running hard enough, he would tell me to run harder or go to the bench for a breather. He wanted us to play hard and do our best for the team.”

Their dad’s passion for excellence and work ethic had a positive impact on their academic, business and social lives, his daughters said.

“He was hard on us, but there’s a lot to be said for working hard and earning opportunities and doing it right the first time,” Lara said. “For a woman in a male-dominated business environment, I wasn’t intimidated to speak up and give my ideas.”

Kauffman also will be remembered for his kindness to people dealing with adversity or excluded by others, family and friends said.

Former neighbor Joy Kellett said Kauffman took the time to gain the trust and friendship of her special-needs son Kevin, who loved sports but disliked crowds. He would drive Kevin to high school football games and congratulate him on his wins in the Special Olympics.

“He was kind-hearted and friendly to everyone. It didn’t matter who you were,” said Kellett. “He was a big guy with a big heart for helping others.”

In addition to his daughters Carey and Lara, Kauffman is survived by his wife Judy Kauffman, daughters Joannah MacKenny of Roswell and Kate Wright of Powder Springs and 10 grandchildren.

Kauffman was selected with the third overall pick of the 1968 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics behind future Hall of Fame inductees Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld. Kauffman was also selected in the 1968 American Basketball Association Draft by the Oakland Oaks, but chose to play in the NBA.

As a rookie for Seattle in 1968-–69, Kauffman averaged 7.8 points and 5.9 rebounds, playing behind Bob Rule.

On September 5, 1969, Kauffman was traded by the Seattle SuperSonics with a 1971 3rd round draft pick (Clifford Ray was later selected) to the Chicago Bulls for Bob Boozer and Barry Clemens. Kauffman played a reserve role for the Bulls in 1969–70, averaging 4.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 12 minutes per game.

On May 11, 1970, Kauffman was traded, completing a trade on September 2, 1969, he was traded by the Chicago Bulls with Jim Washington to the Philadelphia 76ers for Shaler Halimon and Chet Walker. Kauffman was sent as the player to be named later on May 11, 1970. Later, the expansion Buffalo Braves acquired him and a 1971 2nd round draft pick (Spencer Haywood was later selected) from the Philadelphia 76ers the day of the NBA Expansion Draft, May 11, 1970, in exchange for veteran forward Bailey Howell. Kauffman never played for Philadelphia.

In 1970-1971, playing for the Buffalo Braves, Kauffman became an All-Star, averaging 20.4 points and 10.7 rebounds for the 22-60 Braves under Coach Dolph Schayes. He was a reserve for the first six games of the season, scoring 26 points total in the first six games, before being inserted into the starting lineup.

The Braves struggled again in 1971-1972, again finishing 22-60, but Kauffman was an All-Star for the second time, averaging 18.9 points and 10.2 rebounds. Kauffman had 44 points against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks on November 13, 1971.

Under new Coach Jack Ramsay, Kauffman was an All-Star again in 1972-1973, averaging 17.5 points and 11.1 rebounds for the 21-61 Braves.

In 1973-1974, the Braves improved to 42-40, making the playoffs. Kauffman became a reserve, averaging 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 17 minutes, on a roster that included Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo, Randy Smith and Garfield Heard.

On May 20, 1974, Kauffman was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz from the Buffalo Braves in the NBA expansion draft. He was immediately traded by the Jazz in a landmark trade. He was traded with Dean Meminger, a 1974 1st round draft pick (Mike Sojourner was later selected), a 1975 1st round draft pick (David Thompson was later selected), a 1975 2nd round draft pick (Bill Willoughby was later selected), a 1976 2nd round draft pick (Alex English was later selected) and a 1980 3rd round draft pick (Jonathan Moore was later selected) to the Atlanta Hawks for Pete Maravich.

With chronic groin and hip problems limiting his play, Kauffman played the final season of his career with the 1974-1975 Hawks. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.5 points in 73 games for the 31-51 Hawks, under Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons.

He had a short career as an NBA team executive with the Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons. He spent two seasons as assistant general manager for the Hawks before Detroit hired him as the Pistons' general manager in 1977. He was with the Pistons from May 25, 1977 to July 14, 1978.

He served as coach of the Detroit Pistons in 1977-1978 after Herb Brown was fired, going 29-29 in 58 games. Kauffman eventually left the Pistons after a disagreement with team owner Bill Davidson. Kauffman wanted to hire Cotton Fitzsimmons or Al Bianchi, for the coaching vacancy. Davidson wanted Dick Vitale from the University of Detroit. Vitale went 34-60 in his tenure as Pistons coach.