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Mark Eaton of the Utah Jazz was a dominant shot blocker in the '80s. Source: https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/29/us/mark-eaton-utah-jazz-dead (May be subject to copyright) |
If he was patrolling the key, you entered at your own peril. Tall with gangly long arms and a wispy beard, Mark Eaton was a shot blocking machine in the NBA in the 1980s.
Recentlty, Victor Wembanyama recorded a triple double with shot blocks, and TSN showed a list of all the players who performed the same feat.
It is so rare because, in addition to the difficulty in blocking 10 shots in a game, it is putting that together with double digits in points, assists or rebounds in two of these categories in the same game.
Sitting at the top of the list, signifying the first player to ever do it, was Mark Eaton way back in 1983.
It is just part of the fascinating story of one of my favourite basketball players of all time.
Discovered
It really is like a story out of a movie. Mark Eaton, who grew up in Southern California, was extremely tall in high school, uncoordinated, scrawny and did not get much playing time.
It really is like a story out of a movie. Mark Eaton, who grew up in Southern California, was extremely tall in high school, uncoordinated, scrawny and did not get much playing time.
Consequently, he left basketball behind when he finished high school. Instead he went to the Arizona Automotive Institute in Glendale and trained to be a mechanic. He returned to Orange County, and was fixing cars in Anaheim when something happened that changed Eaton’s life.
Tom Lubin was a chemistry professor at Cypress College in Cypress, California, and an assistant coach on the school’s basketball team. Interestingly, Lubin had earlier discovered Swen Nater, who never played high school basketball, but went on to a long career in the pros. Lubin discovered Eaton repairing cars in Anaheim. He encouraged Eaton, who eventually enrolled in Cypress College, to try out for the basketball team in 1978.
Eaton, who was seven feet, four inches tall, made the team. After his freshman year, he was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the 1979 NBA Draft, in the fifth round. He was eligible for the draft because he had been out of high school for four years. Instead, he chose to return to Cypress College where he was part of Cypress College’s state championship team in the 1979-1980 season. He had turned into a serviceable junior college player, averaging 14.3 points per game over his two seasons at Cypress College.
He transferred to UCLA in 1980, but did not see much floor time in his two seasons with the Bruins. In total, he played just over 53 minutes in his two seasons in college.
Wikipedia reveals Eaton was discouraged. However, at a summer pick-up game, superstar centre Wilt Chamberlain encouraged Eaton to guard the basket, get rebounds and pass the ball to smaller, quicker guards.
It was a turning point in Eaton’s career.
Eaton received little attention after the 1981-1982 season because he had played so little with the Bruins. He attended two tryout camps he had to pay for, and got two lukewarm offers to play overseas.
Then, the last place Utah Jazz selected Eaton in the fourth round of the 1982 NBA Draft. They saw in him a long-term project, but were prepared to invest the time to develop him into a dominant defender.
The Jazz would not be disappointed.
Rookie season
Eaton’s rookie season was the 1982-1983 campaign. The Jazz, lacking cash, traded their starting centre part way through the season and Eaton was pressed into action. He made an impact that first season, starting 32 games and recording 275 blocked shots, a club record at the time, in only 19 minutes of action a game. He averaged 3.4 blocks per game, which was third in the NBA.
Eaton’s rookie season was the 1982-1983 campaign. The Jazz, lacking cash, traded their starting centre part way through the season and Eaton was pressed into action. He made an impact that first season, starting 32 games and recording 275 blocked shots, a club record at the time, in only 19 minutes of action a game. He averaged 3.4 blocks per game, which was third in the NBA.
The Jazz would finish with a record of 30 wins and 52 losses. It would be the last losing season Utah would have in Eaton’s 11 years with the Jazz.
Getting better
Before the 1983-1984 season, Eaton went through a lot of off-season training where he learned how to be a basketball player. That year he played in 82 games, pulling down 595 rebounds and blocking 351 shots to broke his own franchise record. He also led the NBA with 4.28 shot blocks per game.
Before the 1983-1984 season, Eaton went through a lot of off-season training where he learned how to be a basketball player. That year he played in 82 games, pulling down 595 rebounds and blocking 351 shots to broke his own franchise record. He also led the NBA with 4.28 shot blocks per game.
The Jazz finished with a 45-37 record, good enough for first place in the Midwest Division, second in the Western Conference, and their first trip to the playoffs in franchise history. They defeated the Denver Nuggets 3-2 in the first round before losing to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semi-finals in six games.
Best in the business
The 1984-1985 season was a breakout, record-setting years for Mark Eaton. He recorded 456 shot blocks, breaking the NBA record of 393 set in the 1973-1974 season by Elmore Smith. Eaton averaged 5.56 blocks per game, another NBA single-season record, and averaged 11.3 rebounds per game.
The 1984-1985 season was a breakout, record-setting years for Mark Eaton. He recorded 456 shot blocks, breaking the NBA record of 393 set in the 1973-1974 season by Elmore Smith. Eaton averaged 5.56 blocks per game, another NBA single-season record, and averaged 11.3 rebounds per game.
He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
The Jazz finished fourth in the Midwest Division and sixth in the Western Conference. They went to the playoffs again, defeating Houston in the first round before losing to Denver in five games in the conference semi-finals.
Settling in
The1985-1986 season was the only one in a five-year span where Eaton did not lead the league in shot blocks per game. Still, he had 4.6 blocks per game and averaged 8.4 rebounds per game. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the second year in a row. He had settled in as one of the best defenders in the league.
The1985-1986 season was the only one in a five-year span where Eaton did not lead the league in shot blocks per game. Still, he had 4.6 blocks per game and averaged 8.4 rebounds per game. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the second year in a row. He had settled in as one of the best defenders in the league.
The Jazz finished fourth in he Midwest Division once again and fifth overall in the West Conference with a record of 42-40. They met Dallas in the first round of the playoffs and lost the best-of-five series in four games.
The year before Utah had drafted guard John Stockton and this year drafted Karl Malone. Together the two of them, plus Eaton and some others, would turn the Jazz into one of the best in the west.
League leader again
Eaton led the NBA in shot blocks per game again in the 1986-1987 season with 4.1, which was actually less than the year before when he did not lead the league. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the first time.
Eaton led the NBA in shot blocks per game again in the 1986-1987 season with 4.1, which was actually less than the year before when he did not lead the league. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the first time.
The Jazz finished second in the Midwest Division and fourth in the Western Conference with a record of 44-38. They faced Golden State where they went the distance with the Warriors before losing in five games.
Eaton again led the NBA in shot blocks per game in the 1987-1988 season with 3.7, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the second straight season.
Utah finished third in the Midwest Division and fifth in the Western Conference with a 47-35 record. They defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 3-1 in the first round, before falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference semi-finals in seven games.
Back on top
Mark Eaton was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the 1988-1989 season for the second time in his career. He recorded 3.8 shot blocks per game, but did not lead the league. Interestingly, his average was higher than the year before when he did lead the league. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the third time and was NBA All-Star for the only time in his career.
Mark Eaton was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the 1988-1989 season for the second time in his career. He recorded 3.8 shot blocks per game, but did not lead the league. Interestingly, his average was higher than the year before when he did lead the league. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the third time and was NBA All-Star for the only time in his career.
Utah finished first in the Midwest Division and second in the Western Conference with a record of 51-31, but were swept in the first round of the playoffs by Golden State.
The years after
Mark Eaton played his entire 11-year career with the Utah Jazz, playing his last basketball in the 1992-1993 season. He missed the entire 1993-1994 season due to a back injury, and retired in September of 1994. He finished his career holding the NBA record for career blocked shots per game average with 3.5, a record that still stands.
Mark Eaton played his entire 11-year career with the Utah Jazz, playing his last basketball in the 1992-1993 season. He missed the entire 1993-1994 season due to a back injury, and retired in September of 1994. He finished his career holding the NBA record for career blocked shots per game average with 3.5, a record that still stands.
Sadly, he died after a bicycle accident in May of 2021.
He was 64 years old.
Parting thoughts
For so much of the 1980s, I didn’t see a lot of basketball because it was the one sport not carried on peasant vision. I had to rely on my relatives with cable TV in Calgary, Lethbridge and Brooks, and later friends in Coaldale. It was my best friend, Chris Vining, who first told me about Mark Eaton and how great a defender he was.
For so much of the 1980s, I didn’t see a lot of basketball because it was the one sport not carried on peasant vision. I had to rely on my relatives with cable TV in Calgary, Lethbridge and Brooks, and later friends in Coaldale. It was my best friend, Chris Vining, who first told me about Mark Eaton and how great a defender he was.
In fact, he told me Eaton blocked players so cleanly, the Jazz designed plays off his shot blocks.
Finally, I did get to see Mark Eaton, and I was not disappointed. He was dominating in the key, and personified the phrase, “Protecting the rim”. Watching him block shots was a thing of beauty.
It was only later that I discovered his life story, and the way he made it to the NBA.
He was a mechanic, looking under the hood of a car, when totally by accident a basketball coach discovered him. It is incredible.
Someone should make a movie of his life.
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