Hopkinsville basketball legend William “Bird” Averitt died Saturday morning after battling a slew of health issues in recent years. He was 68.
Bird’s nickname came from his slight build. He was a 6-foot-1 left-handed player that glided in and out of the lane with moves as quick as a hummingbird. He was a third-team All-State selection on Hopkinsville’s 1969 region championship team and was also named to the All-State Tournament Team.
In his senior season, he was named first-team All-State by the Associated Press and was named second-team All-State by the Louisville Courier-Journal. His Hopkinsville team again advanced to the region championship where they lost to Trigg County.
Averitt was selected to play in the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Game that summer.
While Averitt was making a name for himself in Hopkinsville, the state’s colleges didn’t take notice. His lone in-state interest came from Kentucky State.
Crofton native Fred Overton was an assistant coach at Pepperdine and had watched Bird play over the Christmas break during his senior season. The Bird flew to California and Pepperdine signed him shortly after.
NCAA rules did not allow freshmen to play on college teams when Bird began at Pepperdine. They did field college teams, and Bird scored 40+ points in two games against a UCLA freshman team that included Bill Walton.
Pepperdine’s up-tempo style of play suited Bird, who led the nation in scoring his senior season at 33.9 points a game and was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year.
Averitt was drafted by the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and the ABA’s San Diego Conquistadors in 1973. He played for San Antonio in 1973-74. Following the season, Kentucky Colonels owner John Y. Brown Jr. hired Hubie Brown to coach his team and signed Averitt to return to the Bluegrass.
Playing alongside Dan Issel, Louie Dampier, and Artis Gilmore, Bird and the Colonels won the 1975 ABA championship. He shot 41-percent from the field and averaged 13 points and four assists that season.
Bird would play three seasons in the NBA for the Buffalo Braves and New Jersey Nets, averaging 9.5 points a game for the Braves in 1977-78.
Bird returned to Hopkinsville soon after. He stayed in shape on the local basketball courts and even played tennis. He was injured in a 1995 car crash that left him partially paralyzed with a broken neck and arm injuries.
In one of his last public appearances in a basketball gym, Averitt’s good friend and former Hopkinsville mayor Wally Bryan arranged to have Bird recognized at the 2020 Second Region Tournament in March that was played on the floor where Averitt began his hoops legacy.
Funeral arrangements for Bird Averitt are pending.
It breaks my heart that one of my favorite and one of Hubie’s favorite Kentucky Colonels players William “Bird” Averitt passed away this morning after a long battle with physical problems. He was huge in our run to win the 1975 ABA Championship. https://t.co/dqRRt7TYJS
— Lloyd Pink Gardner (@LloydNealGardne) December 12, 2020
It’s with an enormous amount of sadness and also ot of relief that Bird is now in Heaven. Bird was called home…
Posted by Kentucky Colonels ABA Basketball on Saturday, December 12, 2020
Sad news per the Kentucky Colonels ABA Facebook page, that 1975 ABA Champion/fan favorite, “Bird” Averitt passed away peacefully this morning at 7:36 AM.
Born in Hopkinsville, KY.
– WCC POY
– 🏆 1975
– Averitt played for the Spurs, Braves, Nets and ColonelsRIP to Bird 😔 pic.twitter.com/DeeOPFGKxJ
— NBA to Louisville (@nba2lou) December 12, 2020
My teammate and friend Bird Averitt left us for heaven today. He was a great player and was in a tragic car wreck 25 years ago that left him partially paralyzed. He was a good man and fought so hard. I will miss him. RIP Bird pic.twitter.com/sdeHMOlqOY
— Dan Issel (@DanIssel44) December 12, 2020
