Houston Sports - Otis Birdsong

Otis Birdsong

Born: December 9, 1955

Sport: Basketball (All-American, 4-time All-Star, All-NBA)

While the World Baseball Classic has caught quite a bit of attention in recent days, I wanted to wait just a bit before launching into posts about the boys of summer.  Instead, with college basketball season coming to its conclusion with this week's conference tournaments (not to mention that it's Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament and I'm taking my daughter to the regional final that will hopefully include Houston) I've decided to shine the light on one of the great players to take the court for the Houston Cougars.  Otis Birdsong may not be the household name that some other UH alumni have become but his career stands among the very best, and his jersey is one of just five to have been retired by the school.  So even though he played on teams that didn't reach the same levels of success as other Cougars squads, let's give credit where its due and get to know the talented shooting guard who gave our city's biggest university four quality seasons.

The UH campus and basketball arena during the late '70s

Hailing from Winter Haven, Florida, Otis Birdsong was the son of a minister named Nathaniel Birdsong and his wife, Bessie.  Nathaniel died when Otis was just nine years old, leaving his widow to raise 12 children alone.  The Birdsong family all chipped in to help, including the young ones sharing what little money they earned picking grapefruits.  Otis and his brothers attached a barrel hoop to a telephone pole and they would play basketball there every chance they could for six days a week.  Bessie insisted that all the kids attend church on Sunday, and that was the one time that playtime wasn't an option.  She remained strong in her faith and ensured her children worked hard to get a quality education, despite the city schools experiencing the turmoil that came with integration during the early 1970s.  Otis was sent to his first integrated school in 10th grade, where he made the Winter Haven High School basketball team.  After one rocky season his junior year was much smoother, and the team came together to make it all the way to the state title game where they eventually lost after seven overtime periods.  Birdsong's game continued to improve throughout his senior season, and when he finally claimed a state championship and graduated in 1973 he had multiple scholarship offers.  He chose the University of Houston, a warm campus that gave him some breathing room away from home without feeling too far away if he needed to get back. 

Because the NCAA had decided to grant eligibility to freshmen in 1972, meaning they could play on varsity football and basketball teams, Otis Birdsong did not have to wait an extra year to play for the Cougars after arriving on campus.  He made the most of the opportunity, becoming the third highest scorer on the team during his first year.  The following year he became the first player in school history to reach 1,000 points by his sophomore season, while also becoming a strong defensive presence.  Birdsong was chosen to play for Team USA during the 1975 Pan-American Games and came home with a gold medal, but was disappointed to learn soon thereafter that he was one of three final cuts to the team that would represent America in the 1976 Olympics.  Houston joined the Southwest Conference prior to the 1975-76 season, and Birdsong became the top scorer in the league that year during his junior campaign.  Despite never playing collegiate ball with a single teammate who would eventually reach the NBA, Birdsong still managed to lead the Cougars to the postseason as a senior, reaching the NIT championship game but falling short to St. Bonaventure.  His personal accomplishments that year were stunning as he led all Division I players in points with 1,090, and was a consensus All-American.  The conference not only named him their Player of the Year, but also recognized his monumental impact over just two seasons by naming him the SWC Player of the Decade. 

With his college career over, Otis Birdsong was recognized by scouts as one of the top guards in the country heading into the 1977 NBA Draft.  The Kansas City Kings selected him with the second overall pick that year, during which they also selected Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner in the 7th round as a publicity stunt.  After developing during his rookie season, Birdsong was chosen for the All-Star team each of the following three years.  In the 1980-81 season the Kings made the playoffs despite a losing record and then made a surprising run all the way to the Western Conference Finals.  Birdsong was injured along the way, however, and was sidelined when Kansas City eventually lost, coincidentally to the Houston Rockets.  It had been a strong campaign that earned his only All-NBA selection but would mark the end of Birdsong's four-year tenure with the Kings as they traded him to New Jersey.  During his seven seasons with the Nets his overall production declined and he only had one All-Star season.  That year, the 1983-84 campaign, saw Birdsong's team progress to the conference semifinals but come up short against Milwaukee.  After a strong career, Birdsong played his final NBA season with the Boston Celtics, appearing in just 13 games.  No longer able to find a team to sign him, he spent two years in the Continental Basketball Association with the Tulsa Fast Breakers, winning a title there in 1989.  Upon his retirement Birdsong returned to Houston to work for the Cougars on their radio broadcast team, and then eventually settled in Dallas.  Among his honors are induction in the UH Athletics Hall of Honor (2000), Florida High School Hall of Fame (2006), Florida Sports Hall of Fame (2008), and National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (2018), while also being recognized a Polk County Public School's greatest athlete (1999).  Birdsong has held leadership positions in the CBA, where he once played, as well as the NBA Development League and his own marketing and public speaking.  These days he is involved in marketing and public speaking and devotes time to charities such as Ballstar, focused on teaching and developing youth, and the National Basketball Retired Players Association.  Maybe I'll see Birdsong in two weeks if the Cougars are playing for another trip to the Final Four. 

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