Last Updated on May 29, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
Tree Rollins spent much of his career doing the hard, unglamorous work that winning teams need, protecting the rim and battling bigger scorers in the paint. His defensive presence gave opponents problems for years, making him one of the more dependable shot-blocking centers of his era. Below is an overview of his personal background and professional career:
Player Profile
- Full Name: Wayne Monte Rollins
- Nationality: American
- Date of Birth: June 16, 1955
- Place of Birth: Winter Haven, Florida, USA
- Hometown: Cordele, Georgia, USA
- Height: 7 feet 1 inch (216 cm)
- Weight: 235 pounds (107 kg)
- Wingspan: 7 feet 6 inches (229cm)
- Shoe Size: 20 (US)
- Jersey Number: 30
- Position: Center
- High School: Crisp County High School, Cordele, Georgia
- College: Clemson University
- NBA Draft: 1977, 1st round, 14th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks
- Teams Played For:
- Atlanta Hawks (1977–1988)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (1988–1989)
- Detroit Pistons (1989–1990)
- Houston Rockets (1990–1992)
- Orlando Magic (1993–1995)
- Championship Rings: None
- Children: Information not publicly available
- Siblings: Information not publicly available
Player Archetype / Play Style
Tree Rollins was a defense-first rim-protecting center, the kind of old-school anchor whose main value came from size, reach, and interior deterrence rather than shot creation. At 7-foot-1 and around 235 pounds, he had the length and standing size to patrol the paint, challenge everything near the basket, rebound in traffic, and serve as the back-line organizer of a half-court defense. Offensively, his role was narrow and functional: finish close to the rim, clean up misses, screen, and avoid wasting possessions, not operate as a featured scorer or playmaking hub. His overall style was rugged, disciplined, and highly specialized, built around shot-blocking, positional defense, and low-usage interior play, which is why he was most valuable when a team needed a true defensive anchor in the middle. Sources support that profile through his listed size, position, low-scoring offensive output, long shot-blocking résumé, and All-Defensive recognition. (Basketball Reference)
Sources: Tree Rollins Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft — Basketball-Reference; Tree Rollins | Center | Atlanta Hawks — NBA.com; Tree Rollins Career Stats – NBA — ESPN; Tree Rollins Biography — ESPN; Clemson Athletics Black History: Tree Rollins — Clemson Tigers