Last Updated on April 14, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
Here is the detailed information about Alvan Adams, a former NBA player:
Player Profile
- Full Name: Alvan Leigh Adams
- Nationality: American
- Age: Born on July 19, 1954
- Hometown: Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Height: 6 feet 9 inches (206 cm)
- Weight: 210 pounds (95 kg)
- Wingspan: 6 feet 10 inches
- Shoe Size: Size 15 (US)
- Number: Wore jersey number 33
- Position: Power Forward / Center
- High School: Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- College: University of Oklahoma (1972–1975)
- NBA Draft: Selected in the 1st round (4th overall pick) in the 1975 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns
- Teams Played For:
- Phoenix Suns (1975–1988)
- Championship Rings: None in the NBA
- Kids: Not publicly available
- Siblings: Not publicly available
Alvan Adams’ player archetype was a finesse, high-post playmaking center: a smart, mobile big who operated more like a connective offensive hub than a bruising low-block anchor. Defensively, he fit best as a positional interior defender and rebounder who leaned on quickness, anticipation, and active hands rather than raw size or physical intimidation. Offensively, his role was to facilitate from the elbows and high post, keep the ball moving, hit mid-range looks, and punish defenses with timely scoring instead of volume shot creation. Physically, Adams was listed at 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds, which made him short and light for a traditional center in his era but also helped give him unusual agility for the position. In style terms, he was an ahead-of-his-time big man: polished, unselfish, quick-thinking, and versatile enough to pass, shoot, run the floor, and steady an offense without dominating the ball. (From Way Downtown)
Sources:
Basketball-Reference — Alvan Adams Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
Phoenix Suns — TBT: Suns First 50-Win Season
Phoenix Suns — Suns Throwback: The Gar Heard Trade
Phoenix Suns — Suns Throwback: Westphal Comes West
Phoenix Suns — Suns Throwback: Walter Davis
From Way Downtown — Alvan Adams: The Game I’ll Never Forget, 1982