Last Updated on April 18, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here’s information about Sam Perkins:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Samuel Bruce Perkins.
  • Nickname: Big Smooth; Sleepy Sam.
  • Nationality: American.
  • Date of Birth: June 14, 1961.
  • Hometown: Brooklyn, New York.
  • Height: 6-foot-9.
  • Weight: 235 pounds.
  • Wingspan: Not readily documented.
  • Shoe Size: Not readily documented.
  • Jersey Number: No. 41 at North Carolina; No. 41 and No. 44 with the Dallas Mavericks; No. 14 with the Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Indiana Pacers.
  • Position: Power forward / center; he also logged time at small forward during his NBA career.
  • High School: Samuel J. Tilden High School in Brooklyn, then Shaker High School in Latham, New York. (Wikipedia)
  • College: North Carolina (1980–1984).
  • NBA Draft: Dallas Mavericks, 1984, first round, No. 4 overall.
  • Player Archetype: Stretch big / floor-spacing combo forward before that label became common.
  • Primary Offensive Role: Pick-and-pop scorer, trail big, secondary post option, and frontcourt floor spacer. His late-career three-point volume helped define that part of his profile.
  • Defensive Role: Team defender and positional interior helper who used length and timing more than brute force.
  • Play Style: Smooth, patient, low-drama scorer who could face up, space the floor, rebound, and fit next to stars without hijacking possessions. (NBA)
  • Handedness / Shooting Hand: Left.
  • Athletic Profile: Long, mobile, coordinated big with good touch and functional agility rather than explosive vertical pop. (The Draft Review)
  • Recruiting Status: Elite national recruit; 1980 McDonald’s All-American and Parade All-American. (247Sports)
  • Draft Status Detail: Senior-year UNC star, 1982 NCAA champion, three-time All-American, and one of the headline big men in the 1984 draft class.
  • Injury Status Category: Generally durable across a long NBA career; no major career-defining injury is the main public story of his résumé.
  • Career Stage: Retired former NBA veteran and former front-office executive. (Wikipedia)
  • Comparison Style: A precursor to later stretch fours who could rebound and defend bigger matchups without needing plays called for them every trip.
  • Teams Played For:
    • Dallas Mavericks (1984–1990)
    • Los Angeles Lakers (1990–1993)
    • Seattle SuperSonics (1993–1998)
    • Indiana Pacers (1998–2001)
  • Championship Rings: 0 NBA championships. He reached the NBA Finals with the Lakers in 1991, the SuperSonics in 1996, and the Pacers in 2000, and won an NCAA title at North Carolina in 1982 plus Olympic gold with the United States in 1984. (Wikipedia)
  • Parents: Mother’s name not readily verified in reliable public sources; father died when Sam Perkins was 1; grandmother Martha Perkins is publicly named in multiple sources. (The Buzz: Glenn Nelson)
  • Children: Public bios list three children: Chyna, Chyanne, and Julian. (imdb.com)
  • Siblings: Three sisters. (247Sports)
  • Athlete Relatives: None widely documented in reliable public sources I checked.
  • Retirement Age: 40.
  • Retirement Year: 2001.

Player Archetype / Play Style

Sam Perkins’ player archetype was that of a smooth, ahead-of-his-time stretch big: a left-handed 6-foot-9 forward-center who could score without forcing offense, space the floor, and fit beside high-usage stars. Defensively, he was more of a smart team defender and interior helper than a bruising stopper, using length, positioning, and feel to cover both frontcourt spots. Offensively, he worked best as a pick-and-pop option, face-up scorer, and secondary big who punished defenses for leaving him. His physical traits gave him versatility, but it was his calm pace, soft touch, and adaptable style that made him such an easy fit across winning teams and multiple eras. (Basketball Reference)

Fun Facts

  • His nickname was Big Smooth because he was a very smooth player for his size.

Sources:

Sports-Reference — Sam Perkins College Stats
Basketball-Reference — Sam Perkins Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
NBA.com — Perkins’ star-studded career had links to Mavs, Jordan, Magic, Glove and Miller
University of North Carolina Athletics — Lucas: MBB Asked & Answered
247Sports — Recruiting History: Sam Perkins, Unassuming Star
Olympics — Samuel Bruce PERKINS