Last Updated on July 28, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Tim Bassett was a rugged ABA and NBA power forward whose physical interior play, rebounding, and defensive toughness made him a dependable frontcourt contributor during the 1970s. His profile centers on a blue-collar interior archetype, screen setting, hustle plays, paint defense, and productive stints with the Buffalo Braves, New Jersey Nets, and San Antonio Spurs.

Here’s the detailed profile of Tim Bassett:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Timothy (Tim) Sean Bassett
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born April 1, 1951 – Died October 13, 2018 (Lived to 67 years old)
  • Hometown: Washington, D.C., USA
  • Height: 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
  • Weight: 225 lbs (102 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 9 inches
  • Shoe Size: Size 16 (US)
  • Number: #24, #21
  • Position: Power Forward / Center
  • High School: McKinley Technical High School, Washington, D.C.
  • College: University of Georgia (transferred from College of Southern Idaho)
  • NBA Draft: Selected 37th overall (2nd round) in the 1973 NBA Draft by the Buffalo Braves
  • Teams Played For:
    • ABA:
      • San Diego Conquistadors (1973–1974)
      • New York Nets (1974–1976)
    • NBA:
      • New York Nets (1976–1977 after ABA-NBA merger)
      • San Antonio Spurs (1977–1978)
      • New Jersey Nets (1978–1979)
  • Championship Rings:
    • 1× ABA Championship with the New York Nets (1976)
  • Kids: Information on children is not widely publicized.
  • Siblings: Not much publicly available information on siblings.

Player Archetype / Play Style

Tim Bassett’s player archetype was a blue-collar interior forward, essentially a rugged glue guy who made his impact through rebounding, defense, and effort plays more than shot creation. Defensively, he projected as a physical paint-side helper and matchup worker who used positioning, toughness, and activity to battle bigger bodies, finish possessions on the glass, and stabilize the frontcourt. Offensively, his role was low-usage and practical: set screens, run the floor, attack the offensive glass, and finish close-range chances rather than operate as a primary scorer. At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, he had the frame of a sturdy power forward/undersized center, and his overall play style reads as high-motor, contact-friendly, and team-first, with hustle, offensive rebounding, and overall defense forming the core of his value. (remembertheaba.com)

Scouting Report

Tim Bassett was the kind of forward you appreciated more the longer you watched him. Nothing about his game screamed for attention, but possession after possession he made life easier for the players around him. What stands out is how well he understood physical positioning before the ball even arrived. He established deep seals without overfighting for them, created extra space with subtle body angles rather than flashy footwork and was always ready to flip from screening into a quick dive if defenders became too focused on the ball handler. Offensively, he lived on efficient plays—second-chance points, short finishes in traffic and timely cuts from the weak side when help defenders turned their heads. He wasn’t someone you wanted initiating offence from the perimeter or creating late-clock shots. His handle was limited, and if he was forced into multiple dribbles against a set defender, the possession usually slowed to the defence’s advantage. Defensively, though, Bassett brought genuine value. He embraced contact, boxed out with purpose and consistently arrived early enough on rotations to prevent drives from becoming direct attacks on the rim. I’ve always thought one of his best traits was resisting the temptation to chase blocks. Instead, he stayed vertical, absorbed contact and trusted teammates to clean up around him, which kept the defensive structure intact. The trade-off was mobility. Teams that spaced the floor with shooting bigs or repeatedly dragged him into empty-side pick-and-rolls could expose his change of direction, and recovering back to stretch forwards after helping inside wasn’t his strongest area. To me, Bassett fit best next to a skilled offensive frontcourt partner who could carry more of the scoring load, allowing him to focus on screening, rebounding and doing the hard work inside that often goes unnoticed. His game shared plenty with Charles Jones in its physical, defence-first approach, while there were elements of Kurt Rambis in the willingness to embrace contact, control the glass and create advantages through effort and positioning rather than individual shot creation.

Sources:

Basketball-Reference.com — Tim Bassett Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
Remember the ABA — San Diego Conquistadors
Bassett Branches — Death of Eugene Timothy Bassett, Former Basketball Player