John Lucas II is a basketball coach and former NBA player. John Lucas II has been the Houston Rockets’ player development coach since 2016. John’s playing days ended well before the year 2000.
He began his NBA career in 1976 when he was selected first overall in the 1976 draft by his current team, the Houston Rockets.
He played four seasons of college basketball with the Merryland Terrapins before that.
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Early Life, Family, and Education
John Lucas II was born on October 31, 1953, in the United States, in Durham.
He was the youngest of John Harding and Blondola Lucas’s children.
In addition to them, he had an older sister named Cheryl.
John received his early schooling at a Durham neighborhood school.
His parents were teachers, so he had no trouble learning the letters.
He was academically talented and always delivered excellent grades.0
Because his parents were frequently at school, he spent most of his free time with his sister and grandmother.
Aside from studies, he developed an early interest in athletics.
Lucas, according to his sister, was a shy kid growing up.
When he was at home, he preferred to be alone and read books.
When he went outside to play, though, he was the polar opposite.
His childhood pals in his hometown remember him as a vivacious, outgoing young man with excellent basketball skills.
Surprisingly, he grew up with both introverted and outgoing features.
He went to Hillside High School, where his father was the principal, after finishing middle school.
As a result, he spent four years there studying and excelling as a well-trained basketball and tennis player.
In 1976, he graduated from the University of Maryland in College Park with a Bachelor’s degree in Education.
He received his Master’s in Education from the University of San Francisco, as well.
Facts of John Lucas II
| Full Name | John Harding Lucas II |
| Known As | John Lucas |
| Date of Birth | October 31, 1953 |
| Birth Place | Durham, North Carolina, the USA |
| Nick Name | Not available |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Age | 68 years old |
| Height | 1.91 m (6 feet 3 inches) |
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Eye Color | Dark brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | John Harding Lucas |
| Mother’s Name | Blondola Lucas |
| Siblings | Cheryl Lucas |
| Education |
|
| Marital Status | Married |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Wife | Debbie Fozard |
| Kids | John III, Jai, Tarvia |
| Former profession | Basketball player |
| Current profession | Coach |
| NBA Draft | 1976 / Round: 1 / 1st pick overall |
| Position | Point guard |
| League | National Basketball Association (NBA) |
| Active Years | (1976 – 1990) |
| Net Worth | $1 – $8 million |
| Currently Plays For | None / Retired |
| Jersey Numbers | 15, 10, 4, 5, 20 |
| Social Media | None |
| Merch | Notebook |
| Last Update | May 2022 |
Net Worth
Assessing the information available on Internet, John Lucas II’s net worth lies somewhere between $1 to $8 million.
College Life
John Lucas enrolled at the University of Maryland in 1972 and played for the Terrapins until 1976 when he graduated.
Despite his four seasons with them, his team only made it to the NCAA tournament once.
During his sophomore season, he got along well with his seniors, Len Elmore and Tom McMillen, and the Terrapins became a more formidable squad.
Their fans expected them to take them to the NCAA tournament that year, but they could not do so after losing in the ACC tournament.
They did, however, play in Division I games during Lucas’ junior season.
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Career Opportunities
John Lucas II was the first overall choice in the first round of the 1976 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets.
Every time he was on the court, he did it calmly and confidently, knowing that he had an incredible first season.
He appeared in all 82 games that season, averaging 11.1 points and 5.6 assists per contest.
He was moved to the Golden State Warriors for the 1978-79 season after one more season with the Rockets.
During his middle seasons, his performances were erratic.
While playing for the San Antonio Spurs and the Washington Wizards, he began skipping practice sessions and missing games for no apparent reason (then Washington Bullets).
In 1986, he was suspended from the NBA and sent to a rehabilitation center for engaging in illegal behavior.
In the fall of that same year, he returned to the league with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Following his return, Lucas played for four more NBA teams, including the Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder).
In 1990, John Lucas stepped down from his professional career.
At the time of his retirement, he was playing for his first NBA team, the Houston Rockets.
In addition to his club career, he represented the United States at the 1974 FIBA World Championship.
Coaching Profession
He took some time off after retiring from playing and eventually returned to the court as the head coach of the Miami Tropics.
The Tropics were the club for athletes suspended for drug abuse and usually participated in the US Basketball League (USBL).
After that, he coached the San Antonio Spurs, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Besides that, he has worked as an assistant coach for other clubs, namely Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers. He has been with the Houston Rockets as the player development coach since 2016.
Personal Life
John Lucas II married his longtime girlfriend, Debbie Fozard, in the early 1980s. Their wedding was organized in Durham and was attended by a few people comprising of their close friends and relatives.
Debbie was around the same age as John Lucas, and they had known each other since their school days. Her family had known Lucas’ family from the beginning, so they grew up playing together.
She saw him grow and improve his game from high school to college days and finally make it to the NBA.
When Lucas took the wrong way of drug abuse while playing in the NBA, she was there to look after him, and she had an essential role in bringing his senses back.
Consequently, he returned to the court with her motivation and became a confident man.
The couple is blessed with three children. Their first son, Lucas III, was born on November 21, 1982. Similarly, their younger son, Jai Lucas, was born on December 5, 1988.
In addition, Debbie had given birth to their first child, Tarvia Lucas, before their marriage. She was just two years old when they tied the knot.
Their daughter has a long experience of working as a school teacher.
Like Father, Like Son
People often jokingly say that playing basketball is their family business. Like Lucas, both his kids are involved in professional basketball games.
His elder son, John III, had an aptitude for basketball since he was a toddler. He started playing it when he got hold of the ball when he was four.
He was the state leader in scoring points as he averaged around 30.0 points per game during high school.
Even though he went undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft, he played in the NBA and professional basketball leagues in countries like China and Puerto Rico for around twelve years.
After retiring in 2017, he worked for nearly two years with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Since 2021, he has been working as an assistant coach for another NBA club, Los Angeles Lakers.
Similarly, his younger son, Jai, took the same path and played basketball.
Although his playing career was very brief, he made a career out of basketball and is quite successful.
He is currently working as an assistant coach for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Before that, he was an assistant coach for the Texas Longhorns for four years, where he played college basketball.
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Drug Addiction and Subsequent Recovery
John Lucas was involved in drug abuse and alcoholism soon after he started playing in the NBA.
However, he said he initially used marijuana and cocaine in small doses to ease the pressure, which soon became chronic addiction.
In addition, he began consuming beers in large amounts regularly.
Consequently, he began to miss games, became arrogant, lied to his family members, and even cheated on his wife.
The Golden State Warriors head coach Al Attles sensed it first and confronted him, but Lucas denied it.
In 1986, when his situation became worst, the Houston Rockets compelled him to take a doping test which he failed.
Consequently, the club released him, and he spent in rehab in California for many months.
Also, he later took the help of psychiatrists even after returning to the NBA for a few years in Texas.
After recovery, he became involved in conducting awareness against the illegal usage of drugs among youths.
He initially started a fitness program in coalition with the Houston International Hospital.
Later, he opened up several programs to help addicted athletes, such as John Lucas Treatment and Recovery Center, Students Taking Action Not Drugs (STAND), etc.
He now runs John Lucas Enterprises in Texas, which mainly focuses on providing basketball training to children and young athletes by giving counseling classes to youths struggling to escape drug addiction.
