Hall of Fame
Paul Pressey arrived at Tulsa alongside Hall of Fame coach Nolan Richardson — who had just led Western Texas Junior College to a 37-0 record and the 1980 NJCAA national championship — and the two immediately elevated the Golden Hurricane program. In their first season together, Tulsa posted a 26-7 record and won the 1981 NIT championship. Pressey earned MVC Player of the Year honors in 1982 after averaging 13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.2 steals per game, and was named a Third Team All-American by the Associated Press, with Second Team recognition from UPI, the NABC, and the USBWA.
The Milwaukee Bucks selected Pressey with the 20th overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft. He spent eight seasons in Milwaukee, where coach Don Nelson deployed him in an innovative role that helped define the “point forward” position in professional basketball — a hybrid that combined the ball-handling and playmaking responsibilities of a point guard with the size and versatility of a small forward. Pressey led the Bucks in assists for five consecutive seasons (1984–89), including a career-best 7.8 per game in 1985–86, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 1985 and 1986 and the All-Defensive Second Team in 1987. He and the Bucks reached the Eastern Conference Finals three times during that era.
Pressey is widely regarded as the quintessential pioneer of the point forward position. He later played for the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors before retiring after the 1992–93 season. Over 724 career regular-season games, he averaged 10.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game.
Following his playing career, Pressey served as an NBA assistant coach with seven different organizations. Most notably, he spent six seasons on the Spurs’ staff and helped San Antonio win its first NBA championship in 1999, playing a key role in the development of Tim Duncan. He later held coaching positions with the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and St. John’s University.
Pressey and his wife Elizabeth have four children. Both of their sons, Phil and Matt, played basketball for coach Mike Anderson at Missouri. Daughter Angie earned All-America honors in volleyball at UC Berkeley. Pressey currently resides in Timpson, Texas.