James Edwards (basketball) Biography

James Edwards (basketball) is an American retired professional basketball player. His nickname was Buddha due to his appearance and stoic demeanor though he never appeared in an All-Star Game. He retired with 14,862 career points and 6,004 rebounds.

In his high school years, Edward starred at Roosevelt High School where he led the Roughriders to the state title in 1973. From there he proceeded to Starring on the hometown University of Washington Huskies under coach Marv Harshman. His average points for the Huskies in the four years was 14.6 points.

James Edwards (basketball) Age

He was born on November 22, 1955, in Seattle Washington in the US. As of 2018, he is 63 years old.

James Edwards (basketball) Height

He stands at a height of 2.16 m tall.

James Edwards (basketball) Weight

His weight is approximated at 102.1 kg.

James Edwards (basketball) Marriage | Wife

This information will be updated soon.

James Edwards (basketball) Career

He was first drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers on June 10, 1977, and made his NBA debut in October 18. He was later traded to the Indiana Pacers in 1977. From there he had to spend parts of two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers where he averaged 16.0 points and 7.4 rebounds during his brief time there.

Edwards was later traded to the Phoenix Suns in 1983 where he played for parts of Six seasons. After his titles were hosted by the Pistons, he was later traded to the Los Angeles Clippers before the 1991-92 season. He later on signed with the Lakers for a second stint where he spent two seasons with the team that drafted him.

James Edwards Basketball Card | Photos

James Edwards (basketball) Photos

James Edwards (basketball) Net Worth

His net worth is estimated at $2 million.

James Edwards (basketball) Instagram

He is not on Instagram

James Edwards (basketball) Twitter

He is not on Twitter.

James Edwards (basketball) Interview

Q&A: Detroit Pistons Bad Boy James ‘Buddha’ Edwards reflects on unforgettable NBA era

Former Detroit Pistons Bad Boy James “Buddha” Edwards says he misses the aggressive, defensive style of play the NBA had 25 years ago.

DETROIT, MI — Bring up the Detroit Pistons’ “Bad Boys” era in a conversation with a knowledgable fan in this town, and you’ll likely hear all about those memorable nicknames. There was Isiah “Zeke” Thomas, John “Spider” Salley, Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson and Dennis “The Worm” Rodman to name a few. But there’s another guy with a moniker that’s stuck all these years who served as one of the franchise’s unsung heroes. And he probably deserves way more recognition than he got nearly three decades ago.

James “Buddha” Edwards played just as key of a role on teams that won championships in 1989 and 1990 and could have been a starter for other teams because of his polished skill set.
He had that memorable fadeaway jumper, the sneaky post moves on the block and calm demeanor under pressure that made him so consistent and dependable. MLive.com caught up with him this week before 25-year “Bad Boys” reunion events to get some insight. Edwards, who lives in Southfield, along with most of his “Bad Boys” teammates will celebrate this week their legacy at Detroit’s Westin Book Cadillac and The Palace of Auburn Hills. They’ll attend a “Bad Boys Unite” charity event Thursday at the Westin and be

honored Friday during the Pistons home game against the Miami Heat.
What are your thoughts about the NBA now compared to the way it was when you played?

The league has changed a lot. They want more high-scoring games now than the defensive battles we used to have. I would say I do miss the old days. I still love the game and watch the game, but I’m glad I played in the era when I played.

What was it like to part such a potent Pistons bench knowing you probably could have started for other teams?

It was a thing where we knew, once we got on the floor, there weren’t many second teams that could hang with us – especially with me, Vinnie, Salley and Dennis coming off the bench. We had defense and offense right away.

Vinnie was instant offense. Him and I were running the “15” play all the time.
Salley and Worm were blocking all the shots and getting all the rebounds. So we had one of the the strongest benches – if the not strongest bench – in the entire league at that time.

Who gave you the the Buddha nickname?

Two guys gave it to me – Vinnie and Horn (Rick Mahorn). They gave me that name (due to Edwards’ Fu Manchu mustache and stoic demeanor). And I know, it’s still kind of weird because everyone still calls me that!

Where’s the weirdest place someone has called you Buddha?

Oh my gosh, everywhere, just everywhere I go.
It’s like I never really left here.

What’s it like to have so many former teammates still here in Metro Detroit like yourself, Vinnie Johnson and Joe Dumars?

It’s great, it’s just a great town. A lot people asked me ‘Why are you moving back to Detroit?’ And I’ll say, ‘Well, Detroit really isn’t that bad.’ It’s not that bad at all! And the people who have come to visit me from the west coast have said ‘Oh, it’s not as bad as I thought it was!’

What was the experience like being on a winning, iconic Pistons team that represent the CITY of Detroit at time in the late 80s where it received plenty of criticism for blight, crime, etc.?

The fans made us. The fans were supporting us and we loved it. No matter where we went, we were treated like kings. We still are! Even though it has been 25 years, people still remember the Bad Boys.

Do you agree with former teammates like John Salley that the NBA changed rules because you Bad Boys won those two championships playing a style league officials didn’t like?

Oh, most definitely! They were changed after we won those two championships. There’s no question about that.

What are your expectations for this ESPN “30 for 30” coming out next month and what do you think the fans should expect from it?

Well, the “30 for 30” thing is probably for the respect we didn’t get back in the day when we won the two championships. You know, nobody really liked us. And with the way we played, nobody really liked us except for the people of Detroit.

They could understand the hard work that we did out on the floor, but we didn’t really get any respect (nationally)
after we won those two championships. Nobody really talked about us at all. But we have to go down as one of the best defensive teams in NBA history.

What are all these reunion events this week going to be like for you?

It will be great. It’s like we’re brothers, and we’ll always be brothers. During the four years I was with the Pistons, I spent (a full) four years with those guys – every day in practice. You can’t forget anything like that. We’re all just like brothers.

What do you think about this current Pistons organization and the fact it doesn’t seem to have a ream team identity right now?

It’s a different league now. You can’t do (what the Bad Boys . How we played back in the 80s, they can’t play like that now. They’ll foul out the game or whatever because the rules have changed so much. That was physical basketball back then.

Knowing the Pistons have struggled all season, what are your hopes and expectations for this franchise now?

I just want them to win. That’s the bottom line. You gotta have victories out there. If you’re not going to win ball games, the fans aren’t going to come to the stadium.

There’s been a lot of speculation that Joe Dumars could be removed from his GM role and and Isiah Thomas and/or Bill Laimbeer could be part of the organization? Some of these guys have really been dragged through the mud over the years. How does that make you feel knowing they are former teammates?

Oh yeah. It’s hard for anybody that was affiliated with that team to hear negative talk now about anyone on that team because when we played together – like I said – we were like brothers. We went through battles, and all those guys on that team will remember that