Cecil Exum
{{Short description|American basketball player (1962–2023)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Cecil Exum
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 6
| weight_lb = 205
| birth_date = {{birth date|1962|08|07}}
| birth_place = Goldsboro, North Carolina, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|07|02|1962|08|07}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| nationality = American / Australian
| high_school = Southern Wayne
(Dudley, North Carolina)
| college = North Carolina (1980–1984)
| draft_year = 1984
| draft_round = 9
| draft_pick = 194
| draft_team = Denver Nuggets
| career_start = 1986
| career_end = 1996
| career_position = Forward
| years1 = 1986–1987
| team1 = Bulleen Boomers
| years2 = 1989
| team2 = North Melbourne Giants
| years3 = 1990
| team3 = Melbourne Tigers
| years4 = 1991
| team4 = North Melbourne Giants
| years5 = 1992–1996
| team5 = Geelong Supercats
| highlights =
- NBL champion (1989)
- All-SEABL Team (1987)
- NCAA champion (1982)
| stats_league = NBL
| stat1label = Points
| stat1value = 2,104 (10.7 ppg)
| stat2label = Rebounds
| stat2value = 1,354 (6.9 rpg)
| stat3label = Assists
| stat3value = 359 (1.8 apg)
}}
Cecil Maurice Exum (August 7, 1962 – July 2, 2023){{cite web |title=Cecil Exum Obituary |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/cecil-exum-obituary?id=52411530 |website=Legacy |access-date=December 13, 2023}} was an American-Australian professional basketball player who played eight seasons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who won an NCAA championship in 1982.
Early life
Exum was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, to parents Johnny and Barbara Exum. He was raised in Dudley, North Carolina, where he attended Southern Wayne High School.{{cite web|url=https://websites.mygameday.app/get_file.cgi?id=2865508|title=Screaming Eagle Interview – Cecil Exum|work=Diamond Valley Basketball Association|date=December 13, 2013|access-date=July 2, 2023}} He led their team to the 1980 North Carolina 4A state title, and he was named the tournament's most valuable player.{{cite news|title=National hamps Again: The Reserves|date=April 4, 1982|newspaper=The Charlotte Observer|page=6H|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer/127651293/|access-date=July 5, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}} As of 2012, he was the only male basketball player to have his jersey retired by the school.{{cite web|last=Esposito|first=Michael|url=https://starcommunity.com.au/star/03-07-2012/exum-hones-youth-skills/|title=Exum hones youth skills|work=starcommunity.com.au|date=July 3, 2012|access-date=July 2, 2023}}
College career
Exum played four years of college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels between 1980 and 1984.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/cecil-exum-1.html|title=Cecil Exum|work=sports-reference.com|access-date=July 2, 2023}} He was a member of the Tar Heels' 1982 NCAA championship team that included future Hall of Fame players Michael Jordan and James Worthy. In 103 career games, he averaged 1.5 points in 4.3 minutes per game.
Professional career
Exum was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the ninth round of the 1984 NBA draft with the 194th overall pick.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1984.html|title=1984 NBA Draft|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=August 13, 2011}} He suffered a serious knee injury just before the tryouts began and never played in the NBA.
In 1985, after a season in Sweden, Exum received an opportunity to play in Japan but instead chose Australia,{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSGP0Fws4AM|title=Cecil Exum_nbl rewind_2010 Pete's Bar Lunch|work=YouTube|date=August 31, 2012|access-date=July 5, 2023}} preferring an English-speaking country after his stint in Sweden. He arrived in Australia in January 1986, and joined the Bulleen Boomers of the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL). He helped the Boomers reach the playoffs in 1986.{{cite web|url=http://www.botinagy.com/blog/flashback-21-sebl-finals-sept20-1986/|title=FLASHBACK 21: SEBL Finals, Sept.20, 1986|work=BotiNagy.com|access-date=June 26, 2017}} In his second season for the Boomers in 1987, he was named to the All-SEABL Team.{{cite web|url=http://www.seabl.com.au/uploads/media/History_-_Award_Winners.pdf|title=History – Award Winners|work=SEABL.com.au|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222181141/http://www.seabl.com.au/uploads/media/History_-_Award_Winners.pdf|archive-date=December 22, 2015|access-date=July 2, 2023}}
In 1988, Exum joined the North Melbourne Giants of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL), but was unable to play due to not being naturalized yet. He debuted for the Giants in the 1989 NBL season{{cite web|url=http://english.worldhoopstats.com/stats/nbl-au/cecil-exum-1.html|title=Statistics from Cecil Exum in NBL (Australia)|work=worldhoopstats.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222132259/http://english.worldhoopstats.com/stats/nbl-au/cecil-exum-1.html|archive-date=December 22, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nbl.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/_temp_/player_directory.pdf|title=National Basketball League Player Directory|work=NBL.com.au|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002180330/http://www.nbl.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/_temp_/player_directory.pdf|archive-date=October 2, 2009|access-date=August 13, 2011}} and won an NBL championship. He played for the Melbourne Tigers in 1990, returned to the Giants in 1991, and then played five seasons for the Geelong Supercats between 1992 and 1996. He enjoyed his best season in 1992, averaging a career-high 17.2 points,{{cite web|url=https://nbl.com.au/news/vale-cecil-exum|title=Vale Cecil Exum|website=NBL.com.au|date=July 4, 2023|access-date=July 4, 2023}} 10.5 rebounds, two assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. He became Geelong's longest serving captain.{{cite web|last=Cameron|first=Ben|url=https://www.codesports.com.au/sport/former-geelong-supercat-cecil-exum-dies-at-age-60-in-los-angeles/news-story/e241db54dc003986f51e4a1bc1957898|title=Former Geelong Supercat Cecil Exum dies at age 60 in Los Angeles|work=codesports.com.au|date=July 4, 2023|access-date=July 4, 2023|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230704144556/https://www.codesports.com.au/sport/former-geelong-supercat-cecil-exum-dies-at-age-60-in-los-angeles/news-story/e241db54dc003986f51e4a1bc1957898|archive-date=July 4, 2023}} In 197 NBL games, he averaged 10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Personal life
Exum became a naturalized Australian citizen.{{cite web|first=Caulton|last=Tudor|title=Ex-Tar Heel's son certain to go early in Thursday's NBA draft|date=June 24, 2014|work=WRAL Sports Fan|url=https://www.wralsportsfan.com/ex-tar-heel-s-son-certain-to-go-early-in-thursday-s-nba-draft/13758055/|access-date=July 5, 2023}} He and his wife Desiree had three children: Jamaar (born 1993) and twins Dante and Tierra (born 1995).{{cite magazine|last=Mannix|first=Chris|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/2013/12/09/the-wiz-of-oz|title=The Wiz of Oz|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=December 9, 2013|access-date=July 2, 2023}} As of 2014, Desiree was based in Singapore working for IBM.{{cite web|last=Zwerling|first=Jared|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1948366-in-australia-with-dante-exum-life-as-a-top-nba-prospect-outside-the-spotlight|title=In Australia with Dante Exum: Life as a Top NBA Prospect, Outside the Spotlight|work=bleacherreport.com|date=February 18, 2014|access-date=July 2, 2023}} His son Dante also became a professional basketball player.{{cite web|url=https://basketnews.com/news-188784-dante-exums-father-cecil-gets-into-conflict-with-real-madrid-security.html|title=Dante Exum's father Cecil gets into conflict with Real Madrid security|work=basketnews.com|date=April 28, 2023|access-date=July 2, 2023}}
As of 2017, Exum had been coaching junior basketball players for 27 years in Melbourne.{{cite web|url=https://northern.starweekly.com.au/sport/broadmeadows-basketballs-junior-focus/|title=Broadmeadows Basketball's junior focus|work=northern.starweekly.com.au|date=October 1, 2017|access-date=July 2, 2023}}
Death
Exum died in Los Angeles on July 2, 2023,{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=Shaun|url=https://www.goldsborodailynews.com/2023/07/11/cecil-m-exum/|title=Cecil M. Exum|newspaper=Goldsboro Daily News|date=July 11, 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721014227/https://www.goldsborodailynews.com/2023/07/11/cecil-m-exum/|archive-date=July 21, 2023}} at the age of 60. He had reportedly been in critical condition in intensive care at a hospital due to lung problems.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraf.rs/sport/kosarka/3707669-preminuo-otac-dantea-eksuma|title=Preminuo otac Dantea Eksuma!|website=telegraf.rs|date=July 3, 2023|access-date=July 4, 2023|language=Serbian}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/exumce01.html Basketball-Reference.com profile]
- [https://websites.mygameday.app/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=190395634&client=0-189-88246-125711-11145381 NBL stats]
{{1982 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball navbox}}
{{North Melbourne Giants 1989 NBL champions}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Exum, Cecil}}
Category:American emigrants to Australia
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Australia
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball players from North Carolina
Category:Denver Nuggets draft picks
Category:Forwards (basketball)
Category:Geelong Supercats players
Category:Melbourne Tigers players
Category:North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players
Category:North Melbourne Giants players
Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen
Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen