Austin George Carr (born March 10, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and commentator who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, and Washington Bullets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In college, he won several national awards while playing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He is known by Cleveland basketball fans as "Mr. Cavalier".

Early career

Carr grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended Holy Redeemer School, and later Mackin Catholic High School. At Mackin, Carr teamed with All-City guard Tom Little, who made some national All-American teams before starring at the University of Seattle. As a Junior All Met, Carr scored 475 points in 24 games. During Carr's All Met senior season, he scored 600 points and along with Sterling Savoy, led the Paul Furlong coached Trojans to the Catholic League title over DeMatha. Carr was named Parade All-American along with other 1967 seniors such as Artis Gilmore, Howard Porter, Jim McDaniels, and Curtis Rowe, all of whom became major college stars.

College career

thumb|left|upright|Carr with Notre Dame, circa 1969

The 6-foot 4-inch (1.93 m), 200 lb (91 kg) shooting guard first came to prominence as a highly recruited player for the University of Notre Dame, arriving after having scored more than 2,000 points during his high school career. Carr lived up to his lofty billing by ending his three-year career at Notre Dame with 2,560 points (an average of 34.5 points per game), ranking him fifth all-time in college basketball history at the time of his departure. In 2010, Bleacher Report listed Carr as the 21st greatest college basketball player of all time. Carr was featured in another Bleacher Report article in 2013, this time being named the 12th most dominant college basketball player in history. In March 2020, Carr was featured on ESPN's "SportsCenter Special: College Basketball's Greatest of All Time" 64-player bracket, which celebrated the best men's and women's college basketball players ever. A March Madness styled bracket that was voted on by fans, Carr was listed as a 16 seed, with his career accomplishments at Notre Dame being pit against those of Breanna Stewart from UConn. In November 2020, ClutchPoints published their list of the 25 greatest college players of all time, with Carr listed as the 20th best player of all time.

NBA career

NBA draft

Carr moved onto the professional ranks as the first overall selection of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1971 NBA draft. Carr was also selected in the 1971 ABA Draft by the Virginia Squires, but signed with the Cavaliers on April 5, 1971.

Rookie season and early NBA career

Carr's first season in the NBA was marred by a series of injuries that limited his output. During the 1971 preseason, he broke his foot and missed the first month of the season. Less than one month after returning to the court, he was sidelined again by another foot injury, missing another seven weeks. Upon his return, he began to display the skills which made him the top selection in the NBA draft and was named to the 1972 NBA All-Rookie Team.

Signature calls

  • He throws the hammer down! – for a Cavs slam dunk
  • He hits it deep in the Rock (or name of the arena for road games)! – for a Cavs three-pointer
  • Get that weak stuff outta here! – for a Cavs blocked shot
  • He got him a bird – When a Cavs player gets an opponent to bite on a pump-fake
  • Mouse in the house – When a Cavs player is being guarded by a much smaller defender
  • There's a breeze in the building – When an opponent air balls a shot
  • He dots the i – When a Cavs player hits a mid-range jumper
  • Too much pressure bursts the pipe – When the Cavs defense is wreaking havoc on the opposition
  • Right back in your face – When the Cavs score after the other team
  • Pressure will crack the Liberty Bell – When the Cavs are playing lockdown defense against the Philadelphia 76ers

Awards and honors

College

  • 1971 Naismith College Player of the Year
  • 1971 Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year
  • Notre Dame Basketball Ring of Honor (class of 2011)

Professional

  • 1972 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • 1974 NBA All-Star Game Selection
  • 2011 Greater Cleveland Sports Commission Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Number retired by the Cleveland Cavaliers (#34)
  • Cavaliers Wall of Honor

Broadcasting

  • Five-time Lower Great Lakes Emmy Award recipient as a member of the FanDuel Sports Network Ohio Cavaliers broadcast team - 2014, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024

See also

  • List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 60 or more points in a game

References

  • @ databasebasketball.com
  • Where Are They Now? – Austin Carr @ nbrpa.com
  • Interview with Austin Carr, recorded July 22, 2014, at Cleveland Public Library's Sports Research Center by Dan Coughlin.