Steve Patterson

Steven John Patterson (June 24, 1948 – July 28, 2004) was an American professional basketball player and coach who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for five seasons. A 6’9″ center for UCLA, Patterson spent his first year of athletic eligibility (1968-69, the third of the Bruins’ unprecedented string of seven consecutive national titles) as the backup to Lew Alcindor, later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He then was the starting center for the Bruins’ 1970 and 1971 championship teams under legendary coach John Wooden.