View source for Dave Twardzik

{{short description|American basketball player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox NBA biography
| name         = Dave Twardzik
| image        = Dave Twardzik.jpg
| width        =
| caption      =
| position     = [[Point guard]]
| height_ft    = 6
| height_in    = 1
| weight_lb    = 175
| number       = 13
| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1950|09|20}}
| birth_place  = [[Hershey, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| high_school  = [[Middletown Area High School|Middletown Area]]<br />([[Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Middletown, Pennsylvania]])
| college      = [[Old Dominion Monarchs basketball|Old Dominion]] (1969–1972)
| draft_year   = 1972
| draft_round  = 2
| draft_pick   = 26
| draft_team   = [[Portland Trail Blazers]]
| career_start = 1972
| career_end   = 1980
| years1          = [[1972–73 ABA season|1972]]–[[1975–76 ABA season|1976]]
| team1           = [[Virginia Squires]]
| years2          = {{nbay|1976|start}}–{{nbay|1979|end}}
| team2           = [[Portland Trail Blazers]]
| highlights   = 
* [[List of NBA champions|NBA champion]] ([[1977 NBA Finals|1977]])
* ABA All-Star ([[1974–75 ABA season|1975]])
* No. 13 [[Portland Trail Blazers#Retired numbers|retired by Portland Trail Blazers]]
* No. 14 [[Old Dominion Monarchs basketball#Retired numbers|retired by Old Dominion Monarchs]]
| stats_league       = ABA and NBA
| stat1label    = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value    = 4,977 (9.3 ppg)
| stat2label    = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value    = 1,286 (2.4 rpg)
| stat3label    = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| stat3value    = 1,823 (3.4 apg)
| bbr           = twardda01
}}
'''David John Twardzik''' (born September 20, 1950) is an American former professional [[basketball]] player.  He was a [[point guard]] in both the [[American Basketball Association]] (ABA) and the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA).  He is best known for being a key starting guard on the [[Portland Trail Blazers]] team that won the [[1977 NBA Finals]].
[[File:Dave_Twardzik_ODU.jpg|thumb|120px|left|Twardzik at Old Dominion.]]
Twardzik grew up in [[Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Middletown, Pennsylvania]], and played collegiately at [[Old Dominion University]], where he was a two-time [[All-America]]n and led the Monarchs to the 1971 [[NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship|NCAA Division II title game]]. He was drafted by the Trail Blazers in 1972, but elected to play for the [[Virginia Squires]] of the ABA.  Twardzik played for the Squires for four seasons until the team (and the ABA) came to an end, folding just prior to the [[ABA-NBA merger]] in June 1976.  After the ABA-NBA merger Twardzik signed with the Blazers as a free agent.<ref name="blazers30years">{{cite news | last = Arnold | first = Geoffrey |author2=Uthman, Daniel | title = The 1976-77 NBA champion Portland Trail Blazers: 30 years later | publisher = OregonLive.com | date = 2007-06-04 | url = http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/118092033955920.xml&coll=7&thispage=12 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927191430/http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/118092033955920.xml&coll=7&thispage=12 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2007-09-27 | access-date = 2007-06-04 }}</ref>  He would be the starting two-guard of the Blazers team which won the NBA title in 1977. He played for four seasons total in Portland, and retired at the end of the 1979–80 season because of injury. His jersey number (13) was retired by the team on October 11, 1981.

After his retirement from playing, he began an NBA coaching and front-office career. He served in Portland's front office through 1985, and worked as an assistant coach for the [[Indiana Pacers]] from 1986 through 1989. He has also worked for the [[Detroit Pistons]], [[Charlotte Hornets]], [[Los Angeles Clippers]], [[Golden State Warriors]], and the [[Denver Nuggets]]. In 2003, he became Director of Player Personnel for the [[Orlando Magic]], and was promoted to assistant general manager in 2005. He held that position until 2012.<ref>Josh Robbins and Brian Schmitz. "[https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2012/06/24/magic-fire-longtime-assistant-gm-and-6-scouts/ Magic fire longtime assistant GM and 6 scouts] ". ''Orlando Sentinel''. June 24, 2012. Retrieved on June 25, 2012.</ref> Since the 2013-14 basketball season, Twardzik has been a color commentator for radio broadcasts of Old Dominion's men's basketball games.<ref>{{cite web|title=Twardzik Joins ODU Men's Basketball Broadcasting Team|url=http://www.odusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=31100&ATCLID=209294760&SPID=127328&SPSID=750497|website=ODU Athletica|publisher=Old Dominion University Athletics|access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref>

In 1995, Twardzik was inducted into the [[Virginia Sports Hall of Fame]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.odusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=31100&ATCLID=208422016 Player bio at Old Dominion]
* [https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/twardda01.html Pro stats at basketball-reference.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090116024120/http://www.nba.com/magic/news/executives.html Orlando Magic Executives]

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{{1972 NBA draft}}
{{Portland Trail Blazers 1976-77 NBA champions}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Twardzik, Dave}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:ABA All-Stars]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Detroit Pistons assistant coaches]]
[[Category:Golden State Warriors executives]]
[[Category:Indiana Pacers assistant coaches]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Clippers assistant coaches]]
[[Category:NBA players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:Old Dominion Monarchs men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Orlando Magic executives]]
[[Category:People from Middletown, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Point guards]]
[[Category:Portland Trail Blazers draft picks]]
[[Category:Portland Trail Blazers players]]
[[Category:Undrafted ABA players]]
[[Category:Virginia Squires players]]