View source for Larry Kenon

{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1952)}}
{{distinguish|Larry Cannon (basketball){{!}}Larry Cannon}}
{{BLP sources|date=October 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Larry Kenon
| image = 
| width = 
| caption = 
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 9
| weight_lb = 205
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|12|13}}
| birth_place = [[Birmingham, Alabama]], U.S.
| high_school = Ullman (Birmingham, Alabama)
| college = *[[Amarillo College]] (1970–1972)
*[[Memphis Tigers men's basketball|Memphis]] (1972–1973)
| draft_year = 1973
| draft_round = 3
| draft_pick = 50
| draft_team = [[Detroit Pistons]]
| career_start = 1973
| career_end = 1983
| career_number = 35, 9
| career_position = [[Power forward]]
| years1 = [[1973–74 ABA season|1973]]–[[1974–75 ABA season|1975]]
| team1 = [[New York Nets]]
| years2 = [[1974–75 ABA season|1975]]–{{nbay|1979|end}}
| team2 = [[San Antonio Spurs]]
| years3 = {{nbay|1980|start}}–{{nbay|1982|start}}
| team3 = [[Chicago Bulls]]
| years4 = {{nbay|1982|full=y}}
| team4 = [[Golden State Warriors]]
| years5 = {{nbay|1982|end}}
| team5 = [[Cleveland Cavaliers]]
| years6 = 1984–1985
| team6 = [[Wyoming Wildcatters]]
| highlights = * [[ABA champion]] ([[1974 ABA Playoffs|1974]])
* 3× [[ABA All-Star]] ([[1974 ABA All-Star Game|1974]]–[[1976 ABA All-Star Game|1976]])
* 2× [[NBA All-Star]] ({{nasg|1978}}, {{nasg|1979}})
* [[ABA All-Rookie First Team]] ([[1973–74 ABA season|1974]])
* [[Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year|MVC Player of the Year]] (1973)
* No. 35 [[Memphis Tigers men's basketball#Retired jerseys|retired by Memphis Tigers]]
| stats_league = ABA and NBA
| stat1label = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value = 12,954 (17.2 ppg)
| stat2label = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value = 6,701 (8.9 rpg)
| stat3label = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| stat3value = 1,672 (2.2 apg)
}}
'''Muhsin Kenon''' (born '''Larry Joe Kenon''', December 13, 1952), is an American former professional [[basketball]] player, known in his playing career as '''Larry Kenon'''.

A 6'9" [[forward (basketball)|forward]] who had a productive career in both the [[American Basketball Association]] (ABA) and the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA), Kenon played for the [[New York Nets]], [[San Antonio Spurs]], [[Chicago Bulls]], [[Golden State Warriors]] and [[Cleveland Cavaliers]]. His nicknames were "KAT," "Mr. K" (to go with Nets teammate "Dr. J.", [[Julius Erving]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thebrooklyngame.com/nets-all-time-all-star-team-larry-kenon/ |title = All-Time Nets All-Stars, Power Forwards: Not Kenyon, Larry Kenon – The Brooklyn Game| date=February 17, 2014 }}</ref> and "Special K."

==College==
Kenon transferred from [[Amarillo College]] to play basketball at [[University of Memphis|Memphis State University]]. In his junior year, 1972–73, he averaged 20.1 points and 16.7 rebounds per game and led the Tigers to the [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|NCAA championship game]], where they were defeated by the [[Bill Walton]]-led [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA Bruins]]. After that season, one in which he was named [[Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year]], Kenon left Memphis State and turned pro.

==ABA career==
In 1973, the [[Detroit Pistons]] selected Kenon in the third round (15th pick overall) of the [[1973 NBA draft|NBA draft]]. He was also drafted by the [[Memphis Tams]] of the ABA, but the New York Nets secured his draft rights. During his [[1973–74 New York Nets season|1973–74 rookie season]], Kenon averaged 15.9 points and 11.5 rebounds per game on the [[Julius Erving]]-led Nets team that won the [[1974 ABA Playoffs|1974 ABA Championship]].

After averaging 18.7 points during the 1974–75 season, Kenon was traded to San Antonio for [[Swen Nater]]. Once again he averaged 18.7 points, along with 11.1 rebounds per game in the Spurs' final season in the ABA before they joined the NBA with the Nets, [[Denver Nuggets]] and [[Indiana Pacers]].

Kenon made the All-Star Team in each of his three ABA seasons, and competed in the first-ever [[Slam Dunk Contest]] during the [[1976 ABA All-Star Game]]. In 249 ABA games, Kenon had scored 4,419 points and grabbed 2,759 rebounds for an average of 17.7 and 11.1 per game, respectively.

==NBA career==
Kenon enjoyed the best years of his career in San Antonio playing alongside [[George Gervin]]. In each of the four seasons they were teammates after the [[ABA–NBA merger]], both averaged at least 20 points per game. In those four NBA seasons, Kenon averaged 21.9 ([[1976–77 NBA season|1976–77]]), 20.6 ([[1977–78 NBA season|1977–78]]), 22.1 ([[1978–79 NBA season|1978–79]]) and 20.1 ([[1979–80 NBA season|1979–80]]) points per game. He also made the NBA All-Star team in [[1978 NBA All-Star Game|1978]] and [[1979 NBA All-Star Game|1979]]. He also averaged at least 10.7 rebounds per game in each of those four seasons, his high being 12.0 in 1976–77.

After the [[1979–80 NBA season|1979–80 season]] Kenon signed with the Chicago Bulls. While his minutes per game went down in Chicago (28.1 during the 1980–81 season; he had never averaged fewer than 34.6 previously), he averaged 14.1 points per game; however, this would be his last effective season.

In his seven NBA seasons, Kenon played 503 games and scored 8535 points for a 17.0 average. His NBA and ABA totals were 12,954 points for a 17.2 average.

==Other accomplishments==

*In a December 26, 1976 game against the [[Kansas City Kings]] at [[Hy-Vee Arena|Kemper Arena]], which San Antonio won 110–105, Kenon set an NBA record for [[Steal (basketball)|steals]] in a game with eleven. (The [[New Jersey Nets]]' [[Kendall Gill]] tied the record in an April 3, 1999 game against the [[Miami Heat]].) He also recorded 29 points and 15 rebounds for a rare points-rebounds-steals [[triple-double]].
*The [[University of Memphis]] has retired Kenon's number 35.  He arguably had the most successful pro career of any Memphis basketball player, with his primary competitors for that honor being [[Derrick Rose]] and [[Penny Hardaway|Anfernee Hardaway]].

==Personal life==

Kenon converted to the [[Muslim]] faith after retiring from basketball; he now goes by the name of Muhsin Kenon.<ref>[http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5999:1971-1975-3rd-4th-round-rundown-&catid=130:historical&Itemid=115 1971–1975 3rd–4th Round Rundown]</ref>

==ABA and NBA career statistics==
{{NBA player statistics legend}}
{|class ="wikitable"
|-
|style="background:#afe6fa; width:3em;"|†
|Denotes seasons in which Kenon's team won an [[List of ABA champions|ABA championship]]
|-
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|'''Bold'''
|Denotes career highs
|-
|}

===Regular season===
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;"| {{abay|1973}}†
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1973–74 New York Nets season|New York (ABA)]]
| '''84''' || – || 34.6 || .462 || .000 || .703 || '''11.5''' || 1.3 || 0.9 || 0.2 || 15.9
|-
| style="text-align:left"|{{abay|1974}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1974–75 New York Nets season|New York (ABA)]]
| '''84''' || – || '''37.7''' || '''.509''' || '''.500''' || .770 || 10.7 || 1.5 || 1.3 || 0.4 || 18.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{abay|1975}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1975–76 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio (ABA)]]
| 81 || – || 36.0 || .481 || .000 || .781 || 11.1 || 1.9 || 1.1 || 0.5 || 18.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1976}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1976–77 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio]]
| 78 || – || 37.6 || .492 || – || .823 || 11.3 || 2.9 || '''2.1''' || '''0.8''' || 21.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1977}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1977–78 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio]]
| 81 || – || 35.4 || .489 || – || '''.854''' || 9.5 || 3.3 || 1.4 || 0.3 || 20.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1978}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1978–79 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio]]
| 81 || – || 36.4 || .504 || – || .845 || 9.8 || '''4.1''' || 1.9 || 0.2 || '''22.1'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1979}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1979–80 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio]]
| 78 || – || 35.9 || .485 || .111 || .783 || 9.9 || 3.0 || 1.4 || 0.2 || 20.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1980}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1980–81 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago]]
| 77 || – || 28.1 || .480 || – || .735 || 5.2 || 1.6 || 1.0 || 0.2 || 14.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1981}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1981–82 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago]]
| 60 || '''30''' || 17.3 || .466 || –  || .568|| 3.0 || 1.1 || 0.5 || 0.1 || 7.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1982}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1982–83 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago]]
| 5 || 0 || 5.0 || .333 || – || .800 || 0.8 || 0.0 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 0.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1982}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1982–83 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State]]
| 11  || 0 || 11.0 || .436 || – || .636 || 2.4 || 0.5 || 0.1 || 0.0  || 3.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1982}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1982–83 Cleveland Cavaliers season|Cleveland]]
| 32 || 7 || 19.5 || .472 || .000 || .761 || 3.7 || 1.1 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 7.3
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career
| 752 || 37 || 32.6 || .487 || .143 || .784 || 8.9 || 2.2 || 1.3 || 0.3 || 17.2
{{S-end}}

===Playoffs===
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;"|  [[1974 ABA Playoffs|1974]]†
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1973–74 New York Nets season|New York (ABA)]]
| '''14'''  || – || 33.6 || .495 || – || .613 || 11.6 || 1.8 || 1.1 || 0.1 || 15.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1975 ABA Playoffs|1975]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1974–75 New York Nets season|New York (ABA)]]
| 5 || – || '''39.8''' || '''.534'''  || – || .765 || '''12.8''' || 1.0 || 2.0 || 0.0  || '''21.4'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|  [[1976 ABA Playoffs|1976]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1975–76 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio (ABA)]]
| 7 || – || 39.6 || .466 || '''.333''' || .900 || 11.4 || 2.3 || 0.7 || '''0.6''' || '''21.4'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1977 NBA Playoffs|1977]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1976–77 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio]]
| 2 || – || 39.5  || .485 || – || '''1.000''' || 7.5 || 3.0 || '''2.5''' || 0.5 || 17.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;|  [[1978 NBA Playoffs|1978]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1977–78 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio]]
| 6 || – || 33.3 || .447 || – || .737 || 9.2 || '''3.7''' || 0.8 || 0.3 || 17.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;|  [[1979 NBA Playoffs|1979]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1978–79 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio]]
| '''14''' || – || '''39.8''' || .438 || – || .736 || 11.4 || 3.0 || 1.4 || 0.1 || 21.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;|  [[1980 NBA Playoffs|1980]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1979–80 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio]]
| 3 || – || 27.0 || .294 || – || .545 || 4.3 || 1.3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 8.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;|  [[1981 NBA Playoffs|1981]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1980–81 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago]]
| 6 || – || 19.0 || .391 || .000 || .500 || 4.5 || 1.3 || 0.7 || 0.2 || 6.7
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career
| 57 || – || 34.7 || .459 || .250 || .725 || 10.1 || 2.2 || 1.1 || 0.2 || 17.2
{{S-end}}

==See also==
*[[List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121018221342/http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=KenonLa01 NBA stats] @ basketballreference.com

{{New York Nets 1973–74 ABA champions}}
{{Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenon, Larry}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:ABA All-Stars]]
[[Category:Amarillo Badgers men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American Muslims]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Birmingham, Alabama]]
[[Category:Chicago Bulls players]]
[[Category:Cleveland Cavaliers players]]
[[Category:Converts to Islam]]
[[Category:Detroit Pistons draft picks]]
[[Category:Golden State Warriors players]]
[[Category:Memphis Tams draft picks]]
[[Category:Memphis Tigers men's basketball players]]
[[Category:NBA All-Stars]]
[[Category:New York Nets players]]
[[Category:Power forwards]]
[[Category:San Antonio Spurs players]]
[[Category:Wyoming Wildcatters players]]