View source for Luther Burden

{{Short description|American basketball player (1953–2015)}}
{{distinguish|Luther Burden III}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name            = Luther Burden
| image           = Luther Burden.jpg
| width           = 
| caption         = Burden, circa 1974 
| height_ft       = 6
| height_in       = 2
| weight_lb       = 185
| birth_date      = {{birth date|1953|02|28}}
| birth_place     = [[Haines City, Florida]], U.S.
| death_date      = {{death date and age|2015|10|29|1953|02|28}}
| death_place     = [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]], U.S.
| high_school     = Phillip Schuyler ([[Albany, New York]])
| college         = [[Utah Utes men's basketball|Utah]] (1972–1975)
| draft_year      = 1975
| draft_round     = 2
| draft_pick      = 26
| draft_team      = [[New York Knicks]]
| career_start    = 1975
| career_end      = 1978
| career_number   = 15, 14
| career_position = [[Shooting guard]]
| years1          = [[1975–76 ABA season|1975–1976]]
| team1           = [[Virginia Squires]]
| years2          = {{nbay|1976|start}}–{{nbay|1977|end}}
| team2           = [[New York Knicks]]
| highlights      = 
* Consensus second-team [[NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|All-American]] ([[1975 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1975]])
* 2× First-team All-[[Western Athletic Conference|WAC]] (1974, 1975)
| stats_league    = ABA and NBA
| stat1label      = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value      = 1,762 (13.1 ppg)
| stat2label      = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value      = 268 (2.0 rpg)
| stat3label      = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| stat3value      = 194 (1.4 apg)
| medal_templates = 
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}
{{MedalSport|Men's [[basketball]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA World Championship]]}}
{{MedalBronze |[[1974 FIBA World Championship|1974 Puerto Rico]] | [[1974 FIBA World Championship|Team competition]]}}
}}

'''Luther Dean "Ticky" Burden''' (February 28, 1953 – October 29, 2015) was an American [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] and [[American Basketball Association|ABA]] [[basketball]] player.<ref name="TU">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Albany-native-and-former-Knick-Ticky-Burden-6597949.php|title=Albany native and former Knick, 'Ticky' Burden dies|date=29 October 2015|publisher=[[Times Union (Albany)]]|accessdate=29 October 2015}}</ref>

==High school==
Born in [[Haines City, Florida]], Burden attended [[Albany, New York]]'s [[Philip Schuyler]] High School, where he was a member of the basketball team.

==College==
Burden attended the [[University of Utah]]. He played for the [[United States men's national basketball team]] in the [[1974 FIBA World Championship]], winning the bronze medal<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usabasketball.com/history/mwc_1974.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824211234/http://www.usabasketball.com/history/mwc_1974.html|url-status=dead|title=1974 USA Basketball|archivedate=August 24, 2007}}</ref> and scoring 20.2 points per game, a Team USA record which was overtaken by [[Kevin Durant]] in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usabasketball.com/history/mwc_records.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315082039/http://www.usabasketball.com/history/mwc_records.html|url-status=dead|title=Team USA WBC records|archivedate=March 15, 2007}}</ref> In 1975, his junior year, he averaged 28.7 points per game and set the [[Western Athletic Conference]] record for field goals in a season with 359.

==Professional basketball==
Following his junior season, he was allowed to turn pro as a hardship case. Burden was drafted by the [[Virginia Squires]] of the [[American Basketball Association]] and the [[New York Knicks]] of the [[National Basketball Association]]. He chose Virginia, but left after one season, during which he had a serious argument with coach [[Bill Musselman]]. Upon joining the Knicks, he stated "In Virginia I saw the bad side of pro basketball, in New York I know I'll see the good side".<ref>Syracuse Herald-American, August 22, 1976, page 90</ref> In the [[1976-77 NBA season|1976–77 season]], Burden got into 61 games for the Knicks in a backup role, averaging 10 minutes and 5.7 points per game. However, in the 77–78 season Knicks coach [[Willis Reed]] became frustrated with Burden's lack of defensive play, and sent him to the disabled list for the remainder of the season after he played in just two games. Reed unsuccessfully attempted to trade Burden, but ending up placing him on waivers and releasing him following the season.

==Later life==
On July 3, 1980, Burden and three other men allegedly robbed a bank in [[Hempstead (village), New York|Hempstead]], [[Long Island]]. Burden was convicted after the three other men struck deals and testified against him, and was given a sentence of six to eighteen years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9802E5D61039F93BA15753C1A967948260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fB%2fBanks%20and%20Banking|title=Burden Given 6 to 18 Years|work=The New York Times |date=October 28, 1981 }}</ref> After serving two years, Burden's conviction was overturned when a court ruled that detectives did not possess search or arrest warrants when they raided Burden's home.<ref name=nytimes/> Burden would later plead guilty to receiving stolen money in conjunction with the robbery, but was released after being given credit for time served.<ref name=nytimes>{{Cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9507E4DD1239F930A35754C0A962948260|title=SPORTS PEOPLE; Burden Pleads Guilty|work=The New York Times |date=July 3, 1984 }}</ref>

From 2010 onward, Burden was working with the YWCA organization, mentoring and coaching basketball.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blip.tv/basketballelitecom/luther-ticky-burden-interview-with-kevin-durant-4348526 |title=Watch Luther "Ticky" Burden Interview with Kevin Durant &#124; BasketballElite.com Episodes &#124; Videos &#124; Blip |accessdate=2013-05-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021133520/http://blip.tv/basketballelitecom/luther-ticky-burden-interview-with-kevin-durant-4348526 |archivedate=2013-10-21 }}</ref> In 2012, Burden began experiencing medical problems related to ATTR [[amyloidosis]]. He died in [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]] on October 29, 2015, after developing a fever following cataract surgery.<ref name="TU" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/2015/news/10/29/former-knick-luther-burden-dies-at-62.ap/|title=Former Knick Luther 'Ticky' Burden dies at 62|author=<!-- no byline -->|date=October 29, 2015|website=NBA.com|publisher=Associated Press |access-date=October 30, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Dell|first=John|title=Ticky Burden dies at age 62|work=[[Winston-Salem Journal]]|date=October 29, 2015|url=http://www.journalnow.com/sports/pro_sports/basketball/ticky-burden-dies-at-age/article_30a457e7-245d-5f91-b984-c87cdabf9b1b.html|access-date=October 29, 2015}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Burden's grandson, [[Luther Burden III]], is a wide receiver who played for the University of Missouri and was drafted by the [[Chicago Bears]] in the [[2025 NFL draft]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Is Luther Burden III Related to Ticky Burden? |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/luther-burden-iii-ticky-burden-relationship |website=Sportskeeda |date=April 23, 2025 |access-date=April 24, 2025}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{find a Grave|160492008}}

{{United States Squad 1974 FIBA World Championship}}
{{1975 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1975 NBA draft}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burden, Luther}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:1974 FIBA World Championship players]]
[[Category:All-American college men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American people convicted of theft]]
[[Category:American sportspeople convicted of crimes]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Polk County, Florida]]
[[Category:Denver Rockets draft picks]]<!--1974 ABA Draft-->
[[Category:New York Knicks draft picks]]
[[Category:New York Knicks players]]
[[Category:People from Haines City, Florida]]
[[Category:Shooting guards]]
[[Category:United States men's national basketball team players]]
[[Category:Utah Utes men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Virginia Squires draft picks]]
[[Category:Virginia Squires players]]