This article is about the sportsman. For the British politician, see Lewis Loyd. For the bishop, see Daniel Lewis Lloyd. For the Australian politician, see Lewis Lloyd (politician). For the Welsh rugby union player, see Lewis Lloyd (rugby union).
Lewis Lloyd
Height6 ft
Height in6
Weight lb205
Birth dateFebruary 22, 1959
Birth placePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U. S.
Death dateJuly 5, 2019 (aged 60)
Death placePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U. S.
High schoolOverbrook (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
College
Draft year1981
Draft round4
Draft pick76
Draft teamGolden State Warriors
Career start1981
Career end1990
Career number32, 30
Years 1–
Team 1Golden State Warriors
Years 2–
Team 2Houston Rockets
Years 31988
Team 3Philadelphia Aces
Years 41988–1989
Team 4Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets
Team 5Houston Rockets
Team 6Philadelphia 76ers
Team 7Houston Rockets
Years 81990
Team 8Philadelphia Aces
Years 91990-1991
Team 9Sarsi Sizzlers
Highlights
Stats leagueNBA
Stat1labelPoints
Stat1value5,130 (13.2 ppg)
Stat2labelRebounds
Stat2value1,192 (3.1 rpg)
Stat3labelAssists
Stat3value1,138 (2.9 apg)

Lewis Kevin Lloyd (February 22, 1959 – July 5, 2019) was an American basketball player. A 6'6" swingman from Drake University, he played most of his professional career for the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets.

Early life

Lloyd played his high school basketball at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, the same as Wilt Chamberlain,[1] where he earned the nickname "Black Magic."

College career

He graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa after starting his college career at the junior college, New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell. Lloyd averaged 30.2 points and 15 rebounds per game in his junior year and 26.3 per game as a Senior. He was a two-time winner of the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year while at Drake.

Professional career

Golden State Warriors (1981-1983)

Lloyd was selected in the fourth round of the 1981 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. He played seven seasons in the NBA.

Houston Rockets (1983-1987)

After two seasons in Oakland, he moved to the Houston Rockets, where he would play three full seasons, appearing in 246 out of 246 possible regular season games while always scoring in double digits. In late 1986, however, he tested positive for cocaine alongside teammate Mitchell Wiggins, incurring a 2 1⁄2-year suspension from the league.[2][3]

Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets (1988-1989)

While suspended from the NBA, Lloyd played for the Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets in the Continental Basketball Association during the 1988–89 season. He averaged 18.8 points and 6.6 rebounds over 18 games.[4]

Return to Houston and Philadelphia 76ers (1989-1990)

Soon after his reinstatement in September 1989,[5] Lloyd was released by Houston, retiring at the end of the season after two games with the Philadelphia 76ers, holding averages of 13 points, three rebounds and three assists, in 388 games. He also appeared in 20 post-season contests in 1986 as the Rockets reached the NBA Finals, losing 4–2 to the Boston Celtics.

Personal life

After retiring from basketball in the 2000s, Lloyd conducted youth basketball clinics, and coached at basketball camps in Philadelphia, Des Moines, and Wichita.

Lloyd died on July 5, 2019.[6]

Career statistics

NBA

Source[7]

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Golden State | 16 || 0 || 5.9 || .556 || – || .636 || 1.0 || .4 || .3 || .1 || 3.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Golden State | 73 || 24 || 18.5 || .518 || .250 || .719 || 3.6 || 1.8 || .8 || .1 || 9.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || 31.4 || .516 || .239 || .789 || 3.6 || 3.9 || 1.2 || .5 || 17.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || 58 || 26.0 || .526 || .250 || .732 || 2.8 || 3.4 || .9 || .3 || 13.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 82 || style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || 29.8 || .529 || .200 || .843 || 4.0 || 3.7 || 1.2 || .3 || 16.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 32 || 14 || 21.5 || .532 || .143 || .756 || 1.5 || 2.8 || .6 || .2 || 12.4 |- | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 2 || 0 || 5.0 || .500 || – || – || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 1.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 19 || 0 || 5.9 || .569 || – || .563 || .9 || .6 || .2 || .0 || 3.5 |- |-class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Career | 388 || 260 || 24.2 || .524 || .213 || .771 || 3.1 || 2.9 || .9 || .3 || 13.2

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 1985 | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 5 || 5 || 34.8 || .494 || – || .714 || 5.8 || 5.0 || 1.4 || 1.6 || 17.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1986 | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 20 || 20 || 29.5 || .481 || .400 || .810 || 3.3 || 4.3 || .8 || .3 || 14.1 |-class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Career | 25 || 25 || 30.5 || .484 || .400 || .792 || 3.8 || 4.4 || .9 || .6 || 14.7

References

  1. ^ sportsillustrated.cnn.com
  2. ^ Rockets discuss drug temptation; The New York Times, 15 January 1987
  3. ^ Lloyd descends from the high life; Los Angeles Times, 27 January 1987
  4. ^ 1989–90 Official CBA Guide and Register, page 134
  5. ^ Lloyd reinstated; The New York Times, 9 September 1989
  6. ^ Bell, Daryl (July 5, 2019). "Lewis Lloyd, famed Philly basketball standout, dies at 60". Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  7. ^ "Lewis Lloyd NBA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 13 December 2025.