Hall of Fame Professional Basketball Player. For thirteen seasons (1966 to 1979), he played at the shooting guard and small forward positions in the National Basketball Association with the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers. Born Louis Clyde Hudson, he attended Dudley High School in North Carolina where he first achieved greatness as a four-sport athlete. He played collegiate basketball at the University of Minnesota, under Hall of Fame coach John Kundla and while with the Gophers, he earned both All-American and All-Big Ten honors. In fact, he was so talented that he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys without ever playing collegiate football. Hudson was selected by the Hawks as the 4th overall pick during the 1st round of the 1966 NBA Draft. During his rookie season, his impact on the league was immediate as he was named to the All-NBA Rookie squad. He missed part of the 1967-1968 season as he served with the United States Army. During the course of his career, Hudson topped the 2,000 points-scored mark three-times and earned all-star status six-consecutive times (1969 to 1974). In 890 regular season games, he compiled 17,940 points and 2,432 assists. To date, he remains one of the Hawks' all-time greatest players and holds the distinction of having his uniform number 23 retired by the organization. He is a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Minnesota "M" Club. After retiring from basketball, he moved to Utah and served as a city council member. He died of complications from a stroke. Hudson was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Hall of Fame Professional Basketball Player. For thirteen seasons (1966 to 1979), he played at the shooting guard and small forward positions in the National Basketball Association with the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers. Born Louis Clyde Hudson, he attended Dudley High School in North Carolina where he first achieved greatness as a four-sport athlete. He played collegiate basketball at the University of Minnesota, under Hall of Fame coach John Kundla and while with the Gophers, he earned both All-American and All-Big Ten honors. In fact, he was so talented that he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys without ever playing collegiate football. Hudson was selected by the Hawks as the 4th overall pick during the 1st round of the 1966 NBA Draft. During his rookie season, his impact on the league was immediate as he was named to the All-NBA Rookie squad. He missed part of the 1967-1968 season as he served with the United States Army. During the course of his career, Hudson topped the 2,000 points-scored mark three-times and earned all-star status six-consecutive times (1969 to 1974). In 890 regular season games, he compiled 17,940 points and 2,432 assists. To date, he remains one of the Hawks' all-time greatest players and holds the distinction of having his uniform number 23 retired by the organization. He is a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Minnesota "M" Club. After retiring from basketball, he moved to Utah and served as a city council member. He died of complications from a stroke. Hudson was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Bio by: C.S.
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