Em Bryant
Emmette "Em" Bryant is a retired American professional basketball player and Vice President/Chicago Chapter at NBA Alumni.Career
A 6'1" guard from DePaul University, Bryant played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Buffalo Braves. He scored 3,722 points in his career and was a key component of the 1969 Celtics NBA championship team who defeated Jerry West's Los Angeles Lakers. He is a member of the DePaul University and the Chicagoland Sports Halls of Fame. Em is active in retired basketball players activities and was a key member of the Executive Board of the National Retired Players Association. He also coached two years with Bill Russell as assistant coach for the Seattle SuperSonic which are now the Oklahoma Thunder during 1973 and 1974. ChicagoLand Sports Hall of Fame 2010, DePaul Hall of Fame, and Rucker Professional Basketball Hall of Fame.
Bryant was drafted in the 1964 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. After his time in New York, he joined the Boston Celtics, and instantly became a part of the most dominant dynasty in American professional basketball history. He contributed 20 points in the Celtics’ victory over the Lakers in game seven of the 1969 NBA Finals. The win gave the Celtics their 11th championship in 13 years. Bryant spent the latter part of his career with the Buffalo Braves, who selected him in the 1970 expansion draft. He retired from the league in 1972.Post basketball
Immediately after his playing days, Bryant became an assistant coach: one year at Columbia University and two years with the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics. All along the way, Bryant would say, “I’m just a teacher that happened to play pro ball.” Bryant then went to work for the State of Washington for the next 30 years, starting out with the Department of Social and Health Services, in charge of recreation throughout the state for that department's correctional institutions. He later became the Recreation Director at Mission Creek Youth Camp.
