Irv Kiffin

Kiffin was raised in Queens, New York.^[1] His father, Irvin Kiffin, was born in Jamaica and moved to New York when he was 19.^[2] Kiffin has two sisters and a brother.^[2]

Kiffin began smoking marijuana and sniffing heroin when he was 12 before he started injecting heroin at 15.^[3] Kiffin played basketball on the playgrounds of New York and did not play at an organised level until his senior year of high school.^[4]

Kiffin received a scholarship to play for the Virginia Union Panthers.^[3] He sold drugs and stole money to support his addiction while his basketball career suffered.^[5] Kiffin dropped out of university twice due to his addiction.^[3] With the help of his partner in New York, he gave up his drug habit.^[5]

Kiffin was noticed by an assistant coach from the Oklahoma Baptist Bison while he was playing in New York and joined the team in 1972.^[5] He averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior.^[6] Kiffin graduated in 1975 with a degree in physical education.^[7]

Kiffin was inducted into the OBU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987.^[8]

Kiffin played for Athletes in Action for four years.^[9] He received interest from professional teams after his fourth season.^[5] Kiffin averaged 13.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game during his Athletes in Action stint.^[4] At the time of his departure, he was Athletes in Action's all-time scoring and rebounding leader.^[1]

On August 8, 1979, Kiffin was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).^[10] On October 6, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs.^[11] At 28, Kiffin was the oldest rookie in the NBA during the 1979–80 season.^[9] He appeared in 26 games with the Spurs before he was released.^[12] Kiffin attended a free agent camp with the Detroit Pistons in 1980.^[12]

Kiffin played overseas in Italy and France until his retirement in 1983.^[13]

Kiffin was a member of the U.S. national team at the 1978 FIBA World Championship.^[14]

Kiffin and his family returned to California after his playing career ended.^[13] His first job was for a Californian newspaper where his responsibility was to check on paper boys.^[13] Kiffin's parents encouraged him to join them in Pembroke Pines, Florida, where he found a job in Fort Lauderdale at Rogers Middle School as a substitute teacher.^[13] He was teaching physical education when he was offered the position of peer counsellor coordinator by the school's principal because "all the kids looked up to him."^[13] Kiffin left Rogers Middle School in 1989 to work as the peer counsellor and adviser/advisee co-ordinator at the Walter C. Young Resource Center.^[13]

Kiffin married Myra in 1972.^[9] They had been introduced when a mutual friend brought Kiffin over to get some drugs; she ultimately helped him end his habit.^[9] They have two children.^[13]

Kiffin became a Christian and was baptised while he attended Oklahoma Baptist University.^[1]

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

NBA

Source^[15]

Regular season

More information Year, Team ...

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1979–80	San Antonio	26	8.2	.333	–	.720	1.5	.7	.4	.1	3.2

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