Larry Stewart (basketball)

Stewart grew up in North Philadelphia. Due to his mother's strict religious beliefs as a Jehova's Witness, he was not permitted to play organized basketball until his junior year of high school.^[1]

Stewart attended Coppin State University where he led his team to the 1990 NCAA Tournament, the first appearance in school history. Coppin State was a 15 seed and lost to Derrick Coleman's Syracuse squad 70–48 in the first round.^[2]

After college, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Bullets in 1991. He averaged 10.4 points, and 5.9 rebounds in his rookie season (1991–92), and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He was the first undrafted player in NBA history to make an All-NBA Rookie Team.^[3]

Stewart's professional career also included stints with the NBA's Vancouver Grizzlies and Seattle SuperSonics before he embarked on a 10-year stretch playing in Europe.^[1]

Stewart was named head coach at Coppin State on May 2, 2023. He had previously served as an assistant coach at Bowie State, Morgan State, and Maryland Eastern Shore.^[4]

At 4:30 AM on January 8, 1994, Stewart was shot and stabbed during a break-in at his Baltimore County home.^[5] He was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment.^[5] Neither injury was fatal nor permanently damaging.^[5] Police said the suspects broke in by shattering a sliding door in the back of the house.^[5] They pulled Stewart from his bed, bound his hands and feet and shot him.^[5] Although Stewart could not describe his assailants he asserted four men were involved.^[5]

Both of Stewart's younger brothers, Stephen and Lynard Stewart, are also former basketball players and current coaches.^[1]