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Player profile · BAL / CAP / WSB
Wes Unseld
Wes Unseld stats, teams and career impact
#50 all-timeCareer averages · 10.8 PPG · 14.0 RPG · 3.9 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Center
- Final NBA team
- Washington Bullets
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) · 245 lb (111 kg)
- Born
- March 14, 1946
- Died
- June 2, 2020 (74 yrs old)
- College
- Louisville
- NBA seasons
- 13 seasons · 1968–69 to 1980–81
Career summaryWes Unseld was a center who played 13 NBA seasons, from 1968–69 through 1980–81.
- Career PPG
- 10.8
- Career RPG
- 14.0
- Career APG
- 3.9
- #6 in 1972–73
- #50 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Wes Unseld ranks #50 all time
Wes Unseld ranks #50 all time. 6 top-ten finishes give him a sustained run near the top of the league. His full-career value ranks #47 across 13 seasons. Career Impact Rank averages his best three, five, and ten season ranks, with the most weight on his peak.
6 top-ten finishes
984 games · Career Value Rank #47
NBA honors5× All-Star · MVP · All-NBA · ROYContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare Wes Unseld with…
Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
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- Wes Unseld vs. Bob Lanier Post scorers and rebounders
- Wes Unseld vs. Dolph Schayes Similar career path
- Wes Unseld vs. Jack Sikma Similar career path
- Wes Unseld vs. Kevin McHale Similar career path
- Wes Unseld vs. Dave Cowens Similar career path
- Wes Unseld vs. Rudy Gobert Similar career path
- Wes Unseld vs. Artis Gilmore Similar career path
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Baltimore Bullets, Capital Bullets, and Washington Bullets
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 50.9%FG%
- Three-point
- 50.0%3P%
- Free throw
- 63.3%FT%
984 career games · 35,832 minutes
Sources and updateConventional stats and measurements: Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 13, 2026. hussEyquation ranking data through 2025–26. Life dates: Wikidata; conflicting dates checked against Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 17, 2026.
Traditional box score
Wes Unseld stats by season
Start with scoring and impact, then switch views for shooting or the full advanced picture. Career percentages use total makes and attempts.
Swipe for PPG · RPG · APG · Impact · Team · G · GS · MPG →
| 1980–81 | 8.0 | 10.7 | 2.7 | +1.88 | WSB | 63 | 0 | 32.3 | 52.4% | 50.0% | 64.0% | #39 | 168.1 |
| 1979–80 | 9.7 | 13.3 | 4.5 | +3.06 | WSB | 82 | 82 | 36.3 | 51.3% | 50.0% | 66.5% | #20 | 321.6 |
| 1978–79 | 10.9 | 10.8 | 4.1 | +3.91 | WSB | 77 | 0 | 31.2 | 57.7% | — | 64.3% | #9 | 315.6 |
| 1977–78 | 7.6 | 11.9 | 4.1 | +2.48 | WSB | 80 | 0 | 33.0 | 52.3% | — | 53.8% | #26 | 267.0 |
| 1976–77 | 7.8 | 10.7 | 4.4 | +1.53 | WSB | 82 | 82 | 34.9 | 49.0% | — | 60.2% | #37 | 222.8 |
| 1975–76 | 9.6 | 13.3 | 5.2 | +3.91 | WSB | 78 | 0 | 37.5 | 56.1% | — | 58.5% | #5 | 375.4 |
| 1974–75 | 9.2 | 14.8 | 4.1 | +3.95 | WSB | 73 | 0 | 39.8 | 50.2% | — | 68.5% | #7 | 381.9 |
| 1973–74 | 5.9 | 9.2 | 2.8 | +0.99 | CAP | 56 | 0 | 30.8 | 43.8% | — | 65.5% | #39 | 114.2 |
| 1972–73 | 12.5 | 15.9 | 4.4 | +4.08 | BAL | 79 | 0 | 39.1 | 49.3% | — | 70.3% | #6 | 425.1 |
| 1971–72 | 13.0 | 17.6 | 3.7 | +2.74 | BAL | 76 | 0 | 41.7 | 49.8% | — | 62.9% | #13 | 346.0 |
| 1970–71 | 14.1 | 16.9 | 4.0 | +3.29 | BAL | 74 | 0 | 39.2 | 50.1% | — | 65.7% | #8 | 372.9 |
| 1969–70 | 16.2 | 16.7 | 3.5 | +2.88 | BAL | 82 | 0 | 39.4 | 51.8% | — | 63.8% | #10 | 397.9 |
| 1968–69 | 13.8 | 18.2 | 2.6 | +1.85 | BAL | 82 | 0 | 36.2 | 47.6% | — | 60.5% | #19 | 289.9 |
| Career | 10.8 | 14.0 | 3.9 | — | BAL/CAP/WSB | 984 | — | 36.4 | 50.9% | 50.0% | 63.3% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
Film evidence
Wes Unseld highlights
Watch the selected footage or film analysis, then use the season record and impact data to put what happened on the floor in context.
Team career retrospective
Wes Unseld tribute
Washington's tribute shows how Unseld created value through rebounding position, outlet passing and physical screening rather than scoring volume.
What these measures mean
- Era-centered box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average.
- Impact Rate Rank
- The player's place among qualified players in one season.
- Value contribution / Season Value
- Completed seasons use a fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. The live season instead uses Season Value, combining that season's impact with workload.
- Career Impact Rank
- An all-time rank weighted toward the player's best three, five, and ten seasons.
7.6 composite · lower is better
7.0 average league finish
3,998 total value
Career standing
How Wes Unseld ranks all time
These are league placements, not raw scores. Each season is judged against that season's qualified player pool.
Best in the league
Elite finishes
Upper-tier finishes
Tie-breaker across top-ten seasons
Career Composite Score7.6
Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes receive 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights. Missing seasons receive a replacement finish just below the player's typical qualified field. Lower is better.
- Best 3 effective weight
- 74%
- Missing-season finish
- 189.0
- Qualified seasons
- 13
- All-time rank
- #50
Strongest seasons
Every season
Wes Unseld advanced stats by season
Era-centered box impact supports comparisons through time. Impact Rate and its rank compare players only within that season.
More advanced statsAge, minutes, impact, rank, value and data coverage
Scroll for more columns
| 1980–81Historical Defense Estimate | WSB | 34 | 63 | 2,032 | +1.88 | 84.7 | #39 | 168.1 | 82nd | Broad |
| 1979–80Historical Defense Estimate | WSB | 33 | 82 | 2,973 | +3.06 | 91.8 | #20 | 321.6 | 95th | Broad |
| 1978–79Historical Defense Estimate | WSB | 32 | 77 | 2,406 | +3.91 | 96.5 | #9 | 315.6 | 95th | Broad |
| 1977–78Historical Defense Estimate | WSB | 31 | 80 | 2,644 | +2.48 | 89.4 | #26 | 267.0 | 92nd | Broad |
| 1976–77Historical Defense Estimate | WSB | 30 | 82 | 2,860 | +1.53 | 85.2 | #37 | 222.8 | 90th | Broad |
| 1975–76Historical Defense Estimate | WSB | 29 | 78 | 2,922 | +3.91 | 97.9 | #5 | 375.4 | 98th | Broad |
| 1974–75Historical Defense Estimate | WSB | 28 | 73 | 2,904 | +3.95 | 96.8 | #7 | 381.9 | 97th | Broad |
| 1973–74Historical Defense Estimate | CAP | 27 | 56 | 1,727 | +0.99 | 78.4 | #39 | 114.2 | 69th | Broad |
| 1972–73Historical Defense Estimate | BAL | 26 | 79 | 3,085 | +4.08 | 97.1 | #6 | 425.1 | 98th | Modeled |
| 1971–72Historical Defense Estimate | BAL | 25 | 76 | 3,171 | +2.74 | 92.7 | #13 | 346.0 | 93rd | Modeled |
| 1970–71Historical Defense Estimate | BAL | 24 | 74 | 2,904 | +3.29 | 95.8 | #8 | 372.9 | 96th | Modeled |
| 1969–70Historical Defense Estimate | BAL | 23 | 82 | 3,234 | +2.88 | 93.6 | #10 | 397.9 | 95th | Modeled |
| 1968–69Historical Defense Estimate | BAL | 22 | 82 | 2,970 | +1.85 | 86.5 | #19 | 289.9 | 89th | Modeled |
Career movement
Wes Unseld's career impact by season
Peak +4.08 in 1972–73 · 13 seasons · 35,832 minutes
The same historical box-score model is used for every season, making the career shape comparable through time. The vertical scale adapts to this player's range and always includes zero.
Era-centered box impactMinutesModeled estimate
Player-specific impact scaleWorkload
Career comparison
Compare the shape, not the calendar
Align by NBA experience to compare season one with season one, or by age to compare players at the same stage of life.
Wes UnseldDolph Schayes
| NBA season | Wes Unseld | Dolph Schayes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.8 | 3.2 |
| 2 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| 3 | 3.3 | 3.7 |
| 4 | 2.7 | 4.0 |
| 5 | 4.1 | 3.4 |
| 6 | 1.0 | 3.6 |
| 7 | 4.0 | 3.8 |
| 8 | 3.9 | 3.5 |
| 9 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 10 | 2.5 | 2.3 |
| 11 | 3.9 | 1.1 |
| 12 | 3.1 | -0.5 |
| 13 | 1.9 | -0.5 |
| 14 | Did not play | -3.8 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Wes Unseld
The career-similarity score compares era-centered box impact, peak, prime, workload, career length, position, and experience-aligned trajectory. It describes career shape, not playing style, equal ability, or probability.
PF · All-Time Career #19
Dolph Schayes
92career similarity score
93/100 closest-season score · 1972–73 ↔ 1953–54C · All-Time Career #92Jack Sikma
91career similarity score
98/100 closest-season score · 1972–73 ↔ 1981–82PF · All-Time Career #157Kevin McHale
90career similarity score
90/100 closest-season score · 1972–73 ↔ 1986–87Impact Rate shows how strong a player was compared with everyone else that season. Season Value adds how much he played; completed player-profile rows instead show each season's fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. Career Impact Rank rewards a high peak, a long prime, and repeated seasons near the top. Older seasons use clearly labeled estimates where the NBA did not record today's full set of statistics. Read how every ranking works →