HBCU Athlete Profile: Marvin Webster, Morgan State University

On this edition of the HBCU Athlete Profile, we highlight Marvin Webster, a former NBA/ABA player out of Morgan State University.

In Marvin Webster’s four years with the Morgan State Bears, he averaged 17.5 points per game, 19.9 rebounds per game, and 6.3 blocks per game for his career. He won the MEAC Player of the Year award in each of his final three seasons, making him one of only six to win it more than once and one of only two players to win the MEAC Player of the Year award three times.

In 1974, despite not winning the MEAC tournament, Webster led the Morgan State Bears to a Division II Tournament championship win and was named the tournament’s MVP.

Marvin Webster holds the all-time MEAC record for career rebounds (2,267) over 1,000 more than the player in second place and the all-time MEAC record for career blocked shots (722)over 250 blocked shots more than the player in second place. He is also the fifth all-time leading scorer in the MEAC (1,990), making him the only MEAC player to finish in the top five in career points, rebounds, and blocks.

They called him the "Human Eraser!"

Marvin Webster tallied 2,267 rebounds at Morgan State. The second-most in NCAA history! #CBHOF pic.twitter.com/ZEGrxCTYMt

— National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (@CBHOF) October 15, 2018

In 1981, Marvin Webster was inducted into the MEAC Conference Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.

Webster then moved on to the pro ranks, where he was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1975 NBA Draft and first overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1975 ABA Draft. He opted to begin his professional career in what would be the ABA’s final season but would only play 38 games in his rookie season after receiving a hepatitis diagnosis.

Following the ABA-NBA merger, he would remain with the Denver Nuggets playing one more season before moving on to the Seattle Supersonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder) for the 1977-1978 season.

With the Seattle Supersonics, Marvin Webster had his best season in the NBA, averaging 14.0 points per game, 12.6 rebounds per game, and 2.0 blocks per game (all single-season career highs). The Sonics would make it to the NBA Finals but would fall short to the Washington Bullets (now Washington Wizards). He averaged 16.1 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks for the entire playoff run (all playoff career highs) and 14.9 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in the NBA Finals.

Marvin Webster and Wes Unseld battle for a rebound during Game 4 of the 1978 NBA Finals: pic.twitter.com/jgTm1y9381

— SI Vault (@si_vault) February 5, 2014

In the 1978 offseason, Webster would join the New York Knicks, where he would spend the next six seasons for his career. After sitting out the 1985 and 1986 seasons due to complications with hepatitis, he would play 15 games with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1986-1987 season before ending his career for good.

In 2009, Marvin Webster passed away at the age of 56 years old.