Eastern High School has produced its share of basketball talent through the years, and few lights shone brighter than Felton Spencer.
The Louisville native was an All-State athlete at Eastern leading the Eagles to several state playoffs including a trip to the championship which eventually led to the school’s loss to Metcalfe County.
None the less Spencer’s abilities were never in question as a high school star as he took those skills to the University of Louisville.
It was 1989 and Louisville all-star big man, “Never Nervous” Pervis Ellison had left for the NBA. This left a void at the position of center, a void filled expertly by Spencer who carried on the tradition set by Ellison leading the team in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, and field goal percentages.
Like Ellison before him Spencer had an NBA invite that followed his break-out season when the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted the center in the first round.
The selection paid off for the T-Wolves as evidenced by Spencer’s selection to the NBA’s All Rookie Second Team. However, after Minnesota drafted Luc Longley at center a year later the team was forced to make their big man selection.
A decision which ended in Spencer’s trade to the Utah Jazz in 1993, a solid and dependable player at Utah Spencer proved his abilities every game.
After an injury though Spencer found himself with the Orlando Magic for a brief time cut short by his moving to the Golden State Warriors, again with the Warriors Spencer ran the court understanding the game as only a veteran could.
After leaving Golden State in 1999, Spencer spent time with the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks before his eventual retirement from the league, in the basketball world Felton Spencer’s name brings back memories for so many fans both locally and nationally and for that reason he is a sports legend of the Ville.
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Image courtesy of Basketball-Reference
