Charles Washington Criss Jr. (born November 6, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and coach.
A 5'8" point guard from New Mexico State University, Criss began his professional career in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA). He won an EBA championship with the Hartford Capitols in 1974. He earned league Most Valuable Player honors with the Scranton Apollos in 1976 and 1977. Criss won a second EBA championship with the Apollos in 1977. He then played for the Washington Generals. Extinct Sports Leagues - Continental Basketball Association (1946 - present) He joined the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association the following year, and played eight seasons in the league with the Hawks, San Diego Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks.Stats at Basketball-Reference When he entered the NBA, Criss was the league's shortest active player.Summer Basketball Camp 2004 - Camp Director Charlie Criss
In his NBA career, Criss averaged 8.5 points and 3.2 assists per game, with perhaps his best year being his first in 1978, posting averages of 11 points and 4 assists in 77 matches. During the 1980 NBA playoffs, Criss averaged 14 points and 4.4 assists per game, as the Hawks eventually lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.Charlie Criss Per Game Playoffs On February 20, 1982, while on the Clippers, Criss scored a career-best 34 points and recorded 8 assists during a 118–101 win over the San Antonio Spurs.Charlie Criss scores a career high 34 points (1982) After retiring as a player, he worked as a golf instructor, an Atlanta Hawks television color commentator and a basketball summer camp coordinator. Criss was head coach of the Atlanta Eagles in the United States Basketball League (USBL) during the 1991 season.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
| align="left" | 1977–78 | align="left" | Atlanta | 77 || - || 25.1 || .999 || - || .999 || 30.2 || 1.8 || 3.4 || 0.6 || 47.4 |- | align="left" | 1978–79 | align="left" | Atlanta | 54 || - || 16.3 || .377 || - || .779 || 1.1 || 2.6 || 0.8 || 0.1 || 5.3 |- | align="left" | 1979–80 | align="left" | Atlanta | 81 || - || 22.1 || .431 || .059 || .811 || 1.4 || 3.0 || 0.9 || 0.0 || 8.3 |- | align="left" | 1980–81 | align="left" | Atlanta | 66 || - || 25.9 || .454 || .048 || .864 || 1.5 || 4.3 || 0.9 || 0.0 || 9.5 |- | align="left" | 1981–82 | align="left" | Atlanta | 27 || 0 || 20.4 || .400 || .250 || .890 || 1.4 || 2.8 || 0.9 || 0.1 || 8.7 |- | align="left" | 1981–82 | align="left" | San Diego | 28 || 20 || 30.0 || .479 || .381 || .884 || 1.6 || 4.0 || 0.8 || 0.1 || 12.9 |- | align="left" | 1982–83 | align="left" | Milwaukee | 66 || 0 || 14.0 || .451 || .194 || .895 || 1.2 || 1.9 || 0.4 || 0.0 || 6.2 |- | align="left" | 1983–84 | align="left" | Milwaukee | 6 || 0 || 17.8 || .367 || .167 || .636 || 1.5 || 2.8 || 0.8 || 0.0 || 5.0 |- | align="left" | 1983–84 | align="left" | Atlanta | 9 || 0 || 12.0 || .409 || .000 || 1.000 || 1.2 || 2.3 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 2.6 |- | align="left" | 1984–85 | align="left" | Atlanta | 4 || 2 || 28.8 || .412 || .000 || .669 || 3.5 || 5.5 || 0.8 || 0.0 || 4.5 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 418 || 22 || 21.4 || .432 || .179 || .831 || 1.4 || 3.2 || 0.9 || 0.1 || 8.5
Playoffs
| align="left" | 1977–78 | align="left" | Atlanta | 2 || - || 32.5 || .417 || - || .778 || 2.0 || 1.5 || 2.0 || 0.5 || 13.5 |- | align="left" | 1978–79 | align="left" | Atlanta | 9 || - || 11.0 || .414 || - || .900 || 0.6 || 1.8 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 3.7 |- | align="left" | 1979–80 | align="left" | Atlanta | 5 || - || 30.4 || .492 || .333 || .917 || 1.0 || 4.4 || 1.2 || 0.0 || 14.0 |- | align="left" | 1982–83 | align="left" | Milwaukee | 9 || - || 12.9 || .441 || .000 || .944 || 1.6 || 1.3 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 5.2 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 25 || - || 17.3 || .452 || .250 || .898 || 1.1 || 2.1 || 0.9 || 0.0 || 7.1
See also List of shortest players in National Basketball Association history
References
External links