Former Suns player, Merkur, GCU Ex-Coach John Shumate dies

On By Littum

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John Shumate, a former Phoenix Suns Player in the 1970s, later assistant to the team and head coach of Phoenix Mercury, is dead.

Sun’s officials confirmed Shumate’s death on Monday. He was 72.

Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro and South Bend Tribune were the first to break the news of Shumate’s death.

He was a 6-9 Power Forward and Center, which was prepared in the first round of 1974 by Phoenix out of Notre Dame. Shumate played only one year for Suns and earned the honor of the All-NBA-Rockie first team in 1976, after he was sidelined during the 1974-75 season from a disease. Later he played for Buffalo Braves (now Los Angeles Clippers), Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Seattle Supersonics.

Shumate was part of the Notre Dame team that ended UCLA’s 88-game victory, the longest in NCAA history, the season before he was chosen by Suns. He average 11.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per Battle like a rookie.

He was traded for Buffalo for Garfield heard in February 1976. Heard continued to be part of the Suns team that lost in the NBA final in 1976 against Boston and is remembered for the famous “Shot Heard Round the World” in Game 5, a buzzer -Beater that forced a triple overtime thriller.

Shumate was a fixture in the Phoenix basketball community after his playing days, ending in 1981. He was the Grand Canyon University men’s basketball coach from 1983-86, coached Phoenix Mercury in a season in 2003, served in Sun’s Front Office and was the team’s assistant coach from 2009-10.