Few players have left a bigger mark on Mississippi basketball than Purvis Short, who celebrates his 69th birthday today. Born in Hattiesburg on July 2, 1957, Short starred at Blair High School, leading them to the 1974 state championship before following in the footsteps of his older brother, Eugene “Gene” Short, at Jackson State. Gene was a Hattiesburg legend in his own right, becoming a first-round NBA Draft pick by the New York Knicks in 1975. Rather than leave the state despite receiving more than 150 scholarship offers, Purvis chose to stay home and continue the family’s legacy at Jackson State, where he became the Tigers’ all-time leading scorer and a two-time SWAC Player of the Year
The Golden State Warriors selected Short with the No. 5 overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, launching a 12-year NBA career with the Warriors, Houston Rockets, and New Jersey Nets. Nicknamed “Rainbowman” for his signature high-arcing jump shot, Short finished with 14,607 career points, averaging 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. His finest season came in 1984-85, when he averaged 28.0 points per game, ranking fourth in the NBA in scoring.
One of the greatest performances ever by a Mississippi-born player came on November 17, 1984, when Short erupted for 59 points against the New Jersey Nets, connecting on 20-of-28 shots from the field and a perfect 15-of-15 from the free-throw line. More than four decades later, the Short brothers remain one of the greatest basketball families in Mississippi history, with Gene paving the way and Purvis building upon that foundation to become one of the Magnolia State’s most accomplished players. Happy 69th Birthday to a true Hattiesburg icon.
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