Greg Spurling (Spurling variant)
Greg Spurling is a former American college basketball center from Knoxville, Tennessee. The Phoenix Suns drafted him in the fifth round in 1986, and he later signed with the Suns and the Chicago Bulls, but he was waived each time and never played in an NBA game.
Sourcing: strong 6 reference · 1 news
Variant spelling: this person has the related surname Spurling, not Spurlin. See Spurling (surname).
Greg Spurling is an American former basketball center. The Phoenix Suns chose him in the fifth round of the 1986 NBA draft. He signed with the Suns and later twice with the Chicago Bulls, but was waived each time and never played in an NBA game.[1][2][3]
College
Basketball-Reference gives his birthplace as Knoxville, Tennessee, and a 2021 Bristol Herald Courier article says he grew up there.[1][4] He played for Furman University in 1982–83, appearing in 29 games and averaging 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds.[1][5] He was a senior at Carson–Newman when he was drafted.[2][3] His listed height differs between sources: Basketball-Reference gives 6 ft 11 in and 230 lb, while Sports-Reference's college basketball site gives 6 ft 9 in.[1][5]
Professional career
Phoenix took Spurling with the 101st overall pick on June 17, 1986. Wikipedia's list of that draft marks him as one of the picks who never appeared in an NBA game.[1][3] He signed with the Suns on October 1, 1987, in the same preseason signings as forward Jeff Cook and center Ozell Jones, and was waived later that month.[1][6] Basketball-Reference and RealGM date the waiver to October 19, 1987. Wikipedia's article on the Suns' season gives October 21, which is the date RealGM records him becoming a free agent.[1][2][6] He signed twice with the Chicago Bulls, on October 5, 1989, and October 2, 1990, and was waived within two weeks both times.[1][2]
Wikipedia's all-time roster of the Columbus Horizon, a Continental Basketball Association team that played from 1989 to 1994, includes Greg Spurling. It also lists a Kevin Spurling.[7]
Later coverage
In July 2021 the Bristol Herald Courier published an article by Tim Hayes whose headline describes Spurling as an Abingdon, Virginia, resident chosen by the Suns in the 1986 draft. Only the headline, byline and photo caption could be read; the article text is behind a subscription wall.[4]
Another Spurling, the pitcher Chris Spurling, played in Major League Baseball. For Spurlins in sport, see Spurlins in sports.
See also
- Chris Spurling (Spurling variant) · People strong
Chris Spurling (born 1977) is an American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers from 2003 to 2007. - Spurling (surname) · The Surname strong
Spurling is the fuller spelling from which Spurlin derives. Unlike Spurlin, it is well established in England, Australia and especially Bermuda as well as the United States. - Spurlins in sports · Culture strong
An overview of people surnamed Spurlin in sports: college and minor league baseball, college football, wrestling, softball and basketball coaching, with links to each article and a note of the professional leagues and databases searched. - Spurlins in college athletics · Culture mixed
A roundup of adult college athletes and coaches surnamed Spurlin listed on official college athletics rosters, in sports from basketball and volleyball to track and football, plus college and high school hall-of-fame inductees. - Spurlin spelling variants and related surnames · The Surname strong
Spurlin belongs to a group of related spellings (Spurling, Sparling, Sparlin, Sperlin, Spirling) that the Dictionary of American Family Names traces to the same English roots. Sperling and Spurlock look similar but have separate origins. - Notable Spurlins · People strong
An index of notable people surnamed Spurlin, with related Spurling-surname figures listed separately as variants. - Spurling athletes in Britain and Australia (variant spelling) · People strong
Sportsmen and sports figures with the related surname Spurling outside the United States. They include the England rugby international Aubrey Spurling (1856–1945), the Footscray footballers Bill Spurling (1907–1972) and Bob Spurling, the Australian lightweight rower Stephen Spurling and his mother, the Tasmanian rowing administrator Marj Spurling, and the English rugby hooker Scott Spurling.
References
- ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ Greg Spurling Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more — Basketball-Reference.com — Birthplace, height and weight, colleges, draft, Furman 1982–83 stats and NBA transactions Reference
- ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ Greg Spurling Player Profile, Carson-Newman — RealGM — Pre-draft team Carson-Newman (Sr); NBA transactions 1986–1990 Reference
- ↑ ↑ ↑ 1986 NBA draft — Wikipedia — Round 5, pick 101, Phoenix Suns, Carson–Newman (Sr.); marked as never having played in the NBA Reference
- ↑ ↑ MCCLUNG's PATH TO THE PROS: Abingdon resident Greg Spurling chosen by the Phoenix Suns in 1986 NBA Draft — Bristol Herald Courier (July 25, 2021) — By Tim Hayes; headline, byline and photo caption ('Greg Spurling grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee') read; body behind subscription wall News
- ↑ ↑ Greg Spurling College Stats — College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com — Lists 6-9, Furman, 1986 draft Reference
- ↑ ↑ 1987–88 Phoenix Suns season — Wikipedia — October 1987 signings of Jeff Cook, Greg Spurling and Ozell Jones; gives Spurling's waiver date as October 21 Reference
- ↑ Columbus Horizon — Wikipedia — CBA team 1989–1994; all-time roster lists Greg Spurling and Kevin Spurling Reference
Last reviewed 2026-09-24.