Episode 7: Petur Gudmundsson, Former NBA Player and 1977 MI Grad

Petur is a 1977 MI grad and a former UW and NBA center. Petur came to Mercer Island in the Fall of 1975 from Iceland and at 7’2, he starred for the Islanders for two seasons, earning a 3rd place trophy in 1977. After his MI playing career was done, Petur accepted a scholarship to the University of Washington, where he played for 3 seasons, leaving after his junior year to pursue a professional career abroad. Petur was eventually drafted into the NBA by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1981 draft where he played for Hall of Fame coach, Dr. Jack Ramsey. Petur’s professional career included multiple stops in Europe and the CBA but eventually led him back to the NBA where he played for the “Showtime” era Los Angeles Lakers, backing up Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, and then finishing his NBA experience with the San Antonio Spurs. Petur’s pro basketball career concluded in 1992. In our conversation, Petur and I discuss his beginnings as an athlete in Iceland, how he made his move to Mercer Island, his college and professional careers as well as the impact that Coach Pepple had on his life.

*This podcast was recorded in July 2021. My apologies for the long break between episodes. I hope to record & publish several new “Be Early” episodes in the coming months. Thanks for listening!

Music Credit:

Cali by Wataboi https://soundcloud.com/wataboi

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/wataboi-cali

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