Born September 2, 1948, in New York, New York, was Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Point Guard Nathaniel Archibald. Tiny, as he was known, was one of the most exciting basketball players of his era. He was a gifted scorer and passer, and he was also a tenacious defender. Archibald played point guard for the Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City–Omaha Kings and Boston Celtics from 1970 to 1984. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991. The Cincinnati Royals drafted Nate-the Skate with the 19th overall pick in the 1970 NBA draft. He immediately made an impact, averaging 17.0 points and 5.2 assists per game in his rookie season. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
The Kansas City–Omaha Kings traded Cincinnati for Archibald in 1972. He had a breakout season that year, averaging 34.0 points and 11.4 assists per game. He became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both scoring and assists in the same season. He was also named to the NBA All-NBA First Team for the first time. Tiny Archibald continued to play at a high level in the following years. He was named to the NBA All-NBA First Team three times and the NBA All-NBA Second Team twice. He was also a six-time NBA All-Star. In 1981, Archibald was traded to the Boston Celtics. He helped the Celtics win the NBA championship that season. He retired from the NBA in 1984.