Education
Known by the nicknames "Sleepy Sam" and "Big Smooth", he attended Samuel J. Tilden High School, Shaker High School and the University of North Carolina, where he was a teammate of future Hall of Famers James Worthy and Michael Jordan.
Known by the nicknames "Sleepy Sam" and "Big Smooth", he attended Samuel J. Tilden High School, Shaker High School and the University of North Carolina, where he was a teammate of future Hall of Famers James Worthy and Michael Jordan.
In 2008, Perkins was named vice president of player relations for the Indiana Pacers, for whom he played from 1999–2001. In September 2008, Perkins was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame along with National Basketball Association stars Kenny Anderson and Rod Strickland, coach Pete Gillen and pioneers Lou Bender and Eddie Younger. Selected as the large-school player of the year in high school by the New York State Sportswriters Association in 1980.
Named to the Administrative Committee on Company-ordination 50th Anniversary men"s basketball team as one of the fifty greatest players in Atlantic Coast Conference history
Company-captain of the gold-medal winning 1984 United States. Olympic basketball team
Named to the National Basketball Association All-Rookie First Team in 1984-1985. Appeared in 164 career playoff games, averaging 11.3 ppg and 5.7 rpg.
Recorded the first 30-20 game in Mavericks history, with 31 points and a career-high 20 rebounds, against the Houston Rockets on December 12, 1985. (Dirk Nowitzki had 33 points and 23 rebounds on February 21, 2002)
Scored a career-high 45 points, for the Mavericks, against the Golden State Warriors on April 12, 1990.
Appeared against the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 National Basketball Association Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers and again in 1996 with the Seattle SuperSonics.
He also appeared with the Indiana Pacers in the 2000 National Basketball Association Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tied an National Basketball Association record by hitting 8 three-pointers without a miss with the Seattle SuperSonics against the Toronto Raptors on January 15, 1997. Posted a 1997-1998 season-high 21 points, on perfect shooting (5-5 FG, 4-4 3FG, 7-7 FT), and 3 steals against the Los Angeles Clippers on December 14, 1997.
A member of the 1982 National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament championship winning Tar Heel squad, he was selected with the fourth pick of the 1984 National Basketball Association draft by the Dallas Mavericks and played in the National Basketball Association (National Basketball Association) from 1984 to 2001.