Joe Axelson was a prominent figure in the world of basketball, serving as a player, coach, and executive throughout his career. He began his basketball journey as a player at the University of Cincinnati, where he was a standout guard and helped lead the team to two NCAA Final Four appearances in the early 1960s.
After college, Axelson played professionally in the NBA and ABA, spending time with the Cincinnati Royals, San Diego Rockets, and Kentucky Colonels. He also played internationally in Italy and Spain before retiring from playing in the mid-1970s.
Following his playing career, Axelson transitioned into coaching and executive roles. He served as an assistant coach for the Kansas City Kings and later became the head coach of the ABA's Memphis Sounds. He also worked as a scout and executive for several NBA teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, and Sacramento Kings.
Axelson is perhaps best known for his time as the general manager of the Kansas City/Sacramento Kings from 1983 to 1988. During his tenure, he helped build a talented roster that included stars like Reggie Theus, Otis Thorpe, and Eddie Johnson. The team made the playoffs in each of Axelson's five seasons as GM, and he was widely respected for his ability to evaluate talent and make shrewd trades.
Despite his success as an executive, Axelson's career was not without controversy. In 1988, he was fired by the Kings after it was revealed that he had made illegal payments to college players while working as a scout for the Warriors. Axelson maintained that he had not broken any rules and that the payments were made with the knowledge and approval of his superiors, but he was nevertheless banned from the NBA for several years.
Despite this setback, Axelson remained involved in basketball in various capacities throughout his life. He served as a consultant for several NBA teams and was inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005. He passed away in 2012 at the age of 72.
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