Bo Lamar, East basketball legend and college scoring champ, dies at 74

Lamar led East High to a state title in 1969 and scored nearly 3,500 points in college.

Feb. 18, 2026 at 4:55pm

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Dwight 'Bo' Lamar, a basketball legend who led East High School to a state championship in 1969 and scored almost 3,500 points in college, has died at the age of 74. Lamar was a first-team All-American in 1972 and 1973 and was the NCAA scoring champion in 1971-72 while playing for Southwestern Louisiana, now Louisiana-Lafayette.

Why it matters

Lamar was a trailblazing basketball talent who put Columbus East High School and the city of Columbus on the map with his dominant high school and college careers. His scoring records and accomplishments at the college level have cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players in the history of Division I basketball.

The details

Lamar scored 3,493 points at Southwestern Louisiana, which would rank third all-time in Division I behind only 'Pistol' Pete Maravich and Antoine Davis. He averaged 31.2 points per game in college and 36.3 points per game in 1971-72, when he was the NCAA scoring champion. Lamar's 62 points in a 1971 game against Northeast Louisiana remains a program record for Southwestern Louisiana. After being selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 1973 NBA Draft, Lamar instead played three seasons in the ABA and one season in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers.

  • Lamar led East High School to a state championship in 1969.
  • Lamar scored 3,493 points at Southwestern Louisiana from 1970-1973.
  • Lamar was the NCAA scoring champion in the 1971-72 season.
  • Lamar was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 1973 NBA Draft.
  • Lamar played three seasons in the ABA and one season in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The players

Dwight 'Bo' Lamar

A basketball legend who led East High School to a state championship in 1969 and scored almost 3,500 points in college, making him one of the greatest players in Division I basketball history.

Southwestern Louisiana

The university where Lamar played college basketball, now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Detroit Pistons

The NBA team that drafted Lamar in the 1973 NBA Draft.

San Diego Conquistadors

The ABA team that selected Lamar as the top overall pick in 1973 after he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons.

Los Angeles Lakers

The NBA team that Lamar played for in the 1976-77 season after the ABA-NBA merger.

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What they’re saying

“It was so much fun playing on the stage because we knew we had a big advantage here. You could see it on our opponents' faces.”

— Bo Lamar (The Dispatch)

The takeaway

Bo Lamar's remarkable high school and college basketball career cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. His scoring records and accomplishments at the college level, including being the NCAA scoring champion, have solidified his place among the all-time greats of the game.