Editing Bill Cartwright (section)

==Early life==
James William Cartwright was born to James and Marie Cartwright on July 30, 1957, in [[Lodi, California]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1975/02/24/a-high-road-for-a-hot-highschooler|title=A high road for a hot high-schooler|website=[[Sports Illustrated]]|last=McDermott|first=Barry|date=February 24, 1975}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/cartwright_bio_010213.html|title=Bill Cartwright|website=www.nba.com|access-date=August 19, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sportsmanbiography.com/bill-cartwright/|title=The Unbeatable Bill Cartwright: A Biography of Triumph|website=SportsBiography.com|date=April 20, 2023}}</ref>

In high school, Cartwright played basketball for the Elk Grove Thundering Herd under coach Dan Risley. With Cartwright on the squad, the team went undefeated in the 1973–1974 season and was named the best high school basketball team in California in both 1974 and 1975. In 1975, Elk Grove won the NorCal Tournament of Champions.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.egcitizen.com/news/local-basketball-legend-reunites-with-champion-herd-team/article_14750c8a-aa6d-11e9-b85c-0ba77e8bb703.html|title=Local basketball legend reunites with champion Herd team|date=July 19, 2019|website=Elk Grove Citizen}}</ref> In 1974 and 1975, Cartwright was named California High School State Basketball Player of the Year. In 1975, he was named California High School Sports Athlete of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.egcitizen.com/sports/cartwright-selected-to-inaugural-section-hall-of-fame/article_7ee74a69-9527-58c2-b9a7-0e9cdf0a7eb7.html|title=Cartwright selected to inaugural section Hall of Fame|date=April 27, 2010|website=Elk Grove Citizen}}</ref>

As a prep star, Cartwright was just as highly regarded as fellow preps [[Darryl Dawkins]] and [[Bill Willoughby]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=1975-03-23|title=1975 Parade All-American|pages=226|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47848903/1975-parade-all-american/|access-date=2020-10-27}}</ref>

Cartwright graduated from [[Elk Grove High School (Elk Grove, California)|Elk Grove High School]] in 1975.<ref name="auto"/>