Name	Charles Oakley
Width	200
Position	Power forward / Center
Number	34, 33
Height ft	6 | height_in = 9
Weight lbs	245
Birthdate	December 18, 1963
Birthplace	Cleveland, Ohio
Nationality	American
High school	John Hay
College	Virginia Union (1981–1985)
Debutyear	1985
Finalyear	2004
Draft year	1985
Draft round	1
Draft pick	9
Draft team	Cleveland Cavaliers
Years1	1985–1988
Team1	Chicago Bulls
Years2	1988–1998
Team2	New York Knicks
Years3	1998–2001
Team3	Toronto Raptors
Years4	2001–2002
Team4	Chicago Bulls
Years5	2002–2003
Team5	Washington Wizards
Years6	2004
Team6	Houston Rockets
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	12,417 (9.7 ppg)
Stat2label	Rebound
Stat2value	12,205 (9.5 rpg)
Stat3label	Assists
Stat3value	3,217 (2.5 apg)
Highlights

Charles Oakley (born December 18, 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player and is currently an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association. Oakley, a former power forward, was a member of the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets

Playing career

Oakley was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Virginia Union University.

He placed in the top ten in rebounds per game five times between 1987 and 1994 (second in 1987 and 1988). In all but one of these seasons he played the full complement of 82 games. Due to his durability he actually placed in the top ten in total rebounds 6 times and led the league in total rebounds twice (1987 and 1988). In 1994, he became an NBA All-Star and was chosen to the league's All-Defense 1st team.

Drafted in 1985 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Oakley's draft rights were traded to the Chicago Bulls. Oakley provided another scoring option and steady offensive and defensive performances to an up-and-coming Bulls squad led by Michael Jordan. He earned All-Rookie Team honors in 1986.

With the drafting and development of Horace Grant, the Bulls traded Oakley to the New York Knicks for 7'1" center Bill Cartwright. Oakley eventually became a part of the core which the Knicks built around, which also featured Patrick Ewing, John Starks, and point guard Mark Jackson. During the Knicks' 1994 season, which included a record 25 playoff games, Oakley started every regular season and playoff game for a record 107 starts in a single season.

In 1998, Oakley was traded by New York to the Toronto Raptors for blossoming star Marcus Camby. For the Raptors, he provided a veteran presence to a young team that included Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. Oakley, in his final three seasons, played for the Bulls again, followed by the Washington Wizards and the Houston Rockets. For the Rockets, he was briefly reunited with former Knicks personnel Mark Jackson, who was the veteran point guard behind Steve Francis; Patrick Ewing, who was an assistant coach with the Rockets; and head coach Jeff Van Gundy, former head coach in Oakley's days in New York City.

As recently as 2007, it was publicized that Oakley, at age 44, wanted to make an NBA comeback. He claimed Dallas, Miami, Cleveland and New York were interested but said he would "not [come] back cheap". He was hired as assistant coach of the Charlotte Bobcats on December 23, 2010. Oakley currently ranks 14th all-time in NBA games played with 1,282 games.

Personal life

In 2011, Oakley filed a lawsuit against the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, alleging a group assault by five security guards employed by the casino on May 28, 2010.

See also

List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played

List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association players with most rebounds in a game

References

External links

Career at basketball-reference.com

Category:1963 births Category:African American basketball coaches Category:African American basketball players Category:American expatriate basketball people in Canada Category:Basketball players from Ohio Category:Charlotte Hornets assistant coaches Category:Chicago Bulls players Category:Cleveland Cavaliers draft picks Category:Houston Rockets players Category:Living people Category:New York Knicks players Category:People from Cleveland, Ohio Category:Power forwards (basketball) Category:Toronto Raptors players Category:Virginia Union Panthers men's basketball players Category:Washington Wizards players

Width	200
Caption	Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls in 1997
Position	Shooting guard / Small forward
Height ft	6|height_in= 6
Weight lbs	215
Number	23, 45, 9, 12
Birthdate	February 17, 1963
Birthplace	Brooklyn, New York
High school	Emsley A. Laney HS (Wilmington, North Carolina)
Career start	1984
Career end	2003
Draftyear	1984
Draftround	1
Draftpick	3
Draftteam	Chicago Bulls
College	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1981–1984)
Years1	–, – |team1 = Chicago Bulls
Years2	– |team2 = Washington Wizards
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	32,292 (30.1 ppg)
Stat2label	Rebounds
Stat2value	6,672 (6.2 rpg)
Stat3label	Assists
Stat3value	5,633 (5.3 apg)
Letter	j
Bbr	jordami01
Highlights
Hof player	michael-jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a former American professional basketball player, active businessman, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." During his three seasons at North Carolina, he averaged 17.7 ppg on 54.0% shooting, and added 5.0 rebounds per game (rpg).

Professional career

During his first season in the NBA, Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting. and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the heading "A Star is Born" just over a month into his professional career. Jordan was also voted in as an All-Star starter by the fans in his rookie season. The Bulls finished the season 38–44, and lost in the first round of the playoffs in four games to the Milwaukee Bucks. Jordan set the still-unbroken record for points in a playoff game with 63 in Game 2. The Celtics, however, managed to sweep the series. The Bulls finished 50–32, However, the Bulls then lost in five games to the more experienced Detroit Pistons, However, the Pistons again defeated the Bulls, this time in six games, In an unusual ending to the fourth and final game, Isiah Thomas led his team off the court before the final minute had concluded. Most of the Pistons went directly to their locker room instead of shaking hands with the Bulls.

The Bulls compiled an outstanding 15–2 record during the playoffs, In his first Finals appearance, Jordan posted per game averages of 31.2 points on 56% shooting from the field, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks. Jordan won his first NBA Finals MVP award, and he cried while holding the NBA Finals trophy.

Jordan and the Bulls continued their dominance in the 1991–92 season, establishing a 67–15 record, topping their franchise record from 1990–91. In the first game, Jordan scored a Finals-record 35 points in the first half, including a record-setting six three-point field goals. After the sixth three-pointer, he jogged down the court shrugging as he looked courtside. Marv Albert, who broadcast the game, later stated that it was as if Jordan was saying, "I can't believe I'm doing this." The Bulls went on to win Game 1, and defeat the Blazers in six games. Jordan was named Finals MVP for the second year in a row and became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Finals MVP awards.

Gambling controversy

During the Bulls' playoff run in 1993, controversy arose when Jordan was seen gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey the night before a game against the New York Knicks. In that same year, he admitted to having to cover $57,000 in gambling losses, and author Richard Esquinas wrote a book claiming he had won $1.25 million from Jordan on the golf course. When Bradley asked him if his gambling ever got to the level where it jeopardized his livelihood or family, Jordan replied, "No." James R. Jordan, Sr. was murdered on July 23, 1993, at a highway rest area in Lumberton, North Carolina, by two teenagers, Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery. The assailants were traced from calls they made on James Jordan's cellular phone, caught, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison. Jordan was close to his father; as a child he had imitated his father's proclivity to stick out his tongue while absorbed in work. He later adopted it as his own signature, displaying it each time he drove to the basket.

In his 1998 autobiography For the Love of the Game, Jordan wrote that he had been preparing for retirement as early as the summer of 1992. The added exhaustion due to the Dream Team run in the 1992 Olympics solidified Jordan's feelings about the game and his ever-growing celebrity status. Jordan's announcement sent shock waves throughout the NBA and appeared on the front pages of newspapers around the world.

Jordan then further surprised the sports world by signing a minor league baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox. He reported to spring training and was assigned to the team's minor league system on March 31, 1994. Jordan has stated this decision was made to pursue the dream of his late father, who had always envisioned his son as a Major League Baseball player. The White Sox were another team owned by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who continued to honor Jordan's basketball contract during the years he played baseball. In 1994, Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, batting .202 with three home runs, 51 runs batted in, 30 stolen bases, and 11 errors.

"I'm back": Return to the NBA

In the 1993–94 season, the Jordan-less Bulls notched a 55–27 record, The team received a lift, however, when Jordan decided to return to the NBA for the Bulls.

On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA through a pithy press release: "I'm back." The game had the highest Nielsen rating of a regular season NBA game since 1975.

Although he had not played in an NBA game in a year and a half, Jordan played well upon his return, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back and scoring 55 points in a game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 1995. after which Jordan returned to wearing his old number (23). Jordan averaged 31 points per game in that series, but Orlando prevailed in six games. Strengthened by the addition of rebound specialist Dennis Rodman, the Bulls dominated the league, starting the season 41–3, and eventually finishing with the best regular season record in NBA history: 72–10. and won the league's regular season and All-Star Game MVP awards. However, this year Jordan was beaten for the NBA MVP Award by Karl Malone. The team again advanced to the Finals, where they faced Malone and the Utah Jazz. The series against the Jazz featured two of the more memorable clutch moments of Jordan's career. He won Game 1 for the Bulls with a buzzer-beating jump shot. In Game 5, with the series tied 2–2, Jordan played despite being feverish and dehydrated from a stomach virus. In what is known as the "flu game", Jordan scored 38 points including the game-deciding three-pointer with less than a minute remaining. The Bulls won 90–88 and went on to win the series in six games. With the Bulls trailing 86–83 with 40 seconds remaining, coach Jackson called a timeout. When play resumed, Jordan received the inbound pass, drove to the basket, and hit a layup over several Jazz defenders. although the officials did not call a foul. Jordan then released what would be the climactic shot of his career. After a desperation three-point shot by John Stockton missed, Jordan and the Bulls claimed their sixth NBA championship, and secured a second three-peat. Once again, Jordan was voted the Finals MVP, Jordan's six Finals MVPs is a record; Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, and Tim Duncan are tied for second place with three apiece.

Second retirement

With Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the pending departures of Scottie Pippen (who stated his desire to be traded during the season) and Dennis Rodman (who would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent) looming, and being in the latter stages of an owner-induced lockout of NBA players, Jordan retired for the second time on January 13, 1999.

On January 19, 2000, Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player, but as part owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards. Jordan's responsibilities with the Wizards were comprehensive. He controlled all aspects of the Wizards' basketball operations, and had the final say in all personnel matters. Opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed. He managed to purge the team of several highly paid, unpopular players (such as forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland), but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA Draft to select high schooler Kwame Brown, who did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons.

Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% certain" that he would never play another NBA game, this time with his new team. Inspired by the NHL comeback of his friend Mario Lemieux the previous winter, Jordan spent much of the spring and summer of 2001 in training, holding several invitation-only camps for NBA players in Chicago. In addition, Jordan hired his old Chicago Bulls head coach, Doug Collins, as Washington's coach for the upcoming season, a decision that many saw as foreshadowing another Jordan return. In an injury-plagued 2001–02 season, he led the team in scoring (22.9 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), and steals (1.42 spg). During his stint with the Wizards, all of Jordan's home games at the MCI Center were sold out, and the Wizards were the second most-watched team in the NBA, averaging 20,172 fans a game at home and 19,311 on the road. However, neither of Jordan's final two seasons resulted in a playoff appearance for the Wizards, and Jordan was often unsatisfied with the play of those around him. At several points he openly criticized his teammates to the media, citing their lack of focus and intensity, notably that of the number one draft pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, Kwame Brown. The Miami Heat retired the number 23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though Jordan had never played for the team. At the 2003 All-Star Game, Jordan was offered a starting spot from Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson, but refused both; in the end, however, he accepted the spot of Vince Carter, who decided to give it up under great public pressure.

Jordan's final NBA game was on April 16, 2003 in Philadelphia. After scoring only 13 points in the game, Jordan went to the bench with 4 minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter and with his team trailing the Philadelphia 76ers, 75–56. Just after the start of the fourth quarter, the First Union Center crowd began chanting "We want Mike!". After much encouragement from coach Doug Collins, Jordan finally rose from the bench and re-entered the game for Larry Hughes with 2:35 remaining. At 1:45, Jordan was intentionally fouled by the 76ers' Eric Snow, and stepped to the line to make both free throws. After the second foul shot, the 76ers in-bounded the ball to rookie John Salmons, who in turn was intentionally fouled by Bobby Simmons one second later, stopping time so that Jordan could return to the bench. Jordan received a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, his opponents, the officials and a crowd of 21,257 fans.

Olympic career

Jordan played on two Olympic gold medal-winning American basketball teams. As a college player he participated, and won the gold, in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Jordan led the team in scoring averaging 17.1 ppg for the tournament.

In the 1992 Summer Olympics he was a member of the star-studded squad that included Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and David Robinson and was dubbed the "Dream Team". Playing limited minutes due to the frequent , Jordan averaged 12.7 ppg, finishing fourth on the team in scoring. Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and fellow Dream Team member Chris Mullin are the only American men's basketball players to win Olympic gold as amateurs (all in 1984) and professionals.

In addition, Jordan and fellow Dream Team member (and Bulls teammate) Scottie Pippen are the only players to have won both NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year (1992).

After retiring as a player

After his third retirement, Jordan assumed that he would be able to return to his front office position of Director of Basketball Operations with the Wizards. However, his previous tenure in the Wizards' front office had produced the aforementioned mixed results and may have also influenced the trade of Richard "Rip" Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse (although Jordan was not technically Director of Basketball Operations in 2002). Since 2004, Jordan has owned Michael Jordan Motorsports, a professional closed-course motorcycle road racing team that competes with two Suzukis in the premier Superbike class sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). Jordan and his then-wife Juanita pledged $5 million to Chicago's Hales Franciscan High School in 2006, and the Jordan Brand has made donations to Habitat for Humanity and a Louisiana branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. On June 15, 2006, Jordan bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats, becoming the team's second-largest shareholder behind majority owner Robert L. Johnson. As part of the deal, Jordan was named "Managing Member of Basketball Operations," with full control over the basketball side of the operation. Despite Jordan's previous success as an endorser, he has made an effort not to be included in Charlotte's marketing campaigns.

In February 2010, it was reported that Jordan was seeking majority ownership of the Bobcats. As February wore on, it emerged that the leading contenders for the team were Jordan and former Houston Rockets president George Postolos. On February 27, the Bobcats announced that Johnson had reached an agreement with Jordan and his group, MJ Basketball Holdings, to buy the team pending NBA approval. On March 17, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved Jordan's purchase, making him the first former NBA player ever to become the majority owner of a league franchise.

Player profile

Jordan was a shooting guard who was also capable of playing small forward (the position he would primarily play during his second return to professional basketball with the Washington Wizards). Jordan was known throughout his career for being a strong clutch performer. He decided numerous games with last-second plays (e.g., The Shot) and performed at a high level even under adverse circumstances (e.g., Flu Game). His competitiveness was visible in his prolific trash-talk and well-known work ethic.

Jordan had a versatile offensive game. He was capable of aggressively driving to the basket, as well as drawing fouls from his opponents at a high rate; his 8,772 free throw attempts are the ninth highest total of all time. As his career progressed, Jordan also developed the ability to post up his opponents and score with his trademark fadeaway jump shot, using his leaping ability to "fade away" from block attempts. According to Hubie Brown, this move alone made him nearly unstoppable. Despite media criticism as a "selfish" player early in his career, Jordan's 5.3 assists per game and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player. His 2,514 steals are the second highest total of all-time behind John Stockton, while his steals per game average is third all-time. Jerry West often stated that he was more impressed with Jordan's defensive contributions than his offensive ones.

Legacy

Jordan's basketball talent was clear from his rookie season. Jordan's total of 5,987 points in the playoffs is the highest in NBA history. He retired with 32,292 points in regular season play, placing him third on the NBA's all-time scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. Jordan placed second to Babe Ruth in the Associated Press's list of 20th century athletes. In addition, the Associated Press voted him as the basketball player of the 20th century. Jordan has also appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated a record 49 times. In the September 1996 issue of Sport, which was the publication's 50th anniversary issue, Jordan was named the greatest athlete of the past 50 years.

Jordan's athletic leaping ability, highlighted in his back-to-back slam dunk contest championships in 1987 and 1988, is credited by many with having influenced a generation of young players. Several current NBA All-Stars have stated that they considered Jordan their role model while growing up, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. In addition, commentators have dubbed a number of next-generation players "the next Michael Jordan" upon their entry to the NBA, including Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Vince Carter, and Dwyane Wade. Although Jordan was a well-rounded player, his "Air Jordan" image is also often credited with inadvertently decreasing the jump shooting skills, defense, and fundamentals of young players, Television ratings in particular increased only during his time in the league and have subsequently lowered each time he left the game. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in September 2009, with former Bulls teammates Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, and Toni Kukoc in attendance.

Personal life

Jordan is the fourth of five children. He has two older brothers, Larry Jordan and James R. Jordan, Jr., one older sister, Deloris, and a younger sister, Roslyn. Jordan's brother James retired in 2006 as the Command Sergeant Major of the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U.S. Army.

He married Juanita Vanoy in September 1989, and they have two sons, Jeffrey Michael and Marcus James, and a daughter, Jasmine. Jordan and Vanoy filed for divorce on January 4, 2002, citing irreconcilable differences, but reconciled shortly thereafter. They again filed for divorce and were granted a final decree of dissolution of marriage on December 29, 2006, commenting that the decision was made "mutually and amicably". It is reported that Juanita received a $168 million settlement, making it the largest celebrity divorce settlement in history at the time on public record.

On July 21, 2006, a Cook County, Illinois judge determined that Jordan did not owe his alleged former lover Karla Knafel $5 million. Jordan had allegedly paid Knafel $250,000 to keep their relationship a secret. Knafel claimed Jordan promised her $5 million for remaining silent and agreeing not to file a paternity suit after Knafel learned she was pregnant in 1991. A DNA test showed Jordan was not the father of the child. Jeffrey graduated as a member of the 2007 graduating class and played his first collegiate basketball game on November 11, 2007, for the University of Illinois. After two seasons, Jeffrey left the Illinois basketball team in 2009. He later rejoined the team for a third season, then received a release to transfer to the University of Central Florida, where Marcus was attending. Marcus transferred to Whitney Young High School after his sophomore year and graduated in 2009. He began attending UCF in the fall of 2009.

Media figure and business interests

Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, McDonald's, Ball Park Franks, Rayovac, Wheaties, Hanes, and MCI. Jordan has had a long relationship with Gatorade, appearing in over 20 commercials for the company since 1991, including the "Like Mike" commercials in which a song was sung by children wishing to be like Jordan.

Nike created a signature shoe for him, called the Air Jordan. One of Jordan's more popular commercials for the shoe involved Spike Lee playing the part of Mars Blackmon. In the commercials Lee, as Blackmon, attempted to find the source of Jordan's abilities and became convinced that "it's gotta be the shoes". The brand has also sponsored college sports programs such as those of North Carolina, Cincinnati, Cal, St. John's, Georgetown, and North Carolina A&T;.

Jordan also has been associated with the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. A Nike commercial shown during the 1993 Super Bowl XXVII featured Jordan and Bugs Bunny playing basketball against a group of Martian characters. The Super Bowl commercial inspired the 1996 live action/animated movie Space Jam, which starred Jordan and Bugs in a fictional story set during his first retirement. They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI. In addition, when Jordan's power at the ticket gates was at its highest point the Bulls regularly sold out every game they played in, whether home or away. Due to this, Jordan set records in player salary by signing annual contracts worth in excess of $30 million US dollars per season. An academic study found that Jordan’s first NBA comeback resulted in an increase in the market capitalization of his client firms of more than $1 billion.

Most of Jordan's endorsement deals, including the first deal with Nike, were engineered by his agent, David Falk. Jordan has said of Falk that "he's the best at what he does", and that "marketing-wise, he's great. He's the one who came up with the concept of 'Air Jordan.'"

In June 2010, Jordan was ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 20th most powerful celebrity in the world with $55 million earned between June 2009 and June 2010. According to the Forbes article, Brand Jordan generates $1 billion in sales for Nike.

Honors and awards

at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill game honoring the 1957 and 1982 men's basketball teams.]]

Jordan won numerous awards and set many records during his career. The following are some of his achievements:

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2009

2 Olympic Gold Medals – 1984, 1992

6-time NBA Champion

6-time NBA Finals MVP

5-time NBA MVP

10 NBA Scoring Titles

3-time steals leader

3-time minutes leader

14 NBA All-Star Selections

3-time NBA All-Star Game MVP

11 All-NBA Selections

9 All-Defensive First Team Selections

2-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion – 1987, 1988

NBA Rookie of the Year – NBA Defensive Player of the Year –

NCAA National Championship - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: 1981—82

ACC Freshman of the Year – 1981–82

2-time Consensus NCAA All-American First Team – 1982–83, 1983–84

ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year – 1983–84

USBWA College Player of the Year – 1983–84

Naismith College Player of the Year – 1983–84

John R. Wooden Award – 1983–84

Adolph Rupp Trophy – 1983–84

Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year – 1991

Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996

Ranked #1 by SLAM Magazine's Top 50 Players of All-Time

Ranked #1 by ESPN Sportscentury's Top 100 Athletes of the 20th century

Elected to North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame

See also

Michael Jordan Steakhouse

Michael Jordan's Restaurant

Michael Jordan in Flight

NBA 2K11

References

Further reading

External links

NBA History: Jordan bio

NBA.com historical playerfile

NBA Player Stats

Michael Jordan Motorsports

Category:1963 births Category:ACC Athlete of the Year Category:African American basketball players Category:African American sports executives Category:Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Basketball players at the 1983 Pan American Games Category:Basketball players at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from North Carolina Category:Birmingham Barons players Category:Charlotte Bobcats executives Category:Charlotte Bobcats owners Category:Chicago Bulls draft picks Category:Chicago Bulls players Category:Living people Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Minor league baseball players Category:National Basketball Association executives Category:National Basketball Association owners Category:NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winners Category:NBA Finals MVP Award winners Category:NBA Slam Dunk Contest champions Category:North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:People from Highland Park, Illinois Category:People from Wilmington, North Carolina Category:Shooting guards Category:Sportspeople of multiple sports Category:United States men's national basketball team members Category:Washington Wizards executives Category:Washington Wizards players

Position	Small forward
Height ft	6 | height_in = 8
Weight lbs	228
Number	33
Birthdate	September 25, 1965
Birthplace	Hamburg, Arkansas, U.S.
Career start	1987
Career end	2004
Draftyear	1987
Draftround	1
Draftpick	5
Draftteam	Seattle SuperSonics
College	Central Arkansas
Teams
Years1	– |team1=Chicago Bulls
Years2	|team2=Houston Rockets
Years3	– |team3=Portland Trail Blazers
Years4	|team4=Chicago Bulls
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	18,940
Stat2label	Assists
Stat2value	6,135
Stat3label	Steals
Stat3value	2,307
Highlights
Hof player	scottie-pippen

}}

Scottie Maurice Pippen (born September 25, 1965) is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins. Pippen, along with Michael Jordan, played an important role in transforming the Bulls team into a vehicle for popularizing the NBA around the world during the 1990s.

Early life

Scottie Pippen was born in Hamburg, Arkansas, and attended college at the University of Central Arkansas. At the start of his college career, the then 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Pippen was a walk-on for the now-former NAIA school and depended on his stipend for being the team manager and his summer job as a welder to fund his education. Pippen's 23.6 points per game average and near 60% field goal shooting earned the Central Arkansas senior Consensus NAIA all-American honors in 1987.

NBA career

Early career (1987–1990)

He was selected fifth overall in the 1987 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics and traded eventually to the Chicago Bulls for Olden Polynice.

Pippen became part of Chicago's young forward tandem with 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) power forward Horace Grant, although both came off the bench to back up Brad Sellers and Charles Oakley, respectively, during their rookie seasons. With fellow Bull Michael Jordan as a motivational and instructional mentor, Pippen refined his skills and slowly developed many new ones over the course of his career. Jordan and Pippen were known to frequently play one-on-one outside of team practices simply to hone each others’ skills on offense and defense. Pippen claimed the starting small forward position during the 1988 Playoffs, helping the Jordan-led Bulls to reach the conference semifinals for the first time in over a decade. Pippen emerged as one of the league's premier young forwards at the turn of the decade, recording then-career highs in points (16.5 points per game), rebounds (6.7 rebounds per game), field goal shooting (48.9%) as well as the NBA's number three leader in steals (211).

The Bulls' first three-peat (1991–1993)

In 1991, Pippen emerged as the Bulls' primary defensive stopper and a versatile scoring threat in Phil Jackson's Triangle offense. He helped lead the Bulls to their first three NBA championships (, and ).

Pippen earned 10 NBA All-Defensive Team nods, including 8 on the first team. In 1992, he was named to the original Dream Team which competed in the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. With the U.S. winning gold medal, both Pippen and Michael Jordan would become the first players to win both NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year. "Scottie asked out of the play," Jackson would tell reporters moments later in the post-game interview room.

Teammate Steve Kerr elaborated when recently asked to recall the event: "I don't know what got into Pippen. He is such a great teammate and maybe the pressure was getting to him and he just could not take it anymore, no one knows for sure but he is a team player."

In Game 6, Pippen made the signature play of his career. Midway in the third quarter, a Horace Grant block on Hubert Davis triggered a Bulls fast break, in which Pippen ended up with the ball charging toward the basket. As center Patrick Ewing jumped up to defend the shot, Pippen fully extended the ball out, absorbing body contact and a foul from Ewing, and slammed the ball through the hoop with Ewing’s hand in his face. Pippen landed several feet away from the basket along the baseline, incidentally standing over a fallen Ewing. He then made taunting remarks to both Ewing and then Spike Lee, who was standing courtside supporting the Knicks; thus receiving a technical foul. His actions were perhaps motivated by having not drawn a foul call on a previous possession. This extended the Bulls lead to 17; they would triumph in the game 93-79.

However, the Bulls went on to lose the 1994 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks in seven games. A key play occurred in the series at the end of Game 5 when Pippen was called by referee Hue Hollins for a questionable touch foul on the Knicks' Hubert Davis in the waning seconds of the game, which allowed the Knicks to shoot the game-winning free throws. This helped lead the Knicks to a seven game series victory. All seven games in the series were won by the home team, and the Knicks had home court advantage.

Trade rumors involving Pippen escalated during the 1994 offseason. Jerry Krause, the Bulls' General Manager, was reportedly looking to ship Pippen off to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for all-star forward Shawn Kemp, moving Toni Kukoc into Pippen's position as starting small forward with Kemp filling in the vacant starting power forward position in place of Horace Grant, a free agent who left the Bulls for the up-and-coming Orlando Magic during the off-season. However, the trade was never made and those rumors were put to rest once it was announced that Michael Jordan would be returning to the Bulls late in the season. The Pippen-led Bulls did not fare nearly as well in the season as they had in the season before—in fact, for the first time in years they were in danger of missing the playoffs (though much of this may be attributed to a lack of interior defense and rebounding due to Grant's departure). The Bulls were just 34—31 prior to Jordan's return for the final 17 games, and Jordan led them to a 13—4 record to close the regular season. Still, Pippen finished the season leading the Bulls in every major statistical category — points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks — becoming only the second player in NBA history to accomplish this (Dave Cowens did it in ).

The Bulls' second three-peat (1995–1998)

With the return of Jordan and the addition of two-time champion Dennis Rodman, the Bulls managed to post the best regular season record in NBA history (72—10) in en route to winning their fourth title against the Seattle SuperSonics. Later that year, Pippen would become the first (and to this date, the only) person to win an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year twice, playing for Team USA at the Atlanta Olympics.

In the following season, Chicago finished a league-best 69—13 and again won the title, this time defeating the Utah Jazz. Amid speculation that the season would be the last in Chicago for Pippen, Jordan, and Jackson, the Bulls followed up by topping the Jazz again in the 1998 NBA Finals to cap their second three-peat. Pippen was selected as one of the NBA's Fifty Greatest Players when the league was celebrating its 50th season in 1997.

Later career (1998–2004)

After being in Chicago for 11 seasons, Pippen, the second all-time leader in points, assists, and steals in Bulls franchise history was traded to the Houston Rockets for the lockout-shortened season of . Pippen's trade to Houston received a lot of publicity including his only solo cover of Sports Illustrated. He teamed with Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley, but there were chemistry problems especially with Barkley. In that season, the Rockets went 31–19, but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, 3 games to 1.

On April 22, 1999, Pippen was detained under suspicion of driving while intoxicated, but the charges were later dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Following the lockout-shortened season in Houston, Pippen was traded in the offseason to the Portland Trail Blazers, whom he helped to the Western Conference finals. But once there, they lost to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games, despite holding a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter of the final game. Pippen played on for several more seasons in Portland, but they never again advanced that far in the playoffs. After the season he signed once more with the Chicago Bulls, but due to injury problems he was only able to suit up for 23 games in and retired shortly after the season.

Pippen was a near-constant presence in the NBA postseason during his career, reaching the playoffs 16 straight years (11 with Chicago, one with Houston, four with Portland). He played in more playoff games than any NBA player except Robert Horry and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Retirement

After retiring, he spent some time working as a basketball analyst for the Chicago Bulls. He was a special assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. On December 25, 2005, Pippen debuted as studio analyst for the NBA on ABC. Before this he was a part-time analyst for ESPN.

The Chicago Bulls retired Pippen's jersey number in a ceremony on December 9, 2005. The team played against the Los Angeles Lakers that night, and Pippen was reunited with Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, and Horace Grant during the ceremony. Pippen's jersey number 33 joined Michael Jordan's 23, Jerry Sloan's 4, and Bob Love's 10 as the only numbers retired by the Bulls.

In January 2008, Pippen made a brief comeback to professional basketball at age 42, when he made a tour of Scandinavia and played two games for top Finnish league team Torpan Pojat (ToPo), and top Swedish league team Sundsvall. In his first game, on January 4, Pippen scored 12 points in ToPo's 93-81 win over Porvoo. He registered nine points and nine rebounds in a 98-85 win over Honka on January 5. In his third game of the tour, Pippen registered 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals in 30 minutes in a 102-74 Sundsvall Dragons win over Akropol of Rinkeby. The Dragons paid Pippen $66,000 for his appearance.

Pippen returned to the Bulls on July 15, 2010 as a team ambassador.

During his playing career and after, Pippen earned the nickname "No Tippin' Pippen."

Player profile

Pippen was renowned for his defensive abilities, having made the NBA All Defensive Team 10 consecutive years during his career and leading the league in steals in . Phil Jackson once described him as a "one man wrecking crew, capable of guarding anyone from the point guard to the five position." Pippen is one of three NBA players to record 200 steals and 100 blocks in a season, and he also has the record for career steals by a forward (2,307), as well as in the playoffs (395). He was skilled at staying in front of his man on defense, and particularly effective as a help defender, with his long, swarming arms in traps.

On offense, Pippen relied primarily upon his remarkable athleticism to gain an advantage towards the basket and slashed towards the basket for higher percentage shots. Early in his career, particularly, Pippen was not an adept jump shooter, who struggled when shooting directly on a line to the basket. He favored shooting his jump shots on angles, such as along the free throw line extended (to the right and left of the elbows of the free throw lane), such that he could bank the ball off the backboard into the basket. He honed this shot over the course of his career and was therefore able to become more effective at scoring from distance in the later stages of his career.

Legacy

Pippen is remembered as one of the most versatile and agile players, and perhaps most notably as one of the greatest defenders, to ever play the game of basketball. Much like fellow Bull Michael Jordan, Pippen could provide tenacious on-the-ball perimeter defense, or tough interior defense, and he was particularly effective as a help defender. He was gifted with extraordinary athleticism, even compared with other professional athletes, and skills in areas that bode well for basketball.

Pippen's unusually long arms and jumping agility gave him the ability to clog the passing lanes on defense, to block shots from behind on players that had managed to pass by him, to grab out-of-reach rebounds, to make unusual plays in mid-air, and to make passes around defenders that most players are physically unable to make. He often led the Bulls in assists and blocks as a result. Pippen was also a selfless player. His team-focused approach to the game was a key component in the Chicago Bulls’ championships. Pippen’s career assists total of 6,135 (5.2 per game) is a testament to that approach. It is the record among forwards and was 23rd all-time among all players when he retired (now 26th).

His intensive work ethic and athletic physique gave him the ability to consistently make highlight-reel plays, such as applying defensive intensity, forcing a turnover, stealing the ball and starting a one-man fast break that he would finish with a thunderous slam dunk at the other end of the court. As Pippen himself has attested, he and Jordan would compete to see who could force more turnovers and produce more offense from defense in each game (fast break points). During the 1990 Slam Dunk Contest, Scottie exhibited his leaping ability with a dunk from the free throw line. He was an athletic finisher at the rim, both with dunks and with a skillful finger roll shot that he added to his skill set over time. He was also a prolific perimeter shooter, taking about three thousand and making almost one thousand three-point shots in his career.

Pippen’s style of play is perhaps best illustrated by a play he made against the New York Knicks during Game 6 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals. While the Knicks had possession of the ball, Pippen pressured Hubert Davis with his defense on the perimeter and led him into a help defender in the paint, Horace Grant, who promptly rejected Davis’s shot. The blocked shot was rebounded by the Bulls and triggered a fast break. Pippen ran all-out down the court as the Bulls passed the ball around, and he received a bounce pass from Pete Myers (at the free throw line extended) to set up one of the most famous dunks in history. As Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing jumped up to defend the shot, Pippen jumped from the left block, fully extended the ball out in his right hand, absorbed body contact from Ewing, and slammed the ball through the hoop with Ewing’s hand in his face. Pippen landed several feet away from the basket along the right inbounds baseline, incidentally standing over a fallen Ewing.

Career statistics

{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 90%; white-space: nowrap;" |- | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black;" |   GP | Games played | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" |   GS  | Games started | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" |  MPG  | Minutes per game |- | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black;" |  FG%  | style="padding-right: 8px" | Field-goal percentage | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" |  3P%  | style="padding-right: 8px" | 3-point field-goal percentage | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" |  FT%  | Free-throw percentage |- | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black;" |  OFF  | Offensive rebounds per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black;" |  DEF  | Defensive rebounds per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black;" |  REB  | Total rebounds per game |- | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" |  AST  | Assists per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" |  STL  | Steals per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black;" |  BLK  | Blocks per game |- | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black;" |  TOV  | Turnovers per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" |  PF  | Fouls per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" |  PTS  | Points per game |- |}

Averages

|- | align="left" | | align="left" | Chicago | 79 || 0 || 20.9 || .463 || .174 || .576 || 3.8 || 2.1 || 1.2 || 0.7 || 7.9 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Chicago | 73 || 56 || 33.1 || .476 || .273 || .668 || 6.1 || 3.5 || 1.9 || 0.8 || 14.4 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Chicago |bgcolor="CFECEC"| 82 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 82 || 38.4 || .489 || .250 || .675 || 6.7 || 5.4 || 2.6 || 1.2 || 16.5 |- | align="left" style="background-color:#AFE6BA"| † | align="left" | Chicago |bgcolor="CFECEC"| 82 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 82 || 36.8 || .520 || .309 || .706 || 7.3 || 6.2 || 2.4 || 1.1 || 17.8 |- | align="left" style="background-color:#AFE6BA"| † | align="left" | Chicago | 82 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 82 || 38.6 || .506 || .200 || .760 || 7.7 || 7.0 || 1.9 || 1.1 || 21.0 |- | align="left" style="background-color:#AFE6BA"| † | align="left" | Chicago | 81 || 81 || 38.6 || .473 || .237 || .663 || 7.7 || 6.3 || 2.1 || 0.9 || 18.6 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Chicago | 72 || 72 || 38.3 || .491 || .320 || .660 || 8.7 || 5.6 || 2.9 || 0.8 || 22.0 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Chicago | 79 || 79 || 38.2 || .480 || .345 || .716 || 8.1 || 5.2 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 2.9 || 1.1 || 21.4 |- | align="left" style="background-color:#AFE6BA"| † | align="left" | Chicago | 77 || 77 || 36.7 || .463 || .374 || .679 || 6.4 || 5.9 || 1.7 || 0.7 || 19.4 |- | align="left" style="background-color:#AFE6BA"| † | align="left" | Chicago | 82 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 82 || 37.7 || .474 || .368 || .701 || 6.5 || 5.7 || 1.9 || 0.6 || 20.2 |- | align="left" style="background-color:#AFE6BA"| † | align="left" | Chicago | 44 || 44 || 37.5 || .447 || .318 || .777 || 5.2 || 5.8 || 1.8 || 1.0 || 19.1 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Houston |bgcolor="CFECEC"| 50 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 50 || 40.2 || .432 || .340 || .721 || 6.5 || 5.9 || 2.0 || 0.7 || 14.5 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Portland | 82 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 82 || 33.5 || .451 || .327 || .717 || 6.3 || 5.0 || 1.4 || 0.5 || 12.5 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Portland | 64 || 60 || 33.3 || .451 || .344 || .739 || 5.2 || 4.6 || 1.5 || 0.6 || 11.3 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Portland | 62 || 60 || 32.2 || .411 || .305 || .774 || 5.2 || 5.9 || 1.6 || 0.6 || 10.6 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Portland | 64 || 58 || 29.9 || .444 || .286 || .818 || 4.3 || 4.5 || 1.6 || 0.4 || 10.8 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Chicago | 23 || 6 || 17.9 || .379 || .271 || .630 || 3.0 || 2.2 || 0.9 || 0.4 || 5.9 |-class="sortbottom" | align="left" colspan=2| Career | 1,178 || 1,053 || 34.9 || .473 || .326 || .704 || 6.4 || 5.2 || 2.0 || 0.8 || 16.1 |-class="sortbottom" | align="left" colspan=2| All-Star | 7 || 6 || 24.7 || .442 || .318 || .625 || 5.6 || 2.4 || 2.4 || 0.9 || 12.1

Career highs

Achievements

21 career triple-doubles (17 regular season, 4 playoffs)

Led the league in steals (232) and steals per game (2.94) in

His 10 NBA All-Defensive honors and 8 NBA All-Defensive First Team honors are each one shy of the NBA record.

Member of the Olympic gold medal winning USA Men's National Basketball Teams in 1992 ("Dream Team 1", Barcelona, Spain) and 1996 ("Dream Team 2", Atlanta, USA)

Selected in 1996 as one of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History"

Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. The 1992 Olympic Basketball "Dream Team", of which he was a member, was also elected to the Hall of Fame in 2010.

Pippen is also the only NBA player known to have recorded both 5 steals and 5 blocks in a playoff game, which he did against the Detroit Pistons on .

NBA records

Regular season

Assists by a forward, career: 6,135

Steals by a forward, career: 2,307

Steals by a forward, season: 232 ()

Highest average, steals per game, by a forward, season: 2.94 (232/79) ()

Set with Michael Jordan

Ninth pair of teammates in NBA history to score 40 or more points in the same game: Chicago Bulls (110) at Indiana Pacers (102),

Pippen: 40 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals in 44 minutes

Jordan: 44 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks in 42 minutes

One of at least two pairs of teammates in NBA history to record triple-doubles in the same game: Chicago Bulls (126) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (121), (OT)

Pippen: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists (and two steals) in 42 minutes

Jordan: 41 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists (and six steals) in 47 minutes

Jason Kidd and Vince Carter achieved this feat as well on

Playoffs

Steals, career: 395

Steals, quarter: 4, third quarter, vs. Milwaukee Bucks,

Tied with many other players

NBA Finals

Three-point field goals made, game: 7, at Utah Jazz, Broken by Ray Allen on

Three-point field goal attempts, 6-game series: 39, vs. Seattle SuperSonics, 1996 NBA Finals

Broken by Reggie Miller in 2000

All-Star

Three-point field goal attempts, game: 9 (1994)

Broken by Ray Allen (2002)

Three-point field goal attempts, half: 7 (1994)

Tied by Ray Allen (2005) and Tracy McGrady (2006)

Ranks 2nd in NBA history

Regular season

Highest average, steals per game, by a forward, career: 1.96 (2,307/1,178)

Playoffs

Minutes played, career: 8,105

Trailing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Finals

Three-point field goal attempts, game: 11, vs. Utah Jazz,

Turnovers, 6-game series: 26, vs. Phoenix Suns, 1993 NBA Finals

All-Star

Three-point field goals made, game: 5 (1994)

Trailing Mark Price

Ranks 3rd in NBA history

Regular season

Highest field goal percentage, game (minimum 15 made): .941 (16—17), vs. Charlotte Hornets,

Only Wilt Chamberlain and George Gervin had more efficient games.

Highest average, assists per game, by a forward, career: 5.21 (6,135/1,178)

Steals, game: 9, vs. Atlanta Hawks,

Turnovers, game: 12, twice 12, at New Jersey Nets, (OT) 12, at Houston Rockets,

Playoffs

Postseasons played: 16

Games played: 208

Trailing Robert Horry and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Three-point field goals made, none missed, game: 4, twice 4, at Cleveland Cavaliers, 4, vs. New York Knicks,

Turnovers, career: 602

Finals

Three-point field goal attempts, game: 10, vs. Utah Jazz,

Steals, 5-game series: 12, vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 1991 NBA Finals

Trailing Michael Jordan and Charlie Ward

Steals, game: 5, at Los Angeles Lakers,

Tied with many other players

Ranks 4th in NBA history

Regular season

Steals, game: 8, three times 8, vs. Orlando Magic, 8, at Indiana Pacers, 8, vs. Milwaukee Bucks,

Playoffs

Personal fouls, career: 686

Other records

One of three players in NBA history to record 200 steals and 100 blocked shots in a season: 211 steals, 101 blocks () Michael Jordan (, ) and Hakeem Olajuwon () are the only other players to do so.

Second player in NBA history to lead his team in all five major statistics totals: 1,692 points, 639 rebounds, 409 assists, 232 steals and 89 blocks () Dave Cowens (Boston Celtics, ), Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves, ) and LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers, ) are the only other players to do so.

Only player in history to win an NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year twice (1992, 1996)

Ranks 5th in career three-pointers made (200) and attempted (660) in the playoffs, and 6th in career steals in the regular season.

Chicago Bulls franchise records

Note: Pippen is second in most career totals for the Bulls, both in the regular season and playoffs, trailing only Michael Jordan.

Regular season

Highest field goal percentage, game: .941 (16—17), vs. Charlotte Hornets,

Three-point field goals made, career: 664

Broken by Kirk Hinrich

Three-point field goal attempts, career: 2,031

Three-point field goal attempts, game: 12, at Charlotte Hornets, Broken by Kirk Hinrich on

Personal fouls, career: 2,534

Turnovers, game: 12, twice 12, at New Jersey Nets, (OT) 12, at Houston Rockets,

Playoffs

Three-point field goals made, career: 161

Three-point field goals made, game: 7, at Utah Jazz,

Three-point field goals made, quarter: 4, second quarter, at Utah Jazz,

Three-point field goals made, overtime: 1, at New York Knicks,

Three-point field goal attempts, career: 531

Three-point field goal attempts, overtime: 3, at New York Knicks,

Rebounds, career: 1,366

Rebounds, overtime: 3, vs. New Jersey Nets,

Offensive rebounds, overtime: 2, vs. Cleveland Cavaliers,

Tied by Derrick Rose

Defensive rebounds, overtime: 2, vs. New Jersey Nets,

Tied with other players

Assists, overtime: 2, at New York Knicks,

Tied by Derrick Rose

Steals, quarter: 4, third quarter, vs. Milwaukee Bucks,

Tied with Horace Grant

Blocked shots, career: 171

See also

List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders

List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff blocks leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played

List of National Basketball Association players with 9 or more steals in a game

References

External links

NBA.com Profile

NBA.com historical playerfile

NBA.com: Scottie Pippen Summary

Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:American basketball players Category:American expatriate basketball people in Sweden Category:American expatriate basketball people in Finland Category:American expatriates in Sweden Category:Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from Arkansas Category:Central Arkansas Bears basketball players Category:Chicago Bulls players Category:Houston Rockets players Category:Los Angeles Lakers assistant coaches Category:Male basketball forwards Category:National Basketball Association broadcasters Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:People from Ashley County, Arkansas Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:Portland Trail Blazers players Category:Small forwards Category:Seattle SuperSonics draft picks Category:United States men's national basketball team members

Name	Patrick Ewing
Height ft	7
Height in	0
Weight lbs	240
Number	6, 33
Position	Center
Birth date	August 05, 1962
Birth place	Kingston, Jamaica
College	Georgetown
Draft round	1
Draft pick	1
Draft team	New York Knicks
Draft year	1985
Former teams
Career start	1985
Career end	2002
Awards
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	24,815
Stat2label	Rebounds
Stat2value	11,617
Stat3label	Blocks
Stat3value	2,894
Hof player	patrick-ewing

}}

Patrick Aloysius Ewing (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic. Ewing was named as the 16th greatest college player of all time by ESPN. He won Olympic Gold Medals as a member of the 1984 and 1992 US Men's National Basketball teams. In a 1996 poll celebrating the 50th anniversary of the NBA, Ewing was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time. On April 7, 2008 he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on September 5, 2008 along with former NBA coach Pat Riley and former Houston Rockets center, Hakeem Olajuwon. His number 33 was retired by the Knicks in 2003.

Biography

Early life

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Ewing excelled at cricket and soccer. He was 11 years old when he arrived in the United States with his family, settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He learned to play basketball at Cambridge Rindge and Latin. In order to prepare for college, Ewing joined the MIT-Wellesley Upward Bound Program. Upward Bound is a federally-funded college-prep program for disadvantaged high school students. He went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C..

College career

Ewing, one of the most highly recruited freshmen ever, signed a letter of intent to accept to play for Coach John Thompson at Georgetown University. As a freshman during the 1981-1982 season, Ewing became one of the first college players to start and star on the varsity team as a freshman. While at Georgetown, he developed a habit of wearing a short sleeved t-shirt underneath his sleeveless jersey. This started a fashion trend among young athletes that lasts to this day. In the 1982 NCAA final against the University of North Carolina, Ewing was called for goaltending on the first five possessions of the first half, setting the tone for the Hoyas and making his presence felt. The Hoyas had a shot at winning the game until Fred Brown threw an infamous bad pass to James Worthy at the tail end of the game. In the 1983-84 season, Ewing and Georgetown took the NCAA title with an 84-75 win over the University of Houston. In Ewing's senior year of 1985, Georgetown was ranked number one in the nation and was heavily favored to beat unranked Villanova in the title game, but the Wildcats shot a record 78.6 percent from the floor (22 for 28) to upset the Hoyas 66-64. Ewing was one of the best college basketball players of his era, as Georgetown reached the championship game of the NCAA tournament three out of four years. He was a first-team All-American.

NBA career

New York Knicks

In 1985, the NBA instituted the first ever Draft Lottery to prevent teams from deliberately losing games to secure a better chance of obtaining the ultimate prize, Patrick Ewing. The New York Knicks won the Draft Lottery of 1985, and selected Ewing first overall.

Although injuries marred his first year in the league, he was named NBA Rookie of the Year, averaging 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. Soon after he was considered one of the premier centers in the league. Ewing enjoyed a successful career; eleven times named an NBA All-Star, once named to the All-NBA First Team, six times a member of the All-NBA Second Team, and named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times. He was a member of the original Dream Team at the 1992 Olympic Games. He was also given the honor of being named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

The Knicks played the defending NBA Champion Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan in the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Ewing was unstoppable in game one, finishing with 34 points, 16 rebounds, and six blocks, and the Knicks defeated the Bulls 94-89. With his team facing elimination, game six is regarded as one of the greatest of Ewing's career. The Knicks trailed 3-games-to-2 in the series and Ewing was limited physically by a bad ankle sprain, but he helped beat the Bulls by scoring 27 points. NBC Announcer Marv Albert called it a "Willis Reed-type performance" but the Knicks ultimately were eliminated in game 7.

In a 1993 game between the Knicks and the Charlotte Hornets, the 7'0" (2.14 m) Ewing suffered a moment of embarrassment when guard Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues, who stands a mere 5'3" (1.60 m), managed to block his shot. The team looked like it was going to advance to the NBA Finals when they took a 2-0 lead over Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. Both teams battled well, each winning on its home court in the first 4 games. However, the Bulls stunned the Ewing-led Knicks, winning Game 5 of the series in New York after Ewing's teammate, Charles Smith, was repeatedly denied a basket down low by Bull defenders on the game's final possession. The Bulls would go on to win Game 6 and then claim their third straight NBA title. This would be one more season in which Ewing had to deal with no championships, despite the fact that the Knicks had the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference at 60-22 and had the second best record in the NBA, behind the Phoenix Suns, who were 62-20.

With Jordan out of the league, 1993-1994 was considered a wide open year in the NBA, and Ewing had declared that 1994 would be the Knicks' year. He was a key contributor to the Knicks' run to the 1994 NBA Finals, in which the Knicks - in the finals for the first time since 1973 - lost in the final seconds of Games 6 and 7 to Hakeem Olajuwon's Houston Rockets. The Knicks, with Ewing leading them, had to survive a grueling trek through the playoffs simply to reach the finals. They defeated Scottie Pippen's Bulls in seven games in the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals (all seven games were won by the home team), and defeated Reggie Miller's Indiana Pacers in the conference finals, which also took seven games to decide. In the finals, the Knicks stole Game 2 in Houston, but couldn't hold court at home, dropping Game 3 at the Garden, which then hosted the New York Rangers first Stanley Cup celebration in 54 years with their win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of their finals. The Knicks then won the next two games to return to Houston ahead 3-2. However, the Rockets won the next two games and cost not only the Knicks the championship, but also New York City the distinction of having both NBA and NHL championships in the same year. Ewing made the most of his playoff run by setting a record for most blocked shots in a finals series (only later to be broken by Tim Duncan). He also set an NBA Finals record for most blocked shots in a single game, with 8 (later surpassed by Dwight Howard).

The following year, a potentially game-tying three-foot finger roll attempt by Ewing rimmed out of the basket in the dwindling seconds of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, resulting in a loss to the Indiana Pacers. In the 1995-96 season Ewing and the Knicks were eliminated in five games in the second round of the playoffs by the record-setting Bulls, who won 72 games that year en route to their fourth championship.

In the 1996-97 playoffs, the Knicks faced the Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs. Ewing was involved in a Game 5 brawl where both teams' benches got involved. Ewing was suspended for the next game and claimed he got a "raw deal", despite NBA rules stating that a player is automatically suspended one game for leaving the bench during a fight. The Knicks, who were up 3-1 in the series going into Game 5, lost the next three games and were eliminated.

The next season Ewing's career almost came to an end due to injury. On January 12, 1998, in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center, Ewing was fouled by Andrew Lang while attempting a dunk. He then fell to the court hard and landed on his wrist, breaking it, dislocating the bone, and tearing ligaments. The injury was so severe that it required an immediate operation to prevent nerve damage. Ewing, who had only missed 20 games in the previous ten seasons, missed the remaining 56 games of the season due to the injury. However, he was able to rehabilitate the injury faster than expected and as the playoffs began, Ewing was talking about returning. The Knicks avenged their defeat against the Heat in the first round of the playoffs, and Ewing returned for the second game of the second round against the Indiana Pacers. His presence wasn't enough, as the Knicks fell to their old rivals in five games.

The following season, Ewing and the Knicks qualified as the East's #8 seed in a lockout-shortened campaign. Although battling an Achilles tendon injury, Ewing helped lead the Knicks to another victory over the Heat in the first round of the playoffs. They followed that up with a sweep over Atlanta, and defeated the Pacers in the conference finals despite Ewing's injury finally forcing him out of action. The Knicks couldn't complete their Cinderella run, as they lost in the finals to the San Antonio Spurs.

In Ewing's final season as a Knick (99-00), the team finished as the #3 seed in the East behind the Pacers and Heat. The team advanced to the conference finals again, defeating the Toronto Raptors and the Heat for a third straight year, but could not defeat the Pacers and fell in 6 games. During his final season as a Knick, Ewing played in his 1000th NBA game, finishing his Knick career with a franchise-record 1,039 games played in a Knick uniform (and the only player to play 1,000 games with the Knicks).

After the Knicks

In 2000, he left the Knicks as part of a trade to the Seattle SuperSonics. In the trade, the Knicks sent Ewing to Seattle and Chris Dudley to Phoenix, and received Glen Rice, Luc Longley, Travis Knight, Vladimir Stepania, Lazaro Borrell, Vernon Maxwell, two first-round draft picks (from the Los Angeles Lakers and Seattle) and two second-round draft picks from Seattle. After a year with the Sonics and another with the Orlando Magic, he announced his retirement on September 18, 2002. That season, he took a job as an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards.

In 1,183 games over 16 seasons, Ewing averaged 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game, and averaged better than a 50 percent shooting percentage.

In 2001, Ewing testified in part of the Atlanta's Gold Club prostitution and fraud federal trial. The owner Thomas Sicignano, testified that he arranged for dancers to have sex with professional athletes. Ewing admitted he went to the club and received oral sex twice in the club. Ewing was never charged with any criminal wrongdoing.

On February 28, 2003, Ewing's jersey number 33 was retired by the Knicks, for whom he played 1039 games, in a large ceremony at Madison Square Garden. He continues to be considered one of the greatest players in the Knicks' storied history, as well as one of the greatest in NBA history. In his last year with the Knicks, Ewing had a game winning slam dunk over Alonzo Mourning in game 7 of the second round of the playoffs to lead the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Coaching career

On July 3, 2007, Ewing was one of four assistants hired to serve under first-year Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy for the 2007-08 season.

Ewing was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2008.

Ewing was a key factor in the Magic's run to the 2009 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. He guaranteed a win in Game 7 of the second round against the defending champion Boston Celtics. The Magic beat the Celtics 101 to 82 to win the series 4 games to 3. As a result, Ewing saw Magic captain Dwight Howard set a new NBA Finals record, for most blocked shots in a single finals game, with 9 in Game 4 of the finals, surpassing the previous record of 8, which Ewing himself set in Game 5 of the 1994 Finals.

In 2010, Ewing finally got the opportunity to coach his son Patrick Ewing Jr. in the 2010 summer league. Ewing Jr. played for the Magic.

NBA statistics

In 1999, Ewing became the 10th player in NBA history to record 22,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.

In 1993 he led the NBA with 789 defensive rebounds. He was top ten in field goal percentage 8 times, top ten in rebounds per game as well as total rebounds 8 times, top ten in points, as well as points per game 8 times, and top ten in blocks per game for 13 years.

Other work

Ewing was in the 1996 movie Space Jam as himself, one of five NBA players whose talent was stolen (along with Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Larry Johnson, and Muggsy Bogues). Ewing had a brief appearance, again as himself, in the movie Senseless starring Marlon Wayans.

Ewing made cameos as himself in the sitcoms Spin City, Herman's Head, Mad About You, and Webster. Most recently, he appeared in a 2009 ad for Snickers, suggesting that those who eat the candy bar might "get dunked on by Patrick Chewing".

He co-wrote In the Paint, a painting how-to book for children.

Personal life

After friend and rival NBA center Alonzo Mourning was diagnosed with a kidney ailment in 2000, Patrick Ewing made a promise that he would donate one of his kidneys to Mourning if he ever needed one. In 2003, Ewing was tested for kidney compatibility with Alonzo Mourning but Mourning's cousin was found to be the best match. Ewing's son, Patrick Ewing, Jr., attended his father's alma mater, Georgetown University after two years at Indiana University. Ewing, Jr. wore the same jersey number that his father wore, #33. He was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in the second round with the 43rd pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, but was then traded to the New York Knicks, his father's old team.

He has been a resident of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

Ewing, in addition to his son, also has two daughters named Corey and Randi.

Honors

Rookie of the Year (1986)

All-NBA First Team (1990)

All-NBA Second Team (1988, '89, '91, '92, '93, '97)

NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1988, '89, '92)

11-time All-Star; One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996)

2-time Olympic gold medalist (1984, '92)

NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1984)

Naismith College Player of the Year in (1985).

Number 33 Retired for the New York Knicks

Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2008.

NBA records

Regular season

Consecutive games with a blocked shot (since 1986—87): 145, from to

NBA Finals

Blocked shots, 7-game series: 30, vs. Houston Rockets (1994 NBA Finals)

Blocked shots, game: 8, vs. Houston Rockets, Broken by Dwight Howard on

Ranks 2nd in NBA history

Playoffs

Blocked shots, 7-game series: 30, vs. Houston Rockets (1994 NBA Finals)

Finals

Offensive rebounds, 7-game series: 32, vs. Houston Rockets (1994 NBA Finals)

Blocked shots, game: 7, vs. Houston Rockets,

Hakeem Olajuwon of the Rockets blocked 7 shots in the same game.

All-Star

Blocked shots, game: 5 (1990)

Ranks 3rd in NBA history

Regular season

Consecutive games with a blocked shot (since 1986—87): 88, from to

Playoffs

Minutes played, one postseason: 1,032 (1994)

Steals, game: 7, vs. Boston Celtics,

Blocked shots, one postseason: 76 (1994)

Blocked shots, game: 8, vs. Houston Rockets,

Finals

Blocked shots, game: 6, at Houston Rockets,

All-Star

Blocked shots, game: 4 (1991)

Ranks 4th in NBA history

Playoffs

Free throws made, quarter: 10, fourth quarter, vs. Boston Celtics,

Steals, game: 6, vs. Boston Celtics,

Blocked shots, game: 7, vs. Houston Rockets,

Ranks sixth for career blocked shots in the regular season (2,894) and seventh in the playoffs (303)

See also

List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played

List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders

List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders

List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff blocks leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders

List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds

References

External links

NBA.com Ewing biography

Career stats at basketball-reference.com

Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball players Category:American Christians Category:American people of Jamaican descent Category:Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Basketball players at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from Massachusetts Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball players Category:Houston Rockets assistant coaches Category:Jamaican immigrants to the United States Category:People from Kingston, Jamaica Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:New York Knicks draft picks Category:New York Knicks players Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Orlando Magic players Category:Orlando Magic assistant coaches Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:People from Cambridge, Massachusetts Category:People from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Category:Seattle SuperSonics players Category:United States men's national basketball team members

Name	Nate Robinson
Caption	Nate Robinson during his tenure with the Boston Celtics.
Height ft	5
Height in	9
Weight lb	180
Position	Point Guard
Birth date	May 31, 1984
Birth place	Seattle, Washington
Team	Oklahoma City Thunder
Number	3
College	Washington
Nationality	American
Draft round	1
Draft pick	21
Draft team	Phoenix Suns
Draft year	2005
Career start	2005
Teams
Highlights

Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson (born May 31, 1984, in Seattle, Washington) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Robinson is listed at just with shoes, making him one of the shortest players currently in the NBA behind Earl Boykins, but Robinson has an extremely high vertical leap of , currently one of the highest vertical leaps of any NBA player.

Robinson has served as a successful point guard for both the Knicks and Celtics, achieving career stats of 12 points, 1 steal, and 3 assists in an average of 24 minutes played per game. Robinson is the NBA's first three-time slam dunk champion.

High school

Robinson spent his first two years of high school at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle. He moved to Union City, California, where he played for James Logan High School for one year, and then returned to Rainier Beach. At Beach, he excelled in basketball, football, and track. He led his basketball team to a 28–1 record and won the AAA state championship as a senior with University of Louisville star Terrence Williams, USC alumnus Lodrick Stewart, and former University of Kansas player Rodrick Stewart. He averaged 17.9 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals per game as a senior in 2002, and was named the AAA State player of the year in Washington. He led his team to a no. 7 national ranking in USA Today, and was one of the 100 finalists for the McDonald's High School All-America team . Rainier Beach retired Robinson's No. 2 jersey on September 10, 2010.

Also in 2002 he was named the AAA player of the year for football where he totaled over 1,200 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving while scoring 21 touchdowns. And he was a SuperPrep All-American in 2001 and was ranked as the nation's 17th-best player at the athlete position. He was also a standout in track and field, setting a Washington state record of 13.85 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles. He also placed second in the 110-meter hurdles and second in the long jump at the 2002 state track meet .

College

Robinson had a successful collegiate career in which he led the Washington Huskies to two straight NCAA basketball tournament appearances, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance during his junior year . At the end of that season he was named a third-team Associated Press and National Association of Basketball Coaches All-American .

Robinson also played football at the University of Washington. Robinson's college football career is most remembered for his interception in the final minutes of regulation of the 2002 Apple Cup against the Washington State Cougars, who were at the time ranked #3 in the AP poll. With minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Cougars leading by 3 points, Robinson intercepted a pass thrown by Matt Kegel intended for 6'6" Mike Bush. The Huskies scored a field goal on the ensuing possession and won the game in triple overtime.

NBA career

New York Knicks

2005–06

Robinson was the 21st selection of the 2005 NBA Draft, chosen by the Phoenix Suns before being traded to the New York Knicks with Quentin Richardson for Kurt Thomas and the draft rights to second-round pick (54th overall) Dijon Thompson .

Robinson played in 72 games his rookie year, starting 26 of them, while averaging 9.3 points and 2.0 assists per game. He had a major breakout performance against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden where he scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Of his 17 points, three came on a game-winning three-pointer at the overtime buzzer over his boyhood idol, Allen Iverson. During the All-Star weekend, Robinson won the 2006 Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest, edging Andre Iguodala 141–140 in an unprecedented overtime, although he took 14 attempts to make his final dunk. In his most memorable dunk of the night, he jumped over 1986 champion Spud Webb, and received a perfect 50-point score for the dunk. During the 2005–06 season, Robinson was reportedly involved in physical altercations between teammates Jerome James and Malik Rose in separate incidents. He was at one point considered by Knicks' coach Larry Brown to be demoted to the NBA Development League. He was instead placed on the Inactive List for 10 games between February 24 and March 11.

2006–07

On December 16, 2006, Robinson was one of the primary participants in the brawl between the Denver Nuggets and the Knicks. His fight with Nuggets guard J. R. Smith landed in the seats, and he was suspended for 10 games as a result.

Robinson competed in the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest to defend his 2006 title, and came in second place after Gerald Green. In the second round, Green's Boston Celtics teammate Paul Pierce brought out a cardboard cut-out of Robinson to dunk over, but Robinson came out and stood in its place instead, and Green jumped over him to complete the dunk.

2008–09

On February 14, 2009, Robinson won the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition. During the first round he completed two dunks, the second of which included jumping off Knicks teammate Wilson Chandler, who was on the floor. He finished second in the first round with a score of 87. After the first round, he went into the locker room and changed into a green Knicks jersey with green shorts and green shoes representing Kryptonite (which he called "KryptoNATE"), countering competitor Dwight Howard's Superman theme. In the final round, Robinson, who is only 5 feet 9, jumped over Dwight Howard (6 feet 11 inches) for the slam. Robinson went on to win his second Slam Dunk title with 52% of the fan vote.

Robinson enjoyed his best season in 2008–2009, averaging 17.2 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, and almost 30 minutes per game. On February 23, 2009, Robinson scored 41 points and also had 8 rebounds.

On August 12, 2009, Robinson reported on his Twitter page that he would change his number from number 4 to number 2 for the 2009–10 season. On September 25, 2009, Robinson re-signed with the New York Knicks to a one-year deal.

2009–10

After a series of disagreements, Mike D'Antoni removed Robinson from the Knicks' rotation for 14 games beginning on December 1, 2009. Robinson's agent, Aaron Goodwin, urged the Knicks to deal his client, or perhaps work out a buy-out with the team. After remaining on the bench for nearly a month, Robinson made his return on January 1, 2010, against the Atlanta Hawks and scored 41 points, off the bench, in the Knicks' victory.

On February 13, 2010, Robinson won the 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, becoming the first three-time Slam Dunk champion.

Boston Celtics

2010

On February 18, 2010, Robinson was traded to the Boston Celtics along with Marcus Landry in exchange for Eddie House, Bill Walker, and J. R. Giddens. Robinson played in 26 games with the Celtics averaging 6.5 points per game in 14.7 minutes per game.

Despite his limited playing time during the playoffs with the Boston Celtics, Robinson made key contributions in the series clinching Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals where he scored all of his 13 points in the second quarter.

Oklahoma City Thunder

2011

On February 24, 2011, Robinson was traded along with Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstić.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2005–06 | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 72 || 26 || 21.4 || .407 || .397 || .752 || 2.3 || 2.0 || .8 || .0 || 9.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07 | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 64 || 5 || 21.2 || .434 || .390 || .777 || 2.4 || 1.4 || .8 || .1 || 10.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2007–08 | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 72 || 17 || 26.2 || .423 || .332 || .786 || 3.1 || 2.9 || .8 || .0 || 12.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2008–09 | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 74 || 11 || 29.9 || .437 || .325 || .841 || 3.9 || 4.1 || 1.3 || .1 || 17.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10 | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 30 || 2 || 24.4 || .452 || .375 || .778 || 2.4 || 3.7 || .9 || .2 || 13.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 26 || 0 || 14.7 || .401 || .414 || .615 || 1.5 || 2.0 || .8 || .0 || 6.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 55 || 11 || 17.9 || .404 || .328 || .825 || 1.6 || 1.9 || .5 || .1 || 7.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11 | style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City | 4 || 0 || 7.5 || .267 || .250 || .750 || .3 || 1.5 || .0 || .0 || 3.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 397 || 72 || 23.0 || .425 || .353 || .793 || 2.6 || 2.6 || .9 || .1 || 11.3

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 17 || 0 || 7.5 || .375 || .333 || .800 || .8 || 1.1 || .4 || .1 || 4.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 17 || 0 || 7.5 || .375 || .333 || .800 || .8 || 1.1 || .4 || .1 || 4.2

Personal

Robinson's father, Jacque Robinson, played football for the Huskies and earned MVP honors in both the 1982 Rose Bowl and 1985 Orange Bowl. His mother, Renee Busch, operates a beauty salon in Seattle. Robinson's great-great-grandfather on his maternal side was Filipino.

See also

List of shortest players in National Basketball Association history

Notes

External links

Nate Robinson's Blog of his rookie NBA season

Nate Robinson Bio

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball players Category:American football cornerbacks Category:American football return specialists Category:Basketball players from Washington (state) Category:NBA Slam Dunk Contest champions Category:New York Knicks players Category:Boston Celtics players Category:People from Seattle, Washington Category:Phoenix Suns draft picks Category:Point guards Category:Washington Huskies men's basketball players Category:Washington Huskies football players Category:American sportspeople of Filipino descent Category:Oklahoma City Thunder players

Ben Camey Wallace (born September 10, 1974) is an American basketball player for the Detroit Pistons. Nicknamed "Big Ben", he plays the center and power forward positions, and is listed at and . He has won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times, a record he shares with Dikembe Mutombo. Wallace was a member of the Detroit Pistons team that won the NBA championship in 2004.

Early life

Ben Wallace was born in White Hall, Alabama, a small town in Lowndes County, and is the tenth of eleven children. He later attended Central High School in Hayneville where he received all-state honors in basketball, baseball, and football (as a linebacker). Former basketball player Charles Oakley is Wallace's mentor, having discovered Wallace at a 1991 basketball camp, and later recommended Wallace to his previous college, Virginia Union.

College career

Wallace first played college basketball on the junior college level at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland for two years. There, staples of Wallace's defensive prowess were shown as he averaged 17.0 rebounds and 6.9 blocks per game. He then transferred to Virginia Union, a Division II school, where he studied criminal justice. Wallace averaged 13.4 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game as a member of the Virginia Union Panthers, whom he led to the Division II Final Four and a 28–3 record. As a senior, Wallace was named to the First-Team All CIAA and was selected as a First Team All-American (Div. II) by the NABC. Wallace was a letterman in football, baseball, basketball and track. He won All-State honors in all but track.

NBA career

Early career

As an undrafted player, he was signed as a rookie free agent by the Washington Bullets on October 2, 1996 after playing in Italy. In 1999, Wallace was traded to the Orlando Magic along with Tim Legler, Terry Davis, and Jeff McInnis for Ike Austin.

Detroit Pistons

On August 3, 2000, he was traded along with Chucky Atkins to the Detroit Pistons for Grant Hill, in what was at the time considered a one-sided trade; Hill had planned to sign with Orlando as an unrestricted free agent, but the sign and trade deal allowed Hill to receive a slightly more lucrative contract while Detroit received at least some compensation for losing its marquee player. Since the trade, Wallace won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, and 2005–06 seasons, and was selected to six All-Defensive teams. In the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons, he led the league in both rebounds and blocked shots, the first to do so since Hakeem Olajuwon. In 2003, he was voted by fans to the first of his four NBA All-Star Game appearances as a center for the Eastern Conference.

Near the end of a November 2004 game against the Indiana Pacers, Wallace responded to a foul by Indiana's Ron Artest by shoving Artest, which eventually led to the Pacers–Pistons brawl, involving both players and spectators. Wallace was suspended for six games, and his brother David Wallace, received a year of probation and community service for punching Indiana players in the stands.

The game was a rematch of the heated Eastern Conference finals which the Detroit Pistons won on their way to the 2004 NBA Finals where they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 on the back of Wallace's effective and strong defense against a declining but still dominant Shaquille O'Neal.

The Pistons began a tradition of sounding a deep chime whenever "Big Ben" scored or recorded a block on Detroit's home court, the Palace of Auburn Hills – an allusion to the original Big Ben in London. (The Bulls and Cavaliers continued the gimmick during his respective tenures with Chicago and Cleveland).

Chicago Bulls

On July 3, 2006, Wallace agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal with the Chicago Bulls. Chicago Bulls coach Scott Skiles had a strict "no-headband" policy, but decided to make an exception for Wallace when his teammates voted in favor of allowing him to keep the signature headband. During his two-year run in Chicago, Wallace battled with various knee injuries and averaged 5.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.0 blocks per game.

Cleveland Cavaliers

On February 21, 2008, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a three-team deal that included the Seattle SuperSonics and the Chicago Bulls. The deal moved Wallace to the power forward position with Zydrunas Ilgauskas as the starting center. Following the trade, Wallace played in 22 regular season games (all starts). In 26.3 minutes, he averaged 4.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. In 72 total regular season games Wallace averaged 4.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Wallace had a Cavalier regular season high of 12 points on February 24, 2008 against the Memphis Grizzlies, and had regular season Cavalier highs of 15 rebounds against the Charlotte Bobcats and four blocks against the Orlando Magic. In the 2008 playoffs, Wallace played in 13 games (all starts) and averaged 3.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He had his playoff high of 12 rebounds in Game 4 win against the Washington Wizards in the first round of the NBA playoffs. On July 13, 2009, the Suns bought out Wallace's $14 million contract, saving $8 million in the process. Wallace actually received $10 million but Phoenix was in luxury tax so the savings were effectively doubled.

Return to Pistons

On August 7, 2009, Wallace agreed to re-sign with the Pistons as a free agent to a one year deal. He formerly wore #3 with the Pistons, but changed his jersey to #6 upon his return, allowing Rodney Stuckey to keep that number. On July 11, 2010, Wallace agreed to a two year deal with the Pistons.

On November 30, 2010, in a 79–90 road loss to the Magic, Wallace surpassed the 10,000 rebound mark for his career, becoming the 34th player in NBA history to achieve that mark.

On December 22, 2010, in a 115–93 road win over the Raptors, Wallace played his 1,000 game becoming the 95th player in NBA history to achieve this record.

Player profile

Ben Wallace plays the center position and has been lauded as a prime defensive presence in his career. He has been voted as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times. He is somewhat undersized for a center, being listed at , 240 lb., a frame statistically resembling more of a forward; he himself admits his actual height is . His career free throw percentage is just 41.7% (as of the end of the 2009-10 season), and he has never had a season with more than 49% made.

Personal life

Wallace is married to Chanda and is the father of two sons, Ben Jr. and Bryce, and one daughter, Bailey. Wallace appeared on the cover of ESPN NBA 2K5. An inflatable basketball training aid of Wallace's likeness, called the Inflatable Defender, is manufactured by PlayAir Systems. His sneaker, the Big Ben was released November 5, 2007 under Stephon Marbury's Starbury label and sold for $14.98 at Steve & Barry's stores. Wallace gained great notoriety in the Detroit area and nationwide as fans often arrived at his games sporting wigs in honor of his trademark afro hairstyle. However, he usually only had the afro for home games; for away games, he had his hair styled into cornrows.

Accolades

at the White House for the team's victory in the 2004 NBA Finals.]]

NBA Champion: 2004

4× NBA All-Star: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

4× NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006

6× All-NBA Defensive Team:

:*First Team: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 :*Second Team: 2007

5× All-NBA:

:*Second Team: 2003, 2004, 2006 :*Third Team: 2002, 2005

2× NBA regular-season leader, rebounds per game: 2002 (13.0), 2003 (15.4)

NBA regular-season leader, blocks per game: 2002 (3.5)

2× NBA regular-season leader, total rebounds: 2001 (1052), 2003 (1026)

NBA regular-season leader, total defensive rebounds: 2001 (749)

2× NBA regular-season leader, total offensive rebounds: 2003 (293), 2006 (301)

NBA regular-season leader, total blocks: 2002 (278)

NBA career statistics

Regular season

|- | align="left" | 1996–97 | align="left" | Washington | 34 || 0 || 5.8 || .348 || .000 || .300 || 1.7 || .1 || .2 || .3 || 1.1 |- | align="left" | 1997–98 | align="left" | Washington | 67 || 16 || 16.8 || .518 || .000 || .357 || 4.8 || .3 || .9 || 1.1 || 3.1 |- | align="left" | 1998–99 | align="left" | Washington | 46 || 16 || 26.8 || .578 || .000 || .356 || 8.3 || .4 || 1.1 || 2.0 || 6.0 |- | align="left" | 1999–00 | align="left" | Orlando | 81 || 81 || 24.2 || .503 || .000 || .474 || 8.2 || .8 || .9 || 1.6 || 4.8 |- | align="left" | 2000–01 | align="left" | Detroit | 80 || 80 || 34.5 || .490 || .250 || .336 || 13.2 || 1.5 || 1.3 || 2.3 || 6.4 |- | align="left" | 2001–02 | align="left" | Detroit | 80 || 80 || 36.5 || .531 || .000 || .423 || 13.0 || 1.4 || 1.7 || 3.5 || 7.6 |- | align="left" | 2002–03 | align="left" | Detroit | 73 || 73 || 39.4 || .481 || .167 || .450 || 15.4 || 1.6 || 1.4 || 3.2 || 6.9 |- | align="left" | 2003–04 | align="left" | Detroit | 81 || 81 || 37.7 || .421 || .125 || .490 || 12.4 || 1.7 || 1.8 || 3.0 || 9.5 |- | align="left" | 2004–05 | align="left" | Detroit | 74 || 74 || 36.1 || .453 || .111 || .428 || 12.2 || 1.7 || 1.4 || 2.4 || 9.7 |- | align="left" | 2005–06 | align="left" | Detroit | 82 || 82 || 35.2 || .510 || .000 || .416 || 11.3 || 1.9 || 1.8 || 2.2 || 7.3 |- | align="left" | 2006–07 | align="left" | Chicago | 77 || 77 || 35.0 || .453 || .200 || .408 || 10.7 || 2.4 || 1.4 || 2.0 || 6.4 |- | align="left" | 2007–08 | align="left" | Chicago | 50 || 50 || 32.5 || .373 || .000 || .424 || 8.8 || 1.8 || 1.4 || 1.6 || 5.1 |- | align="left" | 2007–08 | align="left" | Cleveland | 22 || 22 || 26.3 || .457 || .000 || .432 || 7.4 || .6 || .9 || 1.7 || 4.2 |- | align="left" | 2008–09 | align="left" | Cleveland | 56 || 53 || 23.5 || .445 || .000 || .422 || 6.5 || .8 || .9 || 1.3 || 2.9 |- | align="left" | 2009–10 | align="left" | Detroit | 69 || 67 || 28.6 || .541 || .000 || .406 || 8.7 || 1.5 || 1.2 || 1.2 || 5.5 |- | align="left" | 2010–11 | align="left" | Detroit | 54 || 49 || 22.9 || .450 || .500 || .333 || 6.5 || 1.3 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 2.9 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 1026 || 901 || 30.3 || .475 || .128 || .415 || 10.0 || 1.4 || 1.3 || 2.0 || 6.0 |- | align="left" | All-Star | align="left" | | 4 || 2 || 21.5 || .400 || .000 || .000 || 7.0 || .5 || 2.0 || 1.2 || 3.0

Playoffs

|- | align="left" | 2001–02 | align="left" | Detroit | 10 || 10 || 40.8 || .475 || .000 || .436 || 16.1 || 1.2 || 1.9 || 2.6 || 7.3 |- | align="left" | 2002–03 | align="left" | Detroit | 17 || 17 || 42.5 || .486 || .000 || .446 || 16.3 || 1.6 || 2.5 || 3.1 || 8.9 |- | align="left" | 2003–04 | align="left" | Detroit | 23 || 23 || 40.2 || .454 || .000 || .427 || 14.3 || 1.9 || 1.9 || 2.4 || 10.3 |- | align="left" | 2004–05 | align="left" | Detroit | 25 || 25 || 39.2 || .481 || .000 || .461 || 11.3 || 1.0 || 1.7 || 2.4 || 10.0 |- | align="left" | 2005–06 | align="left" | Detroit | 18 || 18 || 35.7 || .465 || .000 || .273 || 10.5 || 1.7 || 1.3 || 1.2 || 4.7 |- | align="left" | 2006–07 | align="left" | Chicago | 10 || 10 || 36.9 || .566 || .000 || .500 || 9.5 || 1.4 || 1.5 || 1.7 || 8.7 |- | align="left" | 2007–08 | align="left" | Cleveland | 13 || 13 || 23.4 || .515 || .000 || .350 || 6.5 || 1.2 || .6 || 1.1 || 3.2 |- | align="left" | 2008–09 | align="left" | Cleveland | 14 || 0 || 12.6 || .615 || .000 || .000 || 2.7 || .3 || .3 || .3 || 1.1 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 130 || 116 || 34.8 || .482 || .000 || .418 || 11.2 || 1.3 || 1.5 || 1.9 || 7.2

See also

List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played

List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff blocks leaders

List of National Basketball Association players with 10 or more blocks in a game

References

External links

Category:1974 births Category:African American basketball players Category:United States men's national basketball team members Category:Chicago Bulls players Category:Cleveland Cavaliers players Category:Detroit Pistons players Category:Orlando Magic players Category:Junior college men's basketball players in the United States Category:Virginia Union Panthers men's basketball players Category:Washington Bullets players Category:Washington Wizards players Category:People from Lowndes County, Alabama Category:People from New Orleans, Louisiana Category:Living people Category:NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winners Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Power forwards (basketball) Category:Undrafted National Basketball Association players Category:Basketball players from Alabama