Andray Blatche

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Andray Blatche
Position Forward
Height 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Weight 248 lb (112 kg)
League NBA
Team Washington Wizards
Jersey #32
Born August 22, 1986 (1986-08-22) (age 21)
Syracuse, New York
Nationality USA
High school South Kent School (CT)
College None
Draft 49th, 2005
Washington Wizards
Pro career 2005–present
Former teams Roanoke Dazzle (NBDL)
Official profile Info Page

Andray Blatche (born August 22, 1986 in Syracuse, New York) is an American professional basketball player in the NBA for the Washington Wizards.

Andray attended the South Kent School in South Kent, Connecticut. He declared for the 2005 NBA Draft out of high school, and while originally thought of as a first-round prospect, he slipped to the second round and was taken by the Washington Wizards with their only selection, the 49th pick.[1]

Blatche was shot in a carjacking on September 25, 2005, and as a result missed training camp.[1] He recovered successfully[1] and played his first game with the Wizards on November 11, 2005. Given that he did not play college basketball, the Wizards split Blatche's playing time between the Roanoke Dazzle, their affiliate in the NBA Development League, and the Wizards in the 2005-06 season.

With the injuries to Wizards centers Etan Thomas and Michael Ruffin, Blatche has been occasionally pressed into service as a backup center in the 2006-07 season.

On August 17, 2007, the Wizards re-signed Blatche to a multi-year deal, terms of which were not disclosed.[1][2]

During the 2007-2008 season Blatche continued showing improvement, and with center Etan Thomas out with a season-ending heart condition, his minutes increased. Forty-eight games into the season, he holds averages of 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.6 blocks in just under twenty minutes per game.

[edit] Personal life

In September 2005, three months after the Wizards selected him with the 49th overall pick in the NBA draft Blatche was shot in an attempted carjacking that took place early one morning near his home in Alexandria. The bullet pierced his chest and arm, and he appeared in only 29 games as a rookie.

On August 2, 2007, Blatche was charged with sexual solicitation in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. after allegedly soliciting sex from an undercover police officer. The solicitation charge was dropped after Blatche followed court orders and attended a day-long seminar for men who solicit prostitutes. [1][3]

Blatche was arrested on June 4, 2008, in Virginia on charges of reckless driving and driving on a suspended license for the third time. Blatche was going 86 mph in a 70 mph zone in a Mercedes on Interstate 85. He was released on bond. [4]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Wizards re-sign forward Blatche to multiyear deal, published August 20, 2007
  2. ^ Wizards Re-Sign Forward Andray Blatche, August 17, 2007
  3. ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/basketball/nba/08/02/blatche.arrest.ap/
  4. ^ Wizards' Blatche Arrested

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Washington Wizards current roster

1 Young | 2 Stevenson | 3 Butler | 4 Jamison | 5 McGuire | 6 Daniels | 8 Mason | 9 Songaila | 14 Pecherov | 32 Blatche | 33 Haywood | 36 Thomas | Coach Jordan
v • d • e
2005 NBA Draft
Draft Templates
83 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 89 • 90 • 91 • 92 • 93 • 94 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 • 99 • 00 • 01 • 02 • 03 • 04 • 05 • 06 • 07 • 08
This biographical article relating to a U.S. basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 1980s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Languages