Kenny Anderson
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| Position | Point guard |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 168 lb (76 kg) |
| Born | October 9, 1970 Queens, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Archbishop Molloy |
| College | Georgia Tech |
| Draft | 2nd overall, 1991 New Jersey Nets |
| Pro career | 1991–2006 |
| Former teams | New Jersey Nets (1991–1996) Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets (1996, 2003) Portland Trail Blazers (1996–1998) Boston Celtics (1998–2002) Seattle Supersonics (2002–2003) Indiana Pacers (2003–2004) Atlanta Hawks (2004–2005) Los Angeles Clippers (2005) BC Žalgiris (2005–2006) |
| Awards | 1993-94 NBA All-Star |
Kenneth (Kenny) Anderson (born October 9, 1970 in Queens, New York) is an American basketball player who played point guard for more than a decade in the National Basketball Association.
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[edit] Early life
As a 16-year-old high school sophomore, the LeFrak City, Queens[1] native who attended academic and athletic powerhouse Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood, was considered one of the best basketball prospects in America.[2] By the end of his high school career, he was a three-time Parade All-American, a feat not accomplished since Lew Alcindor and the first player to be named All-City four times. In addition, he was a McDonald's All-American, Gatorade's high school player of the year and player of the year by the New York State Sportswriters Association, and was named Mr. Basketball by the New York State Coaches Organization.[3] Despite his coach, Jack Curran, benching him for the first quarter of all of his games during his freshman year at Molloy, Anderson set the all-time state record for scoring in New York, with 2,621 points. This record would stand for 18 years.
[edit] On to Georgia Tech
After a long recruiting process, the hotly pursued Anderson signed a letter of intent in November 1988 to play at Georgia Tech, selecting the upstart Yellow Jackets over national powers North Carolina, Duke and Syracuse.[4]
Becoming the team's starting point guard almost immediately, Anderson played two years for Georgia Tech, helping lead his team to the Final Four in 1990 along with swingmen Dennis Scott and Brian Oliver, who were nicknamed "Lethal Weapon 3." It was Anderson's shot at the end of regulation during the Round of 16 that forced overtime versus favored Michigan State, with the Yellow Jackets pulling away. Georgia Tech's tournament run would end versus eventual champion UNLV in the Final Four.
With Scott and Oliver gone after that season, Anderson was left to carry a young Georgia Tech team on his back, averaging nearly 26 points a game, but the team could only secure a #8 seed for the NCAA Tournament, losing in the second round to Ohio State. Soon after, Anderson announced that he would forego his last two years of eligibility to enter the NBA Draft.
He played for the US national team in the 1990 FIBA World Championship, winning the bronze medal.[5]
[edit] The NBA
Anderson was selected by the New Jersey Nets with the second pick in the 1991 NBA Draft. He was the youngest player in the league at that time. He failed to make an impact during his rookie campaign in 1991-92, averaging only seven points, two rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. However, in Anderson's second season he broke out, more than doubling his point, rebound and assist averages. In his 3rd season, he averaged 18.8 ppg and 9.6 apg. Anderson and his Nets' teammate, Derrick Coleman, both represented the East squad in the 1994 NBA All-Star Game. He played solidly (albeit with a tendency to be injury-prone) for the next 3.5 seasons before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets in 1996.
Throughout his career Anderson has played for the Hornets (including both Charlotte and New Orleans franchises), Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics and the Indiana Pacers, and split a season for the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers.
In 1998, Portland traded Anderson to the Toronto Raptors for Damon Stoudamire, but he refused to report to the Raptors because he did not want to play in Canada. Without playing a single game for them, Anderson forced the Raptors' hand and they traded him to the Celtics for Chauncey Billups.
Anderson was released from Lithuania's Zalgiris Kaunas after the 2005-06 season.
[edit] Legal trouble
Anderson has experienced off-court problems as well. As a result of a divorce from his ex-wife, former The Real World: Los Angeles cast member Tami Akbar Anderson (due to infidelity), she acquired a sizeable portion of his assets. She had a license plate custom-made to mark her victory with the phrase "HISCASH."[6]
He has a daughter Christenese (born 1992) with DJ Spinderella of band Salt 'N Pepa.[7]
Christenese (or Christy) is now 16 years old and attends a high school in North Hills, CA.
[edit] After the NBA
Noted on The Jim Rome Show Anderson was named as the new coach of the CBA's Atlanta Krunk.[8] The team is owned by Freedom Williams of C+C Music Factory.
In 2008, Anderson made a TV appearance on Pro's vs Joe's.
[edit] References
- ^ Youtube interview
- ^ Players: coping with stardom at 16
- ^ Village voice: The city game
- ^ Blue Blood book excerpt at SI.com
- ^ 1990 USA Basketball
- ^ sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/sixtyminutes/stories/2003_08_17/story_933.asp. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
- ^ Kenny Anderson's Wife Files For Divoce
- ^ ESPN Radio, June 21, 2007
[edit] External links
- NBA.com biography
- Kenny Anderson Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com
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