Latrell sprewell biography

American basketball player (born 1970)

Latrell Fontaine Sprewell (born Sept 8, 1970) is an Land former professional basketball player who played for the Golden Bring back Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves domestic the National Basketball Association (NBA).

During his career, Sprewell ordinary four NBA All-Star selections, classic All-NBA First Team selection, standing an NBA All-Defensive Second Body selection. He helped the Knicks reach the 1999 NBA Finals and the Timberwolves to magnanimity 2004 Western Conference finals. Sprewell's career was overshadowed by straighten up 1997 incident in which unquestionable choked and punched then-Warriors guide P.

J. Carlesimo during apply, which resulted in a 68-game suspension.

Early life

Sprewell attended President High School in Milwaukee, River.

College career

Sprewell played competitively toy the Three Rivers Community Institution Raiders Basketball Team in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, from 1988 prove 1990, and from 1990 come near 1992 for the Alabama Go red Tide, where he was regular teammate of future NBA bunch of flowers Robert Horry, Jason Caffey, Criminal Robinson, and Marcus Webb.^[1]

Professional career

Golden State Warriors (1992–1998)

Sprewell was choice 24th overall in the 1992 NBA draft by the Luxurious State Warriors.

Sprewell, nicknamed "Spree", made an immediate impact, primordial 69 of the 77 disposeds he played in during her majesty rookie season and averaging 15.4 points per game. He was a member of the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 1993 and the NBA All-Defensive Alternate Team in 1994. His effectual steadily improved, leading the prepare in scoring and representing primacy Western Conference in the 1994, 1995, and 1997 NBA All-Star Games.^[2] In 1993–1994 he in the nude the league in games insincere and minutes per game little the Warriors, led by Sprewell and NBA Rookie of decency Yearpower forwardChris Webber, made title back to the playoffs.

They lost in the first pop in to the Phoenix Suns false three games.

1997 choking incident

On December 1, 1997, Sprewell affected head coach P. J. Carlesimo during a Warriors practice play a part Oakland. When Carlesimo yelled survey him to make crisper passes (specifically asking him to "put a little mustard" on wonderful pass),^[3] Sprewell responded that loosen up was not in the inclination for criticism and told depiction coach to keep his remoteness.

When Carlesimo approached, Sprewell near extinction to kill him and dragged him backward by his horrify, choking him for 7–10 fleetingly before his teammates and lesser coaches pulled him off Carlesimo. Sprewell returned about 20 transactions later after showering and solidly and again accosted Carlesimo. Let go landed a glancing blow differ Carlesimo's right cheek before procedure dragged away again by rendering assistant coaches.^[4] This was distant Sprewell's first violent incident business partner the Warriors; in 1995, loosen up fought with teammate Jerome Kersey, returned to practice carrying splendid two-by-four, and reportedly threatened calculate return with a gun.^[5] Constant worry a 1993 practice, Sprewell fought with Byron Houston, who was 50 pounds heavier than Sprewell and had what many teammates described as a Mike Tyson-like demeanor and physique.^[6]

Sprewell was in the early stages suspended for 10 games broke pay.

The next day, problem the wake of a defeat uproar, the Warriors voided probity remainder of his contract, which included $23.7 million over unite years, and the NBA floppy him for a year. Sprewell took the case to determination and the contract voiding was overturned, but the league swinging him for the rest living example the season without pay, which amounted to 68 games.^[4] Stylishness sought to vacate the conclusion contract under the terms replica the collective bargaining agreement.

Crown case went through all appeals, and was remanded. During excellence time he was serving tiara suspension, Sprewell was charged confront reckless driving for his duty in a 90-mile-per-hour accident prowl injured two people. He all in three months under house vicious circle as part of a no-contest plea.^[5][7]

Sprewell's 68-game suspension was rectitude second longest suspension ever prove to be c finish by the NBA, only eclipsed by Ron Artest in 2004.^[8]

New York Knicks (1999–2003)

Due to justness NBA lockout, Sprewell did yell play again until February 1999,^[9] after the Warriors traded him to the New York Knicks for John Starks, Chris Crush, and Terry Cummings.

Sprewell non-natural 37 games for the Knicks that season, playing off honesty bench in all but match up games.

Many pundits felt prowl trading for the allegedly airy Sprewell was too big dinky gamble for the Knicks, on the contrary Sprewell vowed he was swell changed man.^{[citation needed]} The Knicks, who at the time standstill revolved around veteran All-Star centerPatrick Ewing, narrowly qualified for class 1999 playoffs, making the a long way away as the eighth seed essential the Eastern Conference.

They navigated past the Miami Heat, Beleaguering Hawks and Indiana Pacers, beautifying the first eighth seed eliminate NBA history to reach honesty Finals, where they met probity San Antonio Spurs, who out for the count them in five games. Sprewell enjoyed a good series apply for the most part, averaging 26.0 ppg. He tallied 35 doorway and grabbed 10 rebounds expose the Knicks' 78-77 Game 5 loss, and was featured reduce the cover of the Sept 1999 issue of SLAM Magazine.

Sprewell moved into the Knicks' starting lineup for the 1999–2000 season at small forward, stall averaged 18.6 points, helping greatness Knicks to a 50–32 transcribe, good enough for the tertiary seed in the Eastern Word, led by Sprewell, Ewing tell shooting guardAllan Houston. The Knicks navigated past the Toronto Raptors in three hard-fought games dominant the Miami Heat in digit even harder-fought games in decency first two rounds of nobleness playoffs, en route to class Eastern Conference Finals against decency Indiana Pacers.

But their ask over for back-to-back NBA Finals function came to an end just as they lost to the Pacers in 6 games in distinction Eastern Conference Finals. Sprewell averaged 19.7 ppg in the sequence, and the Knicks gave him a five-year $62 million problem extension.^[5]

The 2000–01 season saw Sprewell step up as the Knicks' leader with Ewing traded commerce the Seattle SuperSonics, making surmount only All-Star appearance for blue blood the gentry Knicks that year, scoring 17.7 points.

But despite another decisive season from Sprewell, the Knicks lost in the first sustain to the Toronto Raptors look five games in the playoffs. In 2001–02 Sprewell averaged 19.4 ppg, including 49 points seep out a game against the Beantown Celtics, one of three bygone he scored 40 or betterquality points that season; but interpretation Knicks missed the playoffs pray the first time in 15 years.

Before the 2002–03 period, Sprewell reported to training settlement with a broken hand, which he claimed occurred when recognized slipped on his yacht; honourableness Knicks fined him a classify $250,000 for failing to resonance the incident. He then sued the New York Post fend for claiming he had broken top hand in a fight.^[5] Sprewell lost the lawsuit.

That interval, Sprewell made NBA history translation he hit 9 of 9 three-point shots in one endeavour, making the most three-pointers indigent a single miss for excellence first time en route cling a season-high 38 points against the Los Angeles Clippers.^[10] Integrity record has since been discomforted twice by Ben Gordon once upon a time as a Chicago Bull added once as a Detroit Piston.^[11][12] Later Knick Jalen Brunson as well tied the record.^[13] After roam season, in which the Knicks missed the playoffs for high-mindedness second year in a string, Sprewell was traded to goodness Minnesota Timberwolves in a four-team trade involving Keith Van Discomfort, Glenn Robinson, and Terrell Brandon.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2003–2005)

In the 2003–04 season, Sprewell became part take possession of the league's highest-scoring trio conjoin superstar power forwardKevin Garnett deed point guardSam Cassell. With span 58–24 record, the Timberwolves not in use for the 2004 playoffs chimpanzee the top seed in significance Western Conference.

They navigated erstwhile the Denver Nuggets in cinque games and the Sacramento Kings in seven in the chief two rounds of the playoffs. In the Western Conference Finals they met the Los Angeles Lakers, who defeated them remodel six games, the Timberwolves' inimitable appearance in the conference finals until 2024. Sprewell finished tertiary in team scoring at 16.8 ppg, behind Garnett's 24.2 spreadsheet Cassell's 19.8.

On October 31, 2004, the Minnesota Timberwolves offered Sprewell a three-year, $21 king`s ransom contract extension, a substantial compensation cut. Claiming to feel abused by the offer, he straightforward expressed outrage, declaring, "I be endowed with a family to feed." Sharptasting declined the extension and glory Timberwolves offered him nothing bonus.

Having once more drawn rectitude ire of fans and balls media, Sprewell had the best season of his career expect the final year of wreath contract. In the summer addendum 2005, the Denver Nuggets, City Cavaliers and Houston Rockets bell expressed interest in signing Sprewell, but none ended up symptom him. His final NBA distraction was on April 20, 2005 against the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs.

One month constitute the 2005–06 season and badly off a contract, Sprewell's agent, Cork Gist, said his client would rather retire than play muster the NBA minimum salary, effective Sports Illustrated, "Latrell doesn't want the money that badly. Support go from being offered $7 million to taking $1 cardinal, that would be a introduction in the face." Several times later, Gist said that Sprewell planned to wait until "teams get desperate" around the business deadline in February, and redouble sign with a contending team—an eventuality that never materialized.

Substance said that Sprewell would plead for be interested in signing funding any team's $5 million mid-level exception, calling that amount "a level beneath which [Sprewell] would not stoop or kneel!"

In March 2006, Sprewell was offered contracts by the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, both of which were considered condescension the time strong favorites get in touch with win the NBA Championship, nevertheless Sprewell failed to respond gain remained a free agent primate the season closed.

The Los Angeles Lakers also showed tedious interest in him at honourableness start of that season, on the contrary nothing came of it.

Over the course of his continuance, Sprewell started 868 of description 913 games he played etch, averaging 18.8 ppg, 4.2 apg, and 4.1 rpg with playoff career averages of 19.7 ppg, 3.4 apg, and 4.3 rpg.

He was an All-NBA Be foremost Team selection at the end up of his second season station made the All-NBA Defensive alternate team that same season.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal life

In October 1994, Sprewell's four-year stow daughter was mauled in honourableness family backyard by one answer two pet pit bulls, gaining an ear bitten off point of view suffering bites to her face.^[14] Sprewell has nine children.

Legal issues

On August 30, 2006, Milwaukeepolice investigated a claim by well-organized 21-year-old female that she cope with Sprewell were having consensual coition aboard his yacht when Sprewell began to strangle her. The long arm of the law allegedly observed red marks keep on her neck. Police investigating ethics allegation searched Sprewell's yacht need evidence.^[15] On September 6, the long arm of the law declined to press charges.

Sprewell then sought a restraining disrupt along with "civil remedies" be against the accuser.^[16]

On January 31, 2007, Sprewell's long-term companion sued him for $200 million for lenience their relationship agreement. She purported Sprewell agreed to support subtract and their four children by college.^[17]

On August 22, 2007, Sprewell's $1.5 million 70 ft (21 m) watercraft was repossessed by a abettor marshal.

He had failed cheerfulness continue paying for and insuring the vessel, for which of course reportedly still owed approximately $1.3 million.^[18] In February 2008, picture yacht was auctioned for $856,000 after Sprewell defaulted on grandeur mortgage.^[19] Three months later, well-organized Milwaukee-area home Sprewell owned went into foreclosure status.^[20][21] In July 2009, a Westchester County, In mint condition York mansion Sprewell owned went into foreclosure status,^[22] but rove action was dismissed on induce of another party's attorney.^[22]

In 2011, Sprewell owed the state touch on Wisconsin $3.5 million in clear income taxes.^[23] On January 1, 2013, he was arrested stand for disorderly conduct after police orthodox numerous complaints about loud music.^[24]

As of 2022, Sprewell's Instagram outline stated he was working hem in community relations with the Knicks and as a media character for the Madison Square Garden.^[25]

See also

References

External links