Raef LaFrentz

Raef LaFrentz Andrew (* May 29, 1976 in Hampton, Iowa, United States ) is a retired American professional basketball player. The 2.11 meter tall LaFrentz played mostly power forward, but could also play center.

Career

LaFrentz was an outstanding high school and college player who managed the rare feat at the University of Kansas, to achieve both more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in four years in his youth. He was particularly captivated with his shot blocking and his excellent cast, with which he could certainly also score from beyond the three-point line.

In NBA Draft 1998 LaFrentz was committed by the Denver Nuggets at position 3, immediately became the launching center and scored per game 14 points and 7 rebounds per game until he was in his 12th game tore the Achilles tendon and the rest of the season turned out. LaFrentz but returned back well and kept this 14/7-Niveau the next four years until he was lure in 2002 for a lucrative six- year contract for nearly $ 60 million to the Dallas Mavericks. On the side of Dirk Nowitzki LaFrentz reached the playoffs, where they failed twice rather unhappy. 2004 LaFrentz was passed despite two good years to the Boston Celtics, because the Mavericks in exchange Celtics star Antoine Walker received. In the team of Boston LaFrentz but suffered a serious knee injury that almost cost him the entire season. Again he managed the comeback, and LaFrentz lived to see two ordinary years with the Celtics. There he was transferred to the Portland Trail Blazers and suffered again a serious knee injury. This time LaFrentz was not more of it healing. Coach Nate McMillan had no more use for the slowly become, almost disembodied gambling because of his injuries LaFrentz and banished him mostly on the substitutes' bench. Most recently, he was only an average of seven minutes per game for use.

National team career

2002 LaFrentz was part of the U.S. team, which finished at the 2002 World Basketball Championship in their own country as a top favorite just a very disappointing 6th place.

Private life

LaFrentz comes from a basketball family. His father Andrew was an amateur basketball player and coach at Northern Iowa, which his daughter and his sister Ann Raefs gleichtat. In addition LaFrentz chose his longtime jersey number 45, because his father had worn before.

LaFrentz is sometimes asked about his unusual name " Raef ". His parents gave according to his nba.com page this name after the boy " Rafe Copeley " from the movie Home from the Hill.