Raef LaFrentz

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Raef LaFrentz
Power forward / center
Number45, 9
Coaching career2019–present
Career history
As player:
1998–2002Denver Nuggets
2002–2003Dallas Mavericks
2003–2006Boston Celtics
2006–2009Portland Trail Blazers
As coach:
2019–presentDecorah HS (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points
5,690 (10.1 ppg)
Rebounds3,423 (6.1 rpg)
Blocks919 (1.6 bpg)
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com

Raef Andrew LaFrentz (born May 29, 1976) is an American former professional

power forward and center who played for the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, and Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born and raised in Iowa, LaFrentz attended the University of Kansas and was drafted in 1998 by the Denver Nuggets. He was known for his perimeter shooting and his shot blocking abilities. In 2019–20[1] LaFrentz became an assistant basketball coach at Decorah High School in Decorah, Iowa.[2]

Career

High school

Raef LaFrentz attended MFL MarMac High School located in

McDonald's All-American
.

During the summer before his freshman year at the University of Kansas, LaFrentz was selected to the 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival North Team and averaged 11.8 ppg. and 6.8 rpg.

College

LaFrentz played basketball at Kansas, finishing in 1998. He played with future NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce and journeyman Scot Pollard while at Kansas. The 1996–97 team finished the season ranked #1 in the country, but lost to Arizona (led by future NBA stars Jason Terry and Mike Bibby) in the Regional Semifinal. He was a four-year starter and an All-American in his junior and senior seasons. He joined Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal as the only players in the 1990s to earn first team AP All-America honors twice.

Compiling career averages of 15.8 ppg and 9.1 rpg while shooting 55.5 percent from the floor overall, he concluded his career ranked second all-time at Kansas in points with 2,066 and rebounds with 1,186, and left trailing only Danny Manning in both categories.

Accumulating a record of 123–17 (87.9 winning percentage) over his four seasons, he was part of a senior class that won more games over a four-year period than any class in KU history.

Named by the A.P. in 1997 and 1998 the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, he was also tabbed All-Big 12 Conference first team by both the media and coaches his final two seasons.

LaFrentz became the first KU player in 27 years to average a double-double over an entire season when he posted 19.8 ppg and 11.4 rpg averages as a senior in 1997–98, leading the Jayhawks to a 35–4 record.

NBA

The third overall pick by the

NBA All-Star Weekend that LaFrentz was on the receiving end of Jason Williams
' legendary "elbow pass". LaFrentz was unable to score on the play due to being fouled. In his third year (2000–01), he started 74 of the 78 games he played in and averaged 12.9 ppg., while ranking seventh in the league in blocks at 2.6 bpg., tied for 25th in rebounding with a 7.8 rpg. average, and tied for 27th in field goal percentage (career high .477).

Between November 2001 and February 2002, LaFrentz had a historical run in which he totaled at least five 3-pointers and five blocked shots in four separate games (in a span of just three months); up to that point, it had only occurred four times total in NBA history, and no one had done it more than once. He remains the all-time leader in league history in reaching that milestone.

Kristaps Porzingis is second with three such games in his career, each with a different team.[3]

LaFrentz was traded by the Nuggets with

2002 first-round
pick on February 21, 2002. He finished the 2001–02 season second in the NBA in blocked shots per game.

LaFrentz played for the US national team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship.[4]

The Celtics acquired LaFrentz from the Dallas Mavericks, along with Chris Mills, Jiri Welsch and a first-round draft choice, in exchange for Tony Delk and Antoine Walker on October 20, 2003.

On November 13, 2005, LaFrentz became the first NBA player to have a perfect 7–7 three point shooting half.[5][6] This feat would be tied by 10 other NBA players before it was eclipsed by Jalen Brunson with an 8–8 half on December 15, 2023.[7] On June 28, 2006, the Boston Celtics traded LaFrentz, guard Dan Dickau, and the number seven pick in the 2006 NBA draft to the Portland Trail Blazers for center Theo Ratliff and guard Sebastian Telfair.[8] The number 7 pick (Randy Foye) was later traded by the Blazers for the number 6 pick (Brandon Roy) in a draft day trade.

Career highlights and awards

College
NBA
NBA records
  • Most
    NBA All-Star Weekend Rookie Challenge
    Game
  • Most
    NBA All-Star Weekend Rookie Challenge
    history

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 *  Led the league

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1998–99 Denver 12 12 32.3 .457 .387 .750 7.6 .7 .8 1.4 13.8
1999–00 Denver 81 80 30.1 .446 .328 .686 7.9 1.2 .5 2.2 12.4
2000–01 Denver 78 74 31.5 .477 .367 .698 7.8 1.4 .5 2.6 12.9
2001–02 Denver 51 51 32.7 .466 .434 .667 7.4 1.2 .6 3.0 14.9
2001–02 Dallas 27 25 29.1 .437 .305 .761 7.4 1.1 .9 2.2 10.8
2002–03 Dallas 69 43 23.3 .518 .405 .682 4.8 .8 .5 1.3 9.3
2003–04 Boston 17 1 19.3 .460 .200 .769 4.6 1.4 .5 .8 7.8
2004–05 Boston 80 80 27.5 .496 .364 .811 6.9 1.2 .5 1.2 11.1
2005–06 Boston 82* 63 24.8 .431 .392 .680 5.0 1.4 .4 .9 7.8
2006–07 Portland 27 9 13.0 .382 .087 .769 2.6 .3 .3 .4 3.7
2007–08 Portland 39 0 7.5 .443 .000 .579 1.7 .2 .3 .4 1.7
Career 563 438 25.8 .466 .363 .711 6.1 1.1 .5 1.6 10.1

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2002
 Dallas 8 8 30.6 .500 .333 .545 7.6 .6 .3 2.8 11.3
2003
 Dallas 20 16 24.6 .433 .200 .842 4.4 .3 .6 2.2 8.0
2005
 Boston 7 7 26.4 .390 .500 .800 4.9 1.1 .9 1.7 6.9
Career 35 31 26.3 .446 .297 .750 5.2 .5 .5 2.2 8.5

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1994–95 Kansas 31 31 23.6 .534 .400 .637 9.7 7.5 .5 .3 11.4
1995–96 Kansas 34 34 27.0 .543 .286 .661 8.2 .4 .9 .8 13.4
1996–97 Kansas 36 36 28.9 .584 .167 .761 9.3 .7 .9 1.3 18.5
1997–98 Kansas 30 30 30.2 .548 .471 .738 11.4 1.0 .9 1.5 19.8
Career 131 131 27.5 .555 .371 .712 9.1 0.7 0.7 1.1 15.8

See also

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

References

  1. ^ "With help from Raef LaFrentz, Decorah boys' basketball enjoys breakthrough season". www.thegazette.com. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  2. ^ "Raef LaFrentz Bio [2021 Update] | Family, Wife, Stats & Net Worth". Players Bio. May 30, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  3. ^ "List of NBA Players with 5 3's and 5 Blocks in a Single Game". StatMuse. March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  4. ^ 2002 USA Basketball Archived July 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "LaFrentz powers Celtics' win vs. Rockets". ESPN. November 13, 2005. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  6. ^ Lopez, Andrew (November 30, 2021). "Jonas Valanciunas goes 7-for-7 from 3 in first half, scores career-high 39 as Pelicans beat Clippers again". ESPN. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  7. ^ "Brunson sets records from deep, drops career-high 50 in Knicks' win". ESPN. December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  8. ^ Raef LaFrentz NBA Basketball at CBSSports.com

External links

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