Thursday, May 10, 2012

Who is Karl Anthony Malone?

Who is Karl Anthony Malone? The basketball world knows Malone as "The Mailman". Malone is a retired American professional basketball power forward who spent the majority of his career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Malone spent his first 18 seasons (1985–2003) with the Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate John Stockton. He played his final season (2003–04) with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Malone grew up in rural Summerfield, Louisiana and played college basketball at Louisiana Tech University. In his three seasons with Louisiana Tech, he helped the Bulldogs basketball team to its first-ever NCAA tournament in 1984 and to first place in the Southland Conference in 1985. The Jazz drafted Malone in 1985 with the 13th overall pick in the first round.
Having scored 36,298 points in his career, the second most career points in NBA history, and holding the record for most free throws both attempted and made, Malone is generally considered one of the greatest NBA power forwards.[1] In 1997 and 1999, Malone won the NBA Most Valuable Player award. Malone appeared in the playoffs every season in his career, including three NBA Finals: in 1997 and 1998 with the Jazz and in 2004 with the Lakers. Internationally, Malone competed with the United States national team in the Summer Olympic games of 1992 and 1996; in both years he won gold medals. After retiring from the NBA, Malone joined the staff of the Louisiana Tech basketball team in 2007 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Early life and college


Malone was born July 24, 1963 in Summerfield, Louisiana,[1] Malone was the youngest boy of nine children and during his childhood lived in a farm with his single mother Shirley. His father Shedrick Hay was raising a family with another woman he married and committed suicide when Karl Malone was 14; Malone first disclosed that suicide in 1994. As a child, Malone often worked at the farm and chopped trees, hunted, and fished. He attended the local Summerfield high School and led its basketball team to three consecutive Louisiana Class C titles from 1979 to his senior season in 1981. Although recruited by University of Arkansas basketball coach Eddie Sutton, Malone enrolled at Louisiana Tech University, which was closer to home. He joined the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketball team in his second year because his grades were too low for freshman eligibility; Malone played under coach Andy Russo.[2] In his second season with Louisiana Tech (1983-1984), Malone averaged 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.[2][3] Louisiana Tech would finish the 1984-1985 season 29-3, at the top of the Southland Conference, and advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history; the team finished at the Sweet 16 round.[4] In each of his three seasons with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Malone was an All-Southland selection.[2]

NBA career

Early years (1985-1987)

In the 1985 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz chose Karl Malone with the 13th overall pick. According to Malone's official NBA biography: "If professional scouts had correctly predicted the impact Karl Malone would have on the NBA, Malone would have been picked much higher than 13th in the 1985 NBA Draft."[5] Under head coach Frank Layden, Malone averaged 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds in his first season and made the 1986 NBA All-Rookie Team after coming in third for Rookie of the Year votes.[5] On January 14, 1986, the Jazz beat the Houston Rockets 105-102 to snap the Rockets' 20-game winning streak. Malone scored 29 points that game, including four free throws followed by a three-pointer by Pace Mannion to rally from a 96-89 deficit with 5 minutes and 36 seconds remaining to a 96-96 tie.[6] For the third consecutive season, the Jazz made the postseason but lost the first round of the 1986 playoffs to the Dallas Mavericks. In the four playoff games, Malone improved in his scoring with a 20 points per game average but was still subpar in shooting (49.6% field goals) and rebounds (8.9). After his second season, Malone became the Jazz' leader in average scoring (21.7 points) and rebounding (10.4 rebounds); in 24 of 29 games between February 1 and April 3, 1987, he was the leading scorer of the game.[5]

All-Star, a new coach, and team offense leader (1987-1996)

By the 1987–88 season, Malone was the foundation of the offense and John Stockton was the floor general. Malone made his first All-Star Game in 1988 on the strength of 27.1 points per game, and made his first All-NBA team at the end of the season. This was the first of 14 consecutive All-Star appearances for Malone.[5] In the 1988 NBA All-Star Game, Malone led the Western Conference All-Star team with 22 points.[7] The Jazz finished 47–35, third place in the Midwest Division, and defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.[8] In the next round, the defending champions Los Angeles Lakers, led by perennial All-Stars Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, defeated the Jazz in seven games. In the seventh game of the series, Malone scored 31 points and made 15 rebounds, but the Lakers beat the Jazz 109-98 and would eventually win the 1988 NBA Finals. In 11 playoff games in 1988, Malone averaged 29.7 points and 11.8 rebounds.[5]
Malone signed a 10-year contract during the 1988 offseason worth $18 million.[7] In December 1988, Jerry Sloan succeeded Layden as head coach as Layden became team president.[9] Malone averaged 29.1 points in 1988-89, good for second in the NBA behind Michael Jordan, and 10.7 rebounds, which was fifth in the league.[10] This scoring average was Malone's highest so far in his career. At the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, Malone finished with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists en route to his first All-Star MVP. The Jazz finished 51–31, but were swept in three games in the first round by the Golden State Warriors. This season marked Malone's first with the All-NBA First Team honor.[5]
Malone, in 1989-90, increased his scoring to 31 points and his rebounding to 11.1 a game and again was selected to the All-NBA First Team and would continue to be selected every year until 1999.[5] On January 27, 1990, Malone scored a career-high 61 points in a 144-96 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.[11] He made 21 of 26 field goals and 19 of 23 free throws.[12] It was the most points scored by a Jazz player since the team moved to Utah from New Orleans. Although Malone was voted to the NBA All-Star Game for the third consecutive season, because of an ankle injury he sat out the game. He led the team in scoring in 24 of the last 26 games of the season; on March 29, 1990 against the Golden State Warriors, Malone scored 49 points, and on April 12 against the Lakers he scored 45. The Jazz, finishing the season 55-27, lost to the Phoenix Suns within five games in the first round of the playoffs, in which Malone averaged 25.2 points and 10.2 rebounds. For the second straight season, Malone finished second in the league in points per game behind Michael Jordan.[5]
Through this time, Malone continued to put up stellar numbers, averaging 28/11.2, 27/11.2, 25.2/11.5, 26.7/10.6 and 25.7/9.8 from 1992 to 1996. The Jazz only made it as far as the Western Conference Finals in this period, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers (1992), the Houston Rockets (1994) and the Seattle SuperSonics (1996).

Western Conference championship years (1996-1998)

Malone returned from a gold medal winning-effort at the 1996 Summer Olympics leading the Jazz to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances. During the 1996-97 season, Malone put up a resurgent 27.4 points per game while leading the Jazz to a 64–18 record, the most regular season wins in team history. Malone won his first NBA Most Valuable Player award, and the Jazz were the top team in the Western Conference and the playoff champions in that conference.[2][13] After sweeping the Los Angeles Clippers and defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz took on the Houston Rockets, led by the aging trio of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Clyde Drexler. The Jazz beat them in six games (the last victory coming on a last-second shot by Stockton). Malone finally got to the Finals in 1997, where they played the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. In a matchup of the two previous MVPs, the Bulls took the first two games at the United Center. Malone struggled from the field, going 6 of 20 for 20 points in Game Two. However the Jazz won the next two games at the Delta Center behind Malone's 37 points in Game 3 and 23 in Game 4, including a game-winning fastbreak lay-up off a spectacular assist by Stockton in the last minute. The Bulls took the next two games and the series, with Malone struggling from the foul line in the pivotal Game 6.
The next season saw the Jazz once again dominate. Malone put up 27 points per game and just missed out on his second MVP award, losing to Jordan. Nevertheless, the Jazz posted a 62–20 record, which was the best in the NBA. The Jazz once again were seated at the top of the Western Conference, and in the 1998 playoffs they defeated the Rockets, Spurs, and Lakers (via a sweep) en route to their second consecutive Finals appearance. The rematch with the Chicago Bulls would start differently, as Malone put up 21 points and the Jazz won Game 1, 88–85. Malone found himself unable to put up consistently high numbers, due in large part to the swarming defense of defenders Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen. In Game 5 of the 1998 Finals, Malone led the Jazz in scoring with 39 points, and the Jazz beat the Bulls 83-81 in Chicago. Malone scored his 39 points on 17-for-27 shooting and also made nine rebounds, five assists, and one turnover. Many of his shots were "mid-range turnaround jumpers from the left side."[14]
A sixth game of the Finals was held at the Jazz' home court, the Delta Center at Salt Lake City, and by trailing the series 3-2 the team was one loss away from losing the series.[15] Malone scored 31 points and made 11 rebounds. Although the Jazz held leads of 49-45 by halftime and 66-61 after the third quarter, the team squandered their lead in the fourth and would lose after Malone lost a pass in the post.[16] With 18.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Jazz leading 86-85, Bulls guard/forward Michael Jordan stole the ball just passed to Malone and with 5.2 seconds left made a jump shot that gave the Bulls an 87-86 lead. John Stockton missed a potential game-winning jump shot. Jordan's shot has been dubbed as the "greatest feat" in his career, and the Bulls' 1998 title was their third consecutive championship and sixth since 1991.[17]

Later seasons with Jazz (1998-2003)

In the lockout-shortened 1999 season, Malone won his second MVP award and the Jazz went 37–13. They lost in the second round to the Trail Blazers, and for the next several years the Jazz fell out of title contention. Despite the decline of his team and his advancing age, Malone averaged 25.5, 23.2, 22.4, and 20.6 points per game in his last four seasons with Utah. In the 2002–2003 season, Malone passed Wilt Chamberlain for second on the all-time scoring list with 36,374 points. He became a free agent in 2003, after which Stockton had retired. For the time Malone and reserve point guard John Stockton played together on the Jazz (1984-2003), the two formed one of the most productive guard–forward combinations in NBA history. Playing coach Jerry Sloan's scrappy and tough style and perfecting the pick and roll to a maximum degree of efficiency, the Jazz regularly made the playoffs with a winning record. Malone led the Jazz to multiple 50-win seasons with the exception of 1992–93 (47–35).

Final season with Lakers (2003-2004)

Malone played in the NBA for one more season, joining the Los Angeles Lakers in an attempt to win a championship, the only major achievement absent in his career. His bid failed as the Lakers were defeated in five games by the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Malone sprained his right knee and played injured for four games in the Finals before missing Game Five, with the Lakers down 3–1 and the series almost over. The Jazz retired his number 32 jersey in his honor.

  Free agency and retirement (2004-2005)

After his season with the Lakers, Malone became a free agent. He had knee surgery during the summer of 2004, and personal problems with Lakers guard Kobe Bryant prompted Malone not to return for another season with the team. The New York Knicks sought to sign Malone for 2004–05.[18] In early February 2005, prior to the 2005 NBA All-Star Game, Malone's agent speculated that Malone would sign with the San Antonio Spurs.[19] At a press conference on February 13, 2005 at the Delta Center, the arena of the Utah Jazz, Malone officially announced his retirement from the NBA after 19 seasons.[20]

International career

Olympic medal record
Men's Basketball
Competitor for  United States
Gold 1992 Barcelona National team
Gold 1996 Atlanta National team
In 1984, Malone and Stockton were both cut from the amateurs-only United States men's national basketball team but joined the team in 1992, when national basketball teams welcomed professionals.[21]
The Oregon National Guard made Malone an honorary member after the U.S. national team beat the Venezuelan team 127-80 in the gold-medal game of the 1992 Olympic qualifier tournament.[22]
Malone played in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics and won gold medals with the US team both years. In the 1996 Olympics, Malone averaged 8.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game and made 56.9% of two-point field goal attempts and 52.9% of free throw attempts.[23]

Post-NBA career

The Utah Jazz retired Malone's jersey number 32 on March 23, 2006, when the Jazz hosted the Washington Wizards. He was also honored with the unveiling of a bronze statue outside the EnergySolutions Arena next to teammate John Stockton, and the renaming of a portion of 100 South in Salt Lake City in his honor. The location where the statues stand is now the intersection of Stockton and Malone.[24]
On May 31, 2007, Malone became director of basketball promotion and assistant strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater Louisiana Tech University and donated $350,000 to the university athletic department.[25]

Achievements and awards

  • Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
  • Most free throws attempted and made in NBA history.
  • First all-time in defensive rebounds.
  • Second all-time on the NBA career scoring list, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
  • Both Malone and Stockton were selected to be a part of the Dream Team, the legendary 1992 U.S. Olympic basketball team that was the first to feature professional NBA players. He won Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996.
  • Won NBA Most Valuable Player Award twice (1997 and 1999).
  • Voted in 1996 to the NBA's 50 Greatest Players list.
  • Voted to 11 All-NBA first teams, two second teams and one third team.
  • Voted an All-Star 14 times. MVP of the All-Star game in 1989 and co-MVP in 1993 with Stockton.
  • Voted to three NBA All-Defensive first teams and one second team.
  • Malone was ranked #18 on Slam Magazine's Top 50 NBA Players of all time in 2009.
  • Played in 1476 games (fourth all-time), averaging 37.2 minutes, 51% shooting from the floor, 74% from the free throw line, 25.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.41 steals per game.
  • His 1,434 games played in a Jazz uniform are second most all-time (to Stockton's 1504) for games played for a single franchise in NBA history.
  • His 1,412 games played with Stockton are an all-time record for teammates in NBA history.
  • Recorded a record eleven consecutive seasons in which he scored at least 2,000 points.
  • His jersey number (#32) was retired by the Utah Jazz on March 23, 2006.
  • Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Sportsperson of the Year (1989)[26]

Player profile

Malone is regarded as one of the best power forwards in the history of the NBA and was known as "The Mailman" for his scoring skills, speed, and consistent delivery.[7] He collected two regular-season MVP Awards, eleven NBA First Team nominations and was also selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team three times.
Malone led the NBA in free throws made a league-record seven times. He was a physical defender and rebounder, and one of the most durable players ever in the NBA, missing a total of only five regular season games in his first 13 years in the league. He maintained a high level of play even at age 40, becoming the oldest player to both log a triple-double and to be a starter on an NBA Finals-bound team. Malone's work ethic showed prominently in his formative years in the NBA where he raised his free throw shooting percentage from below 50% to 75%.
Malone wore number 32 for the Utah Jazz. He wore number 11 for the Los Angeles Lakers (number 32 was retired honoring Magic Johnson, though Johnson himself offered to have it unretired for Malone to wear, an offer Malone refused) and also for the Dream Team (the players wore 4 to 15 to adhere to FIBA rules).
Over 1,476 NBA games (fourth all-time), and 1,471 starts (most all-time, never coming off the bench after his rookie season), Malone scored 36,928 points (25.0 per game), second-best all-time, on .516 shooting. His high field goal percentage benefited from three factors, namely, the pick-and-roll offense; his physical power, enabling him to overpower most forwards, and his ability to run the court, allowing him to convert fastbreak dunks and lay-ups off assists by Stockton. Malone notched 10.1 rebounds and 1.41 steals per game for his career. In addition, Malone played 1,412 games with Stockton, most all time for two players on the same team, and missed just eight games out of a possible 1,442 games during his time with the Jazz (3 because of suspension).

Notable games

  • Malone scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the 1993 NBA All-Star Game, sharing the game's MVP honors with teammate John Stockton.
  • Against the Golden State Warriors on March 29, 1994, Malone set a career high with 23 rebounds (11 offensive, 12 defensive).
  • Malone posted his first career triple-double with 27 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Los Angeles Clippers on February 2, 1996.
  • On May 11, 1997, in a playoff game against the Lakers, Malone made 18 of 18 free throws, breaking the NBA record for most free throw attempts without a miss in a single playoff game. He finished with 42 points.
  • Malone scored 50 points and added 12 rebounds in a playoff game against the Seattle SuperSonics on April 22, 2000. The 50 points set a Jazz franchise playoff record, and at 36 years of age, he became the oldest player to score 50 points or more in a playoff game.
  • On November 30, 2003, while playing with the Lakers, Malone became the oldest NBA player ever to post a triple-double (at age 40). He totaled 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in just 26 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs.
  • With his 30-point, 13-rebound performance April 25, 2004, at Houston, Malone became the oldest player in playoff history to score 30 points in a game and only the second player over age 40 to reach the 30-point mark in a postseason contest. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the first.

Personal

Family

Malone married the former Kay Kinsey, winner of the 1988 Miss Idaho USA pageant, on December 24, 1990.[27] They have four children: daughter Kaddee (born November 8, 1991),[28] daughter Kylee (born 1992), son Karl, Jr. (born 1995), and daughter Karlee (born 1998).[27] Karl Jr. is a left tackle and nose guard on the football team of Cedar Creek High School in Ruston, Louisiana.[29]
In 1998, the tabloid newspaper The Globe reported that Malone had been a defendant in paternity lawsuits, filed shortly after Malone began his professional basketball career in the late 1980s, which alleged that he was the father of three children by two women from his hometown of Summerfield, Louisiana: Demetrius Bell and twins Daryl and Cheryl Ford.[30] Malone was 17 when the Ford twins were born to Bonita Ford, who was approximately the same age. However, when 20-year-old Malone conceived Demetrius, Gloria Bell was only 13.[31] Two weeks after the 1998 NBA Finals, Malone had met with the Ford twins for the first time since visiting them in the hospital after they were born.[32] Malone did not meet with Bell at that time, and Malone's attorney insisted that Malone had settled the lawsuits prior to any conclusive establishment of paternity, and thus still did not know whether he was truly the father of any of the children.
The Tribune confirmed that the judge in the Bell lawsuit ruled Malone to be the father, not based on presented evidence, but rather because Malone did not respond to the suit. However, the paper also examined court documents detailing the evidence that was to have been presented had Malone responded and a trial ensued. One of the items listed was a laboratory blood test which concluded with over 99 percent certainty that Bell's father was either Malone or a brother of Malone. The paper also reported that applying that same blood sample to the Ford twins resulted in a similarly high probability of paternity by Malone.[33][34] According to the Tribune, Malone challenged the court's ruling with regard to Bell, claiming that the judgment holding him responsible for $125 per week in child support, plus past and future medical expenses, was excessive. Before Malone's appeal was adjudicated, the lawsuit was settled on confidential terms. In the case regarding the Ford twins, Malone was ruled to be their father when he violated a court order by refusing to reveal his assets or submit to a DNA test. Thereafter, another out-of-court settlement was reached.[33]
By the fall of 1998, Malone accepted his paternity of the Ford twins, and Kay Malone spoke publicly of the twins being members of the Malone family.[35] Since that time, Karl Malone has maintained a relationship with the twins, each of whom later played college basketball at his alma mater of Louisiana Tech University. Cheryl Ford went on to a professional basketball career with the Detroit Shock of the Women's National Basketball Association.
To date, Malone has made no public comment with regard to Bell, who is now an offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. In 2008, The Buffalo News reported that Bell's first and only meeting with Malone came shortly after Bell graduated from high school. According to Bell, Malone told him at that time that it was "too late" for them to have a father-son relationship.[36]

Politics

Malone donated $4,000 to the 2004 re-election campaign of President George W. Bush and $2,000 to the 2004 U.S. Senate campaign of Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska. In 2002, Malone donated $1,000 to the campaign of incumbent U.S. Representative Jim Matheson, a Democrat from Utah.[37] Malone appeared on the "Great American Panel" segment of the Fox News talk show Hannity in a March 2009 edition. He advocated support for farmers in Louisiana who were about to lose their jobs due to Pilgrim's Pride plants in the state closing.[38]

Outdoors life

Malone is an avid hunter and fisherman. He owns a summer home near the Kenai River in Alaska.[39] In July 1998, Malone joined his Jazz teammates Chris Morris and Bryon Russell, some family members, corporate leadership of Q-Lube, and winners of a Q-Lube contest for a four-day fishing trip to Alaska.[40]

 

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Who is Candace Nicole Parker?

Who is Candace Nicole Parker?  The sports world knows her as an All-American basketball player for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and is also the younger sister of NBA player Anthony Parker. She was drafted to the team from Tennessee in 2008. She may be best known for being the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game and the first woman to dunk twice in a college game —she set both milestones as a redshirt freshman on March 19, 2006. She also became only the second player to dunk in a WNBA game on June 22, 2008.[1][2][3]
A versatile player, she is mainly a forward, but was listed on Tennessee's roster as a forward, center, and guard.[4] She was a starter on the Lady Vols basketball team, winners of the 2007 and 2008 NCAA championships.
Parker won the 2009 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice award as the favorite female athlete in the sports category

 

Early life

Candace Parker was born on April 19, 1986 to Natasha, who currently works for the front office of the Chicago Sky, and Larry, who is in the insurance business. She has two older brothers: Anthony Parker, who is an NBA player, and Marcus, who is a doctor.[5]
She grew up in Naperville, Illinois. Her whole family loved basketball, and she began playing at an early age. Her father had played at the University of Iowa in the 1970s. The family was also huge Chicago Bulls fans. Candace was 2nd guessing about playing basketball, fearing she would not live up to the level of play her father and brother demonstrated, so she focused on playing soccer. It wasn't until the eighth grade that her family convinced her to play. Her father would help coach and critique her. Candace said of the experience, "He did things to make me mad, to challenge me, because I was so much more athletic and had so much more knowledge of the game than everyone else that sometimes I just coasted. If me and my dad went to a park and he didn't think I was practicing hard enough, he'd just get in the car and leave. And I'd have to run home. I mean run home. Once I figured that out, I'd always try to go to close-by-parks." [6]

High School

Like her older brother Anthony Parker, who is currently playing guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, she attended Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Illinois; she graduated in 2004. While she was in her sophomore year, she became the first female high-school player and only the fifth woman at any level, to dunk a basketball in a sanctioned game. "The first two times I tried it in games I failed. Embarrassing. The third time was a charm, and then cameras and reporters were everywhere--everyone wanted to talk about dunking."[7] While in high school, Parker led her basketball team to Class AA state titles in 2003 and 2004 and amassed numerous accolades.
She is the only two-time award winner of the USA Today Player of the Year, winning the award in 2003 and 2004. Parker also won the Naismith and Gatorade Awards as national basketball player of the year for each of those years. She joins Marion Jones, Greg Oden, Brandon Knight and LeBron James as the only back to back winners of the Gatorade honor. Parker was named a WBCA All-American.[8] She participated in the 2004 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored nine points.[9] In March 2004, she won the slam dunk contest at McDonald's All-American Game, and she beat a lot of the top male athletes in the country, including two first round draft picks. She also won the USA Today All-USA high school basketball team, or the USA Today Player of the Year Award.[7]
She was a consensus pick as player of the year in Illinois in 2002, 2003, and 2004. A four-year member of the All-State first team, Parker compiled a school-record 2,768 points (22.9 points per game) and 1,592 rebounds (13.2 rebounds per game), while starting 119 of the 121 games in which she played. She also became the first women's player to announce her NCAA women's basketball verbal commitment live on ESPNEWS.
The summer after her junior year in high school, Parker tore her ACL in her left knee in a summer league game. She returned in December of her senior year and went on to lead her school to its second consecutive state title.
In August 2004, the "CP-3"s, Team USA roommates Candace Parker and Courtney Paris, led the undefeated USA Junior World Championship team to a Gold medal with 16.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg and 15.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg respectively. While training, Parker had a relapse of knee pain and was required to undergo surgery in her lateral meniscus and the lateral articular cartilage in her left knee.
Late in her high school career, Ms. Parker was featured in an episode of the television show Switched.[citation needed] She traded places, for a short time, with an East Coast surfer of the same age.

College years

Parker attended the University of Tennessee. She took a medical redshirt her freshman year of college, and started for the Tennessee Lady Vols during the 2005-06 season. She would make history yet again as she would dunk twice in one game.[10] Carol Ross, head coach of the University of Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels, said this of Parker: "She's the toughest matchup in the game. On many nights, she's the best guard on the floor, the best post on the floor, the best rebounder on the floor, the best passer on the floor, and, let's not forget, the best scorer on the floor. She's got the strut of a competitor and the stuff of a champion."[10]
She was the Southeastern Conference Rookie of the Year (Coaches and AP) and helped the Lady Vols win the 2006 SEC Tournament Championship. With 17 seconds remaining in the 2006 SEC Tournament Championship Game against LSU, Parker hit the game-winning shot. She was named Tournament MVP and was named to the 2006 Kodak All-America team, making her one of the few to ever receive the award as a freshman. However, in the NCAA Tournament regional finals against North Carolina, Parker got in early foul trouble and was out of the game for much of the first half. The University of North Carolina ultimately won the game.
Parker was the only college player named to the USA squad for the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women in Brazil. The USA squad finished in third place.
On January 28, 2007, in an away game against Alabama, Parker scored her 1,000th career point as a sophomore making her the fastest player in Lady Vol history to do so. She did it in 56 games, besting Chamique Holdsclaw's mark of 57 games and Tamika Catchings's of 58 games. On March 1, at the SEC tournament in Duluth, Georgia, Parker was named the 2007 SEC Player of the Year. On April 3, she led the Lady Vols to their first National Championship victory since 1998, beating Rutgers 59-46; Parker finished the game with 17 points and earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player honor.
Parker announced on February 21, 2008 that she would forego her final season of eligibility at Tennessee in order to focus on the 2008 Olympics and pursue a professional career. She graduated with her incoming class in May 2008.[11] A sports management major who had a 3.35 grade point average as of December 2007, she was named University Division Academic All-American of the Year in women's basketball for 2008 by the College Sports Information Directors of America.[12]
On April 8, 2008, Parker led the Lady Vols to their second straight NCAA women's title, the eighth championship for Tennessee. She was also named the MVP for the second consecutive tournament, joining Cheryl Miller, Chamique Holdsclaw and Diana Taurasi as the only female players to have done so. She won the honor despite suffering a dislocated shoulder during her team's regional finals win, but returned (wearing a white long-sleeve T-shirt under her jersey) and led the Lady Vols to the title. Although Parker had a year of eligibility remaining due to her medical redshirt in the 2004-2005 season, she opted to enter the WNBA Draft following the championship victory. While at Tennessee, she compiled a record of 101 wins and 10 losses.

WNBA

Just after the NCAA victory, Parker was selected as the first pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. She currently plays alongside Olympic teammates Tina Thompson and Delisha Milton-Jones. Shannon Bobbitt (Parker's teammate at Tennessee) joined the Sparks after being drafted in the second round.[13]
On May 17, 2008, in her debut game against the Phoenix Mercury, she recorded 34 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Her 34 points broke the record for a rookie in a debut game. The record was previously held by Cynthia Cooper, who scored 25 points in her debut game in 1997.[14]
On June 22, 2008, she became the second woman in WNBA history-after her teammate Lisa Leslie-to dunk during a regulation WNBA game against the Indiana Fever and Michelle Snow in the 2006 WNBA All-Star game. The dunk was on the same basket as the dunk of her teammate.[15]
Parker was named the Hanns-G 'Go Beyond' Rookie of the Month for the month of May 2008.[16] She received the same honor for July 2008.
In August 2008, the WNBA suspended play for a couple of weeks to some of their players to join the U.S.'s National Women's Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Parker was selected to go, as was teammate Lisa Leslie, and the US team cruised with 8 straight victories to achieve the gold medal. They won games with an average margin of 38.8 points. They faced Australia in the final game, and won, 92-65. Parker averaged 9.4 points in the tournament, and scored 14 in the finals game.[17]
On October 3, 2008, she was named the Hanns-G 'Go Beyond' Rookie of the Year as well as Most Valuable Player for the 2008 WNBA season. She became the first WNBA player to win both the Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player in the same season.[18] In addition, she also joined Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld as the only professional American basketball players to win both ROY and MVP trophies in the same season.
Candace Parker missed the 2009 WNBA season after having her baby girl Lailaa, but on June 30 Candace returned to practice with her teammates for the first time.[19] She played her first game back from maternity leave on July 5, 2009. Candace earned 2nd Team All-WNBA honors despite missing almost a full month. She led the Sparks to the Western Conference Finals but lost in 3 games to the Phoenix Mercury. In the playoffs Parker averaged 18 points and over 10 rebounds per game. She missed most of the 2010 WNBA season due to a shoulder injury.
In 2011, Candace Parker played six games. During the seventh game, with 5:56 left in the third quarter, Parker went down after grabbing a defensive rebound and making brief contact with Quanitra Hollingsworth. After getting an MRI on June 27th, she found out she had a torn meniscus in her right knee. Parker may be out of the season for approximately six weeks.
Parker was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp in the fall of 2009.[20] The team selected to play for the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics is usually chosen from these participants. At the conclusion of the training camp, the team will travel to Ekaterinburg, Russia, where they compete in the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational.[20]

The Brawl

On July 22, 2008 Parker was involved in a fight during a game against the Detroit Shock. With 4.5 seconds before the game was officially over, the fighting began on the court after Plenette Pierson made a hard box out after a free throw on Candace Parker; the two players became entangled and Parker fell to the ground. As Parker was down, Pierson stormed over to Parker and aggressively walked over the top of her; in response, Parker tackled Pierson to the court. Parker threw a punch at Pierson before being tackled by Deanna Nolan as players and coaches from both teams joined in. Coach Rick Mahorn came off the bench — as a peacemaker — but the 6-10, 300-plus pounder incited more violence when he inadvertently knocked Los Angeles forward Lisa Leslie to the floor. Leslie's teammate, DeLisha Milton-Jones, then came to her rescue by punching a stunned Mahorn in the shoulder. In response, Mahorn was hit by Sparks players Milton-Jones, Murriel Page and Shannon Bobbitt. Pierson, Parker, Milton-Jones, and Mahorn were all ejected. The altercation also resulted in a season-ending ACL injury to Cheryl Ford, who was trying to restrain her teammate.

Personal life

On November 13, 2008, Parker married her fiancé, Shelden Williams, who was a college basketball star for Duke University, and current player for the New York Knicks. The couple welcomed a baby girl named Lailaa Nicole Williams at 11:29 AM on Wednesday, May 13, 2009. Lailaa was born weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long.
Parker grew up in Chicago adoring the Bulls and was a Michael Jordan fan. Her all-time favorite player is Ron Harper, of whom she has a picture hanging in her bedroom. She has two dogs: a St. Bernard mix named Fendi and a pug named Nino, who is named after a character in the movie New Jack City. Parker’s favorite movies are Love and Basketball and He Got Game. She also likes to listen to Disney soundtracks such as The Little Mermaid and watch Full House and The Cosby Show.[21]
Parker was named Academic All-American 2007–08 by the ESPN the magazine. She had a 3.55 GPA when she won this award.[22]

Records

  • 1st WNBA player to win WNBA MVP and WNBA Rookie of the Year Award in the same season.
  • 1st WNBA player to dunk in consecutive games
  • Most points scored (34) by a rookie in her debut.

Awards

High School

  • All-Area Team (2001-2004: Chicago Sun Times, News-Gazette and Chicago Tribune)[23]
  • All-State Team (2001-2004: AP, Chicago Sun Times, News-Gazette and Chicago Tribune, IBCA)[23]
  • Gatorade Illinois State Player of the Year (2002–2004)[23]
  • Illinois Miss Basketball (2002–2004)[23]
  • Illinois State Player of the Year (2002–2004: Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Daily Herald, Naperville Sun and News-Gazette)[23]
  • First Team All-American (2002–2004: Nike, 2000-2004: Parade, Street & Smith's, USA Today, 2004: McDonald's)[23]
  • Second Team All-American (2002: Parade, Student Sports)[23]
  • Third Team All-American (2002: USA Today)[23]
  • Fourth Team All-American (2002: Street & Smith's)[23]
  • Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2003–2004)[23]
  • USA Today High School Player of the Year (2003–2004)[23]
  • 2004 Powerade Jam Fest Winner[23]
  • Gatorade High School Player of the Year (2003–2004)[23]
  • 2004 Women's Sports Foundation High School Athlete of the Year[23]

College

  • 2007/08 - Junior
    • 2008 Academic All-America of the Year, University Division[12]
    • 2008 Associated Press Player of the Year[24]
    • 2008 Naismith Trophy Winner[25]
    • 2008 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player
    • 2008 John R. Wooden Award winner
    • 2008 Basketball Honda Sports Award Winner
    • 2008 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - Oklahoma City Region Most Outstanding Player
    • 2008 ESPN.com Player of the Year[26]
    • 2007/08 Honda-Broderick Cup winner[27]
    • 2007/08 SEC Female Athlete of the Year[28]
    • 2008 Kodak All-American
    • 2008 SEC Tournament MVP
    • 2008 SEC Tournament First Team
    • 2008 All-SEC First Team
    • 2008 BET Female Athlete of the Year[29]
    • 2008 Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award winner[30]
    • 2008 Best Female Athlete ESPY Award winner[30]
  • 2006/07 - Sophomore
    • 2007 SEC Player of the Week (2/12,[31] 3/1)
    • 2007 SEC Player of the Year[32]
    • 2007 First Team All-SEC[32]
    • 2007 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament - Dayton Regional Most Outstanding Player.[33]
    • 2007 1st Team All-American (AP,[34] Kodak,[35] John R. Wooden[36])
    • 2007 Wade Trophy Winner[37]
    • 2007 USBWA Player of the Year[38]
    • 2007 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player[39]
    • 2007 John R. Wooden Award Winner[39]
    • 2007 Basketball Honda Sports Award Winner[39]
  • 2005/06 - Freshman
    • 2006 NCAA Cleveland Regional All-Region Team[23]
    • 2006 SEC Tournament MVP[23]
    • 2006 SEC Freshman of the Year[23]
    • 2006 All-SEC First Team[23]
    • 2006 All-SEC Freshman Team[23]
    • 2006 SEC Freshman of the Week (12/5, 12/19, 1/10, 1/16)[23]
    • 2006 SEC Player of the Week (1/16)[23]
    • 2006 Lady Vol Athlete of the Week (11/28, 1/16)[23]
    • 2006 Lady Vol Athlete of the Month (January)[23]
    • 2006 AP Second Team All-American[23]
    • 2006 Kodak All-American[23]

WNBA

WNBA 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

[edit] Regular season

Year↓ Team↓ GP↓ GS↓ MPG↓ FG%↓ 3P%↓ FT%↓ RPG↓ APG↓ SPG↓ BPG↓ PPG↓
2008 Los Angeles 33 33 33.6 .523 .423 .733 9.5 3.4 1.3 2.3 18.5
2009 Los Angeles 25 24 32.6 .485 .208 .763 9.8 2.6 0.6 2.1 13.1
Career
58 57 33.2 .508 .320 .742 9.6 3.1 1.0 2.2 16.2

  Playoffs

Year↓ Team↓ GP↓ GS↓ MPG↓ FG%↓ 3P%↓ FT%↓ RPG↓ APG↓ SPG↓ BPG↓ PPG↓
2008 Los Angeles 6 6 36.5 .459 .000 .759 9.8 3.8 1.5 2.2 15.0
2009 Los Angeles 6 6 35.2 .535 .250 .705 10.7 1.7 0.8 1.8 18.0
Career
12 12 35.8 .497 .091 .726 10.3 2.8 1.2 2.0 16.5

See also

 

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