Zach Randolph
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Power forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Weight | 253 lb (115 kg) |
| Born | July 16, 1981 Marion, Indiana |
| Pro career | 2001 – present |
Zach Randolph (born July 16, 1981 in Marion, Indiana) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA.
Zach Randolph grew up in Marion, Indiana and attended Marion High School. As a sophomore he helped lead the Marion Giants to the class 4A championship game. As a senior, he again led his team to the state championship game in which they won Marion High School its seventh state basketball championship. He finished second in Indiana's 'Mr. Basketball' voting that year, closely behind Jared Jeffries, who coincidentally played for the team that the Giants beat in the state championship game that year.
As a senior, Zach agreed to attend and play basketball for the Michigan State University Spartans. After his freshman season, he decided that he was ready to go professional and entered the NBA Draft.
He was drafted by the Blazers in the first round (19th overall) in 2001. He plays the power forward position and has talent, size, mobility, and good rebounding skills. In 2004 he won the NBA's Most Improved Player award, after which he signed a 6-year, 84-million dollar deal with the Blazers. However, this was only after he threatened to play out his rookie contract, sign a one year tender and then become an unrestricted free agent unless the Blazers offered him a maximum contract. Of the $84 million, it is rumored that $30 million is to be paid as part of deferred payments after the six years of the contract have passed.
While Randolph has proven himself as a talented scorer and rebounder, he has been somewhat controversial. He is generally regarded as a weak defender and a notoriously poor passer. In addition, he sucker-punched teammate Ruben Patterson in the face during a practice scuffle in 2003, an act which earned him a two-game suspension.<ref>Blazers F Randolph suspended, fined for punching teammate.</ref> He also has been cited for underage drinking and driving under the influence of marijuana, and was present when his brother Roger Randolph was involved in a shooting in an Indiana nightclub. After an initial interrogation by police, he was threatened with arrest based on his statement; Randolph gave a second statement and was not charged in the incident.<ref>Zach Randolph Update.</ref> His brother was ultimately convicted in the matter and sentenced to prison<ref>http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_18098.shtml</ref>
In 2004-2005, his production dropped somewhat, and although he was injured for much of the season, many critics pointed a finger at Randolph for the Trail Blazers' troubles that year. Several teammates complained that Randolph was a ball hog, and Randolph had several arguments with Maurice Cheeks over his on-the-court actions. Late during the season, Randolph announced that he would miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury; he later had microfracture surgery on the injured knee. He played the next season, posting averages of 18 points and 8 rebounds per game, but his work ethic was frequently called into question by coach Nate McMillan, who had been hired in the 2005 offseason.
On June 8th, 2006, Randolph ran into further legal trouble when two vehicles, both registered in his name, were pulled over by the Portland Police for racing in a 20 mph speed zone. Randolph's car contained two loaded weapons under the seat of the vehicle; Randolph had legal permits for both guns. The officers claimed they detected marijuana odor coming from Randolph's car.<ref>http://www.katu.com/stories/86722.html</ref> In August 2006, a sexual assault complaint was filed with Portland police over an incident with a stripper in a Portland hotel room; after a month-long investigation, the Multnomah County district attorney declined to prosecute Randolph, citing insufficient evidence. <ref>http://www.oregonlive.com/pdfs/blazers/zach_memo092006.pdf</ref> Additionally, Randolph is facing a civil suit related to that case, and another alleging that Randolph and friends tried to intimidate witnesses in former teammate Qyntel Woods's dog fighting case [1]
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