Keith Closs
Keith Mitchell Closs, Jr. (born April 3, 1976 in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American professional basketball player, at the center position.
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[edit] Basketball career
Closs, at 7-feet, 3-inches (2.20 m) and 212 lbs. (95 kg), played collegiately at Central Connecticut State University (leading the nation in blocks his only two years in college), and still holds the NCAA Division I career record for blocks with 5.87 blocked shots per game.[1] He had three seasons as a backup center for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers from 1997 to 2000, averaging 3.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during his NBA tenure.
After starting playing professionally in the CBA's Yakima Sun Kings, Closs moved to the Clippers in 1997. Having logged career highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals during 1999–2000, his NBA career abruptly ended. He holds the Clippers' record for most blocked shots per 48 minutes (4.7).
He later played for the Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs of the USBL in 2003, and returned to the CBA. In January 2007, as Closs led the latter league in blocks per game at 2.9, he left and signed with the Buffalo Silverbacks of the ABA.
Closs was selected with the 11th pick in the 5th round of the 2007 NBA Development League draft by the Tulsa 66ers.[2]
In December 2008, he signed with the Chinese league's Yunnan Bulls, and averaged 16.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.9 blocked shots per game.[3]
[edit] Personal
Closs is the oldest of six children. His favorite book is Giant Steps by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.[4]
Basketball website SLAMonline reported in October 2008 that a reader based in China by the name of Jon had e-mailed them, claiming that in a nightclub in Nanjing he encountered a 7-foot man wearing a current, customized #33 Dallas Mavericks jersey with the name "Closs" on the back.[5] Jon asked him if he was Closs, and the man affirmed he was.[5]
Closs admitted to being an alcoholic, even before joining the Clippers. The pressure of the NBA only led to more drinking and after three DUIs, he finally sought help in 2007. During a 2008 interview Closs said he has turned his life around and has given up alcohol for good.[6]
[edit] See also
- List of tallest players in National Basketball Association history
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 13 or more blocks in a game
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season blocks leaders
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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- 1976 births
- Living people
- African American basketball players
- American expatriate basketball people in China
- Basketball players from Connecticut
- Centers (basketball)
- Central Connecticut Blue Devils men's basketball players
- Los Angeles Clippers players
- People from Hartford, Connecticut
- Tulsa 66ers players
- Undrafted National Basketball Association players
