Chris Kaman
 | |
| Los Angeles Clippers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 28, 1982 Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Nationality | USA |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Tri-Unity Christian |
| College | Central Michigan |
| NBA draft | 2003: 6th overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers | |
| Playing career | 2003–present |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Christopher Zane Kaman (born April 28 1982, in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers.
Kaman stands seven feet tall (213 cm) and weighs 265 pounds (120 kg). Kaman played college basketball for Central Michigan University. The Los Angeles Clippers selected him with the sixth pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Kaman played in 145 games in his first two NBA seasons, averaging 7.4 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game and 1.1 assists per game. In his third season, he averaged 11.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game in which the Clippers made the playoffs.
Kaman suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.[1] Kaman spent much of his childhood on a chicken farm[2] and as a child he used to tear shingles off of neighbors' rooftops and misbehave in school. His ADHD affected his play in high school. He took Ritalin to treat the condition, but the drug killed his appetite. Kaman became very skinny as a result.
Kaman attended Tri-unity Christian School in Wyoming, Michigan, where he led his high school varsity to the state Class D quarterfinals in 2000. Despite this, or perhaps because of his school's small size (his graduating class consisted of 47 students), he was only recruited by two schools: Hope College (a Division III school) and Central Michigan University. He played three seasons at Central Michigan, leading them to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2003 and garnering Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America honors before declaring for the 2003 NBA Draft, where the Clippers selected him sixth overall.
Kaman is ambidextrous and is known for his strong Christian beliefs and for his wild blond hair.
In an April 2006 playoff game versus the Denver Nuggets, opposing player Reggie Evans reached in and pulled at Kaman's testicles after boxing out for a rebound [3]. Evans was later fined $10,000 for his actions. [4] Kaman, however, was reportedly disappointed that Evans did not receive a suspension.
The Clippers signed Kaman to a multiyear contract extension that begins with the 2007-08 season.[citation needed]