Ansu Sesay facts for kids
Sesay playing for Eldo Napoli
|
||||||||||||||
| No. 45, 5, 4, 9, 17 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | July 29, 1976 Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. |
|||||||||||||
| High school | Willowridge (Houston, Texas) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Ole Miss (1994–1998) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1998 / Round: 2 / Pick: 30th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Dallas Mavericks | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1999–2010 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Rockford Lightning | |||||||||||||
| 2000 | Sta. Lucia Realtors | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Quad City Thunder | |||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Greenville Groove | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Seattle SuperSonics | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Golden State Warriors | |||||||||||||
| 2005 | Roseto Basket | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Basket Napoli | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | AJ Milano | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Alba Berlin | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | STB Le Havre | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | Jahesh Tarabar Qom | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Stats at NBA.com | ||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Ansu Martin Sesay Jr. is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He was born on July 29, 1976.
Contents
Early Basketball Days
High School Success
Ansu Sesay went to Willowridge High School in Houston, Texas. He helped his team win their first state basketball championship in 1994.
College Star
Sesay became a star player at the University of Mississippi. He was named to the first-team All-SEC (Southeastern Conference) during his junior and senior years. In his senior year, he was even named the SEC's Player of the Year.
Playing in the NBA
Drafted by the Mavericks
Ansu Sesay was chosen by the Dallas Mavericks as the 30th pick in the 1998 NBA draft. Unfortunately, he tore a ligament in his knee during a training camp. This injury meant he missed the entire 1999 season.
After recovering, he played for the Rockford Lightning in the CBA league during the 1999–2000 season. He averaged almost 12 points and five rebounds per game.
Moving Teams
The Mavericks invited Sesay back to training camp in 2000. However, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons. The very next day, the Pistons released him. Sesay then returned to the CBA, playing for the Quad City Thunder.
Joining the Sonics
In 2001, Sesay briefly joined the Los Angeles Clippers for training camp but did not play in any official games. He was then picked by the Greenville Groove in the NBDL (now called the NBA G League).
Playing for the best team in the NBDL, Sesay showed many skills. He was a top player in scoring, rebounding, and assists. He was named first-team All-NBDL and won the league's first-ever MVP award in 2002.
His hard work paid off when the Seattle SuperSonics signed him to a short contract in March 2002. The Sonics had many injured players. Sesay quickly joined the team's main players. In his first NBA game, he played 12 minutes and scored seven points. Just a few nights later, he was playing 28 minutes against the Houston Rockets.
Sesay continued to play well as the Sonics made it to the playoffs. Even though some injured players returned, Sesay became an important part of the team's playoff games. His eight rebounds in one game helped the Sonics win and force a deciding game five.
Staying with Seattle
Ansu Sesay impressed the Sonics enough that they signed him to a two-year deal after the season. He was expected to be a key player for the team. However, he strained his back during training camp, which kept him out of most preseason games.
In the 2002-2003 season, Sesay's shooting struggled at first. But he remained valuable because of his strong defense. He could guard players at different positions, including shooting guards, small forwards, and power forwards. When other players were injured, Sesay even started at power forward. His shooting improved as he played more regularly.
Later in the season, Sesay was placed on the injured list with a back strain. He missed the rest of the season. The Sonics missed his ability to play multiple positions.
He later played for the Golden State Warriors from 2004 to January 2005.
Overall, Ansu Sesay played 127 regular season NBA games. He averaged 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. He also played in 4 playoff games for the Sonics.
Playing Overseas
Philippines and Italy
In the summer of 2000, Sesay played in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Sta. Lucia Realtors. He won the Best Import award for his great performance. He led the Realtors to their first Finals appearance in 2000, but they lost to the San Miguel Beermen.
In January 2005, he joined an Italian league team called Sedima Roseto. From 2005 to 2007, Sesay played for Carpisa Napoli. He helped the team win the Italian Cup title in 2006.
Europe and Beyond
In the 2007–08 season, Sesay signed with another Italian team, Armani Jeans Milano. He averaged 10.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 14 Euroleague games.
In August 2008, ALBA Berlin in Germany signed Ansu Sesay. The coach said Sesay was the athletic player they needed. Sesay played for Alba Berlin until 2010. He also played briefly for STB Le Havre in France and Jahesh Tarabar Qom in Iran in 2010.
Personal Life
Ansu Sesay has family roots in Sierra Leone. His oldest child, Ansu III, is also a talented basketball player. Ansu III was a key defensive player for Elkins High School. He helped his team reach the final round of the District 5A Basketball Playoff. Ansu also has four other children.
See also
In Spanish: Ansu Sesay para niños
