Bryant Reeves facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 8, 1973 Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. |
| High school | Gans (Gans, Oklahoma) |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 290 lb (132 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Oklahoma State (1991–1995) |
| NBA Draft | 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall |
| Selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies | |
| Pro career | 1995–2002 |
| Career history | |
| 1995–2002 | Vancouver / Memphis Grizzlies |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 4,945 (12.5 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,745 (6.9 rpg) |
| Blocks | 302 (0.8 bpg) |
Bryant Reeves, born on June 8, 1973, is a former American professional basketball player. He played his whole career with the Vancouver Grizzlies in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1995 to 2001. His college teammate, Byron Houston, gave him the nickname "Big Country". This happened because Bryant was amazed by how big the United States was after his first airplane trip across the country. He had grown up in a small town called Gans, Oklahoma.
Contents
College Basketball Star
Bryant Reeves was a very tall player, standing 7 feet (210 cm) (about 213 cm) and weighing between 275 and 300 pounds (125 and 136 kg) (about 125 to 136 kg). He was a strong presence on the basketball court. He played college basketball for Oklahoma State University. During his senior year, he scored an average of 21.5 points in each game. He helped lead his team to the 1995 Final Four, which is a big achievement in college basketball.
Professional Career in the NBA
Joining the Grizzlies
In 1995, Bryant Reeves was chosen by the Vancouver Grizzlies as their very first draft pick. He was the sixth player picked overall in the 1995 NBA draft. This was a big moment for both Bryant and the new team.
Playing for Vancouver and Memphis
Bryant played for the Grizzlies for six seasons. In his first year, the 1995–96 season, he played well, averaging 13.3 points per game. The next season, 1996–97, he improved even more, scoring 16.2 points per game. Because of his strong play, he was given a large contract extension.
His best season was the 1997–98 season. He averaged 16.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.08 blocks per game. During this season, he scored a career-high 41 points in a game against the Boston Celtics.
After 1998, Bryant started to face challenges with his weight and injuries. These issues began to affect his performance. He was still the starting center for the Grizzlies, but he played fewer minutes. His shooting percentage also went down.
Eventually, the Grizzlies team moved from Vancouver to Memphis, Tennessee in 2001. Bryant started that season on the injured list because of ongoing back pain. He was not able to play any more official games. On January 29, 2002, he announced his retirement from the NBA. This was due to his chronic back pain, which was caused by problems with his spinal discs. At the time he retired, he had played 395 games for the Grizzlies, which was the most games played by any player in the team's history.
Life After Basketball
After his basketball career, Bryant Reeves returned to Oklahoma. He is now a cattle farmer and lives on a ranch in Sequoyah County with his family. His story was even featured in a documentary film called Finding Big Country in 2018, made by Kathleen Jayme. Bryant's son, Trey, also played college basketball at Oklahoma State. He later went on to study at Harvard Law School.
See also
In Spanish: Bryant Reeves para niños
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds
