Bubba Wells facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 26, 1974 Russellville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| High school | Russellville (Russellville, Kentucky) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Austin Peay (1993–1997) |
| NBA Draft | 1997 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34th overall |
| Selected by the Dallas Mavericks | |
| Pro career | 1997–2005 |
| Coaching career | 2005–2022 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1997–1998 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1998–1999 | La Crosse Bobcats |
| 2000–2001 | Memphis Houn'Dawgs |
| 2001–2002 | Dafni |
| 2002–2004 | Barangay Ginebra Kings |
| 2004–2005 | Harlem Globetrotters |
| As coach: | |
| 2005–2015 | Austin Peay (assistant) |
| 2015–2022 | SIU Edwardsville (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Charles Richard "Bubba" Wells Jr. (born July 26, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former player. He played college basketball for Austin Peay State University and later played professionally. This included time with the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA and Dafni in the Greek Basket League.
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Bubba Wells' College Basketball Career
Bubba Wells played college basketball for Austin Peay State University. He was a star player there. In 1997, he was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year. This award goes to the best player in the conference.
Amazing Scoring in College
During his junior year, Bubba scored an average of 26.3 points in each game. He got even better in his senior year. He averaged an amazing 31.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. A rebound is when a player grabs the ball after a missed shot.
Over his four years in college, Wells averaged 21.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He finished his college career as Austin Peay's all-time leading scorer. He scored a total of 2,267 points! Because of his great achievements, he is now in the Austin Peay Athletics Hall of Fame. His jersey number, 13, was also retired by the school. This means no other player at Austin Peay will ever wear that number again.
Bubba Wells' Professional Basketball Career
Bubba Wells was chosen by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1997 NBA draft. He was the 34th player picked overall. He played in 39 games during the 1997–98 NBA season. He even started two games in March 1998 when another player was injured.
Best Game and a Unique Record
Bubba's best game was on February 19, 1998. He scored 21 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and made seven assists. An assist is when a player passes the ball to a teammate who then scores.
On December 29, 1997, Bubba Wells set a very unusual record. He fouled out of a game against the Chicago Bulls in the shortest amount of time ever. Fouling out means a player has committed too many fouls and must leave the game. Bubba only played for 2 minutes and 43 seconds before getting his sixth foul!
The "Hack-a-Shaq" Tactic
The Mavericks' coach, Don Nelson, had a special plan. He wanted Bubba to intentionally foul Dennis Rodman. Rodman was a player for the Bulls who was not very good at shooting free throws. The coach hoped Rodman would miss his free throws, giving the Mavericks an advantage.
However, the plan did not work out. Rodman made 9 out of 12 free throws. The Bulls ended up winning the game. This strategy of intentionally fouling a player who is bad at free throws is sometimes called "Hack-a-Shaq". It was later used against famous player Shaquille O'Neal. Before Bubba, the record for fastest foul-out was five minutes. That record was set by Dick Farley in 1956.
Moving to Other Teams
After his time with the Mavericks, Bubba Wells was part of some player trades. In June 1998, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. Later, in January 1999, he was traded again to the Chicago Bulls. However, he never played in a game for either the Suns or the Bulls.
Bubba continued his professional career with several other teams. He played for:
- The LaCrosse Bobcats in the CBA.
- The Oklahoma Storm in the USBL.
- The Memphis Houn'Dawgs in the ABA.
- Dafni in the Greek Basket League (in Greece).
- Barangay Ginebra Kings in the Philippine Basketball Association (in the Philippines).
He also played for the famous Harlem Globetrotters in 2004–05. The Globetrotters are known for their amazing basketball tricks and entertainment.
Bubba Wells' Coaching Career
After his playing career, Bubba Wells became a basketball coach. From June 2005 to May 2015, he was an assistant coach for the men's basketball team at Austin Peay State University. This is the same college where he played!
On May 28, 2015, he became an assistant coach at SIU Edwardsville. He worked with coach Jon Harris there.
Bubba Wells' Personal Life
In August 2007, Bubba Wells married Tracee Jones. She was a former head coach for a women's basketball team. Before they got married, Bubba supported Tracee on the TV game show Deal or No Deal. Bubba has a daughter named Alyiah and a son named Chase.
