Charlie Villanueva facts for kids
Villanueva with the Dallas Mavericks in 2015
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | August 24, 1984 Queens, New York, U.S. |
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| Nationality | American / Dominican | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 232 lb (105 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | UConn (2003–2005) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Toronto Raptors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2005–2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Toronto Raptors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Milwaukee Bucks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2014 | Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Dallas Mavericks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Charlie Alexander Villanueva Mejia (born August 24, 1984) is a former professional basketball player. He played for several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). These teams included the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, and Dallas Mavericks.
Charlie was born in Queens, New York, and his parents came from the Dominican Republic. He was chosen as the seventh player in the 2005 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors when he was 20 years old. He also has citizenship in the Dominican Republic and played for their national basketball team in international games.
Contents
About Charlie Villanueva
Personal Life and Health
Charlie Villanueva has a special skin condition called alopecia universalis. This condition stops hair from growing on his head and body. It is not painful or dangerous, and it does not affect his health in other ways. Charlie is a spokesperson for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF). He helps teach people about alopecia and supports those who have it. In 2006, the NBA gave him the Community Assist Award for his work with NAAF.
Charlie is a first-generation Dominican-American. This means his parents were immigrants from the Dominican Republic. He speaks Spanish fluently, which is the language he uses with his family.
Charlie has three brothers, all named Rob. Their names are Rob Antonio, Rob Elia, and Rob Carlos. In 2015, Charlie started working with two of his brothers on a documentary. The film is called "What is Alopecia." It aims to spread awareness and support for the alopecia community.
Charlie has two children from his first marriage. He got married a second time on July 24, 2021, in Dallas, Texas. He proposed to Lala Alvarez on New Year’s Eve 2020.
High School Basketball Journey
Charlie started his high school basketball career at Newtown High School in Queens, New York. There, he played with another future NBA player, Smush Parker. He then spent three years at Blair Academy in New Jersey. At Blair Academy, he played alongside Luol Deng, who also became an NBA player.
As a senior, Charlie was recognized as an All-American player. He was also named New Jersey Co-Player of the Year. After high school, he thought about joining the NBA draft in 2003. However, he decided to play college basketball instead. He chose to play for the University of Connecticut. Experts like Rivals.com thought he was a top player. They ranked him as the No. 2 power forward and the No. 5 player in the nation in 2003.
College Basketball Career
Charlie first planned to play for the University of Illinois. But when their coach, Bill Self, left for the University of Kansas, Charlie changed his mind. He thought about following Coach Self to Kansas. Instead, he decided to play for the University of Connecticut (UConn).
In his first year at UConn, Charlie was a key player. He helped his team win the 2004 NCAA National Championship. He also earned a spot on the Big East All-Rookie Team. In his second year, he was a top scorer for UConn. He averaged 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP). After this great season, Charlie decided to enter the 2005 NBA draft. This meant he left college two years early to become a professional player.
Charlie's Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Toronto Raptors (2005–2006)
The Toronto Raptors picked Charlie Villanueva as the seventh player in the 2005 NBA draft. Even though some people doubted him at first, Charlie had a strong first year. He played in 81 games and averaged 13.0 points and 6.4 rebounds. He was one of the best rookies in points, rebounds, and blocked shots. He also had 12 "double-doubles," which means he scored double digits in two different stats (like points and rebounds) in a single game. He set new records for Raptors rookies with 48 points and 18 rebounds in one game. Charlie also played in the Rookie Challenge and was named to the All-NBA Rookie first team.
Time with the Milwaukee Bucks (2006–2009)
In 2006, Charlie was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for another player, T. J. Ford. On April 9, 2008, Charlie had a great game against his old team, the Raptors. He scored 38 points, which was his highest for that season. He also made seven three-point shots, which was a career best for him.
In March 2009, Charlie's coach, Scott Skiles, spoke to him about using his Twitter account. Charlie had posted a message during halftime of a game. Despite this, Charlie had his best season in 2008–09. He averaged 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. On March 3, 2009, he scored 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a game against the New Jersey Nets.
Years with the Detroit Pistons (2009–2014)
On July 8, 2009, Charlie signed a five-year contract with the Detroit Pistons. He had just had his best scoring season with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Pistons' President, Joe Dumars, said Charlie was a "versatile big man." This meant he could play close to the basket and also shoot from farther away. Charlie and another new player, Ben Gordon, were seen as important additions to the team.
In November 2010, Charlie posted on Twitter about something that happened during a game. He said that Boston Celtics player Kevin Garnett used a strong word towards him during a game. Garnett is known for his "trash-talk" on the court. Garnett later clarified that he meant Charlie was "cancerous to your team and our league" in a basketball sense. He said he did not mean to insult anyone with cancer. The Celtics coach, Doc Rivers, supported Garnett's explanation.
On January 2, 2013, the NBA fined Charlie $25,000. This was for a foul he committed the night before against Sacramento Kings guard Isaiah Thomas. Charlie was removed from the game for elbowing Thomas. The NBA reviewed the play and added the fine.
Playing for the Dallas Mavericks (2014–2016)
On September 23, 2014, Charlie Villanueva signed with the Dallas Mavericks. On February 9, 2015, he scored 26 points in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. This was his highest score for that season.
On August 6, 2015, Charlie signed another one-year deal to stay with the Mavericks.
Career Statistics Summary
Charlie Villanueva played in the NBA for many years. Here is a summary of his performance:
NBA Regular Season
- He played 656 regular season games.
- He started 163 of those games.
- He averaged 10.4 points per game.
- He also averaged 4.6 rebounds per game.
- His best scoring season was 2008-09 with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he averaged 16.2 points.
NBA Playoffs
- Charlie played in 9 playoff games.
- He averaged 4.3 points per game in the playoffs.
College Statistics
- He played 63 college games for UConn.
- He averaged 11.2 points per game.
- He also averaged 6.7 rebounds per game.
National Team Play
Charlie's parents came from the Dominican Republic, and he grew up in New York City. He played for the United States national team when he was younger. However, in 2009, he decided to play for the Dominican Republic national basketball team. He represented the Dominican Republic in the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship.
See also
In Spanish: Charlie Villanueva para niños
