Eddy Curry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Eddy Curry

Curry with the New York Knicks in January 2007
Center
Personal information
Born	(1982-12-05) December 5, 1982 (age 42) Harvey, Illinois, U.S.
High school	Thornwood (South Holland, Illinois)
Listed height	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight	295 lb (134 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2001 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career	2001–2013, 2018–2019
Career history
2001–2005	Chicago Bulls
2005–2011	New York Knicks
2011–2012	Miami Heat
2012	Dallas Mavericks
2012–2013	Zhejiang Golden Bulls
2018–2019	Zhuhai Wolf Warriors
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2012) McDonald's All-American MVP (2001) First-team Parade All-American (2001) Second-team Parade All-American (2000) Illinois Mr. Basketball (2001)
Career statistics
Points	6,820 (12.9 ppg)
Rebounds	2,725 (5.2 rpg)
Blocks	384 (0.7 bpg)

Eddy Anthony Curry Jr. (born December 5, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He played as a center. Eddy Curry went straight from Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois, to the NBA. The Chicago Bulls picked him fourth overall in the 2001 NBA draft.

Curry played for the Bulls until 2005. Then, he joined the New York Knicks from 2005 to 2010. He played for the Miami Heat in the 2011–12 season. He was part of the Heat team that won the NBA championship in 2012. After that, Curry played briefly for the Dallas Mavericks in 2012–13. He then played for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in China.

High School Basketball Star

Before becoming a top high school basketball player, Eddy Curry wanted to be a gymnast. He didn't start playing basketball until he was in seventh grade. He joined his school team even though he wasn't sure about it at first.

In 2001, Curry led his team, Thornwood High School, to second place. They played in the IHSA State Playoffs. Because of his great performance, Curry was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2001.

During his senior year, he averaged 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 blocks per game. He was also chosen for special all-tournament teams in 1998, 1999, and 2000. Fans later picked him for the tournament's All-Quarter Century Team in 2003.

In 2001, Eddy Curry and four other high school basketball stars were featured in a documentary. It was called "Preps:Chicago Hoops." The series showed their journey to either college or the NBA.

Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the Chicago Bulls (2001–2005)

Eddy Curry had planned to play college basketball at DePaul University. However, he decided to enter the 2001 NBA draft instead. The Chicago Bulls chose him as the fourth player overall.

In his first year, Curry played limited minutes. But he got much better in his second year. He led the NBA in field goal percentage (58.5%). This meant he made a higher percentage of his shots than anyone else. He was the first Bulls player to lead the league in a major stat since Michael Jordan in 1998.

In the 2004–05 season, the Bulls improved a lot. They won 28 more games and made it to the playoffs. Curry, who was 22 years old, was the team's top scorer. However, he had to miss the last 13 regular season games and all the playoffs. This was because he was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat. Doctors later cleared him to play again in June 2005.

Time with the New York Knicks (2005–2011)

Curry attempts a shot in a January 2007 game against the Washington Wizards.

On October 3, 2005, Eddy Curry was traded to the New York Knicks. This trade involved several players and draft picks. The Knicks had a tough season in 2005–06. Curry's scoring and rebounding numbers were lower than before.

Coaches like Scott Skiles and Larry Brown were often frustrated. They wanted Curry to improve his defense and rebounding. In 2003, when asked how Curry could rebound better, Coach Skiles simply said, "Jump."

The 2006–07 season was much better for Curry. Under new coach Isiah Thomas, Curry became the team's main scorer. He averaged career highs in points (19.6), rebounds (7.1), and minutes (34.9) per game. On April 7, 2007, Curry scored a career-best 43 points. He even made a three-pointer to force the game into overtime!

In the 2007–2008 season, Curry's performance went down. He also showed up to training camp out of shape in October 2008. This upset the new head coach, Mike D'Antoni. Curry lost his starting job and barely played. He also had a sore right knee.

During the 2009 off-season, Curry worked hard to get in shape. He lost 30 pounds with a trainer.

Winning a Championship with the Miami Heat (2011–2012)

On February 22, 2011, Curry was part of a big trade. He was sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, he never played a game for them. His contract was bought out on March 1, 2011, making him a free agent.

On December 10, 2011, Curry signed a one-year contract with the Miami Heat. He had lost almost 70 pounds since his last NBA game. On January 19, 2012, a much slimmer Curry played in the NBA again. He scored six points in six minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Curry was part of the Heat's 2011–2012 championship team. He played in 14 games during the season. He was also with the team during the playoffs when they won the NBA title.

Short Stint with the Dallas Mavericks (2012)

In October 2012, Curry signed with the San Antonio Spurs. But he did not make their final team roster.

The Dallas Mavericks then picked him up on October 25, 2012. He played only two games for Dallas. He was then waived to make room for another player. The Mavericks wanted a power forward who could shoot from outside.

Curry's second game for Dallas on October 31, 2012, was his last NBA game. In that game, the Mavericks lost to the Utah Jazz. Curry scored 2 points in 8 minutes of play.

Playing in China (2012–2013)

On December 6, 2012, Curry signed with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in China. He played in 29 games for them. He averaged 23.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game. Curry played his last game with Zhejiang on February 27, 2013. He missed the last two playoff games due to illness.

Playing in the ABL (2018–2019)

Curry signed with the Zhuhai Wolf Warriors. This team plays in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL). He played for them in the 2018–19 ABL season. He was released by the team on January 20, 2019.

Personal Life

Eddy Curry is married and has seven children. One child is from a previous marriage. He has four children with his current wife, Patrice Curry. Patrice appeared on a TV show called Basketball Wives LA. Curry also had two other children, Ava and Noah, with a former girlfriend.

Health Concerns

Early in his career, Eddy Curry had some heart concerns. Several heart doctors said he was healthy enough to play. The Chicago Bulls were worried about his health. They wanted to make sure he was safe to play basketball. Curry continued his career based on the doctors' clearances.

Awards and Accomplishments

High School Achievements

• USA Today First Team All-American
• PARADE High School Player of the Year
• Earned Illinois Mr. Basketball honors
• MVP of the McDonald's All-American game. He scored 28 points, had 8 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots.
• Led Thornwood High School to the Illinois State Championship game. He averaged 22.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 6.0 blocked shots.
• Selected to the State Farm Holiday Classic all-tournament team in 1998, 1999, and 2000.

NBA Achievements

• Led the league in field goal percentage in the 2002–03 season.
• 2012 NBA champion with the Miami Heat.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

See also

In Spanish: Eddy Curry para niños

• List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders