Eldridge Recasner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Eldridge Recasner

Personal information
Born	(1967-12-14) December 14, 1967 (age 57) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
High school	Alfred Lawless (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College	Washington (1986–1990)
NBA Draft	1990 / Undrafted
Pro career	1990–2002
Career history
1990–1991	TTL Bamberg
1991–1992	Louisville Shooters
1992	Presto Ice Cream Kings
1992–1993	Yakima Sun Kings
1993–1994	Galatasaray
1994–1995	Yakima Sun Kings
1995	Denver Nuggets
1995–1996	Houston Rockets
1996–1998	Atlanta Hawks
1999–2001	Charlotte Hornets
2001–2002	Los Angeles Clippers
Career highlights and awards
CBA champion (1995) CBA Most Valuable Player (1995) All-CBA First Team (1995) 3× All-Pac-10 (1988–1990) Pac-10 All-Freshman (1987)
Career NBA statistics
3-point FG %	41%
free throw %	89%
Games	296
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States FIBA Americas Championship Gold 1993 San Juan Team competition

Eldridge David Recasner (born December 14, 1967) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He was a talented guard in college for the Washington Huskies. He was even named to the All-Pac-10 Conference team three times.

After college, Eldridge played in several professional leagues around the world. These included the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) in the U.S., leagues in Europe, and the Philippine Basketball Association. He then joined the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for well-known NBA teams like the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, and Los Angeles Clippers.

In the 1994–95 season, Eldridge was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the CBA. He also led his team, the Yakima Sun Kings, to win the league championship. After this success, he signed with the Denver Nuggets to play in the NBA. The next season, he joined the Houston Rockets, who had won the NBA championship twice in a row.

Eldridge played in the NBA for seven more seasons. He was known for his excellent shooting skills. He made 41% of his three-point shots and 89% of his free throws during his NBA career. For his first four full seasons in the NBA, he shot over 40% from the three-point line. However, he was injured in a car accident before the 1999–2000 season. After this, he wasn't able to play at the same high level. Later in his career, he became an assistant coach for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Eldridge's Early Basketball Days

Eldridge Recasner was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He first learned about basketball in fifth grade from his uncles. His very first organized game was in junior high school. During that game, he accidentally scored in the wrong basket! This happened because he had learned to play on a half-court with only one hoop.

As he grew up, Eldridge looked up to famous basketball players like Dr. J, George Gervin, and Marques Johnson. He went to Alfred Lawless High School in New Orleans. There, he was teammates with another future NBA player, Robert Pack. Eldridge was a senior when Robert was a sophomore. Eldridge even outscored future NBA star Gary Payton in five out of nine college games they played against each other. In junior high, Eldridge wore jersey number 32. But in high school, he changed to number 14 to honor his birthday, December 14.

College Basketball Career

Eldridge attended the University of Washington and played for the Huskies basketball team. He took a year off from playing during his first year (1985–86) to focus on his studies and practice.

Eldridge was a very important player for the Huskies. He was named to the All-Pac-10 team three times. This is a big honor for college players in that conference. He was also chosen for the Washington Huskies all-20th-century team. He was the first player in Huskies history to be a team captain three times. In his senior year, he led the Pac-10 conference in free throw shooting, making 88.4% of his shots. Eldridge studied architecture at Washington. He once scored 29 points against the undefeated and top-ranked Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team. He was even guarding their star player, Sean Elliott, in that game.

Eldridge's Professional Journey

Eldridge Recasner is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 190 pounds as a player. Even though he was a great college player, he was not chosen in the NBA draft. However, this did not stop him from playing professional basketball.

After college, he played for a team in Germany called TTL Bamberg during the 1990–91 season. Then, he played in the Global Basketball Association in 1991–92. He also played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for the Presto Ice Cream Kings in 1992. He played alongside famous Filipino players like Allan Caidic and Vergel Meneses.

After playing overseas, Eldridge returned to the U.S. to play in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). He played for the Yakima Sun Kings in Washington state, which was close to his college. He also played in Turkey in 1993–94.

In 1995, after leading the Yakima Sun Kings to a championship and being named the CBA's Most Valuable Player, he got his chance in the NBA. He signed a short contract with the Denver Nuggets in March 1995 and played in three games. For the 1995–96 season, he joined the Houston Rockets. This was a big deal because the Rockets were the NBA champions at the time.

He then played for the Atlanta Hawks for two seasons (1996–97 and 1997–98). After that, he joined the Charlotte Hornets in 1999 and stayed with them for parts of four seasons. He finished his playing career in 2002 with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Eldridge considered joining the Houston Rockets, the NBA champions, to be the best moment of his career. He went from playing in the CBA to the top team in the NBA. He even earned a starting spot as a point guard over other talented players. In one of his first games as a starter, he made five out of six three-point shots in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons.

His most successful seasons were with the Atlanta Hawks. In 130 games, he collected over 250 rebounds, 200 assists, and nearly 1000 points. He played in the NBA playoffs four times with three different teams. Three of those teams made it to the second round of the playoffs. Eldridge was a great three-point shooter throughout his career, making 41% of his shots. He was also an excellent free throw shooter, making 89% of his career free throws.

In a 1997 NBA Playoff game against the Chicago Bulls, Eldridge scored 11 quick points in the fourth quarter. This helped the Hawks almost make a comeback against the Bulls. At one point, the Bulls' superstar, Michael Jordan, even started guarding Eldridge because he was shooting so well. Eldridge's defense also caused Michael Jordan to make a mistake in the final minute of the game.

Eldridge was such a good free throw shooter that in 1998, he was on a streak of 36 successful free throws in a row. In one game, his team was down by three points with only 2.3 seconds left. He was fouled and had two free throws. His team needed him to make the first one and miss the second on purpose. But he was so good, he couldn't miss!

In October 1999, Eldridge was injured in a car accident. He suffered a fractured shoulder and a partially collapsed lung, among other injuries. He missed 52 games because of the accident. When he returned to play, he only played in seven games. The accident affected his ability to play at his previous high level.

In 2004, Eldridge became an assistant coach for the Bellevue Blackhawks in the American Basketball Association.

Eldridge's Family Life

Eldridge Recasner lives in Bellevue, Washington, during the basketball off-season. He is married to his wife, Karen. They have four children named Sydney, Erin, Lauren, and Eldridge III. Eldridge and Karen got married on August 14, 1993. During his time playing in the NBA, his mother, Joyce, and sister, Schwuan, lived in New Orleans.

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season Stats

NBA Playoff Stats

See also

In Spanish: Eldridge Recasner para niños