Felton Spencer facts for kids

Felton LaFrance Spencer (born January 5, 1968 – died March 12, 2023) was an American professional basketball player. He played as a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Felton played for several teams from 1990 to 2002. These teams included the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks.

High School and College Basketball

Felton Spencer was a top basketball player in high school. He played at Eastern High School in Middletown, Kentucky. He was so good that he was named an all-state player. In both his junior and senior years, he led his team to the KHSAA state tournament. This big tournament was held in Lexington.

In his junior year, Eastern High was surprisingly beaten in the first round. They lost 60-58 to Metcalfe County. The next year, as a senior, his team made it further. They were stopped in the quarter-finals by Hazard High School.

After high school, Spencer went to the University of Louisville. He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals. He became the team's all-time leader in field goal percentage, making 62.8% of his shots.

In his senior year (1989–90), he became the main center. This happened after Pervis Ellison left to join the NBA. That season, Spencer was a star for the Cardinals. He led the team in scoring (14.9 points per game), rebounding (8.5 rebounds per game), and blocked shots (69). He also had an amazing 68.1% field goal percentage.

NBA Career Highlights

The Minnesota Timberwolves picked Felton Spencer as the 6th player in the 1990 NBA draft. As a rookie, he shared playing time at center. He played alongside the taller veteran Randy Breuer. Still, Spencer put up good numbers. He averaged 7.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He also shot 51.2% from the field.

He grabbed 272 offensive rebounds that year. This was the seventh-highest in the NBA. He also blocked 121 shots. This set a new record for the young Timberwolves team. This record stood until Kevin Garnett's first year in 1995-96. Because of his great first year, Spencer was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

However, his playing time went down in the next two years. This was partly because Luc Longley joined the team. After the 1992–93 season, Minnesota traded Spencer. He went to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Mike Brown.

In Utah, Spencer took over as the main center after Mark Eaton. He gave the Jazz strong scoring, rebounding, and defense. In the 1993–94 season, he played well with stars John Stockton and Karl Malone. He averaged 8.6 points and 8.3 rebounds. He also shot 50.5% from the field.

The Jazz and Spencer looked like they were heading for a great 1994–95. But 34 games into the season, he had a serious injury. He tore his left Achilles tendon and missed the rest of the year. The Jazz still won 60 games but lost in the first round of the playoffs.

He missed the first 11 games of the 1995–96 season while healing. But he played in the remaining 71 games, starting 70 of them. He averaged 5.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in about 17.8 minutes per game. He also had his best shooting year, making 52.0% of his shots.

On August 10, 1996, Spencer joined the Orlando Magic. This happened after the Magic lost Shaquille O'Neal. But Spencer played only one game for Orlando. He was then traded to Golden State in a deal for Rony Seikaly.

He played 71 games for the Warriors and did a good job. He was second on the team in rebounds and third in blocked shots. In 1997–98, his role became smaller. This was because Erick Dampier became the starter and Adonal Foyle was drafted. He played less in 68 games as a reserve. In 1998–99, he played even less, averaging only 6.1 minutes in 26 games.

Spencer stopped playing after the 2001–02 season. After his basketball career, he worked as a security guard at Atherton High School in Louisville.

Coaching Career

In 2011, Felton Spencer started coaching basketball. He became an assistant coach at Spalding University. Later, he also worked as an assistant basketball coach at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.

Death

Felton Spencer passed away on March 12, 2023. He was 55 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Felton Spencer para niños