John Salley facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids
John Salley
Personal information
Salley in 2007
Born	(1964-05-16) May 16, 1964 (age 61) Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
High school	Canarsie (Brooklyn, New York)
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
College	Georgia Tech (1982–1986)
NBA Draft	1986 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11th overall
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Pro career	1986–1996, 1999–2000
Career history
1986–1992	Detroit Pistons
1992–1995	Miami Heat
1995–1996	Toronto Raptors
1996	Chicago Bulls
1996	Panathinaikos
1999–2000	Los Angeles Lakers

Career highlights and awards
4× NBA champion (1989, 1990, 1996, 2000) Third-team All-American – NABC (1986) 2× Second-team All-ACC (1985, 1986) No. 22 retired by Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Career NBA statistics
Points	5,228 (7.0 ppg)
Rebounds	3,356 (4.5 rpg)
Blocks	983 (1.3 bpg)

John Thomas Salley (born May 16, 1964) is a former professional basketball player from America. He made history in the NBA by being the first player to win championships with three different teams. Later, other players like Robert Horry and LeBron James also achieved this. John Salley was also the first NBA player to win a championship in three different decades.

Standing at 6 feet 11 inches tall, Salley played as a power forward and center. He played for famous teams like the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers. After his basketball career, he became known as a vegan activist, chef, and business owner focused on health.

Early Life and School Basketball

John Thomas Salley was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 16, 1964. He played basketball at Canarsie High School in Brooklyn.

College Basketball Career

John Salley went to Georgia Tech and graduated in 1988. He was a key player for the Yellow Jackets basketball team. In 1985, he helped them win the ACC Championship. They also reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament that year.

When he left Georgia Tech in 1986, he was the team's all-time leader in blocked shots. His jersey number, 22, was retired by Georgia Tech. This is a very special honor in college basketball.

Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the Detroit Pistons (1986–1992)

The Detroit Pistons picked John Salley in the first round of the 1986 NBA draft. He quickly became friends with teammate Adrian Dantley. Dantley taught him a lot about healthy eating and how to act as a professional player.

Salley was part of the Pistons team known as the "Bad Boys." This team was famous for its tough defense and physical style of play. He played alongside stars like Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer, and Isiah Thomas. The Pistons reached the NBA Finals three times in a row.

In 1989, Salley and the Pistons won their first NBA championship by beating the Lakers. They won again in 1990, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers. The Pistons' amazing run ended in 1991 when they lost to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls.

Moving to the Miami Heat (1992–1995)

In 1992, Salley was traded to the Miami Heat. He played there for a few seasons.

Time with the Toronto Raptors (1995–1996)

The Toronto Raptors picked Salley in the 1995 NBA expansion draft. He played for them for a short time.

Joining the Chicago Bulls (1996)

In March 1996, John Salley signed with the Chicago Bulls. This was a big move, as he joined superstars like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. He also reunited with his former Pistons teammate, Dennis Rodman.

The 1995–96 Bulls team was incredible. They set an NBA record by winning 72 games in the regular season. This was the best record at the time. Salley won his third NBA championship with the Bulls in June 1996.

Playing in Greece (1996)

After his time with the Bulls, Salley decided to play basketball in Greece. He joined Panathinaikos, a top team in the Greek league. He played there for about a month before returning to the United States.

Winning with the Los Angeles Lakers (1999–2000)

In 1999, Salley joined the Los Angeles Lakers. This team had amazing players like Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. He also reunited with his former Bulls coach, Phil Jackson.

Salley helped the Lakers win an NBA championship in 2000. This was his fourth championship ring! He proudly announced his retirement after this win. He became the first player to win championships with three different teams and in three different decades.

Life After Basketball

Acting in Movies

John Salley has appeared in several movies.

In 1995, he played a computer hacker named Fletcher in Bad Boys.
He also appeared in the 1996 film Eddie with Whoopi Goldberg.
He returned as Fletcher in Bad Boys II (2003) and Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024).
He was in the Disney Channel movie The Ultimate Christmas Present as a tall elf.
In 2018, he appeared in the Netflix movie Nappily Ever After.
In 2022, he was in Sneakerella.

Television Appearances

Salley has also been on many TV shows.

He hosted the game show I Can't Believe You Said That in 1998.
He was a guest on Hollywood Squares and Match Game.
In 2000, he appeared as himself on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
He hosted radio shows and provided analysis for NBC's NBA Showtime.
Salley hosted the reunion specials for Basketball Wives and Basketball Wives LA.
He reprised his role as Fletcher in the TV series LA's Finest starting in 2019.

Other Guest Roles

In 2001, he was in a Luther Vandross music video.
He was a celebrity judge on RuPaul's Drag Race in 2012.
In 2006, he became the Commissioner of the American Basketball Association.
He competed in the reality show Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race in 2007.
He also joined the cast of I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here! in 2009, finishing in third place.

Vegan Activism and Wellness

John Salley is a strong supporter of a vegan lifestyle. This means he does not eat meat or animal products. He has appeared in videos for PETA to promote plant-based eating.

He often speaks at events like Michigan's Vegfest. He has also spoken to the U.S. Congress. He asked them to make sure public schools offer vegetarian food options.

In 2010, Salley teamed up with Farm Sanctuary. This group works to protect farm animals. He also became a spokesperson for a natural health supplements line. In 2015, he encouraged Michelle Obama to go vegan to help the environment.

Salley is also an ambassador for Operation Smile. This charity provides free surgeries for children with cleft lip and palate.

Personal Life

John Salley married Natasha Duffy in 1993. They have two children together. Salley also has a daughter from a previous relationship.

NBA Career Statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1986–87	Detroit	82	2	17.8	.562	.000	.614	3.6	0.7	0.5	1.5	5.3
1987–88	Detroit	82	16	24.4	.566	–	.709	4.9	1.4	0.6	1.7	8.5
1988–89†	Detroit	67	21	21.8	.498	.000	.692	5.0	1.1	0.6	1.1	7.0
1989–90†	Detroit	82	12	23.3	.512	.250	.713	5.4	0.8	0.6	1.9	7.2
1990–91	Detroit	74	1	22.3	.475	.000	.727	4.4	0.9	0.7	1.5	7.4
1991–92	Detroit	72	38	24.6	.512	.000	.715	4.1	1.6	0.7	1.5	9.5
1992–93	Miami	51	34	27.9	.502	–	.799	6.1	1.6	0.6	1.4	8.3
1993–94	Miami	76	45	25.1	.477	.667	.729	5.4	1.8	0.7	1.0	7.7
1994–95	Miami	75	50	26.1	.499	–	.739	4.5	1.6	0.6	1.1	7.3
1995–96	Toronto	25	6	19.3	.486	–	.723	3.9	1.6	0.4	0.5	6.0
1995–96†	Chicago	17	0	11.2	.343	–	.600	2.5	0.9	0.5	0.9	2.1
1999–00†	L.A. Lakers	45	3	6.7	.362	–	.750	1.4	0.6	0.2	0.3	1.6
Career		748	228	22.1	.506	.214	.714	4.5	1.2	0.6	1.3	7.0

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1987	Detroit	15	0	20.7	.500	–	.643	4.8	0.7	0.2	1.1	6.2
1988	Detroit	23	0	27.1	.538	.000	.710	6.7	0.9	0.7	1.6	7.0
1989†	Detroit	17	0	23.1	.586	–	.667	4.6	0.5	0.5	1.5	8.9
1990†	Detroit	20	0	27.4	.475	–	.755	5.9	1.0	0.5	1.7	9.5
1991	Detroit	15	0	20.5	.543	–	.600	4.1	0.7	0.4	1.3	7.5
1992	Detroit	5	1	29.8	.455	.000	.821	6.0	2.8	0.6	2.8	12.6
1994	Miami	5	5	40.2	.386	–	.688	8.0	1.6	0.4	1.0	11.0
1996†	Chicago	16	0	5.3	.545	–	.286	0.7	0.4	0.1	0.1	0.9
2000†	L.A. Lakers	18	0	4.3	.385	–	.700	1.2	0.2	0.1	0.3	0.9
Career		134	6	20.1	.505	.000	.690	4.4	0.8	0.4	1.2	6.4

Images for kids

Salley in December 2008 at the Rose Bowl.
Natasha and John Salley in 2016.