Joseph Blair facts for kids
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Blair with the Washington Wizards in 2022
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| Rio Grande Valley Vipers | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 12, 1974 Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| High school | C.E. King (Houston, Texas) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10.75 in (2.10 m) |
| Listed weight | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Arizona (1992–1996) |
| NBA Draft | 1996 / Round: 2 / Pick: 35th overall |
| Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics | |
| Pro career | 1996–2009 |
| Coaching career | 2015–present |
| League | NBA G League |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1996 | Pau-Orthez |
| 1997–1998 | Harlem Globetrotters |
| 1998 | Long Island Surf |
| 1998–1999 | Fila Biella |
| 1999–2000 | Scavolini Pesaro |
| 2000–2001 | PAOK |
| 2001 | Harlem Globetrotters |
| 2001–2002 | Scavolini Pesaro |
| 2002–2004 | Ülkerspor |
| 2004–2007 | Armani Jeans Milano |
| 2007–2008 | Spartak Primorje |
| 2008–2009 | Spartak Saint Petersburg |
| As coach: | |
| 2013–2015 | Arizona (graduate assistant) |
| 2015–2018 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers (assistant) |
| 2018–2019 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2019–2020 | Philadelphia 76ers (assistant) |
| 2020–2021 | Minnesota Timberwolves (assistant) |
| 2021–2024 | Washington Wizards (assistant) |
| 2024–present | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
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Joseph Blair (born June 12, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player. He is now the head coach for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA G League. Joseph Blair is 6 feet 10.75 inches tall and weighs 265 pounds. He played as a power forward and center. He was known for his exciting playing style, especially when he played for the famous Harlem Globetrotters.
Contents
Early Life and College Basketball
High School Years
Joseph Blair went to C.E. King High School in Houston, Texas. This is where he first started playing basketball seriously.
College Career at Arizona
Blair played college basketball for four years with the Arizona Wildcats. They are part of the Pacific-10 Conference in the NCAA Division I. He was a strong player, averaging 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He helped the Wildcats win two Pac-10 championships in 1993 and 1994. He was also a starter when Arizona reached the 1994 NCAA Final Four.
By the 2014–15 season, he held the Arizona team record for the best career field goal percentage (61.3%). He also ranked eighth in the school's history for most blocked shots, with 101 blocks.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting Out and Europe
Joseph Blair was picked 35th overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. However, he did not play for them. He later played a preseason game with the Chicago Bulls in 2007, which was the closest he got to playing in the NBA.
After leaving Seattle, he moved to Europe. He first played in France for Pau-Orthez in 1996.
Playing for the Harlem Globetrotters
Blair returned to the U.S. to play for the famous Harlem Globetrotters. He also played for the Long Island Surf in the United States Basketball League (USBL). He played with the Globetrotters again in 2001.
Success in Europe
In 1998, Blair went back to Europe. He spent a lot of his career in the Italian LBA league. He played for teams like Biella, Scavolini Pesaro, and Armani Jeans Milano. He was chosen for the league's All-Star Game in 2000, 2005, and 2006. He also led the league in rebounds during the 1999–2000 season.
While playing for Pesaro in the EuroLeague, which is Europe's top club competition, he was named to the 2001–02 All-EuroLeague Second Team.
Blair played for Ülkerspor in Turkey for two years. He was named the EuroLeague Regular Season MVP for the 2002–03 season. He also won the Turkish Basketball Cup twice (2003, 2004) and the Turkish Basketball SuperCup twice (2002, 2003).
He finished his playing career in Russia. He played for Spartak Primorje and then Spartak Saint Petersburg. He led the Russian league in rebounding during the 2007–08 season.
Coaching Career
College Coaching
In 2013, Blair returned to the Arizona Wildcats college team. He worked as an assistant coach, helping the team's taller players. He later became the school's graduate manager. He helped players like Kaleb Tarczewski and Brandon Ashley improve their skills.
Professional Coaching
On October 14, 2015, Blair became an assistant coach for the NBA D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He was then named the head coach of the Vipers on October 10, 2018. Under his leadership, the Vipers won the NBA G League championship in 2019.
After that, Blair became an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019. He then moved to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2020. He joined the Washington Wizards as an assistant coach for the 2021–22 season. On January 17, 2022, Blair won his first game as a head coach for the Wizards. He led them to a 117–98 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers.
In August 2024, Blair was named head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers again.
Personal Life
Joseph Blair was inspired by the youth camps run by the Harlem Globetrotters. He started his own charity called the Blair Charity Group. This group helps young people in the Tucson area. They offer free basketball camps and clinics that teach leadership and social skills. The charity focuses on education and social development for children, making sure no child misses out due to cost.
Blair has three children. Two of them were born in Italy. He lived in Italy for a long time and speaks fluent Italian.
Since he stopped playing basketball in 2009, Blair has lived in Tucson, Arizona. He went back to the University of Arizona and finished his degree in 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Joseph Blair para niños
