Kelsey Weems facts for kids
| Point guard | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | September 16, 1967 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||||
| Died | August 20, 2019 (aged 51) Atlanta, Georgia |
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| High school | Walker (DeKalb County, Georgia) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | NC State (1985–1989) | |||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1989 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1989–1999 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Quad City Thunder | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | Oklahoma City Cavalry | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | Calgary 88s | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | Oklahoma City Cavalry | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Hartford Hellcats | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Rockford Lightning | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Yakima SunKings | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Omaha Racers | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Trotamundos de Carabobo | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Sydney Kings | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Kelsey Russell Weems (born September 16, 1967 – died August 20, 2019) was an American professional basketball player. He was a point guard from Georgia. Kelsey played college basketball at NC State. After college, he played for several seasons in the CBA. He also proudly represented the United States national team. With the national team, he won a gold medal in 1993 and a silver medal in 1995.
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High School Basketball Journey
Kelsey Weems grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He played basketball at Walker High School, which is now called McNair High School. He was a point guard on the team starting from his second year.
As a junior, Kelsey was a great player. He scored about 13.5 points and made 10 assists per game. In his final year, he became an even better scorer. He averaged 27 points per game! In one important state tournament game, he almost got a triple double. He scored 32 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and made 10 assists. Many people thought he was one of the best high school point guards in Georgia. He was even ranked among the top senior guards in the country.
College Basketball Experience
After high school, many top colleges wanted Kelsey to play for them. Some of these included Alabama, Auburn, and Kentucky. He chose to play for NC State in 1985.
During his first year at NC State, Kelsey played a limited amount of time. He was often behind another great player, Nate McMillan. Still, he started in 4 games. He averaged 3.5 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
After McMillan left, another player named Vinny Del Negro became the main point guard. Kelsey continued to play, mostly coming off the bench. He played in 35 games during his second year. In his third year, he played less due to a new player, Chris Corchiani. However, in his senior year, Kelsey got more time on the court. He played in 26 games and had his best college season. He averaged 7.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 0.7 steals per game.
Professional Basketball Career
After finishing college in 1989, Kelsey Weems was not chosen in the 1989 NBA Draft. However, he was drafted by the Rockford Lightning in the CBA. The CBA was a professional league where many players hoped to make it to the NBA.
Kelsey tried out for NBA teams like the Washington Bullets and the Boston Celtics. But he didn't make their final teams. He then signed with the Quad City Thunder for the 1989–90 CBA season. He averaged 9.5 points and 4 assists in 32 games.
In 1990, Kelsey joined the Oklahoma City Cavalry, a new team in the CBA. He had a great season, averaging 18.3 points and 7 assists per game. In 1991, he played for the Calgary 88s in the World Basketball League. There, he won the Sixth Man Award, which goes to the best player who usually comes off the bench.
Kelsey continued to play well, even trying out for NBA teams like the Seattle SuperSonics and Chicago Bulls. He returned to the Oklahoma City Cavalry and led the team in scoring in 1992–93. He averaged 17.3 points and a career-high 8.5 assists. He later played for the Hartford Hellcats and the Rockford Lightning.
He also played for the Yakima SunKings and the Omaha Racers. In 1998, Kelsey played internationally for Trotamundos de Carabobo in Venezuela. Then he moved to Australia to play for the Sydney Kings in the National Basketball League. He averaged 20 points and 5.1 assists in his first year there.
Kelsey Weems is ranked 19th all-time in the CBA for total points scored, with 5,457 points!
Playing for Team USA
Kelsey Weems was chosen to play for the United States national team in 1993. This team was made up of players from the CBA. They played in the 1993 Tournament of the Americas. Kelsey played in 7 games, averaging 9.4 points and leading the team with 4.4 assists per game. Team USA won the gold medal at this tournament!
Two years later, he was called up again for Team USA. This time, it was for the 1995 Pan American Games. He played in 6 games, averaging 4.5 points and 2 assists. Team USA won the silver medal at these games. In total, Kelsey played 13 games for the US national team.
