Kenny Anderson (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kenny Anderson

Anderson in 2017
Fisk Bulldogs
Head coach
Personal information
Born	(1970-10-09) October 9, 1970 (age 54) Queens, New York, U.S.
High school	Archbishop Molloy (New York City, New York)
Listed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight	168 lb (76 kg)
Career information
College	Georgia Tech (1989–1991)
NBA Draft	1991 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the New Jersey Nets
Pro career	1991–2006
Coaching career	2007–2008, 2018–present
League	Gulf Coast Athletic Conference
Career history
As player:
1991–1996	New Jersey Nets
1996	Charlotte Hornets
1996–1998	Portland Trail Blazers
1998–2002	Boston Celtics
2002–2003	Seattle SuperSonics
2003	New Orleans Hornets
2003–2004	Indiana Pacers
2004–2005	Atlanta Hawks
2005	Los Angeles Clippers
2005–2006	Žalgiris Kaunas
As coach:
2007–2008	Atlanta Krunk
2018–2024	Fisk
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Star (1994) Consensus first-team All-American (1991) Second-team All-American – NABC (1990) Third-team All-American – AP (1990) 2× First-team All-ACC (1990, 1991) ACC Rookie of the Year (1990) Mr. Basketball USA (1989) Gatorade National Player of the Year (1989) McDonald's All-American (1989) 2× First-team Parade All-American (1988, 1989) Second-team Parade All-American (1987)
Career NBA statistics
Points	10,789 (12.6 ppg)
Rebounds	2,641 (3.1 rpg)
Assists	5,196 (6.1 apg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States FIBA World Championship Bronze 1990 Buenos Aires National team Goodwill Games Silver 1990 Seattle National team

Kenneth "Kenny" Anderson (born October 9, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player. He played as a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for many years. Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball at Georgia Tech.

Early Life and High School Success

Kenny Anderson was born in Queens, New York City. When he was just 16 years old, he was already seen as one of the best young basketball players in the country. People started noticing his talent when he was in sixth grade. By the time he was 14, he was even featured on the front page of New York City sports newspapers.

Anderson went to Archbishop Molloy High School, a school known for both academics and sports. He became a four-time Parade All-American, which means he was recognized as one of the best high school players in the nation four times. This was a rare achievement, not done since the famous player Lew Alcindor (who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). He was also the first player to be named All-City four times in New York.

He received many honors, including being a McDonald's All-American and the High School Basketball Player of the Year by several groups. Even though his coach sometimes made him sit out the first part of games during his freshman year, Anderson set a new state record for scoring in New York with 2,621 points. This record stood for many years.

College Career at Georgia Tech

After high school, Kenny Anderson chose to play college basketball at Georgia Tech. He picked Georgia Tech over other top schools like North Carolina and Duke.

Anderson played for Georgia Tech for two years as their main point guard. In 1990, he helped lead his team to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. He played alongside Dennis Scott and Brian Oliver, and they were known as "Lethal Weapon 3." They won the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) title that year. Their amazing tournament run ended when they lost to UNLV in the Final Four.

After Scott and Oliver left, Anderson's scoring increased, averaging almost 26 points per game. In the 1991 NCAA tournament, Georgia Tech lost in the second round. Soon after, Anderson decided to leave college early to join the NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Journey

Kenny Anderson with a fan in 1993

New Jersey Nets (1991–1996)

The New Jersey Nets chose Kenny Anderson as the second pick in the 1991 NBA draft. He was the youngest player in the league during his first year. In his second season, his performance greatly improved, helping the Nets reach the 1993 NBA playoffs. He played alongside Derrick Coleman and Dražen Petrović. Sadly, the team's plans for a "big three" changed due to an unexpected event. In his third season (1993-94), Anderson had his best year, averaging 18.8 points and 9.6 assists per game. He even scored a career-high 42 points in one game. That same season, he was chosen to play in the 1994 NBA All-Star Game.

Charlotte Hornets (1996)

In 1996, Anderson was traded to the Charlotte Hornets. He played 38 games for the Hornets that season, averaging 15.2 points.

Portland Trail Blazers (1997–1998)

Later in 1996, Anderson signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. During the 1997 NBA playoffs, he averaged 17 points per game, but his team lost in the first round.

Boston Celtics (1998–2002)

In 1998, Anderson was traded to the Boston Celtics. He played for the Celtics for several seasons, becoming an important part of their team.

Later NBA Teams (2003–2005)

After his time with the Celtics, Anderson played for several other NBA teams. These included the Seattle SuperSonics (2003), the New Orleans Hornets (2003), the Indiana Pacers (2004), the Atlanta Hawks (2005), and the Los Angeles Clippers (2005).

After the NBA

Kenny Anderson's professional basketball career ended after the 2005–06 season, when he played for a team in Lithuania called Žalgiris Kaunas.

Playing for Team USA

Anderson also played for the U.S. national team in the 1990 FIBA World Championship. His team won the bronze medal in that tournament. He played a key role, scoring 34 points in a comeback win against Puerto Rico. Because of his great performance, he was named to the All-Tournament Team. He also won a silver medal with the national team at the 1990 Goodwill Games.

Life After Playing Basketball

After his playing career, Kenny Anderson became a basketball coach. In 2007, he coached the Continental Basketball Association's Atlanta Krunk. He also coached a slamball team called Hombres in 2008.

In 2010, Anderson earned a college degree in organizational leadership from St. Thomas University. In 2011, he became a basketball coach at the David Posnack Jewish Day School in Florida.

In 2014, Anderson was part of a basketball team that traveled to North Korea for an exhibition match. He later shared that he felt he had to go through with the event.

In 2018, Anderson was hired as the head basketball coach for Fisk University.

Personal Life

Kenny Anderson was raised by his mother, Joan. He has two sisters. He grew up in a challenging environment, and he has said that being able to support his mother inspired him to become a professional basketball player. His mother passed away in 2005.

Anderson is a father to several children. He has appeared in a documentary called Mr. Chibbs, which explored his life after basketball. In 2019, he was hospitalized after having a stroke.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

College Statistics

See also

In Spanish: Kenny Anderson para niños