Kerry Kittles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kerry Kittles

Personal information
Born	(1974-06-12) June 12, 1974 (age 51) Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
High school	St. Augustine (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	179 lb (81 kg)
Career information
College	Villanova (1992–1996)
NBA Draft	1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8th overall
Selected by the New Jersey Nets
Pro career	1996–2005
Coaching career	2016–2018
Career history
As player:
1996–2004	New Jersey Nets
2004–2005	Los Angeles Clippers
As coach:
2016–2018	Princeton (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player: NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997) Consensus first-team All-American (1996) Consensus second-team All-American (1995) Big East Player of the Year (1995) 3× First-team All-Big East (1994–1996) 2× Robert V. Geasey Trophy winner (1995, 1996) No. 30 retired by Villanova Wildcats As assistant coach: Ivy League tournament winner (2017)
Career NBA statistics
Points	7,165 (14.1 ppg)
Rebounds	1,983 (3.9 rpg)
Assists	1,295 (2.6 apg)
Medals Men's Basketball Representing  United States Summer Universiade Gold 1995 Fukuoka Team competition

Kerry Kittles (born June 12, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional basketball player. He played as a shooting guard. Kittles played for the New Jersey Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers. His NBA career lasted from 1996 to 2005.

Kerry grew up in New Orleans. He went to St. Augustine High School. Later, he played college basketball at Villanova University. He helped the Villanova Wildcats win the 1994 NIT Championship. As a junior, he was named to the All-Big East team. He also helped Villanova win the 1995 Big East tournament championship. In his senior year (1996), Villanova made it to the NCAA tournament. Kittles was named the Big East Conference Player of the Year in 1995. He was also a top college player (All-American) in 1996. He holds Villanova's record for most points scored (2,243). His jersey number 30 was retired by the team.

The New Jersey Nets picked Kittles eighth in the 1996 NBA draft. In his first season, he was named to the All-Rookie Second Team. He missed the 2000–01 season due to knee surgery. Kittles played in the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 with the Nets. After seven seasons, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He retired from the NBA in 2005 after one year with the Clippers. From 2016 to 2018, Kittles was an assistant coach at Princeton.

High School Basketball Career

Kerry Kittles went to St. Augustine High School. Many people thought he was one of the best basketball players from New Orleans. In his last two seasons, he led St. Augustine to a great 66–5 record. He also earned first-team honors for his city and state.

As a junior, Kittles helped his team reach the 1991 state finals. In his senior year, he scored 22.5 points per game. St. Augustine finished with a 32–3 record. They won the 1992 Class 5A state championship game. Kittles was named Louisiana Mr. Basketball in 1992.

College Basketball Journey

After high school, Kittles went to Villanova University. He played for their Wildcats basketball team. Many Louisiana basketball fans were surprised he chose an out-of-state school.

Kittles thought about leaving Villanova before his freshman year. This was because his coach, Rollie Massimino, left for another team. The new coach, Steve Lappas, flew to New Orleans right away. He convinced Kittles to stay at Villanova.

Kittles was a talented player. He had a quick jump shot and could drive to the basket. He was also a smart player and a strong defender. These skills made him one of Villanova's most famous players ever. He finished his college career as Villanova's all-time leader in points (2,243) and steals (277).

As a sophomore, he led the Wildcats to win the 1994 NIT Championship. In his junior year, he averaged 21.4 points per game. He helped Villanova win the 1995 Big East tournament championship. He also won the Big East tournament MVP award. He was recognized as an All-American player. In his senior season, Kittles averaged 20 points per game. He was named All-Big 5 Player of the Year for the second time. He also received All-Big East and All-American honors again. Villanova was ranked No. 2 nationally at one point. However, they lost in the NCAA Tournament to Louisville. Later, Kittles was added to the team's Hall of Fame. His jersey number 30 was retired.

Professional NBA Career

In the 1996 NBA draft, the New Jersey Nets picked Kerry Kittles as the eighth overall player. In his first season (1996–97), he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He averaged 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. On April 13, 1997, Kittles scored his career-high of 40 points. In that same season, he set a Nets' record for most three-point shots made by a rookie (158).

Kittles played as a starting shooting guard for the Nets for seven years. He averaged 16.4 points as a rookie and 17.2 points in his second year. However, knee injuries started to affect his game. He had four surgeries on his knee in five years. He missed the entire 2000–01 season because of a knee injury.

Kittles shot over 40 percent from the three-point line in three seasons. He helped Jason Kidd lead the Nets to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. In July 2004, the Nets traded Kittles to the Los Angeles Clippers. This move was to save money. As of 2020, Kittles was third on the Nets' all-time list for three-point shots (687). He was also third in steals (803).

After one season with the Clippers that was affected by injuries, Kittles retired from the NBA in 2005.

Coaching Basketball

Kerry Kittles worked as an assistant coach at Princeton. He held this position from 2016 to 2018.

Personal Life and Beliefs

Kerry Kittles lives in Harding Township, New Jersey. He lives there with his wife, four daughters, and one son.

Kittles is Catholic, and his religion is very important to him. He chose to attend Villanova because it is a Catholic school. He said, "It was a smaller institution, it was a Catholic school, its basketball games were on television and I had the opportunity to play. But the biggest factor was its graduation rate." In 1996, Kittles became a Eucharistic Minister. He still volunteers in this role as of 2020.

Kittles earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Villanova in 2009. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Villanova. Kittles is part of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season Stats

NBA Playoff Stats

College Career Stats

See also

In Spanish: Kerry Kittles para niños