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 was born on June 12, 1974. He is an American basketball coach and a former professional basketball player. Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall, Kittles played as a Shooting guard for the New Jersey Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers. His NBA career lasted from 1996 to 2005.

Kittles grew up in New Orleans and went to St. Augustine High School. He then attended Villanova University. There, he helped the Villanova Wildcats win the 1994 NIT Championship. In his junior year, Kittles was named to the All-Big East team. He also helped Villanova win the 1995 Big East tournament championship.

Villanova reached the NCAA tournament in 1996, which was Kittles's senior year. He was named the Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 1995. In 1996, he was recognized as a top All-American player. Villanova later honored him by retiring his jersey number 30 and adding him to their hall of fame.

The New Jersey Nets chose Kittles as the eighth pick in the 1996 NBA draft. In his first season, he was named to the All-Rookie Second Team. He missed the entire 2000–01 season because he was recovering from knee surgery. Kittles played in the 2002 and 2003 NBA Finals with the Nets. After seven seasons, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He played one year with the Clippers, which was affected by injuries, before he retired from the NBA.

After his playing career, Kittles worked as an assistant coach. He coached at Princeton University from 2016 to 2018.

High School Basketball Journey

Kittles went to St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. Many people thought he was one of the best basketball players to come from the city. In his last two years, he helped St. Augustine achieve an amazing 66 wins and only 5 losses. He also earned top honors for his play in the city and state.

As a junior, Kittles led his team, the Purple Knights, to the state finals in 1991. In his senior year, he scored an average of 22.5 points per game. St. Augustine finished that season with a 32-3 record. They won the 1992 Class 5A state championship game. Kittles was named Louisiana Mr. Basketball in 1992, which is a big award for high school players.

College Basketball Career

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

When his first coach, Rollie Massimino, left Villanova before Kittles's freshman year, Kittles thought about transferring. But the new coach, Steve Lappas, flew to New Orleans right away to convince Kittles to stay.

Kittles was known for his accurate and quick jump shot. He also used his tall and athletic build to drive to the basket strongly. He was a smart player and a tough defender. These skills made Kittles one of the most celebrated players in Villanova's history. He finished his college career as Villanova's all-time leader in points (2,243) and steals (277).

In his sophomore year, he led the Wildcats to win the 1994 NIT Championship. As a junior, Kittles averaged 21.4 points per game and was named to the All-Big East team. He led Villanova to win the 1995 Big East tournament championship. He also won the Big East tournament MVP award and was recognized as an All-American.

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 again received All-Big East and All-American honors. Villanova was ranked as high as number 2 nationally that year. However, they were upset in the NCAA Tournament by Louisville in the second round. Later, Kittles was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame, and his jersey number 30 was retired.

Professional Basketball Career

In the 1996 NBA draft, the New Jersey Nets chose Kerry Kittles as the eighth player overall. In his first season, the 1996–97 season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He averaged 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. On April 13, 1997, Kittles scored his career-high of 40 points in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. That same season, he set a record for the Nets and for NBA rookies by making 158 three-point shots.

Kittles played as the starting shooting guard for the Nets for seven productive years. After averaging 16.4 points as a rookie and 17.2 points in his second year, knee injuries started to affect his game. He had four operations on his knee over five years. He missed the entire 2000–01 season due to a knee injury. Despite injuries, he had three seasons where he shot over 40 percent from the three-point line. He also helped Jason Kidd lead the Nets to two NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003.

In July 2004, the Nets traded Kittles to the Los Angeles Clippers. This move was made to help the Nets manage their team's salaries. As of 2020, Kittles was third on the Nets' all-time list for three-point field goals (687) and steals (803).

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

Coaching Experience

Kerry Kittles served as an assistant basketball coach at Princeton University. He held this coaching position from 2016 to 2018.

Personal Life

Kerry Kittles lives in Harding Township, New Jersey, 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 once said about his choice:

"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, which is a role in the Catholic Church. As of 2020, he continued to serve in this role.

Kittles earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Villanova in 2009. He has also been a member of the university's board of trustees. Kittles is part of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Career Statistics

NBA Games

Regular Season Games

Playoff Games

College Games

See also

In Spanish: Kerry Kittles para niños