Kiki VanDeWeghe facts for kids
VanDeWeghe in 2016
|
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 1, 1958 Wiesbaden, West Germany |
| Nationality | American / Canadian |
| High school | Palisades (Los Angeles, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | UCLA (1976–1980) |
| NBA Draft | 1980 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11th overall |
| Selected by the Dallas Mavericks | |
| Pro career | 1980–1993 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1980–1984 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1984–1989 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1989–1992 | New York Knicks |
| 1992–1993 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| As coach: | |
| 1999–2001 | Dallas Mavericks (assistant) |
| 2009–2010 | New Jersey Nets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 15,980 (19.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,785 (3.4 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,668 (2.1 apg) |
Ernest Maurice "Kiki" VanDeWeghe III (born August 1, 1958) is a famous former professional basketball player. He was also a coach and worked as an executive for the National Basketball Association (NBA). Kiki was a two-time NBA All-Star, which means he was chosen as one of the best players in the league twice. He was born in Germany but is American-Canadian.
Contents
Kiki VanDeWeghe's Early Life and Career
Kiki VanDeWeghe was born in Wiesbaden, West Germany. His father, Ernie Vandeweghe, was also an NBA player. His mother, Colleen Kay Hutchins, won the 1952 Miss America pageant.
Kiki moved to the U.S. when he was a child. He later played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He was recognized as one of the best players in the Pac-10 conference (now called the Pac-12).
College Basketball Highlights
In 1980, Kiki led the Bruins to the NCAA championship game. They played against Louisville but unfortunately lost. During his time in the NBA, Kiki became known as an excellent scorer. He was especially good at shooting from outside the basket.
He averaged 20 points per game for seven seasons in a row. Kiki was famous for a move called the "stepback." It was so good that people often called it the "Kiki Move." His teams made it to the NBA playoffs in 12 of his 13 seasons. However, none of his teams ever won the NBA championship.
Changing His Name Spelling
For most of his career, Kiki spelled his last name "Vandeweghe." This was the spelling his parents used. In 2013, he decided to change it to "VanDeWeghe." He did this to honor his grandfather, who had the same name.
College Career at UCLA
Kiki VanDeWeghe played basketball for four years at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In his final year, 1980, people didn't expect the Bruins to do very well. The team had lost three of its best players to the NBA. They also had a new coach, Larry Brown, who was coaching a college team for the first time.
Despite these challenges, Kiki and his teammates, nicknamed "Kiki and the Kids," worked hard. They finished the regular season with a good record. They were the last team chosen for the 1979–80 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
Road to the NCAA Final
With Kiki leading the way, the Bruins surprised everyone. They made it all the way to the championship game. They even beat the top-ranked DePaul team. In the final game, they played against the University of Louisville and lost.
Kiki's NBA Playing Career
Kiki VanDeWeghe was picked 11th in the 1980 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks. However, he did not want to play for Dallas and asked to be traded. He was traded to the Denver Nuggets on December 3, 1980. Whenever he played in Dallas after that, fans would boo him.
Success with the Denver Nuggets
As a player for the Nuggets, Kiki was chosen for the All-Star team twice. This happened in 1983 and 1984. In 1983, he was the second-highest scorer in the league, averaging 26.7 points. In 1984, he was third, with a career-high of 29.4 points per game.
During the 1983–84 season, Kiki scored 50 or more points in two games. On December 13, 1983, he scored a career-high 51 points. This game was a triple-overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons. It is still the highest combined scoring game in NBA history. On January 11, 1984, he scored exactly 50 points in a win against the San Antonio Spurs.
Time with the Portland Trail Blazers and New York Knicks
In 1984, Kiki was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He had several great seasons there, scoring almost 25 points per game. He and Clyde Drexler formed a powerful scoring team. In the 1986 NBA Playoffs, Kiki averaged 28 points per game. This was his highest average in the playoffs.
On March 5, 1987, Kiki scored 48 points against the Seattle SuperSonics. This was his best scoring game as a Trail Blazer. Later, he had a back injury and was traded to the New York Knicks. His father had played his entire career for the Knicks. Kiki played for the Knicks for several years. He then played half a season with the Los Angeles Clippers before retiring in 1993.
Executive and Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Kiki VanDeWeghe worked in basketball management. He first joined the Dallas Mavericks in a front-office role. He helped develop future NBA star Dirk Nowitzki. He also briefly worked as an assistant coach for the Mavericks.
Leading the Denver Nuggets
On August 9, 2001, Kiki became the general manager for the Denver Nuggets. He helped the Nuggets return to the NBA playoffs. He made important decisions, like drafting Carmelo Anthony in 2003. He also traded for Marcus Camby in 2002 and hired George Karl as head coach in 2005. Kiki left the Nuggets in 2006.
Role with the New Jersey Nets
In 2007, Kiki joined the New Jersey Nets as a special assistant. On December 1, 2009, he became the interim head coach of the Nets. He took over after the team started the season with 16 losses in a row. He also continued to be the general manager.
Working for the NBA League Office
In 2013, Kiki VanDeWeghe joined the leadership team of the NBA. He served as the executive vice president of basketball operations for eight years. In 2021, he moved into an advisory role. He now advises the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, and the president of league operations.
Kiki VanDeWeghe's Family
Kiki VanDeWeghe comes from a family of athletes. His uncle, Mel Hutchins, was also an NBA player and a four-time All-Star. Kiki's niece, Coco Vandeweghe, is a former professional tennis player. Kiki and his wife, Peggy, have one son, Ernest Maurice Reece VanDeWeghe IV, who was born in 2002. His nephew, Hugh VanDeWeghe, plays college basketball for the California Golden Bears.
NBA Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–81 | Denver | 51 | – | 27.0 | .426 | .000 | .818 | 5.3 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 11.5 |
| 1981–82 | Denver | 82 | 78 | 33.8 | .560 | .077 | .857 | 5.6 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 21.5 |
| 1982–83 | Denver | 82 | 79 | 35.5 | .547 | .294 | .875 | 5.3 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 26.7 |
| 1983–84 | Denver | 78 | 71 | 35.1 | .558 | .367 | .852 | 4.8 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 29.4 |
| 1984–85 | Portland | 72 | 69 | 34.8 | .534 | .333 | .896 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 22.4 |
| 1985–86 | Portland | 79 | 76 | 35.3 | .540 | .125 | .869 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 24.8 |
| 1986–87 | Portland | 79 | 79 | 38.3 | .523 | .481* | .886 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 26.9 |
| 1987–88 | Portland | 37 | 7 | 28.1 | .508 | .379 | .878 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 20.2 |
| 1988–89 | Portland | 18 | 1 | 24.0 | .475 | .421 | .879 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 13.9 |
| 1988–89 | New York | 27 | 0 | 18.6 | .464 | .300 | .911 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 9.2 |
| 1989–90 | New York | 22 | 13 | 25.6 | .442 | .526 | .917 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 11.7 |
| 1990–91 | New York | 75 | 72 | 32.3 | .494 | .362 | .899 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 16.3 |
| 1991–92 | New York | 67 | 0 | 14.3 | .491 | .394 | .802 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 7.0 |
| 1992–93 | L.A. Clippers | 41 | 3 | 12.0 | .453 | .324 | .879 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 6.2 |
| Career | 810 | 548 | 30.3 | .525 | .368 | .872 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 19.7 | |
| All-Star | 2 | 0 | 20.0 | .588 | – | .500 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 10.5 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Denver | 3 | – | 36.3 | .581 | – | 1.000 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 22.7 |
| 1983 | Denver | 8 | – | 39.6 | .544 | .000 | .800 | 6.5 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 26.8 |
| 1984 | Denver | 5 | – | 36.0 | .510 | .400 | .964 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 25.4 |
| 1985 | Portland | 9 | 9 | 34.6 | .538 | .143 | .939 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 22.4 |
| 1986 | Portland | 4 | 4 | 37.3 | .580 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 28.0 |
| 1987 | Portland | 4 | 4 | 43.5 | .535 | .250 | .846 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 24.8 |
| 1988 | Portland | 4 | 0 | 18.0 | .275 | .000 | 1.000 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 7.8 |
| 1989 | New York | 9 | 0 | 17.7 | .510 | .375 | .952 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 8.1 |
| 1990 | New York | 10 | 10 | 23.6 | .419 | .462 | .800 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 7.6 |
| 1991 | New York | 3 | 3 | 33.0 | .406 | .600 | .880 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 17.0 |
| 1992 | New York | 8 | 0 | 9.4 | .542 | .800 | .857 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 4.5 |
| 1993 | L.A. Clippers | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | .333 | – | – | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 |
| Career | 68 | 30 | 27.8 | .510 | .345 | .907 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 16.1 | |
Head Coaching Record
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 2009–10 | 64 | 12 | 52 | .188 | 5th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| Career | 64 | 12 | 52 | .188 | — | — | — | — | |||
See also
In Spanish: Kiki Vandeweghe para niños
- List of National Basketball Association career free throw percentage leaders
