Kiwane Garris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kiwane Garris

Personal information
Born	(1974-09-24) September 24, 1974 (age 50) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
High school	Westinghouse (Chicago, Illinois)
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	183 lb (83 kg)
Career information
College	Illinois (1993–1997)
NBA Draft	1997 / Undrafted
Pro career	1997–2010
Career history
1997	Grand Rapids Hoops
1997–1998	Denver Nuggets
1998–1999	Alba Berlin
1999	TuS Lichterfelde
1999	Grand Rapids Hoops
1999–2000	Orlando Magic
2000	Grand Rapids Hoops
2000	Trotamundos de Carabobo
2000	Beşiktaş
2000–2001	Gary Steelheads
2001	New Mexico Slam
2001	Évreux
2001–2002	Virtus Ragusa
2002	Spójnia Stargard Szczeciński
2002–2003	Robur Osimo
2003–2005	Reggiana
2005–2006	Fortitudo Bologna
2006–2007	Olimpia Milano
2007–2009	Sutor Montegranaro
2009–2010	Reyer Venezia
Career highlights and awards
Third-team Parade All-American (1993)
Medals Representing  United States World Championships Bronze 1998 Greece National team

Kiwane Lemorris Garris was born on September 24, 1974. He is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played as a point guard and was 6-foot-2-inch (1.88 m) tall. He weighed 183 pounds (83 kg).

Kiwane Garris played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini. He was a point guard for their team. In his first year, the 1993–94 season, he was the second-highest scorer. He was only behind his teammate, Deon Thomas. For the next three seasons, Garris was the top scorer for his team. He also had the best free-throw percentage.

Garris also led his team in assists during the 1994–95 and 1996–97 seasons. He finished his college career as the second all-time leading scorer for Illinois. He scored 1948 points in total. His average was 16.8 points per game. During an NBA lockout, he played for the US national team. They won a bronze medal at the 1998 FIBA World Championship.

Professional Basketball Career

Kiwane Garris was expected to be chosen early in the NBA Draft. However, he was not drafted by any team. He later signed with the Denver Nuggets as a free agent. Before that, the Los Angeles Clippers had signed him briefly in 1997. But they released him before the regular season started.

For the 1997-1998 season, he played 28 games for the Nuggets. He played about 8 minutes per game and scored 2.4 points per game. In 1999–2000, he played 3 games for the Orlando Magic. He averaged 7.7 minutes and 1.3 points per game. In 2002, the Sacramento Kings signed him for their preseason. But they also released him before the regular season. He also played for the Grand Rapids Hoops in the CBA. He also played for Alba Berlin in Germany.

Playing in Italy

Kiwane Garris spent nine years playing basketball overseas. He played for several Italian teams from 2001 to 2010. These teams included Banca Popolare Ragusa and Porte Garofoli Osimo. He also played for Bipop-Carire Reggio Emilia. With Climamio Bologna in 2005–2006, he reached the Italian championship final. He also won the Italian Supercup with them. His last Italian team was Armani Jeans Milano from 2006–2007. After playing in Italy for many years, Garris returned to the United States.

Coaching Basketball

After his playing career, Kiwane Garris became a coach. He was an assistant coach at Prairie State College. He also coached at Mountain View High School in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He has expressed interest in becoming an assistant coach at the University of Illinois. Currently, he coaches the varsity basketball team at Fulton Science Academy Private School.

Personal Life

Kiwane Garris has a son named Kai from a previous relationship. In July 2006, he became engaged to R&B and soul singer-songwriter Syleena Johnson. She is also from Chicago. Their first son, Kiwane Garris Jr., was born on August 1, 2007. On February 6, 2011, they welcomed their second son, Kingston Garris. Kiwane Garris has said that Italy feels like "his home away from home."

See also

In Spanish: Kiwane Garris para niños