Kurk Lee facts for kids

Marvin Kurk Lee (born June 3, 1967) is a retired American professional basketball player. He played one season in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets in 1990–91. He also won three straight Finnish championships with the team Torpan Pojat from 1996 to 1998. In 1997, he was named the best foreign player in the Finnish league.

College Basketball Journey

Kurk Lee is a guard who is 6 feet 3 inches tall. He played college basketball at Western Kentucky University and Towson State University. He was the first player from Towson University to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2000, he was added to the Towson Hall of Fame.

Making an Impact at Towson

Kurk Lee made a big difference for the Towson Tigers basketball team. He helped them have their first two winning seasons in NCAA Division I. This happened in the 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons.

In the 1988–89 season, he was named the East Coast Conference Player of the Year. He was the first Towson player to receive this honor. He led the league in scoring, averaging 25.4 points per game. This placed him 13th in the entire NCAA Division I. He was also honored as the ECC Player of the Week five times.

Kurk Lee helped the Tigers achieve a 19–10 record that season. He also led the ECC in steals and free throw percentage. He averaged 5.6 rebounds per game, which is very good for a guard.

In his two seasons at Towson, he scored a total of 1,514 points. He finished his college career as the fourth-highest scorer in Towson's history.

Professional Basketball Career

After college, Kurk Lee joined the New Jersey Nets in 1990. He played in 33 games during the 1990–91 NBA season. He averaged 1.4 points per game. After his time with the Nets, he played for the Oklahoma City team in the Continental Basketball Association.

Playing Around the World

Kurk Lee also played basketball in many different leagues and countries. He played in the Continental Basketball Association and the International Basketball League. He also played professionally in the Philippines, Turkey, Finland, and Estonia.

He returned to the Baltimore area to play for the Baltimore Bay Runners. There, he played for his college coach, Terry Truax, again. Kurk Lee was one of the best players for the Bay Runners. He led the International Basketball League in free throw percentage.

Success in Finland

From 1995 to 1998, Kurk Lee played for Torpan Pojat in the Korisliiga, which is Finland's top basketball league. He helped his team win the Finnish championship three times in a row. He also won the Finnish Basketball Cup twice. In 1997, he was recognized as the best foreign player in the Korisliiga.

Time in Iceland and Estonia

In January 1999, Kurk Lee signed with ÍA in Iceland's top league. In 8 games, he had amazing averages. He scored 32.4 points, grabbed 12.1 rebounds, and made 5.8 assists per game.

Later, he played for TTÜ-A. Le Coq in Estonia during the 2001–2002 season. In January 2002, he returned to Finland and joined Pussihukat. He played 15 games for them, averaging 12.0 points and 4.9 rebounds. Kurk Lee retired from professional basketball in April 2002.

Life After Basketball

Kurk Lee's son, Kurk Lee Jr., also plays college basketball. He plays for Drexel University.

Kurk Lee has also been recognized for his community work. He received the International Basketball League's first Community Service Man of the Year award. Since 1990, he has been involved in community service in Baltimore. He has worked with the Special Olympics and runs many basketball camps and clinics. He has also coached basketball at Southside Academy.

See also

In Spanish: Kurk Lee para niños