Lanard Copeland facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 26, 1965 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Nationality | American / Australian |
| High school | Washington (Atlanta, Georgia) |
| Listed weight | 88 kg (194 lb) |
| Career information | |
| College | Georgia State (1985–1989) |
| NBA Draft | 1989 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1989–2008 |
| Coaching career | 2014–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1989–1990 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1990 | Tulsa Fast Breakers |
| 1990–1991 | Rapid City Thrillers |
| 1991 | Atlanta Trojans |
| 1991 | Pepsi Hotshots |
| 1991 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 1992–2005 | Melbourne Tigers |
| 1992–1993 | Capital Region Pontiacs |
| 2005–2006 | Brisbane Bullets |
| 2006–2008 | Adelaide 36ers |
| As coach: | |
| 2014–2016 | Hume City Broncos |
| 2016–2019 | Sydney Kings (assistant) |
| 2020–2021 | Altona Gators |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Lanard Copeland, born on July 26, 1965, is an amazing American-Australian basketball coach and former player. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. Lanard became famous for playing in Australia's top basketball league, the NBL. He played there from 1992 until 2008.
Contents
Lanard's Basketball Journey
Starting Out in Basketball
Lanard Copeland played college basketball for four years at Georgia State. After college, he tried to join the NBA. He signed with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent. As a rookie in 1989–90, he played in 23 games for the 76ers.
Later, Lanard played for different teams in other leagues. He joined the Tulsa Fast Breakers in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). He also played for the Rapid City Thrillers in the CBA. After that, he played for the Atlanta Trojans in the United States Basketball League. Lanard even played basketball overseas in the Philippines for the Pepsi Hotshots. In 1991, he briefly played for the Los Angeles Clippers before returning to the CBA.
Becoming an NBL Star
In 1992, Lanard Copeland moved to Australia. He joined the Melbourne Tigers basketball team. He stayed with the Tigers for a very long time, until 2005. During his 14 seasons with the Tigers, Lanard played 449 games. He scored an incredible 9,862 points for the team. He also helped with 1,763 rebounds and 1,438 assists.
Lanard helped the Melbourne Tigers win two league championships. They won in 1993 and again in 1997. In 1997, he was even named the NBL Grand Final MVP. This means he was the best player in the championship game! He was also chosen for the All-NBL First Team in 1999 and 2002.
After leaving the Tigers, Lanard played for the Brisbane Bullets for one season (2005–06). Then, he joined the Adelaide 36ers for two seasons. He retired from playing in the NBL after the 2007–08 season. In his whole NBL career, Lanard played 532 games. He scored 10,735 points, which is one of the highest totals in NBL history.
| Games played: | 532 |
| Total points: | 10,735 |
| Rebounds per game: | 3.7 |
| Assists per game: | 3.0 |
| Steals per game: | 1.2 |
| Blocks per game: | 0.5 |
Lanard's Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Lanard Copeland started coaching basketball. He coached the Geelong Big V Division One Men's team for a year. In 2014, he became the head coach for the Hume City Broncos in the Big V league. He coached them until 2016. He also coached the Haileybury College men's team, which won a high school championship in 2014.
In 2016, Lanard became an assistant coach for the Sydney Kings. He worked alongside his former teammate, Andrew Gaze, who was the head coach. Lanard left the Kings when Andrew Gaze stepped down as coach in 2019.
Later, in 2020, Lanard Copeland became the men's head coach for the Altona Gators. This team plays in the Big V Division Two. He coached them through the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
See also
In Spanish: Lanard Copeland para niños
