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Lawrence Funderburke
No. 51
Power forward
Personal information
Born (1970-12-15) December 15, 1970 (age 53)
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Nationality American
High school Wehrle (Columbus, Ohio)
Listed height 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight 230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
College
  • Indiana (1989–1990)
  • Ohio State (1991–1994)
NBA Draft 1994 / Round: 2 / Pick: 51st overall
Selected by the Sacramento Kings
Pro career 1994–2005
Career history
1994–1995 Ampelokipoi
1995 Hapoel Eilat
1995–1996 P.A.O.K.
1996–1997 Pau-Orthez
1997–2004 Sacramento Kings
2005 Chicago Bulls
Career highlights and awards
  • Greek League All-Star (1996 I)
  • Greek All-Star Game Slam Dunk champion (1996 I)
Career NBA statistics
Points 2,031 (6.4 ppg)
Rebounds 1,142 (3.6 rpg)

Lawrence Damon Funderburke (born December 15, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player.

Basketball career

Funderburke was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, where he played high school basketball at Wehrle High School, leading them to a state championship in his junior season (1988).

Collegiate career

Funderburke played his freshman year of college basketball at Indiana University, where he is known for tangling with Bobby Knight. He transferred after that season to Ohio State University, where he played his three remaining years of eligibility. There, he teamed with fellow future NBA player Jimmy Jackson to lead Ohio State to the Big Ten Championship in 1992.

NBA career

Funderburke was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in the 2nd round (51st overall) of the 1994 NBA draft, honing his game in Europe (with Greece's Ampelokipoi and PAOK and French outfit Pau-Orthez) for three years before joining the Kings in 1997.

Funderburke averaged 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds as a rookie and played a role for the Kings during their successful seasons spanning from 1999–2003 as a backup to Chris Webber. After serving mainly as a reliable backup for Webber for six seasons, Funderburke missed the entire 2003–04 season, ultimately being waived in March 2004.

After appearing in two games for the Chicago Bulls, Funderburke retired in June 2005, holding NBA career averages of 6.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.

Other activities

Funderburke graduated with a degree in business finance from Ohio State. While an active player in 2000, Funderburke and his wife founded the Lawrence Funderburke Youth Organization, a non-profit organization dedicated to help at-risk children through a variety of services. Hook Me Up, Playa! is a book by Funderburke that warns both professional and aspiring athletes of the dark side of the limelight through interviews with close friends who are (or were) professional athletes.

Personal life

Funderburke's daughter, Nyah, is currently a student-athlete competing for the Ohio State swim team. She qualified for the 2022 NCAA Division I Swimming Championships and was named a CSCAA first-team All-American for her contributions on Ohio State's 400-yard medley relay that finished eighth overall.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lawrence Funderburke para niños

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