Mickell Gladness facts for kids
Gladness as a member of the Miami Heat in December 2011
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| Center | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 26, 1986 Jasper, Alabama |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Sylacauga (Sylacauga, Alabama) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2008 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2008–2020 |
| Career history | |
| 2008–2009 | Matrixx Magixx |
| 2009–2011 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2011 | Dakota Wizards |
| 2011–2012 | Miami Heat |
| 2012 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2012–2013 | Santa Cruz Warriors |
| 2013–2014 | Reno Bighorns |
| 2014 | Jiangxi Xinye |
| 2014–2015 | Townsville Crocodiles |
| 2015 | Canterbury Rams |
| 2015–2016 | Maccabi Ashdod |
| 2016 | San Lorenzo de Almagro |
| 2016–2017 | Kalev/Cramo |
| 2017–2018 | Bilbao Basket |
| 2018 | Ironi Nes Ziona |
| 2018–2019 | Pistoia Basket |
| 2019 | Benfica |
| 2019 | SeaHorses Mikawa |
| 2019–2020 | San-en NeoPhoenix |
| 2020 | Arka Gdynia |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Mickell Jawaun Gladness (born July 26, 1986) is an American professional basketball player. He is known for his amazing shot-blocking skills! Mickell grew up in Alabama and played college basketball before starting his pro career in the Netherlands. In 2011, he even played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Miami Heat. His last team was Arka Gdynia in Poland.
Contents
Early Life and High School
Mickell Gladness was born in Jasper, Alabama. He spent his childhood in Sylacauga. From 2000 to 2004, he went to Sylacauga High School.
College Basketball Career
Mickell started his college basketball journey at Lawson State Community College. In his only season there, he averaged 3.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.
Playing for Alabama A&M
In 2005, Mickell moved to Alabama A&M University. He played basketball there for three years. He studied business management during his time at Alabama A&M.
Because of NCAA rules, Mickell could play right away. He didn't have to wait a year after transferring. In his first year at Alabama A&M (2005-06), he played in 26 games. He blocked an impressive 77 shots that season.
Becoming a Shot-Blocking Star
Mickell truly shined in his junior year (2006-07). He played in 30 games and became the national leader in blocked shots. He averaged 6.3 blocks per game!
On February 24, 2007, he set a huge record. He blocked 16 shots in one game against Texas Southern. No other player in NCAA Division I history has ever blocked 15 shots in a single game.
In his senior year, his blocks per game dropped to 4.5. This might have been because other teams knew about his skill. They tried to avoid him when shooting. Even so, he finished his college career with 396 blocks. This placed him among the top 25 all-time shot blockers in Division I. For his last two seasons, Mickell was named a first-team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference player.
Professional Basketball Journey
Mickell Gladness was not chosen in the 2008 NBA draft. But he didn't give up! In July 2008, he signed a two-year contract. This was with Matrixx Magixx in the Dutch Basketball League in the Netherlands. After one year, he decided to leave the team.
Starting in the NBA G League
In November 2009, Mickell joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. This team is part of the NBA Development League. He helped the Vipers win the 2010 D-League championship!
He then played for the Miami Heat in the 2010 NBA Summer League. He even signed with the Heat in September 2010. However, he was later released. He went back to the Vipers. After a short time, he moved to the Dakota Wizards.
Playing in the NBA
In November 2011, Mickell returned to the Dakota Wizards. Then, on December 9, 2011, he signed with the Miami Heat again! He made his NBA debut on December 25 against the Dallas Mavericks.
He played eight games for the Heat. Later, he signed a 10-day contract with the Golden State Warriors on March 22, 2012. He then signed with the Warriors for the rest of the season. Mickell started the last seven games for the Warriors. He had his best game on April 26, scoring 14 points and grabbing 9 rebounds.
Moving Around the World
After his time in the NBA, Mickell played for many teams. He returned to the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League. He also played for the Reno Bighorns.
His career took him to different countries:
- China (Jiangxi Xinye)
- Australia (Townsville Crocodiles)
- New Zealand (Canterbury Rams)
- Israel (Maccabi Ashdod B.C., Ironi Nes Ziona B.C.)
- Argentina (San Lorenzo de Almagro)
- Estonia (Kalev/Cramo)
- Spain (Bilbao Basket)
- Italy (Pistoia Basket)
- Portugal (Benfica)
- Japan (San-en NeoPhoenix)
- Poland (Arka Gdynia)
In 2017, Mickell helped Kalev/Cramo win the Estonian League Championship. He also led the VTB League in blocks that season.
Career Statistics
Here are some of Mickell Gladness's basketball statistics.
NBA Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | Miami | 8 | 0 | 3.5 | .333 | .000 | .000 | 1.4 | .3 | .1 | .1 | .3 |
| 2011–12 | Golden State | 18 | 7 | 12.4 | .429 | .000 | .500 | 2.6 | .2 | .2 | 1.1 | 3.0 |
| Career | 26 | 7 | 9.7 | .424 | .000 | .500 | 2.2 | .2 | .2 | .8 | 2.2 | |
NBL Regular Season (Australia)
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | Townsville | 27 | 27 | 25.1 | .531 | .000 | .506 | 7.7 | .4 | .3 | 2.2 | 9.1 |
| Career | 27 | 27 | 25.1 | .531 | .000 | .506 | 7.7 | .4 | .3 | 2.2 | 9.1 | |
Personal Life
Mickell Gladness is married to Adriana. They have two sons together.
See also
In Spanish: Mickell Gladness para niños
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 13 or more blocks in a game
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season blocks leaders
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career blocks leaders
