Rashard Griffith facts for kids

Rashard Nathan Griffith, born on October 8, 1974, is a talented American who used to play professional basketball. He was a powerful center known for his height and skills on the court.

Early Basketball Days

Rashard Griffith grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He became a star player for the King Jaguars basketball team. This team was very famous across the country.

At King High School, Rashard was part of a "twin towers" duo. He was 7 feet tall, and his teammate, Thomas Hamilton, was 7 feet 2 inches tall. Together, they were a very strong force on the court.

In 1993, Rashard helped King High School win a state championship. He was named Illinois Mr. Basketball, which means he was the best high school player in Illinois.

Choosing a College Team

After high school, Rashard joined the Wisconsin Badgers college basketball team. He chose Wisconsin over many other big schools. These included Arizona, Duke, Kentucky, and Michigan.

College Career Highlights

Rashard made his first college game on November 27, 1993. He played against UW-Milwaukee and had an amazing game. He scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

He also helped the Badgers reach the NCAA Tournament. This was their first time in the tournament in 47 years! As a freshman, he averaged 13.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

In his second season, Rashard was even better. He averaged 17.2 points and 10.8 rebounds. He was named First Team All-Big Ten by the media. He also set a record for most blocks in Wisconsin's history.

After two great seasons, Rashard decided to become a professional player.

Professional Basketball Journey

The Milwaukee Bucks picked Rashard Griffith in the 1995 NBA draft. He was the 38th player chosen overall. Even though he trained with the Bucks, he never signed a contract to play for them.

Playing in Europe

Instead of the NBA, Rashard chose to play overseas. He signed with Tofaş Bursa in Turkey. He helped his team reach the 1997 Korać Cup final.

During his second time with Tofaş, they won two Turkish League titles. These wins happened in 1999 and 2000.

After playing in Turkey and Israel, Rashard moved to Italy. He joined Kinder Bologna. There, he was named to the All-EuroLeague second team in 2001. He played alongside famous players like Manu Ginóbili. That same year, Kinder Bologna won the Triple Crown in Basketball. This means they won three major championships.

More Teams and Trophies

Rashard played for many other teams around the world. He played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel. He also played in Spain for Tau Cerámica and Tenerife. In Italy, he played for Lottomatica Roma. He even played in Puerto Rico for Capitanes de Arecibo.

He won the Israeli League with Maccabi in 1998. In 2005, he won the Puerto Rican League with Arecibo.

Rashard's last team was CSU Asesoft Ploiesti in Romania. He retired from playing basketball in 2010.

Life After Basketball

After retiring, Rashard Griffith went back to school. In 2017, he returned to the University of Wisconsin to finish his studies. He also became a mentor for the men's basketball team. In May 2020, he earned his degree in community and non-profit leadership.

In 2022, Rashard became the head coach for the girls' basketball team. He coaches at Middleton High School in Middleton, Wisconsin.

See also

In Spanish: Rashard Griffith para niños