Robert Traylor facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | February 1, 1977 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Died | May 11, 2011 (aged 34) Isla Verde, Puerto Rico |
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| High school | Murray-Wright (Detroit, Michigan) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 290 lb (132 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Michigan (1995–1998) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Dallas Mavericks | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1998–2011 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Milwaukee Bucks | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Charlotte Hornets | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | New Orleans Hornets | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||
| 2006 | Gestibérica Vigo | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Santurce Crabbers | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Antalya Kepez Belediyesi | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | NSB Napoli | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | Vaqueros de Bayamón | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Halcones UV Xalapa | |||||||||||||
| 2011 | Vaqueros de Bayamón | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 2,085 (4.8 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 1,640 (3.7 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Blocks | 306 (0.7 bpg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Robert DeShaun "Tractor" Traylor (February 1, 1977 – May 11, 2011) was an American professional basketball player. He earned his nickname "Tractor" because of his large and strong build. Traylor was chosen as the sixth player in the 1998 NBA draft. He played for seven seasons in the NBA, from 1998 to 2005. He usually played as a reserve center or forward, averaging 4.8 points per game.
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High School and College Basketball
Robert Traylor was a top high school player. He was named a McDonald's All-American in the same year as future NBA stars like Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, and Paul Pierce. After high school, he went to the University of Michigan.
Traylor was very tall, standing 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters) and weighing over 300 pounds. He joined a strong team at Michigan that included players like Maurice Taylor and Maceo Baston. One time, Traylor even broke a backboard with a powerful dunk during a game!
He helped his team, the Michigan Wolverines, win the 1997 National Invitation Tournament. He was named the tournament's MVP for his excellent performance. His junior year was his best. He averaged 16.2 points and 10 rebounds per game. He also led his team to win the first-ever Big Ten tournament championship. They then reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Later, there were some issues with the Michigan basketball program. These issues were related to some players, including Traylor, receiving benefits that were against college sports rules. Because of these rule violations, the University of Michigan had to give up their records for games Traylor played. Traylor also had to give back his MVP awards from the 1997 NIT and the 1998 Big Ten tournament. His high school also gave up their wins from his senior season.
Playing in the NBA
In the 1998 NBA draft, Robert Traylor was picked by the Dallas Mavericks as the sixth overall player. However, he was quickly traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. In return, the Mavericks received Pat Garrity and a German player named Dirk Nowitzki. This trade is often seen as one of the most uneven trades in NBA history. Nowitzki went on to have an amazing 21-season career with the Mavericks. Garrity was later traded by the Mavericks for Steve Nash, another future Hall of Famer.
Traylor played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, and New Orleans Hornets during his NBA career. He often struggled with his weight throughout his time as a professional player. In 2005, he had surgery on his aorta, which is a major blood vessel. He tried to sign with the New Jersey Nets for the 2005–06 season, but the deal didn't happen because he failed a physical exam.
International Basketball Career
After his time in the NBA, Robert Traylor continued his basketball career overseas. He played for teams in several different countries.
- In Turkey, he played for Antalya Kepez Belediyesi.
- In Italy, he played for the Lega Basket Serie A club NSB Napoli.
- In Mexico, he played for Halcones UV Xalapa.
- In Puerto Rico, he played for the Cangrejeros de Santurce and Vaqueros de Bayamón.
In 2010, Traylor was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league in Puerto Rico. His last professional game was on April 26, 2011. He played for five minutes in that game, but did not score any points.
Career Statistics
College
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | Michigan | 22 | 4 | 19.9 | .554 | .000 | .548 | 5.9 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 9.0 |
| 1996–97 | Michigan | 35 | 35 | 27.3 | .556 | .000 | .455 | 7.7 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 13.1 |
| 1997–98 | Michigan | 34 | 34 | 32.1 | .579 | .000 | .642 | 10.1 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 16.2 |
| Career | 91 | 73 | 27.3 | .566 | .000 | .545 | 8.2 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 13.3 | |
NBA
Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Milwaukee | 49 | 43 | 16.0 | .537 | .000 | .538 | 3.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 5.3 |
| 1999–00 | Milwaukee | 44 | 16 | 10.2 | .475 | .000 | .603 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 3.6 |
| 2000–01 | Cleveland | 70 | 7 | 17.3 | .497 | .000 | .567 | 4.3 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 5.7 |
| 2001–02 | Charlotte | 61 | 1 | 11.1 | .426 | 1.000 | .631 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 3.7 |
| 2002–03 | New Orleans | 69 | 0 | 12.3 | .443 | .333 | .648 | 3.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 3.9 |
| 2003–04 | New Orleans | 71 | 0 | 13.3 | .505 | .400 | .547 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 5.1 |
| 2004–05 | Cleveland | 74 | 6 | 17.9 | .444 | .000 | .539 | 4.5 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 5.5 |
| Career | 438 | 73 | 14.3 | .474 | .167 | .577 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 4.8 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Milwaukee | 3 | 1 | 15.0 | .778 | .000 | .500 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 5.3 |
| 1999–00 | Milwaukee | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| 2001–02 | Charlotte | 8 | 0 | 7.8 | .350 | .000 | .667 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
| 2002–03 | New Orleans | 6 | 0 | 15.7 | .455 | .000 | .250 | 5.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 3.5 |
| 2003–04 | New Orleans | 4 | 0 | 10.0 | .444 | .000 | .667 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.5 |
| Career | 22 | 1 | 11.1 | .459 | .000 | .529 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 3.0 | |
Death
Robert Traylor passed away on May 11, 2011. He was found at his apartment in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. It appeared he had a massive heart attack. He was talking to his wife on the phone when the call suddenly ended. His wife, Raye Traylor, quickly told team officials to check on him. News reports confirmed that he died from a heart attack.
His former coach, Paul Silas, shared his sadness about Traylor's death. He said, "It's just a shock and hard to believe."
See also
In Spanish: Robert Traylor para niños
- List of basketball players who died during their careers
