Trajan Langdon facts for kids
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Langdon with CSKA Moscow, in March 2011.
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| Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| President of basketball operations | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 13, 1976 Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
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| High school | East Anchorage (Anchorage, Alaska) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 211 lb (96 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Duke (1994–1999) | |||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11th overall | |||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1999–2011 | |||||||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Benetton Treviso | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Long Beach Jam | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Efes Pilsen | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Dynamo Moscow | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2011 | CSKA Moscow | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
As player
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Trajan Shaka Langdon, born on May 13, 1976, is an American basketball expert. He used to be a professional player. Today, he is the President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Trajan is 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) (about 193 cm) tall and weighs 211 lb (96 kg) (about 96 kg). He played as a shooting guard. He became well-known in the U.S. while playing college basketball for Duke University.
After playing for three years in the NBA, Trajan had a very successful career in Europe. He was named to the All-EuroLeague Team three times. In 2008, he was the EuroLeague Final Four MVP. He also won two EuroLeague championships with CSKA Moscow in 2006 and 2008.
In March 2016, he became the assistant general manager for the Brooklyn Nets. He worked there until May 2019. Then, he became the general manager for the New Orleans Pelicans. On May 31, 2024, the Detroit Pistons hired him as their President of Basketball Operations.
Contents
Trajan's Early Life and Sports Beginnings
Trajan Langdon was born in Palo Alto, California. Soon after, his family moved to Anchorage, Alaska. During his high school years, Trajan went to Steller Secondary School. He played basketball for East Anchorage High School.
He set a state record in Alaska by scoring 2,200 points in his high school career. He was also named the Alaskan State Player of the Year three times. In 1994, he led East Anchorage to win the Alaskan State Championship. He also played in the McDonald's All-American Game, where he won the 3-point shooting contest.
Trajan was also a talented baseball player in high school. Even though his baseball seasons were short (only twelve games), he was very good. As a senior, he hit the ball well, with a .333 average, four home runs, and 12 RBI. In one important game, he allowed only four hits and struck out eleven batters.
College Basketball and Baseball Career
After high school, Trajan went to Duke University to play NCAA Division I college basketball. He became known as "The Alaskan Assassin" because he set a school record for the most 3-point shots made. This record was later broken in 2006.
A serious knee injury kept him from playing during his second year. So, he finished his college basketball career as a fifth-year player.
In the 1999 NCAA championship game, Duke was losing by one point to the UConn Huskies. With only 5.4 seconds left, Trajan tried to drive the ball. But he made a traveling mistake, which meant UConn got the ball. Experts and Trajan himself said that Ricky Moore, UConn's top defensive player, forced him to make that mistake.
Playing Baseball While at Duke
A baseball scout saw Trajan playing catch with his dad during a visit to Duke. The scout was very impressed. In 1994, the San Diego Padres picked Trajan in the 6th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball draft. This was even before future All-Stars like Carl Pavano and Plácido Polanco were chosen. At that time, he was the highest-drafted player ever from Alaska.
He signed with the Padres and received a $230,000 bonus. Back then, NCAA rules meant a player couldn't get a scholarship for one sport if they played another sport professionally. So, Trajan played basketball at Duke without a scholarship. He played Minor League Baseball during the summers. Over three seasons, he played 50 games for the Spokane Indians and Idaho Falls Braves.
Professional Basketball Journey
The NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers chose Trajan Langdon in the 1999 NBA draft. He played his first professional game with the Cavaliers on November 2, 1999. He was the first person from Alaska to play in the NBA.
After three years with the Cavaliers, Trajan moved to Europe. He played for the Italian team Benetton Treviso during the 2002–03 season.
The next season, he briefly played for the Long Beach Jam. Then, he joined the strong Turkish team Efes Pilsen. For the 2004–05 season, he moved to the Russian team Dynamo Moscow. After that, he moved to another team in Moscow, CSKA Moscow, for the 2005–06 season.
Trajan was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team for the 2005–06 season. CSKA also won the EuroLeague championship that year.
The next season, he helped CSKA reach the EuroLeague championship game again. But they lost to the Greek team Panathinaikos. Trajan was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team for the 2006–07 season. He earned this honor again in the 2007–08 season. On May 4, 2008, he was named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP after winning another EuroLeague title with CSKA.
On October 7, 2006, Trajan led CSKA Moscow to a 94–75 win over the Clippers. This was an NBA Europe Live Tour exhibition game. He even played against his former Duke University teammate Elton Brand, who was on the Clippers. Trajan scored the most points in that game, with 17.
In June 2011, he announced he was stopping his professional basketball career. He made this announcement two days after helping CSKA win their ninth straight Russian championship.
Playing for Team USA
After graduating from Duke with degrees in math and history, Trajan played for the USA national basketball team. He competed in the 1998 FIBA World Championship and helped his team win the bronze medal.
Life After Playing Basketball
After his playing career ended, Trajan Langdon became a scout for the San Antonio Spurs. He worked there from 2012 to 2015. On March 8, 2016, he was named the assistant general manager of the Brooklyn Nets.
On May 19, 2019, Trajan became the general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans. Most recently, on May 31, 2024, he was named President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons.
Career Statistics Highlights
Trajan Langdon played in the NBA for three seasons. He played 119 games, starting 5 of them. He averaged 5.4 points per game.
In Europe, he played 167 EuroLeague games. He averaged 13.0 points per game. He was known for his excellent shooting, especially from the 3-point line and free-throw line. In the 2006–07 EuroLeague season, he led the league in free-throw percentage, making 92.5% of his shots.
Personal Life and Family
Trajan's mother, Gladys, is a social worker. His father, Dr. Steve Langdon, is a professor of anthropology at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Trajan often traveled with his father on trips to learn about different cultures in southeastern Alaska. His father studied the Tlingit Nation, an Indigenous group in that area.
See also
In Spanish: Trajan Langdon para niños
