Tyrus Thomas facts for kids
Thomas in 2008
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 17, 1986 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| High school | McKinley (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | LSU (2005–2006) |
| NBA Draft | 2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall |
| Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Pro career | 2006–2016 |
| Career history | |
| 2006–2010 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2010–2013 | Charlotte Bobcats |
| 2015 | Iowa Energy |
| 2015 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2015–2016 | Eisbären Bremerhaven |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Tyrus Wayne Thomas, born on August 17, 1986, is a former professional basketball player from America. He played college basketball at Louisiana State University (LSU). In the 2006 NBA draft, he was picked fourth overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. Soon after, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls. He played for the Bulls for about three and a half years. In February 2010, he joined the Charlotte Bobcats.
Contents
High School Basketball Journey
When Tyrus was a freshman, he was 5 feet 10 inches tall. He tried out for his high school basketball team but did not make it. He only started playing organized basketball in his last two years at McKinley High School. This was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
As a junior, Tyrus grew to 6 feet 6 inches and weighed 190 pounds. When he decided to go to LSU for college, they did not have a scholarship ready for him. But a spot opened up later, and he got his chance. By his senior year, Tyrus was 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 200 pounds. In his senior year, he averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocks per game. These great stats earned him a spot on the all-second team in Louisiana.
College Career at LSU
Tyrus Thomas played for LSU in the 2005–06 season. He was a "redshirt" freshman, meaning he practiced with the team but didn't play in games the year before. He became the team's starting power forward. Tyrus was known for his amazing jumping ability. This made him great at blocking shots, grabbing rebounds, and dunking the ball.
He was named the SEC Freshman of the Year. SEC stands for Southeastern Conference, a group of college sports teams. He averaged 12.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game. He played in 32 games and started 22 of them. He also shot over 60% from the field, which is very good. Tyrus was also named the NCAA Atlanta Region MVP in the NCAA Tournament. He scored 30 points combined against strong teams like Duke and Texas.
Tyrus Thomas in the 2006 NCAA Tournament
Tyrus was still recovering from a sprained ankle when the 2006 NCAA Tournament began. He had hurt his ankle in a game against Kentucky in February. This injury made him miss the last two regular season games and the SEC Tournament.
Even with his injury, Tyrus played well in the tournament. His performance got better with each game. LSU, a #4 seed, made it to their first Final Four since 1986. His playing time was limited in the first two games because of his ankle. These were against Iona and Texas A&M.
But Tyrus was back in top form for the "Sweet 16" game. This was against the top-ranked team, Duke. In that game, Tyrus had 9 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks. He did this even though he only played 25 minutes due to early foul trouble. LSU's defense was amazing, holding Duke to only 54 points. This was Duke's lowest score since 1996.
Tyrus played even better in the "Elite Eight" game against Texas. He scored 21 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and had 3 blocks. Because of his great play, Tyrus won the Most Valuable Player award for the Atlanta Regional.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Chicago Bulls (2006–2010)
On April 17, 2006, Tyrus decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would become a professional player and could no longer play college basketball. On June 28, 2006, the Portland Trail Blazers picked him fourth overall in the 2006 NBA draft. However, on the same night, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls gave up their second pick, LaMarcus Aldridge, to get Tyrus.
In his first year with the Bulls, Tyrus played in 72 games. He started four of them. He averaged 5.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. He also took part in the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest. He was the first Bulls player to do so since Scottie Pippen in 1990.
Tyrus had a great game on March 22, tying his season-high with 11 rebounds. He also made the game-winning shot with only 0.2 seconds left against the Denver Nuggets. On March 31, he scored a career-high 27 points and had eight rebounds against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Because of his strong first year, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team.
In his second year, Tyrus played in 74 games and started 27. He averaged 6.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game. He had 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the second game of the season. This was against the Philadelphia 76ers. He finished the season strong in April. He scored 24 points against the Boston Celtics and 20 points with 14 rebounds against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also had 26 points in the last game of the season against the Toronto Raptors.
The 2008–09 season was Tyrus's best. He averaged 10.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.9 blocks. He played in 79 games and started 61 of them. After this great season, Tyrus only played four games for the Bulls in 2009–10. He fractured his forearm during practice on November 6. This injury kept him out for four to six weeks. He returned on December 26, playing off the bench behind rookie Taj Gibson.
Time with the Charlotte Bobcats (2010–2013)
On February 18, 2010, Tyrus Thomas was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats. In return, the Bulls received Ronald Murray, Acie Law, and a future draft pick.
On July 12, 2010, Tyrus signed a new five-year contract with the Bobcats. The deal was worth $40 million. On January 25, 2012, in a game against the Washington Wizards, Tyrus blocked 9 shots. This was a career high for him and was just one block shy of the Bobcats' team record. On July 10, 2013, the Bobcats decided to release Tyrus. They used a special rule called the amnesty clause.
Later Career Teams (2015–2016)
After leaving the Bobcats, Tyrus continued his career. On January 13, 2015, he joined the Iowa Energy. This team is part of the NBA Development League. A few days later, on January 22, Tyrus signed a 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.
After his contract with the Grizzlies ended on February 1, he was not offered another one. So, he returned to the Iowa Energy two days later. On September 4, 2015, Tyrus signed a one-year deal to play overseas. He joined Eisbären Bremerhaven in Germany, which is part of the Basketball Bundesliga. On February 26, 2016, he left Bremerhaven. He had averaged 3.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game there.
NBA Career Highlights
Tyrus Thomas played in 402 regular season NBA games. He started 129 of them. Over his career, he averaged 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. He was known for his strong defense and shot-blocking skills.
In the playoffs, Tyrus played in 21 games. He started 7 of those games. He averaged 7.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game in the playoffs. His best playoff performance was in 2009 with the Chicago Bulls. He averaged 9.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks in 7 games.
Personal Life
Tyrus Thomas is well-known for his many tattoos. He got his first tattoo when he was in tenth grade. His mother introduced him to the tattoo artist.
See also
In Spanish: Tyrus Thomas para niños
