Voshon Lenard facts for kids

Voshon Kelan Lenard (born May 14, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Voshon was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall and weighed 215 pounds.

College Basketball Journey

Voshon Lenard played college basketball at the University of Minnesota. After his third year, he thought about joining the NBA. He put his name in for the draft. The Milwaukee Bucks picked him in the second round of the 1994 NBA draft.

However, Voshon decided to go back to Minnesota for his final year. He finished his college career as the Golden Gophers' all-time leading scorer. He scored a total of 2,103 points.

Professional Basketball Career

After college, Lenard started playing in a minor league called the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). He played for the Oklahoma City Cavalry during the 1995–96 season. He scored an amazing 30.1 points per game in 18 games.

He left the CBA halfway through the season. This was because he signed a contract with the Miami Heat in the NBA.

Playing for the Miami Heat (1995–2000)

Lenard played 30 games for the Miami Heat in 1996. He scored 5.9 points per game coming off the bench. The Heat team was new and led by coach Pat Riley. It had famous players like Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway.

In the 1996–1997 season, Lenard's scoring went up to 12.3 points per game. He started in 47 out of 73 games. The Heat had their best season ever with 61 wins. They even made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Lenard was very good at shooting three-pointers. He was 7th in the league for three-pointers made. He was also 10th for three-point shooting percentage. On December 11, he made a famous game-winning shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He grabbed a loose ball and shot it with 3 seconds left. This gave Miami a big win.

In the playoffs, Lenard started all 17 games. He scored 11.4 points per game. He scored 24 points in his first playoff game against the Orlando Magic. Miami then played the New York Knicks in the semifinals. Lenard scored 22 points in game 3 and 21 points in game 5. The Heat lost to the Chicago Bulls in the East Finals.

Lenard became a popular player. In the 1997–1998 season, he started 81 games. He scored 12.6 points per game and shot 40 percent from three-point range. The Heat made the playoffs but lost to New York.

An injury made Lenard play only 12 games in the 1998–1999 season. Miami again lost to the Knicks in the first round.

In the 1999–2000 season, Lenard mostly played off the bench. He still scored 11.9 points per game. He shot 39 percent from three-point range. Injuries kept him out of the end of the season and the playoffs. After this season, the Heat traded Lenard to the Denver Nuggets.

Time with the Denver Nuggets (2000–2002)

In his first year with the Nuggets, Lenard started 58 out of 80 games. He scored 12.2 points per game. The team did not make the playoffs. Lenard was 10th in the league for total three-point shots made.

The next year, he started 19 out of 71 games. He still scored over 11 points per game. After this season, he signed with the Toronto Raptors.

Playing for the Toronto Raptors (2002-2003)

The Raptors had made the playoffs for three years in a row. They had superstar Vince Carter and coach Lenny Wilkens. Lenard started 24 out of 63 games. He played about 30 minutes per game, which was his most since 1998.

He scored a career-high 14.3 points per game. He was second on the team in three-point field goals. However, Vince Carter's injuries caused the team to miss the playoffs. Lenard then went back to Denver.

Back to Denver and the Playoffs (2003–2006)

The Nuggets had not been in the playoffs for a while. But they got the 3rd pick in the 2003 NBA draft. They picked college star Carmelo Anthony. The 2003–2004 season was a great one for Lenard. He started 70 games and scored 14.2 points per game. The Nuggets, led by Anthony, made it back to the postseason.

Lenard also won the 2004 NBA All-Star Weekend Three-point Shootout. This event took place in Los Angeles. He played in the playoffs for the first time since 1999. He scored a personal best of 17 points per game. The Nuggets lost in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Nuggets were excited for the 2004–2005 season. They got all-star player Kenyon Martin. But in the first game, Lenard hurt his Achilles tendon. This injury kept him out for almost the whole season. He only played in two other games.

Even with his injury, Lenard took part in the 2005 three-point shootout. Quentin Richardson won that year. In the 2005–2006 season, Lenard had more injuries. He was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in February.

Final Season with the Portland Trail Blazers (2006)

Lenard played only 14 games for Portland to finish the season. He retired from basketball at the end of the 2006 season.

See also

• In Spanish: Voshon Lenard para niños