On July 7, 1978, one of basketball’s more colorful players was born. Chris Anderson, a center and power forward for the Denver Nuggets, has had quite an interesting career and life.
Early Life and Career
Anderson was born in Long Beach, California, but family later moved to Iola, Texas, where he attended high school. During his high school career, he was named to Texas’ All-State team three times. Anderson continued his career at Blinn College in Texas.
Though he was not drafted into the NBA, Anderson began his professional basketball career in the Chinese Basketball League. He played one season for Jiangsu Nagang, and averaged 17 points per game and 13.5 rebounds per game. In 2000, he joined the New Mexico Slam, a part of the International Basketball League. His first season with them was nowhere near as promising as his season with the Chinese team.
He averaged only 1.6 points per game for the last 6 regular season games.
Entrance into the NBA
In spite of what might have seemed like a failing entrance into American basketball, Anderson was signed as a free agent by the Denver Nuggets in 2001, making him the first ever call-up from D-League.
That season, he played in 24 games, and even started in one. He led the team in rebounds twice, but missed 17 games due to a bone chip in his right wrist, which had to be surgically repaired.
Various Injuries
One interesting thing about Chris Anderson is that his career has been marked by a plethora of injuries. In the 2003-04 season, he missed 22 games due to a fractured thumb.
In 2004-05 he missed the last five games of the season because he sprained his right ankle, and in 2008-09 he missed a game because of a contusion in his left hip and a sprained wrist.
Suspension
Anderson was suspended from the NBA on January 25, 2006 because of his reported inability to comply with the league’s drug policies. He tested positive for a banned substance, and so was expulsed from the league for two years. On March 4, 2008, the NBA Players Association voted to re-instate Anderson as a player.
Personal Life
In spite of a somewhat checkered NBA past, Anderson has several bright spots. In the 2005-06 season, he purchased $25,000 worth of tickets and donated them to various charities to allow less fortunate people attend games. He has also donated artwork to charity auctions.
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