Theo Ratliff

Infobox NBA Player
name = Theo Ratliff

---

caption =
position = Power forward/Center
nickname =
height_ft = 6
height_in = 10
weight_lb = 235
team = Philadelphia 76ers
number = 50
nationality = American
birth_date = birth date and age|1973|4|17
birth_place = Demopolis, Alabama
college = Wyoming
highschool = Demopolis
draft = 18th overall
draft_year = 1995
draft_team = Detroit Pistons
career_start = 1995
former_teams = Detroit Pistons (1995–1997), (2008)
Philadelphia 76ers (1997–2001)
Atlanta Hawks (2001–2004)
Portland Trail Blazers (2004–2006)
Boston Celtics (2006–2007)
Minnesota Timberwolves (2007–2008)
awards =

Theophilus Curtis Ratliff (born April 17, 1973 in Demopolis, Alabama), better known as Theo Ratliff, is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. He primarily plays the center position, and is known as an excellent shot-blocker. He has twice led the league in blocks per game and is sixth among active players in blocks. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/alltime/leaders?cat=blocks ESPN.com - All-Time Leaders-Blocks ] ]

NBA career

He was selected with the 18th pick of the 1995 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, for whom he played for 2½ seasons. During the 1997-98 season he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. He played in Philadelphia for three seasons, and was voted Eastern Conference starting center of the 2001 All-Star Game, but was unable to play due to injury. He was a key fixture on the 2000-01 team that made it to the NBA finals, but an injured Ratliff was dealt at the trading deadline to the Atlanta Hawks for Dikembe Mutombo.

He missed most of the next season due to injury, but rebounded to post 262 blocks the next year with the Hawks. In the 2003-04 season (his best year as a pro), he recorded a league-leading 307 blocked shots, despite a trade to the Portland Trail Blazers, along with Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Dan Dickau for Rasheed Wallace and Wesley Person. After the 2004 season, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Blazers; however he was not as effective in 2004-05 season as he had been the previous season. As a result, midway through the season, he lost his starting job to Joel Przybilla. On June 28, 2006, the Boston Celtics acquired Ratliff along with Sebastian Telfair from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for the No. 7 pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, power forward–center Raef LaFrentz, and point guard Dan Dickau.

On July 31, 2007 it was made official that Ratliff was to be traded along with Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair, and draft picks, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Garnett. [ [http://celtics.bostonherald.com/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1014449 Garnett deal finalized - BostonHerald.com ] ] On February 29, 2008 Ratliff was waived by the Timberwolves [ [http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/wolves_waive_theo_ratliff_080228.html Wolves Waive Theo Ratliff] ] , and he rejoined the Pistons on March 4. [ [http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/fullcircle_080304.html Full Circle] ] After his Pistons contract expired, he returned to the Philadelphia 76ers. [ [http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20080819_Source_says_Ratliff__Sixers_agree_to_1-year_deal.html Homecoming: Ex-Sixer Theo Ratliff returning for minimum salary] ]

Personal Life

Ratliff played basketball at Demopolis High School and later graduated from the University of Wyoming.

He is also the owner of Rome Gladiators.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

-
align="left" | 1995–96
align="left" | Detroit
75 || 2 || 17.4 || .557 || .000 || .708 || 4.0 || .2 || .2 || 1.5 || 4.5
-
align="left" | 1996–97
align="left" | Detroit
76 || 38 || 17.0 || .531 || .000 || .698 || 3.4 || .2 || .4 || 1.5 || 5.8
-
align="left" | 1997–98
align="left" | Detroit
24 || 12 || 24.4 || .514 || .000 || .683 || 5.0 || .6 || .5 || 2.3 || 6.5
-
align="left" | 1997–98
align="left" | Philadelphia
58 || 55 || 32.1 || .512 || .000 || .706 || 7.3 || .7 || .7 || 3.5 || 11.2
-
align="left" | 1998–99
align="left" | Philadelphia
50 || 50 || 32.5 || .470 || .000 || .725 || 8.1 || .6 || .9 || 3.0 || 11.2
-
align="left" | 1999–00
align="left" | Philadelphia
57 || 56 || 31.5 || .503 || .000 || .771 || 7.6 || .6 || .6 || 3.0 || 11.9
-
align="left" | 2000–01
align="left" | Philadelphia
50 || 50 || 36.0 || .499 || .000 || .760 || 8.3 || 1.2 || .6 || 3.7 || 12.4
-
align="left" | 2001–02
align="left" | Atlanta
3 || 2 || 27.3 || .500 || .000 || .545 || 5.3 || .3 || .3 || 2.7 || 8.7
-
align="left" | 2002–03
align="left" | Atlanta
81 || 81 || 31.1 || .464 || .000 || .720 || 7.5 || .9 || .7 || 3.2 || 8.7
-
align="left" | 2003–04
align="left" | Atlanta
53 || 52 || 31.1 || .458 || .000 || .653 || 7.2 || 1.0 || .6 || 3.1 || 8.3
-
align="left" | 2003–04
align="left" | Portland
32 || 31 || 31.8 || .540 || .000 || .629 || 7.3 || .6 || .8 || 4.4 || 7.3
-
align="left" | 2004–05
align="left" | Portland
63 || 45 || 27.5 || .447 || .000 || .692 || 5.3 || .5 || .4 || 2.5 || 4.8
-
align="left" | 2005–06
align="left" | Portland
55 || 19 || 23.7 || .571 || .000 || .651 || 5.1 || .5 || .3 || 1.6 || 4.9
-
align="left" | 2006–07
align="left" | Boston
2 || 2 || 22.0 || .333 || .000 || .750 || 3.5 || .0 || .5 || 1.5 || 2.5
-
align="left" | 2007–08
align="left" | Minnesota
10 || 6 || 21.4 || .511 || .000 || .680 || 3.9 || .7 || .3 || 1.9 || 6.3
-
align="left" | 2007–08
align="left" | Detroit
16 || 3 || 13.9 || .450 || .000 || .667 || 3.1 || .4 || .2 || 1.1 || 3.0
-
align="left" | Career
align="left" |
705 || 504 || 27.0 || .497 || .000 || .711 || 6.1 || .6 || .5 || 2.6 || 7.9
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Playoffs

-
align="left" | 1995–96
align="left" | Detroit
1 || 0 || 4.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0
-
align="left" | 1996–97
align="left" | Detroit
3 || 0 || 6.0 || .750 || .000 || .500 || 1.3 || .3 || .3 || 1.3 || 2.7
-
align="left" | 1998–99
align="left" | Philadelphia
7 || 7 || 29.1 || .465 || .000 || .579 || 7.3 || .9 || .7 || 2.6 || 7.3
-
align="left" | 1999–00
align="left" | Philadelphia
10 || 10 || 37.4 || .475 || .000 || .723 || 7.9 || .9 || 1.0 || 3.0 || 13.0
-
align="left" | 2007–08
align="left" | Detroit
12 || 0 || 10.9 || .500 || .000 || .500 || 2.3 || .1 || .1 || .9 || 1.3
-
align="left" | Career
align="left" |
33 || 17 || 22.2 || .481 || .000 || .654 || 4.9 || .5 || .5 || 1.9 || 6.2
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Notes

External links

* [http://www.nba.com/playerfile/theo_ratliff/index.html?nav=page NBA.com Profile - Theo Ratliff]
* [http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/ratlith01.html Current Stats]
* [http://databasebasketball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=RATLITH01 More Current Stats]