Andrew Lang (basketball)

Andrew Charles Lang Jr. (born June 28 1966 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas) is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.

After a four-year career at the University of Arkansas, Lang was selected by the Phoenix Suns as the 3rd pick in the 2nd round (28th overall) of the 1988 NBA draft. He quickly developed a reputation as a proficient shotblocker. For years, he maintained the fourth all-time NBA record of one blocked shot every 9.12 minutes.

Lang was traded in 1993 (along with Jeff Hornacek and Tim Perry) to the Philadelphia 76ers for NBA All-Star forward Charles Barkley.

This journeyman center also played for the Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and New York Knicks before retiring in 2000. He finished his career averaging 6.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocked shots per game.

Lang is the 55th all time leading shotblocker in NBA history.

He is known infamously in New York for a 1997 incident at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, involving Knicks star center Patrick Ewing. After a midair collision with Lang, Ewing fell on his wrist and did not return until the second round of the playoffs. Ewing never again regained his All-Star form after that injury.

Lang is a Christian evangelist and is currently employed by the Atlanta Hawks as the team chaplain. Lang lives in Marietta, Georgia with his wife, Bronwyn, and two sons.

External links

* [http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/Catching_Up_With_Andrew_Lang_120705.html Catching up with Andrew Lang]
* [http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/langan01.html Andrew Lang's Basketball-Reference.com Bio Page]