- Chris Anstey
-
Chris Anstey Position Centre Height 213 cm (7 ft 0 in) Weight 115 kg (253 lb) Nationality Australia
Born 1 January 1975
Melbourne, VictoriaJunior Association Melbourne Debut 1994 Final Game 2010 Previous Clubs Melbourne Tigers 1994
South East Melbourne Magic 1995-1997
Dallas Mavericks 1997-1999
Chicago Bulls 1999-2000
Victoria Titans 2001-2002
Ural Great 2002–03
UNICS Kazan 2003–05
Melbourne Tigers (2006-2010)Championships 1996, 2006, 2008 Career Highlights 1996 NBL Most Improved Player
1997 FIBA U/22's World Champions Team MVP
2001 NBL Best Sixth Man
2002 Australian International Player of the Year
2003 ULEB Cup MVP
2006, 2008 NBL MVP
2006 NBL Grand Final MVP
2009 Victoria State of Origin TeamChristopher John (Chris) Anstey (born 1 January 1975 in Melbourne) is a former Australian professional basketball player. At 7'0" (213 cm) his career included stints in the NBA, Russia and Spain. Anstey was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round (18th pick overall) of the 1997 NBA Draft. He played for the Melbourne Tigers in the Australian NBL. He retired at the end of the 2009/2010 season.
Contents
Professional career
Early NBL Years
Anstey took up basketball at the relatively late age of 17, Before that he was a promising tennis player, peaking at being ranked number 2 amongst Australia's 15 year old players. In 1994 he joined the Melbourne Tigers and was teammates with some of the most recognizable names in Australian basketball, such as Andrew Gaze, Lindsay Gaze, Lanard Copeland and Stephen Hoare. Anstey played for the South East Melbourne Magic from 1995–1997, earning Most Improved Player in 1996, before going to the NBA.
NBA
Anstey was the 18th overall selection of the 1997 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. His draft rights were traded by the Blazers with cash to the Dallas Mavericks for the draft rights to Kelvin Cato in June 1997. His rookie year, 1997–98, he averaged 5.9 PPG and 3.8 RPG in 16.6 MPG. The next year, his numbers dropped to 3.3 PPG and 2.4 RPG. He was traded by the Mavericks to the Chicago Bulls for a second round draft pick in 2000 in September 1999. He averaged 6.0 PPG and 3.8 RPG on 44.2 FG% in his last NBA season with the Bulls. Anstey owns career NBA averages of 5.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 0.4 BPG in 155 games with 23 starts.[1]
Europe, Return to NBL
Anstey returned to the NBL with the Victoria Titans in 2001-2002, winning Best Sixth Man. In 2003, Anstey led Russian club Ural Great Perm to runners up in the Russian Championship, winning the ULEB Cup MVP. In 2004, Anstey signed with UNICS Kazan, and had an All-Star season, leading the team to a EuroChallenge Championship. Anstey was a Euroleague All-Star again in 2005. Anstey returned to his native Australia with his original team, the Melbourne Tigers, in 2006. After returning, Anstey enjoyed plenty of success, leading the NBL in blocks in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009; and in rebounding in 2008 and 2009; earning the MVP in 2006 and 2008; Grand Finals MVP in 2006 and Best Defensive Player in 2008. He retired in 2010 after scoring 13 points in his final game.[2]
The "finger" controversy
Following his side's 115-112 overtime win over the Brisbane Bullets at the Brisbane Convention Centre in Game 2 of the Semi Finals on 28 February 2008, he was fined A$2000 for giving Bullets fans Josh Hanson and Scott Buchbach the "finger". He even accused them of being "sore losers" after he was given a verbal lashing by the two during the game.[3][4] Six nights later, coach Al Westover was hit with a A$2000 fine for the same thing to the Sydney Kings fans following their 95-74 loss in Game 1 of the 5-match Grand Final Series.
Career highlights
- 1994 - Melbourne Tigers.
- NBL Semi-finals.
- 1995 - 97 South East Melbourne Magic.
- NBL Semi-finals (1995).
- NBL Championship, Most Improved Player. (1996).
- NBL Championship runners up (1997).
- 1997
- Australian National (under 22) team.
- Won world championships.
- Named tournament MVP.
- Selected 18th in the NBA draft.
- Australian National (under 22) team.
- 1998
- Dallas Mavericks
- Represented Australia at the Goodwill Games.
- 1999
- Traded to Chicago Bulls in the NBA's offseason.
- 2000
- Boomers
- Won Hong Kong Diamond Ball Classic.
- 4th in the Sydney Olympics.
- Boomers
- 2001
- 2002
- NBL All Star Five
- Australian International Player of the Year
- 2003
- Ural Great Perm
- Runner Up to Russian Championship.
- Russian Championship All Star Five.
- Russian Championship All Import Team.
- Russian Championship Best Centre.
- ULEB Cup MVP.
- Ural Great Perm
- 2004
- UNICS Kazan
- FIBA EuropeLeague Champions.
- FIBA EuropeLeague All Star.
- Russian Championship Runner Up.
- UNICS Kazan
- 2005
- UNICS Kazan.
- FIBA EuropeLeague All Star
- UNICS Kazan.
- 2006
- Melbourne Tigers
- NBL Pre-season MVP
- NBL Regular Season MVP
- NBL Champions
- NBL Grand Final Series MVP
- Melbourne Tigers
- 2008
- Melbourne Tigers
- NBL Regular Season MVP
- NBL Champions
- NBL Best Defensive Player
- 1st place NBL rankings for defensive & total rebounds, and blocks
- Melbourne Tigers
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.nbl.com.au/index.php?id=434&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=15361&tx_ttnews[backPid]=217&cHash=60c5982ab7
- ^ Heming, Wayne (2008-02-29). "Anstey fined for flipping the bird". www.foxsports.com.au. http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23294426-23769,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
- ^ Unknown (2008-02-29). "Chris Anstey has been fined $2000 for one-finger gesture". news.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23295643-10914,00.html. Retrieved 2008-03-09.[dead link]
External links
Awards Preceded by
Tonny JensenNBL Most Improved Player
1996Succeeded by
Ben PepperPreceded by
Ben KnightNBL Best Sixth Man
2001Succeeded by
Jamahl MosleyPreceded by
Sam MackinnonNBL Best Defensive Player
2008Succeeded by
Adam Gibson1997 NBA Draft First round Tim Duncan · Keith Van Horn · Chauncey Billups · Antonio Daniels · Tony Battie · Ron Mercer · Tim Thomas · Adonal Foyle · Tracy McGrady · Danny Fortson · Olivier Saint-Jean · Austin Croshere · Derek Anderson · Maurice Taylor · Kelvin Cato · Brevin Knight · Johnny Taylor · Chris Anstey · Scot Pollard · Paul Grant · Anthony Parker · Ed Gray · Bobby Jackson · Rodrick Rhodes · John Thomas · Charles Smith · Jacque Vaughn · Keith BoothSecond round Serge Zwikker · Mark Sanford · Charles O'Bannon · James Cotton · Marko Milič · Bubba Wells · Kebu Stewart · James Collins · Marc Jackson · Jerald Honeycutt · Anthony Johnson · Ed Elisma · Jason Lawson · Stephen Jackson · Gordon Malone · Cedric Henderson · God Shammgod · Eric Washington · Alvin Williams · Predrag Drobnjak · Alain Digbeu · Chris Crawford · DeJuan Wheat · C. J. Bruton · Paul Rogers · Mark Blount · Ben Pepper · Nate Erdmann · Roberto DueñasNational Basketball League (Australia) Most Valuable Player Award 1979: Richardson | 1980: Smith | 1981: Jones | 1982: Green | 1983: Wells | 1984: Loggins | 1985: Borner | 1986: Loggins | 1987: Davis & Loggins | 1988: Hurst | 1989: Fisher | 1990: Rucker | 1991: Gaze | 1992: Fisher & Gaze | 1993: Rose | 1994: Gaze | 1995: Gaze | 1996: Gaze | 1997: Gaze | 1998: Gaze | 1999: Woodberry | 2000: Rogers | 2001: Rose | 2002: Bradtke | 2003: Ch. Williams | 2004: Nielsen | 2005: Wethers | 2006: Anstey | 2007: Mackinnon | 2008: Anstey | 2009: Penney | 2010: Co. Williams | 2011: ErvinAustralia squad – 1998 FIBA World Championship – 9th place Australia squad – 2000 Summer Olympics – 4th place Australia squad – 2008 Summer Olympics – 7th place Categories:- 1975 births
- Living people
- Australian basketball players
- Australian expatriate basketball people in the United States
- Australian expatriates in Russia
- Australian expatriates in Spain
- Basketball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- Basketball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- CB Sevilla players
- Chicago Bulls players
- Dallas Mavericks players
- Expatriate basketball people
- Liga ACB players
- Melbourne Tigers players
- Olympic basketball players of Australia
- Portland Trail Blazers draft picks
- South East Melbourne Magic players
- Centers (basketball)
- Sportspeople from Melbourne
- Victoria Titans players
- 1994 - Melbourne Tigers.
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