Lawrence Roberts (basketball)

Infobox NBA player
name = Lawrence Roberts


caption =
league = Naša Sinalko Liga
team = Red Star Belgrade
nationality = American
position = Power forward
height_ft = 6
height_in = 9
weight_lbs = 240
birth_date = birth date and age|1982|10|20|
birth_place = Houston, Texas
highschool = Lamar (Houston)
college = Mississippi State
draft = 2nd round, 55th overall
draft_year = 2005
draft_team = Seattle SuperSonics
former_teams = Memphis Grizzlies (2005–2007)
Olympiacos (2007)
awards = Big 12 freshman of the year 2003-04 SEC Player of the Year first-team All-American

Lawrence Edward Roberts III (born October 20 1982 in Houston, Texas) is an American professional basketball player formerly in the NBA.

Roberts played for two years as a power forward for Lamar High School [ [http://www.nba.com/draft2005/profiles/LawrenceRoberts.html NBA.com: ] ] , alongside Emeka Okafor of Bellaire High School.

Roberts attended Baylor University for two seasons, where he was Big 12 freshman of the year, but transferred to Mississippi State University in 2003 following the basketball scandal that rocked Baylor's program that year. He was a first-team All-American and the SEC Player of the Year in 2003-04, leading Mississippi State to its first top-ten national ranking and to its first top-two seeding in the NCAA tournament. In the 2003-04 season he averaged 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds. He was first-team All-SEC and an first team All-American in 2003-2004 [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=1766339 2004 All-Americans] ] , finishing third to Jameer Nelson and Emeka Okafor for national player of the year honors. In the 2004-05 season he averaged 16.9 points and 11.0 rebounds. He recorded the first triple-double in Mississippi State history against Nicholls State University with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, whilst wearing an irritating translucent plastic face mask to protect his broken nose. [ [http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=243260344 All-American finishes with 18 pts., 12 assists, 11 boards] ] [ [http://media.www.reflector-online.com/media/storage/paper938/news/2004/11/23/Sports/Roberts.Records.Triple.Double.Rejects.Face.Mask-2538820.shtml Roberts records triple double, rejects face mask] ] He was a second round draft pick (55th overall) of the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2005 NBA Draft but was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for two future second round draft picks and cash considerations. He was signed to a contract on July 10, 2005. [ [http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/release-050710-roberts_signed.html Grizzlies Sign Lawrence Roberts To Contract] ]

After two seasons witht he Grizzlies, in July 2007, he moved to Europe and signed with Greek powerhouse Olympiacos on a two-year deal, [ [http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/14417/180/item Reds add Vasiliadis, Roberts, Mavrokefalidis] ] but was released from his contract 3 months later. [ [http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/15760/180/item Olympiacos: Roberts released, Vassiliadis hurt] ]

On September 18 2008 Roberts was signed by Serbian club Red Star Belgrade for a one-year contract. [ [http://www.eurocupbasketball.com/ulebcup/home/news/i/35546/448 Red Star inks forward Lawrence Roberts] ]

Notes

External links

*NBA-profile|lawrence_roberts|Lawrence Roberts
*basketball-reference|name=Lawrence Roberts