Chris Kaman

Chris Kaman

No. 35   Los Angeles Clippers
Center
Personal information
Date of birth	April 28, 1982 (1982-04-28) (age 29)
Place of birth	Grand Rapids, Michigan
Nationality	American/German
High school	Wyoming (Mich.) Tri-unity Christian School
Listed height	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight	265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
College	Central Michigan (2000–2003)
NBA Draft	2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers
Pro career	2003–present
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Star (2010)
Stats at NBA.com

Christopher Zane Kaman (born April 28, 1982) is an American-German basketball player for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. Kaman stands 7'0" (2.13 m) and weighs 265 pounds (120 kg). He was selected sixth overall in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Clippers, after a college basketball career at Central Michigan University.

High school and college career

Kaman attended Tri-unity Christian School in Wyoming, Michigan, leading his high school varsity to the state Class D quarterfinals in 2000, before losing to Lenawee Christian School. He went on to play for three seasons at Central Michigan University, leading them to a Mid-American Conference Championship and a NCAA tournament first-round win in 2003. He then garnered Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America honors before declaring for the 2003 NBA Draft, where the Clippers selected him sixth overall.

NBA career

2003–2004: Rookie year

In his rookie year, Kaman averaged 6.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 0.89 blocks and 22.5 minutes in 82 games played (61 starts). He was the only Clipper to play all 82 games. Kaman became only the second rookie in franchise history (Michael Brooks, 1980–81) to play in all 82 games in his rookie season. Although his rookie year was all but spectacular, earning only five point-rebound double-doubles, he was ranked second among all rookies in blocked shots per game (.89 bpg), third in field goal percentage (.460) and fourth in rebounds per game (5.6 rpg), Kaman managed to hold a roster spot on the NBA Rookie All-Star Team. He tallied eight points (4–7 FG) and seven rebounds in 19 minutes played for the losing Rookie Team in the 2004 Got Milk? Rookie Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend 2004 in Los Angeles.

2004–2006: Improvement

A year after his rookie season, Chris Kaman improved his play by averaging 9.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 25.9 minutes in 63 games (50 starts). He had missed 12 games due to injury, including the first 11 games of the season due to a left ankle sprain. Kaman continued to create milestones in his career as he scored in double-figures in 30 games and recorded four games with 20 or more points. Kaman recorded 14 point-rebound double-doubles and led the team in rebounds in 16 games and in blocks 19 times. Despite the Clippers missing the playoffs again for the eighth year in a row, Kaman continued to show progress in his play.

By the end of the '05-'06 season, Kaman averaged 11.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.38 blocks in 32.8 minutes per game, appearing in 78 games (78 starts). He missed two games with a sprained left ankle (2/27 and March 1) and one game with a sore left knee (4/16) He finished the regular season ranked 9th in the NBA in rebounds per game (9.6), 12th in FG% (.523) and 24th in blocks per game (1.38). Kaman recorded 49 games of scoring in double figures with 10 of those games scoring 20 points or more. Kaman also recorded 36 games with 10 or more rebounds. Kaman finished the season with 29 games having points-rebounds double-doubles.

The Clippers achieved their first winning record in 14 seasons and clinched their first playoff spot since 1997. By the end of the season, the Clippers finished sixth in the Western Conference, with a record of 47–35 (their best finish since the team left Buffalo), set to face the Denver Nuggets in the first round. During the series against Denver, opposing player Reggie Evans reached in and yanked Kaman's testicles after boxing out for a rebound.^[1] Evans was later fined $10,000 for his actions.^[2]

As of 2009, Kaman is the only remaining player on the Clippers from their 2005-06 roster.

2006–2007: Decline

Since his rookie season, Kaman had raised his points and rebounds averages ever since he came into the league. Thus 2006–2007, especially after a strong playoff run, was supposed to be a season of high expectations. However, Kaman only managed to average 10.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 29 minutes per game, appearing in 75 games. One possible explanation was that Kaman had been slowed down by a hamstring injury in training camp, limiting his mobility. This had resulted in a difficulty to get into a game rhythm and contribute offensively. The Clippers finished the season 40–42, missing the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors by one game. With a newly signed contract, Kaman had not lived up to the expectations of the Clippers.

2007–2008: Breakout season

After losing Shaun Livingston and Elton Brand for the majority of the 2007–08 season due to a dislocated knee and ruptured achilles tendon, respectively, the Clippers had very little expectations to be as competitive as they were two years prior. However, Kaman emerged as one of the most dominant centers in the NBA, averaging 15.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. Although he did not play in enough games to qualify for the league's statistical leaders, his rebound and block averages would have both ranked third in the league. Kaman demonstrated his ability to perform without Brand alongside him.

Spokesman for misdiagnoses of ADHD

In January 2008, Kaman revealed that he was misdiagnosed with Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.^[3] Kaman spent much of his childhood on a farm^[4][5] and as a child he used to tear shingles off neighbors' rooftops and misbehave in school. His apparent ADHD affected his play in high school. He took Ritalin to treat the supposed condition, but the drug killed his appetite. Kaman became very skinny as a result. Kaman, diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder at 2½, found out the classification was wrong this summer. Instead, his brain was in overdrive, working too fast. Tim Royer, the psychologist who discovered the misdiagnosis in July, worked on a daily training program with Kaman to slow down his thought process throughout the summer. The treatment is an accepted cognitive behavioral treatment for ADHD.

German national team

Kaman played for the first time for the German national basketball team in the qualifying tournament leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In his debut with Germany, he posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Cape Verde. He was chosen the most valuable player by journalists.^[6]

Kaman rejoined the German national team for EuroBasket 2011.^[7]

Personal life

Kaman is a dual citizen; he is a citizen of the United States and of Germany. Although he does not speak any German, he acquired German citizenship in July 2008 (due to his great-grandparents being German), to play on the Germany national basketball team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. "I'm proud to be a German, and I always felt kind of like a foreigner in the NBA," he joked with the Los Angeles Times prior to the Olympics.^[8]

Kaman's agent is Rob Pelinka.^[9]

NBA career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2003–04	L.A. Clippers	82	61	22.5	.460	.000	.697	5.6	1.0	.3	.9	6.1
2004–05	L.A. Clippers	63	50	25.9	.497	.000	.661	6.7	1.2	.4	1.1	9.1
2005–06	L.A. Clippers	78	78	32.8	.523	.000	.770	9.6	1.0	.6	1.4	11.9
2006–07	L.A. Clippers	75	66	29.0	.451	.000	.741	7.8	1.1	.6	1.5	10.1
2007–08	L.A. Clippers	56	55	37.2	.483	.000	.762	12.7	1.9	.6	2.8	15.7
2008–09	L.A. Clippers	31	24	29.7	.528	.000	.680	8.0	1.5	.6	1.5	12.0
2009–10	L.A. Clippers	76	76	34.3	.490	.000	.749	9.3	1.6	.5	1.2	18.5
2010-11	L.A. Clippers	32	15	26.2	.471	.000	.754	7.0	1.4	.5	1.5	12.4
Career		493	425	29.7	.487	.000	.738	8.3	1.3	.5	1.4	11.8
All-Star		1	0	10.7	.500	.000	.000	3.0	1.0	.0	.0	4.0

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2005–06	L.A. Clippers	11	10	29.5	.593	.000	.762	8.0	.9	.4	.8	10.7
Career		11	10	29.5	.593	.000	.762	8.0	.9	.4	.8	10.7

References

1. ^ ESPN - Kaman: Evans pulled testicles, prompting outburst - NBA
2. ^ ESPN - Evans fined $10,000, assessed flagrant foul - NBA
3. ^ "Sea is choppy, but ship isn't sinking, Brand says - Los Angeles Times". http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-cliprep14jan14,1,5750287.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-sports. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ Washington Times - When Harry met the playoffs
5. ^ NBA-Topcenter Kaman: "Habe schon darüber nachgedacht, für Deutschland zu spielen" - Sport - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
6. ^ Kaman, Germans thump Cape Verde to reach quarter-final
7. ^ "Nowitzki und Kaman sagen EM-Teilnahme zu [Nowitzki and Kaman will play the EuroBasket 2011]" (in German). German Basketball Association. 2011-07-22. http://www.basketball-bund.de/basketball-bund/de/news_und_aktuelles/19099.html?action=nDetail&content_id=24684. Retrieved 2011-07-22. 
8. ^ Clippers' Kaman becomes German citizen for Olympics. Los Angeles Times. 2008-07-03.
9. ^ "Rob Pelinka". DraftExpress LLC. http://www.draftexpress.com/agents/Rob-Pelinka-99/. Retrieved 2008-07-23. 

External links

• Chris Kaman at NBA.com
• Basketball-Reference.com Profile of Chris Kaman

Persondata
Name	Kaman, Chris
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	April 28, 1982
Place of birth	Grand Rapids, Michigan
Date of death
Place of death