Ruben Patterson
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| Position | Small forward |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Kobe Stopper |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Weight | 223 lb (101 kg) |
| Team | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | July 31, 1975 Cleveland, Ohio |
| College | Cincinnati |
| Draft | 2nd round, 31st overall, 1998 Los Angeles Lakers |
| Pro career | 1998 – present |
| Former teams | Los Angeles Lakers (1998–1999) Seattle SuperSonics (1999–2001) Portland Trail Blazers (2001–2006) Denver Nuggets (2006) |
Ruben Nathaniel Patterson (born July 31, 1975 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American professional basketball player in the NBA. He is currently in the fifth year of a six-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. He plays the small forward position, and has shown the ability to defend against anyone from the point guard to power forward. After a college career at the University of Cincinnati where he earned third team All-American honours and helped lead the Bearcats to Conference USA titles in both his seasons there.
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[edit] Early life
Patterson had a troubled family life, with both parents and one of his sisters battling drug addiction and his father spending time in prison. He lived mostly with his mother, Charlene Patterson, who died of a heart attack when he was at the University of Cincinnati.
After hearing of her death while on a road trip, he rejected an offer to fly home and spend time with his family, instead staying with his team for the game and scoring 37 points. "My mother would have wanted me to play," Patterson explained.
[edit] NBA career
Patterson was a second round selection of the 1998 NBA Draft (31st pick overall), chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers. Due to the lock-out season of 1998, he started the season in Greece playing with AEK Athens BC where he averaged 12.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 19 games. He has since played for the Lakers, Seattle SuperSonics, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Denver Nuggets, averaging a career 10.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He nicknamed himself the "Kobe Stopper" after playing strong defense against NBA superstar Kobe Bryant.
Often outspoken and erratic, Patterson was temporarily suspended from the Trail Blazers in the 2005-2006 season for speaking harshly at coach Nate McMillan and refusing to return to a game, upset about his lack of playing time. Patterson later explained his outburst, saying he was frustrated and it was "like the devil hit me and told me to get it out".[1] He also demanded that he get at least 25 minutes per game or be traded.
In February 2006, Patterson was traded to the Denver Nuggets. In the following offseason, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Joe Smith. [1]
Patterson is a convicted sex offender.
