Nate Huffman

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Nate Thomas Huffman (born April 2, 1975 in Battle Creek, Michigan) is a 7' 1" American basketball player who played most of his career outside of the United States with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Huffman played for Lakeview High School and then for Lansing Community College (where in '94-'95 he averaged 29.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 6 blocks per game while shooting 66.8% from the field, and was named to the JUCO All America team). He then played for Central Michigan University from 1995 until 1997 (where in '96-97 he averaged 17.2 points, 11 rebounds (leading the Mid-Atlantic Conference in rebounding), and 1.8 blocks per game, and was named to the MAC Conference 1st team).[1] Huffman averaged 15.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.0 blocked shots in his two seasons at CMU. He holds the CMU career record for field goal percentage (.581), ranks 4th in career blocked shots (92), and 7th in career rebounding average (9.4).[2]

Huffman signed a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Clippers following his college career, but did not make the team. He then in the 1997/1998 season played for the Idaho Stampede of the CBA, where he was 2nd in the league in blocked shots per game (1.8), 6th in field goal percentage (.553), 8th in rebounds per game (7.6), 10th in free throw percentage (.801), and runner-up for the rookie of the year award.[3]

He then moved to Europe and played for Baloncesto Fuenlabrada of Spain.

In the 1999/2000 season he was signed by Maccabi Tel Aviv. During his time in Israel he won three national championships and state cups, and one European Suproleague title (2001; when he averaged 17.9 points and 9 rebounds while playing 30 minutes per game as the team was 21-3). He was named MVP of the Israeli Basketball League and Suproleague, as well as Best American Player in Europe by Basket News, in 2001.[4]

After the success in Israel he was signed in July 2002 by the Toronto Raptors of the NBA to a 3-year, $5.1 million contract (the third year being a team option), and appeared in 7 games, averaging 3.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 10.9 minutes.[5] But he was released by the team which terminated his contract in January 2003 because team management charged that he hid a knee injury from them when he signed the contract. Huffman responded by suing them in 2003. In February 2004, however, an arbitrator ruled that the Raptors were responsible for Huffman’s contract.[6]

After getting his money from the Toronto Raptors he decided to fund a basketball camp for children in 2005 with retired Romanian-Israeli basketballer Constantin Popa.