Tayshaun Prince
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 Drawing of Tayshaun Prince
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| Position | Small forward |
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| Nickname | Prince of the Palace |
| League | NBA |
| Height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Team | Detroit Pistons |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | February 28, 1980 (age 27) Compton, California |
| College | Kentucky |
| Draft | 23rd overall, 2002 Detroit Pistons |
| Pro career | 2002–present |
Tayshaun Durell Prince (born February 28, 1980, in Compton, California) is an American basketball player for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association. Prince is a small forward, listed at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) and 215 lb (98 kg). A graduate of Dominguez High School and the University of Kentucky, Prince was drafted in the first round (23rd overall) by the Detroit Pistons the in the 2002 NBA Draft.
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[edit] College career
Tayshaun Prince played four seasons (1998-1999 and 2001-2002) for the University of Kentucky Wildcats, averaging 13.1 points and 5.6 rebounds[1] as the Wildcats posted a 97-39 record[2] and advanced to the NCAA Tournament each year. Prince won SEC Player of the Year in his junior season (2000-2001)[3] - also leading the SEC in free throw percentage (84.3%)[4] - and was named to the Associated Press All-SEC Teams in both his junior and senior years.[5] Kentucky won the SEC Tournament in 1999 and 2001, and Prince was awarded the 2001 tournament's Most Valuable Player award.[6]
Notable individual performances included a 31 point, 11 rebound, 4 assist, 4 steal effort in a 79-59 victory over North Carolina. In scoring Kentucky's first fifteen points, Prince made five consecutive three-point shots. Kentucky shooting guard Keith Bogans compared Prince's performance to "the Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan blistering Portland in the 1992 NBA Finals."[7] In an 87-82 victory over Tulsa during the 2002 NCAA Tournament, Prince scored a career-high 41 points (along with 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks) to lead Kentucky to the Sweet 16.[8]
[edit] Rookie year
In his rookie season under head coach Rick Carlisle, Prince was not a member of the team's playing rotation and appeared in just 42 of 82 regular-season games. However, in the first round of the 2003 NBA Playoffs, Detroit trailed the Orlando Magic three games to one, forcing Carlisle to experiment with a different rotation. Prince was inserted into the lineup and received heavy minutes; he was even asked to defend superstar Tracy McGrady at times. The Pistons rallied to win the series, and Prince had a breakout performance during the decisive seventh game, scoring 20 points in 24 minutes.[9] In the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers, Prince continued to see action and made several memorable plays, including a turnaround hook shot during the final seconds of the second game, forcing an overtime period that the Pistons went on to win.[9]
[edit] 2003-04 season
After the Pistons were eliminated by the New Jersey Nets in the Eastern Conference finals, Carlisle was fired and former Sixers coach Larry Brown took over as head coach. Under Brown, Prince became the Pistons' starting small forward and increased his scoring average to 10.3 points per game, up from 3.3 as a rookie.[9] That 2003-04 season Prince was also selected to play for the Sophomores (second-year players) in the NBA All-Star Rookie Game in February, 2004.[9]
[edit] "The block"
In the second game of the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, Prince made a spectacular defensive play.[9] In the final minute of the game, the Pacers' Reggie Miller stole the ball and sprinted up the right sideline for a seemingly uncontested basket that would have tied the score. Prince pursued from the left sideline. Miller, presumably thinking that Prince could not catch him, attempted a layup. At the last possible moment, Prince soared in from the other side of the basket and swatted the ball away; the ball landed in bounds and was scooped up by Pistons teammate Richard Hamilton, effectively ending the game. The Detroit Pistons went on to win the series and, eventually, the NBA championship. The block has been replayed numerous times on ESPN and sports programs on other networks. When the Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one in the NBA Finals, Prince's tough defense on Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was credited a key factor in the Pistons' victory.
[edit] 2004-05 season
Prince continued to show improvement in the 2004-05 season, setting career highs in scoring (14.7 points per game), rebounding (5.3 per game), assists (3.0) and blocks (0.9).[9] He was selected for the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team[9] and was a candidate for the NBA Most Improved Player Award, where he came in third[9] behind winner Bobby Simmons of the Los Angeles Clippers and Primoz Brezec of the Charlotte Bobcats. Although he and the Pistons made it back to the NBA Finals in 2005, they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in a close 4-3 series.
Prince's superb play was rewarded by the Pistons with a 5-year contract extension worth $49 million on October 31, 2005.[10]
[edit] 2005-06 season
In the 2005-06 season, Prince played in all 82 regular season games, averaging 14.1 points and 4.2 rebounds a game.[11] In the playoffs, the Pistons were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
[edit] 2006-07 season
So far in the 2006-07 season, Prince has returned identical statistics to his 2004-05 campaign: 14.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.[11]
[edit] Skills
Prince is a skillful all-around player and is considered an emerging star at his position. He combines a solid outside shot with the ability to drive to the basket, aided by his quick feet and impressive leaping ability. Prince's unusually long arms, with a wingspan of 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m), help him to shoot at close range without getting blocked, and make him an excellent defensive shot-blocker. A southpaw, he is also an able ballhandler and passer.
[edit] Personal
Tayshaun married his long-time girlfriend Farrah Brown on April 11, 2005 in a private ceremony on the island of Fiji. Her wedding ring cost an estimated 300,000 USD; she also gave birth to their first son on October 2, 2006. Tayshaun and Farrah recently purchased a $15 million home in West Bloomfield and a $5 million farmhouse in the state of Kentucky.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Tayshaun Prince Past Stats, Playoff Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards, Databasebasketball.com, accessed 18 February 2007.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ [5]
- ^ [6]
- ^ [7]
- ^ a b c d e f g h Tayshaun Prince Info Page - Bio, NBA.com, accessed 18 February 2007.
- ^ Tony Mejia, "Prince the Pistons' All-Star non-All-Star", CBS sports, 15 February 2006.
- ^ a b Tayshaun Prince Info Page - Career Stats and Totals, NBA.com, accessed 18 February 2007.
| Preceded by Stromile Swift, Dan Langhi |
SCC Men's Basketball Player of the Year 2001 |
Succeeded by Erwin Dudley |
1 Billups (Finals MVP) | 3 B. Wallace | 7 James | 8 Ham | 10 Hunter | 13 Okur | 22 Prince | 31 Miličić | 32 Hamilton | 34 Williamson | 36 R. Wallace | 41 Campbell | Coach Brown
| 2002 NBA Draft | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Round Yao Ming | Jay Williams | Mike Dunleavy, Jr. | Drew Gooden | Nikoloz Tskitishvili | Dajuan Wagner | Maybyner "Nene" Hilario | Chris Wilcox | Amare Stoudemire | Caron Butler | Jared Jeffries | Melvin Ely | Marcus Haislip | Fred Jones | Bostjan Nachbar | Jiri Welsch | Juan Dixon | Curtis Borchardt | Ryan Humphrey | Kareem Rush | Qyntel Woods | Casey Jacobsen | Tayshaun Prince | Nenad Krstić | Frank Williams | John Salmons | Chris Jefferies | Dan Dickau |
||
| Second Round Steve Logan | Roger Mason, Jr. | Robert Archibald | Vincent Yarbrough | Dan Gadzuric | Carlos Boozer | Milos Vujanić | David Andersen | Tito Maddox | Rod Grizzard | Juan Carlos Navarro | Mario Kasun | Ronald Murray | Jason Jennings | Lonny Baxter | Sam Clancy | Matt Barnes | Jamal Sampson | Chris Owens | Peter Fehse | Darius Songaila | Federico Kammerichs | Marcus Taylor | Rasual Butler | Tamar Slay | Mladen Sekularac | Luis Scola | Randy Holcomb | Corsley Edwards |
