Blue Edwards

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Theodore "Blue" Edwards (born October 31, 1965 in Washington, D.C.) is a former professional basketball player who played in the NBA.

[edit] Biography

Edwards' hometown was Walstonburg, North Carolina, and was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 21st overall pick of the 1989 NBA Draft out of East Carolina University. He was a member of the 1990 NBA All-Rookie 2nd Team and recorded the first triple-double in the history of the Vancouver Grizzlies (and his first, too) on March 1, 1996 against the Dallas Mavericks with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Edwards played ten years in the league before moving on to play professionally in Greece for the Greek League clubs Olympiacos Piraeus and Dafni Athens in 2000. In the Grizzlies first season, he ranked fourth overall in points per game (12.7).

"Blue" was always the go-to guy in clutch situations, and won several games with last-second shots, including a game winning bucket against the Minnesota Timberwolves that ended the Grizzlies' 23 game losing streak. The shot prevented the Grizzlies from tying the National Basketball Association record for most consecutive losses. He also hit a last-second game winning shot against the Philadelphia 76ers. He was also the only Grizzlie to play and start all 82 games.

He was also tied for scoring with Frank Brickowski for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1992-93 season with 16.9 points per game.

He was named "Blue" after he choked as a baby and turned blue. Due to Blue's dunking ability, he was invited to the 1990 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in which he did not take place and was replaced by David Benoit. He did take part in the 1991 event placing fourth. "Blue" wore number 30 through all his career until he moved to the Miami Heat where he wore 32 as 30 was in use by Terry Porter.

During his college years at East Carolina, Edwards was suspended for the entire 1987-1988 season along with several other people after being found guilty of breaking and entering.

Edwards currently provides color commentary on radio basketball show "give´n´go", which is hosted by Mike Gleason and is part of ESPN Plus aired in North Carolina.

Edwards started his college career at Louisburg College in Louisburg, NC where he played from 1984-1986. Louisburg College participates in Region X of the NJCAA.

[edit] Child custody issue

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At the end of 2001, Edwards was involved in one of the most public child custody cases in Canadian history. While playing for the Vancouver Grizzlies in the spring of 1996, Edwards started an affair with Canadian citizen Kimberly Van de Perre. During the affair, Kimberly fell pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy named Elijah, in June 1997. When Elijah was three months old, Ms. Van de Perre began proceedings for custody and child support, naming Edwards as the father of the child. Edwards responded initially by seeking joint custody and liberal access, but later changed his response to seek sole custody.

After a lengthy trial that ran from the fall of 1998 to early 1999, the trial judge released his decision and awarded sole custody to the mother. Mr. Edwards was given considerable access – four one-week periods quarterly throughout the year, shared time at Christmas and on Elijah’s birthday and additional access upon short notice when he was in Vancouver. Theodore appealed this decision.

During the hearing at the Court of Appeal, the Court invited Mrs. Edwards to apply to be admitted as a party and to request joint custody with her husband of Elijah. Mrs. Edwards is also an African American. This new, joint application for custody was successful, and Elijah was placed in the custody of Mr. and Mrs. Edwards.

The Court of Appeal's decision was stayed to allow the mother the opportunity to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, with the result that Elijah remained primarily in his mother's care throughout these proceedings. In 2001 the Supreme Court of Canada restored the trial decision and awarded custody to Elijah's mother; the Court concluded that in this case there was no evidence introduced that race should be "an important consideration". After the Supreme Court affirmed that the mother should have sole custody, the father ceased visiting and paying child support.

[edit] References

• Van de Perre v. Edwards, [2001] 2 S.C.R. 1014, 2001 SCC 60
• Van de Perre v. Edwards, 2004 CarswellBC 867 (BCSC)
• http://www.fact.on.ca/news/news0003/np00031b.htm - Child Custody

[edit] External links

• [1] ECU pirates website explaining Edwards breaking-in incident.