Chris Washburn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Center |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Born | May 13, 1966 Hickory, North Carolina |
| Nationality | USA |
| High school | Laurinburg Institute NC |
| College | North Carolina State |
| Draft | 3rd overall, 1986 Golden State Warriors |
| Pro career | 1986–1988 |
| Former teams | Golden State Warriors (1986-1987) Atlanta Hawks (1987-1988) |
Christopher Scott Washburn (born May 13, 1965 in Hickory, North Carolina) is an American former professional basketball player.
[edit] College career
A 6'11" center, Washburn was one of the top three high school recruits in the country in 1984 along with John Williams (LSU) and Danny Manning (Kansas). He signed with former ACC powerhouse North Carolina State University in Raleigh along with future NBA stars Vinny Del Negro and Nate McMillan to form one of the best recruiting classes in the nation on a team that also included Spud Webb. An incredibly gifted athlete, Washburn combined incredible size with blazing speed for a big man and soft hands.
According to some of his former teammates, however, Washburn was a student in name only. He almost never attended classes, but coach Jim Valvano always managed to keep him eligible to play. He was also caught stealing a stereo, which netted him 46 hours in jail, a five-year suspended prison term and five years of probation. During his trial, the Wake County district attorney introduced as evidence Washburn's SAT scores, which were below 500 (out of 1600, with 400 being the minimum possible score).
His work ethic was also called into question. Recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons claimed that Washburn was "never as good as his reputation," even as a high-school All-American. Gibbons was blasted by many N.C. State fans for suggesting that Washburn was going to break the Wolfpack basketball program, in response to Valvano's claim that Washburn would make the program.
Still, Washburn's one full season with the Wolfpack showed his potential. He averaged 17.6 points a game and 6.7 rebounds, sharing time in the front court with future NBA players Charles Shackleford and Chucky Brown. Washburn's best outing was against future top NBA draft pick Brad Daugherty and UNC on Feb. 23, 1986. Before a nationally-televised audience, Washburn scored 26 points as the Wolfpack upset the then-ranked #1 Tar Heels 76-65.
Washburn's case was one of many detailed by Peter Golenbock in his book, Personal Fouls, that effectively ended Valvano's career in 1990. While several errors in the book eventually led publishing house Simon and Schuster to drop the book, (it was finally published by Pocket Books), no one disputed Washburn's poor status as a student. In January of 1989, Richard Lauffer, a former chair of the physical-education department at N.C. State, claimed Washburn's grades had been altered to maintain the player's eligibility.
[edit] NBA career
Washburn left N.C. State after the 1985-86 season and was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 3rd overall pick of the 1986 NBA Draft. Washburn was the third consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference player taken in the 1986 draft, following UNC center Brad Daugherty (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Maryland forward Len Bias (Boston Celtics).
The Warriors brought in center Joe Barry Carroll to help with Washburn's development, but it was to no avail. The highlight of Washburn's career may have come during an October exhibition game in his rookie season against the Knicks. During a 23-point loss, Washburn scored 16 points. Tendinitis in his knee resulted in Washburn taking anti-inflammatory medicine which led to a kidney infection in January of 1987. On January 28, 1987, Washburn checked into a Van Nuys, California drug rehabilitation clinic, admitting he had a cocaine problem. After returning to the Warriors in late March, Washburn was still ineffective.
He played 72 games over two seasons (one and a half with the Warriors and part of another with the Atlanta Hawks), averaging 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. He is widely considered to be one of the biggest busts in NBA draft history. Sports Illustrated named him the second-biggest NBA draft bust in 2005. [1]
Washburn was banned from the NBA for life in June 1989 after failing three drug tests in three years. By the mid-1990s, Washburn was still trying to scrape together a basketball career in various minor professional leagues.
He was last known to be in the mortgage business in Fort Worth, according to USA Today.
[edit] External links
- College & NBA stats @ basketballreference.com
- Off-court problems derail Washburn, by Ray Glier @ usatoday.com, May 7, 2002
- Draft Busts @ SI.com
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