Robert Traylor
Personal information | |||||||||||||
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Born | Detroit, Michigan |
February 1, 1977||||||||||||
Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Isla Verde, Puerto Rico |
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Nationality | American | ||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | ||||||||||||
Listed weight | 290 lb (132 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school | Murray-Wright (Detroit, Michigan) | ||||||||||||
College | Michigan (1995–1998) | ||||||||||||
NBA draft | 1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall | ||||||||||||
Selected by the Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||
Playing career | 1998–2011 | ||||||||||||
Position | Power forward / Center | ||||||||||||
Number | 54, 34, 32 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
1998–2000 | Milwaukee Bucks | ||||||||||||
2000–2001 | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||||||||||||
2001–2002 | Charlotte Hornets | ||||||||||||
2002–2004 | New Orleans Hornets | ||||||||||||
2004–2005 | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||||||||||||
2006 | Gestibérica Vigo (Spain) | ||||||||||||
2007–2008 | Santurce Crabbers (Puerto Rico) | ||||||||||||
2008–2009 | Antalya Kepez Belediyesi (Turkey) | ||||||||||||
2009 | NSB Napoli (Italy) | ||||||||||||
2010 | Vaqueros de Bayamón (Puerto Rico) | ||||||||||||
2010–2011 | Halcones UV Xalapa (Mexico) | ||||||||||||
2011 | Vaqueros de Bayamón (Puerto Rico) | ||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Career NBA statistics | |||||||||||||
Points | 2,085 (4.8 ppg) | ||||||||||||
Rebounds | 1,640 (3.7 rpg) | ||||||||||||
Blocks | 306 (0.7 bpg) | ||||||||||||
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |||||||||||||
Medals
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Robert DeShaun "Tractor" Traylor (February 1, 1977 – May 11, 2011) was an American professional basketball player.
Contents
High school and college
Traylor was a McDonald's All-American the same year as Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter and Paul Pierce. He attended the University of Michigan. Standing 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) and weighing in excess of 300 pounds, he joined a frontcourt for the Wolverines that included Maurice Taylor and Maceo Baston. That year he broke a backboard while dunking in a game against Ball State.[1] Traylor helped lead the Wolverines to the 1997 National Invitation Tournament title, and was named the tournament's most valuable player. His junior year was his best, as he averaged 16.2 points and 10 rebounds while leading his team to the inaugural Big Ten Tournament championship and second round of the NCAA Tournament as a three seed.
Traylor was one of the former Michigan players whose ties to booster Ed Martin roiled the program. During his freshman year, Traylor broke his arm in a car accident while out with teammates and recruiting prospect Mateen Cleaves (who ended up going to rival Michigan State). That accident triggered a six-year investigation into the Wolverine program. Martin, who died in 2003 at 69, pleaded guilty in 2002 to conspiracy to launder money and told federal prosecutors he took gambling money, combined it with other funds and lent $616,000 to Traylor, Chris Webber and two other Wolverine players dating to when they were still in high school.[2] Traylor received three years' probation.[3]
Due to NCAA violations connected to the case (principally the compromising of the amateur status of Traylor, Webber and Taylor), Michigan withdrew from consideration for the 2003 NCAA tournament, lost scholarships and was placed on probation. The school also vacated the records of every game in which Traylor played from its record book. Traylor also had to surrender his MVP award for the 1997 NIT, as well as his MVP award from the 1998 Big Ten tournament.[citation needed] Murray-Wright High School in Detroit, where Traylor played high school basketball, voluntarily forfeited its entire 1994–95 season (Traylor's senior season).[citation needed]
NBA career
In the 1998 NBA Draft, Traylor was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round (with the sixth pick), then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Pat Garrity and German prospect Dirk Nowitzki.
In the 2005 offseason, Traylor had surgery on his aorta.[4] He then signed on with the New Jersey Nets for the 2005–06 NBA season, but—due to his failing a physical examination—the deal was scrapped.[3][5] Traylor battled weight problems throughout his career.
International career
Traylor played in Turkey for Antalya Kepez Belediyesi, in Italy with the Lega Basket Serie A club NSB Napoli,[6] in México for Halcones UV Xalapa, and in Puerto Rico with the Cangrejeros de Santurce and Bayamon Cowboys.[7] Traylor was selected as 2010 Defensive Player of the Year of Baloncesto Superior Nacional.[8] Traylor's last game was played on April 26, 2011, against San German, where he tallied five minutes of playing time with no points scored and two personal fouls.
Traylor's death
On May 11, 2011, Traylor was found dead at his apartment in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, of an apparent heart attack. Traylor was talking to his wife on the phone at the time; the connection was suddenly lost, at which point his wife alerted team officials to investigate.[9]
Former coach Paul Silas commented on Traylor's death, saying, "It's just a shock and hard to believe."[10]
References
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDs7yG3FQpw | Robert Traylor RIPS down rim
- ↑ ESPN.com: "Traylor pleads guilty to tax fraud." Retrieved March 15, 2007.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Nets bolster roster with Padgett and Murray "The Nets .. pursued free agent forward Robert Traylor but backed out when Traylor failed his physical."
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Paul Silas, former Cleveland Cavaliers coach, reacts to Robert 'Tractor' Traylor's death on Cleveland.com; Wright, Branson (May 11, 2011)
Further information
- Enlund, Tom. "Lighter Traylor still big on talent." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Thursday June 25, 1998. 3C. Google News 193 of 205.
- "Michigan's Traylor is turning professional." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. March 28, 1998. Page 13.
External links
- NBA.com profile at the Wayback Machine (archived April 7, 2005)
- Michigan Wolverines biography at the Wayback Machine (archived December 23, 1996)
- NBA Draft busts #16
- Robert Traylor @ Basketball-Reference.com
- Pages using infobox basketball biography with unsupported parameters
- Articles with unsourced statements from May 2011
- 1977 births
- 2011 deaths
- African-American basketball players
- American expatriate basketball people in Italy
- American expatriate basketball people in Mexico
- American expatriate basketball people in Spain
- American expatriate basketball people in Turkey
- American people convicted of tax crimes
- Basketball players from Michigan
- Charlotte Hornets players
- Cleveland Cavaliers players
- Dallas Mavericks draft picks
- Kepez Belediyesi S.K. players
- McDonald's High School All-Americans
- Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players
- Milwaukee Bucks players
- New Orleans Hornets players
- Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
- Philadelphia 76ers players
- Power forwards (basketball)
- Sportspeople from Detroit, Michigan