Speedy Claxton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Guard |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Speedy |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Team | Atlanta Hawks |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | May 8, 1978 (age 28) Hempstead, New York |
| College | Hofstra |
| Draft | 1st Round, 20th overall, 2000 Philadelphia 76ers |
| Pro career | 2000–present |
| Former teams | Philadelphia 76ers (2000-02) San Antonio Spurs (2002-03) |
Craig "Speedy" Claxton (born May 8, 1978 in Hempstead, New York) is an American basketball player with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.
Prior to the NBA, Claxton played at Hofstra University, where he played under current Villanova coach Jay Wright. At Hofstra, Claxton led the Pride to the America East Championship defeating the University of Delaware in the championship game at Hofstra Arena. The Flying Dutchmen (they did not become The Pride until 2005) reached the 2000 NCAA Tournament, where they were defeated in the first round by an Oklahoma State team led by Desmond Mason, Claxton's future teammate with the Hornets.
Speedy donated money to help build the arena which the Hofstra team plays in.
He was drafted in 2000 20th overall, by the Philadelphia 76ers as a possible replacement for the then-disgruntled Allen Iverson. His rookie scale contract was worth 4 years and $4.68 million, Speedy opted out of the 4th year to become a free agent.
Claxton missed his entire rookie season due to a knee injury suffered during the pre-season. In 2002 Claxton was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, where he won the 2003 Championship as a valuable reserve backing up Tony Parker.
In 2003 Claxton was signed by the Golden State Warriors to a 3-year contract worth US$10 million. On February 24, 2005, Speedy and Dale Davis were traded from the Golden State Warriors to the Hornets for Baron Davis.
Currently, Claxton has reached a verbal agreement, pending the start of the 2006 free agency period, to sign with the Atlanta Hawks. The contract is for 4 years and approx. $25 million. He signed the contract on July 12, 2006.
His parents are from Antigua and Barbuda. Claxton's sister, Lisa, currently is in her second season as a point guard for the nationally ranked St. John's Red Storm women's basketball team.
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| 2000 NBA Draft | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Round Kenyon Martin | Stromile Swift | Darius Miles | Marcus Fizer | Mike Miller | DerMarr Johnson | Chris Mihm | Jamal Crawford | Joel Przybilla | Keyon Dooling | Jérome Moïso | Etan Thomas | Courtney Alexander | Mateen Cleaves | Jason Collier | Hidayet Türkoğlu | Desmond Mason | Quentin Richardson | Jamaal Magloire | Speedy Claxton | Morris Peterson | Donnell Harvey | DeShawn Stevenson | Dalibor Bagarić | Jake Tsakalidis | Mamadou N'diaye | Primož Brezec | Erick Barkley | Mark Madsen |
||
| Second Round Marko Jarić | Dan Langhi | A. J. Guyton | Jake Voskuhl | Khalid El-Amin | Mike Smith | Soumaila Samake | Eddie House | Eduardo Nájera | Lavor Postell | Hanno Möttölä | Chris Carrawell | Olumide Oyedeji | Michael Redd | Brian Cardinal | Jabari Smith | DeeAndre Hulett | Josip Sesar | Mark Karcher | Jason Hart | Kaniel Dickens | Igor Rakočević | Ernest Brown | Dan McClintock | Cory Hightower | Chris Porter | Jaquay Walls | Scoonie Penn | Pete Mickeal |
Categories: 1978 births | Living people | People from Queens | People from Long Island | African American basketball players | American basketball players | Hofstra Pride men's basketball players | National Basketball Association players under six feet | Philadelphia 76ers players | Golden State Warriors players | New Orleans Hornets players | San Antonio Spurs players | Atlanta Hawks players
