Lee Nailon

Last updated

Lee Nailon
Personal information
Born (1975-02-22) February 22, 1975 (age 50)
South Bend, Indiana, U. S.
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school Clay (South Bend, Indiana)
College
  • Southeastern Iowa CC (1995–1996)
  • Butler CC (1996–1997)
  • TCU (1997–1999)
NBA draft 1999: 2nd round, 43rd overall pick
Drafted by Charlotte Hornets
Playing career1999–2014
Position Power forward / small forward
Number54, 4, 33
Career history
19992000 Adecco Milano
20002002 Charlotte Hornets
2002–2003 New York Knicks
2003 Atlanta Hawks
2004 Orlando Magic
2004 Gary Steelheads
2004 Cleveland Cavaliers
2004–2005 New Orleans Hornets
2005–2006 Philadelphia 76ers
20062007 Bnei HaSharon
20072008 Lokomotiv Novosibirsk
20082009 Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut
2009 Leones de Ponce
2010 Piratas de Quebradillas
20102011Bnei HaSharon
2011 Atomerőmű SE
2012 Panteras de Aguascalientes
2012 Goyang Orions
2012–2013 Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca
2013–2014Panteras de Aguascalientes
Career highlights
Career NBA statistics
Points 2,622 (8.6 ppg)
Rebounds 936 (3.1 rpg)
Assists 298 (1.0 apg)
Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Lee Nailon (born February 22, 1975) is an American professional basketball player who played six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the 2007 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP. In 2011, he was the top scorer in the Israel Basketball Premier League. He had an All-American college career at Texas Christian University. In 2022, Lee Nailon became the head basketball coach for Carbondale Community High School in Carbondale, Illinois.

Contents

High school career

Nailon was a graduate of South Bend Clay High School where, along with sophomore and former Purdue player, Jaraan Cornell, the two led the Colonials to capture the 1994 Indiana State Championship title, scoring a combined 46 points.

College career

Nailon started his college career playing one year at Southeastern CC (Iowa) before transferring to Butler County CC (Kansas) for his sophomore year then finishing his career playing his final two years (1997–1999) at Texas Christian University where he averaged 23.9 points and 9.1 rebounds, earning first-team WAC All-Conference honors both seasons.

Professional career

Nailon was a second round (43rd overall) pick of the Charlotte Hornets in the 1999 NBA draft. He has played for the Hornets (in separate stints for both Charlotte and New Orleans franchises in 2000 to 2002 and 2004–05 respectively), the New York Knicks (2002–03), Atlanta Hawks (2003–04), Orlando Magic (2003–04), Cleveland Cavaliers (2003–04) and Philadelphia 76ers (2005–06). Nailon feuded with coach Paul Silas while at Charlotte over minutes played which led to him being released and leaving for the Knicks. Nailon got into multiple confrontations with Silas during a preseason game in 2002 which led to his dismissal. [1] Nailon was recommended to play for the Knicks in a phone call then coach Don Chaney made to Silas. [1] While playing for the Knicks Nailon was frustrated over lack of playing time. [2] [3] He holds NBA career averages of 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. His international experience includes playing for Adecco Milano in Italy (1999–2000), Bnei HaSharon in Israel (2006–07; 2010–11), Lokomotiv Novosibirsk in Russia (2007–08), Al-Riyadi in Lebanon, Leones de Ponce (2009) and Piratas de Quebradillas in Puerto Rico (2010).

In the 2006–07 season, Nailon led Bnei HaSharon to the Israeli Cup final, shocking the champions, Maccabi Tel Aviv, in the semifinal (eventually losing to Hapoel Jerusalem in the final). He was named the 2007 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP.

Nailon re-signed with Bnei HaSharon on August 1, 2010. [4] In 2011, he was the top scorer in the Israel Basketball Premier League.

In 2018, Nailon was drafted 6th overall by the Ghost Ballers of the United States–based BIG3. [5]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

NBA

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2000-01 Charlotte 42011.2.485.000.7442.2.6.21.123.9
2001-02 Charlotte 794124.2.483.500.7473.71.2.75.2210.8
2002-03 New York 38010.7.442.000.8241.8.7.16.085.5
2003-04 Atlanta 27011.1.457.000.8422.3.6.37.265.3
2003-04 Orlando 8010.4.407.000.7781.8.5.13.003.6
2003-04 Cleveland 22418.0.451.000.8003.0.8.18.057.7
2004-05 New Orleans 685129.7.478.000.8064.41.6.53.2414.2
2005-06 Philadelphia 22010.8.500.000.8671.9.3.36.184.2
Career3069619.0.474.111.7863.11.0.43.108.6

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2002 Charlotte 9117.8.458.000.7892.7.7.3.07.7

References

  1. 1 2 Vecsey, Peter (November 8, 2002). "Why Silas Hammered Nailon; Pair Almost Came to Blows During Preseason Game".
  2. Price-Brown, Laura (November 21, 2002). "Nailon Tries To Get Past His Past". Newsday.
  3. Borden, Sam. "For Nailon, Half a Wish". nydailynews.com.
  4. Israeli - Men Basketball. Retrieved on August 1, 2010.
  5. "Lee Nailon – BIG3". BIG3. Retrieved June 14, 2018.