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Keith Closs

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Keith Closs
Santiago Basket Titanes
PositionHead coach
LeagueLDC
Personal information
Born (1976-04-03) April 3, 1976 (age 48)
Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Listed height7 ft 3 in (2.21 m)
Listed weight212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High schoolSierra Vista
(Baldwin Park, California)
CollegeCentral Connecticut (1994–1996)
NBA draft1997: undrafted
Playing career1996–2012
PositionCenter
Number33
Coaching career2023–present
Career history
As player:
1996–1997Norwich Neptunes
1997–2000Los Angeles Clippers
2001, 2003Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs
2004–2005Rockford Lightning
2005Gary Steelheads
2006–2007Butte Daredevils
2007Buffalo Silverbacks
2007–2008Tulsa 66ers
2008Yunnan Bulls
2012Santa Barbara Breakers
As coach:
2023–presentSantiago Basket Titanes
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Keith Mitchell Closs Jr. (born April 3, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Santiago Basket Titanes of the Laliga de Campeones (LDC). He played at the center position.

College career

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At 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m) and 212 pounds (96 kg), Closs played collegiately at Central Connecticut State University, leading the nation in blocks his only two years in college, and still holding the NCAA Division I career record for blocks with 5.87 blocked shots per game.[1]

Professional career

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Los Angeles Clippers (1997–2000)

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After starting playing professionally in the Atlantic Basketball Association with the Norwich Neptunes,[2] Closs moved to the Clippers in 1997. Having logged career highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals during 1999–2000, his NBA career abruptly ended, with a club record for most blocked shots per 48 minutes (4.7).

Closs played three seasons as a backup center for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers from 1997 to 2000, averaging 3.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during his spell.

Later career (2001–2008)

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Closs played for the Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs of the USBL in the 2001 and 2003 seasons.[3]

On December 11, 2004, Closs signed with the Rockford Lightning of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).[4] He averaged a league-high 4.4 blocks per game as well as 7.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game with the Lightning. On February 1, 2005, Closs was released by the Lightning.[5] He also played in the CBA with the Gary Steelheads during the 2004–05 season.[3]

Closs played for the Butte Daredevils in the CBA during the 2006–07 season but was released after being arrested for public intoxication.[6] He then joined the Buffalo Silverbacks of the American Basketball Association.[6]

Closs was selected with the 11th pick in the 5th round of the 2007 NBA Development League draft by the Tulsa 66ers.[7]

In December 2008, Closs signed with the Chinese league's Yunnan Bulls, and averaged 16.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.9 blocked shots per game.[8]

Closs played for the Santa Barbara Breakers of the West Coast Professional Basketball League in 2012.[6]

Coaching career

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On July 21, 2023, Closs was announced as the head coach of the Santiago Basket Titanes in the Dominican Laliga de Campeones.[9]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games 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

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Source[10]

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1997–98 L.A. Clippers 58 1 12.8 .449 – .597 2.9 .3 .2 1.4 4.0
1998–99 L.A. Clippers 15 0 5.8 .522 .000 .800 1.7 .0 .2 .6 2.1
1999–2000 L.A. Clippers 57 6 14.4 .487 .000 .590 3.1 .4 .2 1.3 4.2
Career 130 7 12.7 .471 .000 .606 2.9 .3 .2 1.3 3.9

Personal life

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Closs is the oldest of six children. His favorite book is Giant Steps by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.[1]

Closs admitted to being an alcoholic, even before joining the Clippers. The pressure of the NBA only led to more drinking and after three DUI offenses, he sought help in 2007. During a 2008 interview, he said he had turned his life around, having given up the addiction for good.[11]

His father, Keith Mitchell Closs Sr. died on December 1, 2017, from a possible heart attack, according to Closs's Twitter account.

Closs also has a son, Keith M. Closs III, born January 21, 2000.

In August 2022, Closs became an assistant coach in the Turkish basketball league[12]

Closs has the fifth lowest BMI of all players in NBA history.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "NBA Development League profile" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 17, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  2. ^ Baker, Chris (October 23, 1997). "Tall Tale". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Keith Closs minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  4. ^ "Former Clipper to join Rockford Lightning". Our Sports Central. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  5. ^ "Rockford releases Keith Closs". Our Sports Central. February 1, 2005. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Caputo, Matt (February 21, 2012). "Tall Tales". Slam. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  7. ^ 2007 D-League draft Archived 2008-12-20 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Yunnan Honghe Running Bulls roster; Asia Basket
  9. ^ Abousamra, Ghassan (July 21, 2023). "It's Official: Santiago Basket Titanes Hire NBA Vet Keith Closs As Head Coach". LatinBasket. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  10. ^ "Keith Closs". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  11. ^ The long road back; Tulsa World, 12 February 2008
  12. ^ Chris Daleo on Keith Closs; Tulsa World, 12 February 2008
  13. ^ Chet Holmgren out for season: What a foot injury means for the Oklahoma City Thunder and their star rookie; ESPN.COM, August 2022
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