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Robert Traylor

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Robert Traylor
Traylor in 1998
Personal information
Born(1977-02-01)February 1, 1977
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
DiedMay 11, 2011(2011-05-11) (aged 34)
Isla Verde, Puerto Rico
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight290 lb (132 kg)
Career information
High schoolMurray-Wright (Detroit, Michigan)
CollegeMichigan (1995–1998)
NBA draft1998: 1st round, 6th overall pick
Selected by the Dallas Mavericks
Playing career1998–2011
PositionPower forward / center
Number54, 34, 32
Career history
1998–2000Milwaukee Bucks
2000–2001Cleveland Cavaliers
2001–2002Charlotte Hornets
2002–2004New Orleans Hornets
2004–2005Cleveland Cavaliers
2006Gestibérica Vigo
2007–2008Santurce Crabbers
2008–2009Antalya Kepez Belediyesi
2009NSB Napoli
2010Vaqueros de Bayamón
2010–2011Halcones UV Xalapa
2011Vaqueros de Bayamón
Career highlights and awards
* indicates awards retroactively forfeited
Career NBA statistics
Points2,085 (4.8 ppg)
Rebounds1,640 (3.7 rpg)
Blocks306 (0.7 bpg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA Americas U18 Championship
Gold medal – first place 1994 Santa Rosa Team competition

Robert DeShaun "Tractor" Traylor (February 1, 1977 – May 11, 2011) was an American professional basketball player. He got his nickname because of his hulking frame. Traylor was the sixth pick in the 1998 NBA draft and played seven seasons in the league (from 1998–1999 through 2004–2005). He averaged 4.8 points per game, mainly as a reserve center and forward.

High school and college

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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 (140 kg), he joined a frontcourt for the Wolverines that included Maurice Taylor and Maceo Baston in 1995. That year, Traylor 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 eventually went to rival Michigan State, won the 2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and was named the Most Outstanding Player playing with a sprained ankle. 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 gave Traylor, Chris Webber and two other Wolverine players a $616,000 loan.[2] Traylor received three years' probation for tax fraud.[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

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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.[4] Landon Buford of Sports Illustrated ranked this trade as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history,[5] while Dave Zirin of The Nation ranked it the most lopsided trade in NBA history.[6] Nowitzki "would go on to have a distinguished 21-year career where he was an All-Star 14 times, a member of the All-NBA team 12 times, a league and Finals MVP, and an NBA champion in 2011",[4] while Traylor struggled in the NBA.[6][7] (In addition, Garrity was traded to Phoenix by the Mavericks for future Hall of Famer Steve Nash).[8]

In the 2005 offseason, Traylor had surgery on his aorta.[9] 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][10] Traylor battled weight problems throughout his career.[4] During seven NBA seasons, Traylor played for the Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets. He averaged 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.[11]

International career

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Traylor played in Turkey for Antalya Kepez Belediyesi, in Italy with the Lega Basket Serie A club NSB Napoli,[12] in Mexico for Halcones UV Xalapa, and in Puerto Rico with the Cangrejeros de Santurce and Vaqueros de Bayamón.[13] Traylor was selected as 2010 Defensive Player of the Year of Baloncesto Superior Nacional.[14] Traylor's last game was played on April 26, 2011.[15]

Career statistics

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College

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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
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1995–96 Michigan 22 4 19.9 .554 .000 .548 5.9 0.5 0.9 0.7 9.0
1996–97 Michigan 35 35 27.3 .556 .000 .455 7.7 0.9 1.1 1.0 13.1
1997–98 Michigan 34 34 32.1 .579 .000 .642 10.1 2.6 1.3 1.4 16.2
Career 91 73 27.3 .566 .000 .545 8.2 1.5 1.1 1.1 13.3

NBA

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1998–99 Milwaukee 49 43 16.0 .537 .000 .538 3.7 0.8 0.9 0.9 5.3
1999–00 Milwaukee 44 16 10.2 .475 .000 .603 2.6 0.5 0.6 0.6 3.6
2000–01 Cleveland 70 7 17.3 .497 .000 .567 4.3 0.9 0.7 1.1 5.7
2001–02 Charlotte 61 1 11.1 .426 1.000 .631 3.1 0.6 0.4 0.6 3.7
2002–03 New Orleans 69 0 12.3 .443 .333 .648 3.8 0.7 0.7 0.5 3.9
2003–04 New Orleans 71 0 13.3 .505 .400 .547 3.7 0.6 0.5 0.5 5.1
2004–05 Cleveland 74 6 17.9 .444 .000 .539 4.5 0.8 0.7 0.7 5.5
Career 438 73 14.3 .474 .167 .577 3.7 0.7 0.6 0.7 4.8

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1998–99 Milwaukee 3 1 15.0 .778 .000 .500 4.0 0.7 0.7 1.3 5.3
1999–00 Milwaukee 1 0 4.0 .000 .000 .000 2.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0
2001–02 Charlotte 8 0 7.8 .350 .000 .667 2.0 0.4 0.3 0.3 2.3
2002–03 New Orleans 6 0 15.7 .455 .000 .250 5.0 0.7 0.5 0.8 3.5
2003–04 New Orleans 4 0 10.0 .444 .000 .667 2.5 0.3 0.8 0.3 2.5
Career 22 1 11.1 .459 .000 .529 3.2 0.5 0.5 0.6 3.0

Personal life and death

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In 2007, Traylor pleaded guilty to tax evasion and was sentenced to three years' probation.[16]

On May 11, 2011, Traylor had been talking to his wife Raye on the phone; the connection was suddenly lost, so she alerted team officials to investigate. Traylor was found dead at his apartment in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, of an apparent massive heart attack.[17]

Former coach Paul Silas commented on Traylor's death, saying, "It's just a shock and hard to believe."[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Robert Traylor RIPS down rim
  2. ^ "Tractor trouble: Traylor pleads guilty to tax fraud". ESPN.com. January 25, 2007. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Former Hornet 'Tractor' Traylor gets three years of probation". ESPN.com. September 28, 2007. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Panerio, Jonas (June 22, 2023). "The worst trade in the Milwaukee Bucks' NBA Draft history". SI.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  5. ^ Buford, Landon (August 10, 2023). "The Trade For Hall Of Famer Dirk Nowitzki Among Most Lopsided Trades In Sports History". SI.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Zirin, Dave (January 12, 2012). "How the Most Lopsided Trade in NBA History Explains the World". thenation.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  7. ^ Favale, Dan (March 14, 2012). "Most Lopsided Trades in NBA History". Bleacher Report.
  8. ^ Mac, Nick (August 15, 2022). "The Top 10 Most Lopsided Trades In NBA History". FadeawayWorld.net.
  9. ^ Rovell, Darren (February 22, 2006). "Sources: NBA to standardize physicals". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  10. ^ "Thursday roundup: Nets sign Padgett, Murray". ESPN.com. September 8, 2005. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  11. ^ "Robert Traylor Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  12. ^ "Robert Traylor – Turkish Basketball League Player". tblstat.net. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  13. ^ "Robert The Tractor Traylor signs with Vaqueros Bayamon". Sportando. March 11, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  14. ^ "Ex-NBA, UM Player Robert Traylor Dies At 34". WNEM-TV.[permanent dead link‍]
  15. ^ Schroeder, Scott (May 11, 2011). "Robert Traylor, Who Last Attempted NBA Comeback With Cleveland Cavaliers, Found Dead". SB Nation Cleveland. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  16. ^ Westmoreland, Sam (May 11, 2011). "Robert Tractor Traylor Death: Inside the Life of Former NBA Player". Bleacher Report.
  17. ^ "Ex-NBA player Robert 'Tractor' Traylor found dead in Puerto Rico". ESPN. Associated Press. May 11, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  18. ^ Wright, Branson (May 11, 2011). "Paul Silas, former Cleveland Cavaliers coach, reacts to Robert 'Tractor' Traylor's death". cleveland.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024 – via The Plain Dealer.

Further information

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