Lee Nailon Explained

Lee Nailon
Height Ft:6
Height In:9
Weight Lbs:240
Birth Date:22 February 1975
Birth Place:South Bend, Indiana, U. S.
Highschool:Clay (South Bend, Indiana)
College:
  • Southeastern Iowa CC (1995–1996)
  • Butler CC (1996–1997)
  • TCU (1997–1999)
Draft Year:1999
Draft Round:2
Draft Pick:43
Draft Team:Charlotte Hornets
Career Start:1999
Career End:2014
Career Number:54, 4, 33
Career Position:Power forward / small forward
Years1:1999 - 2000
Team1:Adecco Milano
Years2:
Team2:Charlotte Hornets
Team3:New York Knicks
Team4:Atlanta Hawks
Team5:Orlando Magic
Team6:Cleveland Cavaliers
Team7:New Orleans Hornets
Team8:Philadelphia 76ers
Years9:2006 - 2007
Team9:Bnei HaSharon
Years10:2007 - 2008
Team10:Lokomotiv Novosibirsk
Years11:2008 - 2009
Team11:Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut
Years12:2009
Team12:Leones de Ponce
Years13:2010
Team13:Piratas de Quebradillas
Years14:2010 - 2011
Team14:Bnei HaSharon
Years15:2011
Team15:Atomerőmű SE
Years16:2012
Team16:Panteras de Aguascalientes
Years17:2012
Team17:Goyang Orions
Years18:2012–2013
Team18:Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca
Years19:2013–2014
Team19:Panteras de Aguascalientes
Highlights:
Stats League:NBA
Stat1label:Points
Stat1value:2,622 (8.6 ppg)
Stat2label:Rebounds
Stat2value:936 (3.1 rpg)
Stat3label:Assists
Stat3value:298 (1.0 apg)

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.

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 2000-02 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 (1999-00), 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

NBA

Regular season

|-| align="left" | 2000-01| align="left" | Charlotte| 42 || 0 || 11.2 || .485 || .000 || .744 || 2.2 || .6 || .21 || .12 || 3.9|-| align="left" | 2001-02| align="left" | Charlotte| 79 || 41 || 24.2 || .483 || .500 || .747 || 3.7 || 1.2 || .75 || .22 || 10.8|-| align="left" | 2002-03| align="left" | New York| 38 || 0 || 10.7 || .442 || .000 || .824 || 1.8 || .7 || .16 || .08 || 5.5|-| align="left" | 2003-04| align="left" | Atlanta| 27 || 0 || 11.1 || .457 || .000 || .842 || 2.3 || .6 || .37 || .26 || 5.3|-| align="left" | 2003-04| align="left" | Orlando| 8 || 0 || 10.4 || .407 || .000 || .778 || 1.8 || .5 || .13 || .00 || 3.6|-| align="left" | 2003-04| align="left" | Cleveland| 22 || 4 || 18.0 || .451 || .000 || .800 || 3.0 || .8 || .18 || .05 || 7.7|-| align="left" | 2004-05| align="left" | New Orleans| 68 || 51 || 29.7 || .478 || .000 || .806 || 4.4 || 1.6 || .53 || .24 || 14.2|-| align="left" | 2005-06| align="left" | Philadelphia| 22 || 0 || 10.8 || .500 || .000 || .867 || 1.9 || .3 || .36 || .18 || 4.2|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career| 306 || 96 || 19.0 || .474 || .111 || .786 || 3.1 || 1.0 || .43 || .10 || 8.6

Playoffs

|-| style="text-align:left;"|2002| style="text-align:left;"|Charlotte| 9 || 1 || 17.8 || .458 || .000 || .789 || 2.7 || .7 || .3 || .0 || 7.7

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Why Silas Hammered Nailon; Pair Almost Came to Blows During Preseason Game. Peter. Vecsey. 8 November 2002.
  2. Web site: Nailon Tries To Get Past His Past. Laura. Price-Brown . November 21, 2002 . Newsday.
  3. Web site: For Nailon, Half a Wish. Sam. Borden. nydailynews.com.
  4. https://www.eurobasket.com/Israel/basketball.aspx?NewsID=198671 Israeli - Men Basketball
  5. News: Lee Nailon – BIG3. BIG3. 2018-06-14. en-US.