Chris Washburn
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 13, 1966 Hickory, North Carolina |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
Laurinburg Institute (Laurinburg, North Carolina) |
| College | NC State (1984–1986) |
| NBA draft | 1986 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall |
| Selected by the Golden State Warriors | |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 8, 50 |
| Career history | |
| 1986–1987 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1987–1988 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1990–1991 | Tulsa Fast Breakers |
| 1992 | Miami Tropics |
| 1993 | Westchester Stallions |
| 1994 | Miami Tropics |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Christopher Scott Washburn (born May 13, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player.
A 6'11" center, Washburn was one of the top three high school recruits in the country in 1984, along with John Williams (LSU) and Danny Manning (Kansas). He signed with North Carolina State University, along with future NBA stars Vinny Del Negro and Nate McMillan to form one of the best recruiting classes in the nation on a team that also included Spud Webb. A gifted athlete, Washburn combined size with speed for a big man and soft hands.
During his time at N.C. State, he was caught stealing a stereo, which resulted in his being sentenced to 46 hours in jail, a five-year suspended prison term and five years of probation. During his trial, the Wake County district attorney introduced as evidence Washburn's SAT scores, which were below 500 (out of 1600, with 400 being the starting score). "The coaches over there told me, ‘You already signed, you’re already in school, you just have to take the test just to get into college,’ ” Washburn said later. When they told me it didn’t matter what score I was getting, I went in for about 22 minutes. I just marked down [answers] … mark, mark, mark."
His work ethic was also called into question. Recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons claimed that Washburn was "never as good as his reputation," even as a high-school All-American. Gibbons was blasted by many N.C. State fans for suggesting that Washburn was going to break the Wolfpack basketball program, in response to coach Jim Valvano's claim that Washburn would make the program.
In the full season Washburn played with the Wolfpack, he averaged 17.6 points a game and 6.7 rebounds, sharing time in the front court with future NBA players Charles Shackleford and Chucky Brown. Washburn's best outing was against future top NBA draft pick Brad Daugherty and UNC on February 23, 1986. Before a nationally-televised audience, Washburn scored 26 points as the Wolfpack upset the then-ranked #1 Tar Heels 76-65.
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