Personal information | |
---|---|
Born |
Hartford, Connecticut |
April 3, 1976
Listed height | 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) |
Listed weight | 212 lb (96 kg) |
Career information | |
High school |
Sierra Vista (Baldwin Park, California) |
College | Central Connecticut (1994–1996) |
NBA draft | 1996 / Undrafted |
Position | Center |
Career history | |
1997–2000 | Los Angeles Clippers |
Keith Mitchell Closs, Jr. (born April 3, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player, at the center position.
7-feet, 3-inches (2.20 m) and 212 lbs. (95 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. He had 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.
After starting playing professionally in the Atlantic Basketball Association with the Norwich Neptunes, 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 later played for the Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs of the USBL in 2003, subsequently moving to the CBA. In January 2007, as he led the latter league in blocks per game at 2.9, he left and signed with the Buffalo Silverbacks of the ABA; he was selected with the 11th pick in the 5th round of the 2007 NBA Development League draft by the Tulsa 66ers.