Fab Melo

Fabricio Paulino de Melo ([faˈbɾisju paw.ˈli.nu ʤɪ ˈmɛɫu]; June 20, 1990 – February 11, 2017) was a Brazilian professional basketball player. He played one season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston Celtics before returning to his home country and playing for Liga Sorocabana and Brasília of the Brazilian Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB). Prior to entering the NBA in 2012, he played two years of college basketball for Syracuse, where he was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore.

Fab Melo
Melo playing with Syracuse in 2012
Personal information
Born(1990-06-20)June 20, 1990
Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
DiedFebruary 11, 2017(2017-02-11) (aged 26)
Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
NationalityBrazilian
Listed height7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight298 lb (135 kg)
Career information
High schoolSagemont (Weston, Florida)
CollegeSyracuse (2010–2012)
NBA draft2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 22nd overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Playing career2012–2016
PositionCenter
Number13
Career history
2012–2013Boston Celtics
2012–2013→Maine Red Claws
2014Texas Legends
2015–2016Liga Sorocabana
2016Brasília
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

High school and college career

Melo arrived in the United States in 2008 and enrolled at Sagemont School in Weston, Florida.[1] After graduating from Sagemont in 2010, Melo joined the Syracuse Orange men's basketball team. He spent two seasons playing for head coach Jim Boeheim at Syracuse and was part of the Orange team that went 34–3 overall and 17–1 in the Big East in 2012. Melo averaged 7.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in the 2011–12 campaign. He was suspended twice during the season, once for three games during the regular season and again for the NCAA tournament due to academics. Melo's academic eligibility was also part of the NCAA investigation in which the Syracuse program self-imposed a postseason ban for the 2014–15 season. Melo claimed he was failing because he didn't understand English.[2] Despite these issues, Melo was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year.[3]

In April 2012, Melo declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility.[4][5]

Professional career

NBA

On June 28, 2012, Melo was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft.[6] On July 3, 2012, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Celtics.[7] He played six games in the NBA for Boston during the 2012–13 campaign, but mostly spent the year in the NBA Development League with the Maine Red Claws. On December 22, 2012, in Maine's 85–78 loss to the Erie BayHawks, Melo recorded a triple-double and set a new NBA Development League record for blocked shots in a game with 14; he also had 15 points and 16 rebounds to register just the third triple-double in team history.[8] At the end of the season, he was named to the NBA D-League All-Defensive First Team and All-Rookie First Team.[9]

On August 15, 2013, Melo was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Donté Greene.[10] He was later waived by the Grizzlies on August 30, 2013.[11] On September 10, 2013, Melo signed with the Dallas Mavericks,[12] but he was ultimately waived on October 22.[13]

On January 22, 2014, Melo was acquired by the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League.[14]

Brazil

On August 1, 2014, Melo signed with Brazilian team Club Athletico Paulistano of the NBB.[15] However, he never appeared in a game for Paulistano. On April 7, 2015, he signed with Caciques de Humacao in Puerto Rico,[16] but soon left before appearing in a game for the team.

In November 2015, Melo signed with Liga Sorocabana for the remainder of the 2015–16 season.[17] In June 2016, he signed with Brasília.[18] He played in six games for Brasília during the Liga Sudamericana de Básquetbol and appeared in one regular season game on November 30, 2016.[19]

Death

Melo died from natural causes on February 11, 2017, at the age of 26. He was pronounced dead at home in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil; sources state that he went to bed and was discovered dead the following morning by his mother.[20][21]

NBA career statistics
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

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2012–13 Boston 606.0.500.000.250.5.0.3.31.2
Career 606.0.500.000.250.5.0.3.31.2
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References
  1. Canner-O'Mealy, Ryan (January 4, 2010). "Fab Melo hits the scene". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  2. O'Hare, James (September 30, 2013). "20 Dumbest Professional Athletes of All Time". RantSports.com. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  3. Ennis, Mark (March 5, 2012). "Fab Melo, Jack Cooley, Dion Waiters, Jason Clark Win Individual Big East Awards". bigeastcoastbias.com. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  4. "Syracuse center Fab Melo issues statement declaring he will enter 2012 NBA Draft". Syracuse.com. April 5, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  5. "Fab Melo leaving Syracuse for NBA". SFGate.com. April 6, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  6. Dzen, Gary (June 28, 2012). "Celtics select Jared Sullinger, Fab Melo in NBA Draft". Boston.com. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  7. "Celtics Sign 2012 NBA Draft Picks". NBA.com. July 3, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  8. "NBA Development League: BayHawks at Red Claws Game Info". NBA.com. December 22, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  9. "NBA Development League Announces 2012-13 All-NBA D-League Selections". NBA.com. April 26, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  10. "Grizzlies acquire Fab Melo". NBA.com. August 15, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  11. "Grizzlies waive recently acquired Melo". NBA.com. August 30, 2013. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  12. "Mavericks add three players; roster expands to 18". Mavs.com. September 10, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  13. "Mavericks waive Renaldo Balkman, Devin Ebanks, D.J. Kennedy, Fab Melo". InsideHoops.com. October 22, 2013. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  14. "Fab Melo, Daniel Orton Moved in Four-Team Trade". NBA.com. January 22, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  15. "Fab Melo signs with Paulistano". Sportando.com. August 1, 2014. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  16. "Fab Melo signs with Caciques de Humacao in Puerto Rico". Sportando.com. April 7, 2015. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  17. "Liga Sorocabana contrata Fab Melo, ex-Boston Celtics e Dallas Mavericks". globoesporte.com (in Portuguese). November 28, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  18. Magalhães, Lucas (June 16, 2016). "Brasília anuncia a contratação do pivô Fab Melo, ex-Boston Celtics". globoesporte.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  19. "Fab Melo Basketball Player Profile". Latinbasket.com. Retrieved February 18, 2017.(Subscription required.)
  20. Goodman, Jeff (Feb 13, 2017). "Former Syracuse, Celtics 7-footer Fab Melo, 26, dies in Brazil". ESPN.
  21. Gabriel Andrade (February 12, 2017). "SporTV journalist confirmed Fab Melo info. He..." Twitter. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
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