Rashad McCants

Rashad Dion McCants (born September 25, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who has played in the National Basketball Association as well as overseas. He played for Trilogy in the BIG3 three-on-three league.

Rashad McCants
McCants playing with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2007.
Personal information
Born (1984-09-25) September 25, 1984
Asheville, North Carolina
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight207 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeNorth Carolina (2002–2005)
NBA draft2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Playing career2005–2015
PositionShooting guard
Number1, 7
Career history
2005–2009Minnesota Timberwolves
2009Sacramento Kings
2010–2011Texas Legends
2012Caciques de Humacao
2012Piratas de Quebradillas
2012Powerade Tigers
2012–2013Foshan Long Lions
2013Texas Legends
2014Uberlândia
2014–2015Homenetmen Beirut
2015Trotamundos de Carabobo
2015Cañeros de La Romana
Career highlights and awards
  • Third-team All-American – NABC (2005)
  • Third-team All-American – AP, SN (2004)
  • NCAA champion (2005)
  • First-team All-ACC (2004)
  • Third-team All-ACC (2005)
  • ACC All-Freshman Team (2003)
  • First-team Parade All-American (2002)
  • Fourth-team Parade All-American (2001)
  • McDonald's All-American (2002)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

High school career

McCants began his high school career at Clyde A. Erwin High School[1] in Asheville, North Carolina, and finished at New Hampton School in New Hampton, New Hampshire. He led New Hampton to the 2002 New England Prep School Class A championship and was named MVP of the title game. McCants played alongside future college teammate Wes Miller during his senior season.

McCants was an honor roll student at New Hampton.[2] He also won the New Hampshire Player of the Year Award in 2001 and 2002. And, as a senior, he was also named to the Parade All-American and McDonald's All-American Teams. He played in the McDonald's All-American Game with future Tar Heel teammates Raymond Felton and Sean May.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Rashad McCants
SG, SF		 Asheville, NC New Hampton School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 1 (SG)   Rivals: 4 (SF)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2002 North Carolina Basketball Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  • "2002 North Carolina College Basketball Recruiting Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  • "2002 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 10, 2014.

    College career

    Alongside Sean May, Raymond Felton, and David Noel, McCants joined a stellar recruiting class at UNC for the 2002–2003 season, coached by Matt Doherty. In his freshman year, McCants led the Tar Heels in scoring with 17.5 points per game, and led them to a third round loss to Georgetown in the National Invitational Tournament. He was voted to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) rookie team.

    In the 2003–2004 season, McCants led the ACC in scoring with 20 points per game. With that effort, McCants helped lead UNC back into the NCAA Tournament with a sixth seed, where they lost in the second round to number three seeded Texas. He was the leading vote-getter on the All-ACC First Team as a sophomore, and was named a Second Team All-American.

    With freshman Marvin Williams joining the squad for the 2004–2005 season, the junior class led by preseason Wooden Award candidates in McCants, May, and Felton gave UNC a high ranking in all preseason polls and the team was seen as one of the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament. After going 33–4 and winning the ACC regular season, McCants' 16.4 points per game helped secure UNC one of the four number one seeds in the NCAA Tournament. UNC cruised to the championship game, where McCants helped the Tar Heels defeat the Illinois Fighting Illini, 75–70.

    McCants' three years at Chapel Hill were not without controversy. In an interview with local television station WRAL, McCants compared UNC to a prison, stating, "You're not allowed to say certain things, but once you get out of jail, you're free. (I'm) in my sentence, and I'm doing my time."[3][4]

    McCants scored 1,721 points in his career at North Carolina and made 221 career three-point field goals.

    Accusations against North Carolina

    On June 6, 2014, the ESPN program Outside the Lines broadcast an interview with McCants in which McCants claimed to have taken phony classes at North Carolina and had tutors write his classwork.[5] The accusations by McCants followed reports by university administration and former governor Jim Martin finding academic and ethical issues with the university's Department of African and Afro-American Studies, including classes with little work assigned.[6][7] However, all sixteen other members of the 2005 team released a statement that disputed McCants's account.[5] Additionally, coach Roy Williams, separately interviewed by the same program, disputed McCants's claims.[8]

    Interviewed again on Outside the Lines on June 11, McCants stood by his claims about his academic experience at North Carolina. He also called on his fellow members of the 2004–05 basketball team to release their university transcripts because, in his opinion, "the truth is there in the transcripts" regarding bogus classes.[9]

    University officials contacted McCants via mail and text message in the days following the first Outside the Lines interview, because McCants expressed "knowledge of potential NCAA rule violations involving the University of North Carolina," according to a letter signed by the athletics director of compliance.[10] However, McCants had not responded as of July 7, nor had he discussed his claims with the NCAA, according to the Associated Press.[11]

    Professional career

    After winning the championship, McCants declared his eligibility for the 2005 NBA Draft, and was selected 14th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. His college teammates, Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, and Sean May were also selected in the draft. During his first two years as a pro, McCants was bothered by injuries and did not play up to the expectations of fans. He had a lot of expectations going into the 2007–08 season, and on a young Timberwolves squad, he started the season as a rotation regular, and broke into the starting lineup halfway through the season.

    As of January 2008, Rashad had posted career-highs through his third season, with 34 points against the Denver Nuggets on January 4, 2008,[12] 8 rebounds against the Miami Heat on January 8,[13] 4 steals against the Seattle SuperSonics on December 29, 2007,[13] and getting 6 assists five times.[13] On December 26, 2008, he hit a career-high 7 three-pointers in a Wolves win over the New York Knicks.[14]

    On February 19, 2009, McCants was sent to the Sacramento Kings along with Calvin Booth for Shelden Williams and Bobby Brown.[15] McCants then signed with the Houston Rockets in September 2009,[16] but had his contract retracted on the second day of the training camp. The Rockets General Manager said McCants presented with an abdomen problem and would not be able to participate in the camp, though he also said he would still consider McCants down the track once healthy.

    In the summer of 2010, he was scheduled to join the Cleveland Cavaliers' NBA Summer League team. However, he did not report to the team for personal reasons.[17]

    In October 2010 the Dallas Mavericks signed McCants to their training camp roster. However, he was released only after a few days. He was then signed by the Mavericks' NBA Development League associate, the Texas Legends.

    In 2012, the Powerade Tigers of the Philippine Basketball Association acquired him as their import for the Governors Cup. However, despite playing his usual game, he was not able to help the Tigers win their first two games and was released afterwards.

    On July 13, 2012, McCants signed with the French club Strasbourg IG.[18] On August 24, 2012, he parted ways with Strasbourg before appearing in a game for them.[19] On November 19, 2012, he signed with the Foshan Long Lions of China.[20] On January 10, 2013, he was waived by the Foshan.[21]

    On January 24, 2013, McCants was acquired by the Texas Legends.[22] He was waived by the Legends in February 2013.[23] On November 2013, he was announced by the Brazilian club Uberlândia Tênis Clube for 2013–14 NBB season.[24] He debuted on January 5, 2014 against São José Basketball.[25]

    On November 23, 2014, McCants signed with Homenetmen Beirut of the Lebanese Basketball League.[26] In April 2015, he signed with Trotamundos de Carabobo of Venezuela for the rest of the 2015 LPB season.[27]

    BIG3

    On April 30, 2017, McCants was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 BIG3 Draft by Trilogy (basketball).[28] On August 26, 2017, Trilogy won the first-ever Big3 League Championship. McCants had 22 points on 55% shooting and was named Championship MVP.[29]

    Personal life

    McCants' sister, Rashanda McCants, played in the WNBA.[30]

    Rashad is the cousin of Major League Baseball player Cameron Maybin and third cousin of former Canadian Football League player John Avery.[31]

    In June 2008, McCants began dating reality television star Khloe Kardashian. The two were introduced by the National Football League player Reggie Bush who had been dating her sister Kim at the time.[32] The relationship ended after only seven months, in late January 2009, reportedly due to McCants's infidelity.[33] He also made a brief guest appearance on her reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, during season 3 (episode 7). Eight years later, speaking with a Charlotte Observer reporter while looking back on his career in the NBA, McCants stated that the highly-publicized relationship with Khloe Kardashian was the "biggest regret" because it "gave people an opportunity to doubt his commitment to the NBA", adding: "Without that situation in play, I’m a $60-70 million player. Easily."[34]

    Awards
    • All-ACC First Team: 2003–04[35]
    • All-ACC Third Team: 2004–05
    • All-ACC Rookie Team: 2002–03[36]
    • Parade All-American: 2001–02
    • McDonald's All-American: 2001–02
    • New Hampshire Player of the Year: 2000, 2001[2]

    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
    2005–06 Minnesota 791217.2.450.372.7361.8.8.6.37.9
    2006–07 Minnesota 37015.0.350.267.6901.31.0.7.25.0
    2007–08 Minnesota 752426.9.453.407.7482.72.2.9.214.9
    2008–09 Minnesota 34218.7.360.319.7411.9.9.8.29.1
    2008–09 Sacramento 24119.4.444.357.7832.01.5.8.310.3
    Career 2493920.2.431.368.7412.01.3.7.210.0
    gollark: Indeed.
    gollark: DO NOT utilize manjaro.
    gollark: District of Crabs.
    gollark: Qh4os glove reveal?!
    gollark: I'm not hugely surprised that nobody noticed the switch.

    References
    1. Goodman, Jeff. "Basketball Recruiting Buzz". ESPN. Retrieved May 2016. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
    2. NBA.com : Rashad McCants Bio Page
    3. "McCants Compares UNC Basketball To Job, Prison". WRAL-TV. October 19, 2004. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
    4. Parsons, Keith (October 19, 2004). "McCants: 'I love North Carolina'". Associated Press. Retrieved July 30, 2014. Original AP wire title: "McCants Says He Likes Being at Carolina"
    5. Delsohn, Steve (June 6, 2014). "UNC's McCants: 'Just show up, play'". ESPN. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
    6. Kane, Dan (May 4, 2012). "Report finds academic fraud evidence in UNC department". The News & Observer. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
    7. Pickeral, Robbi (December 20, 2012). "UNC probe reveals academic fraud". ESPN. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
    8. "Williams: McCants doesn't ring true". ESPN. June 8, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
    9. "McCants: 'All I know is the truth'". ESPN. June 11, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
    10. "UNC reaches out to McCants". News & Observer. July 7, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
    11. "UNC asks McCants to meet over academic allegations". Associated Press. July 7, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
    12. Iverson nets 33 as Nuggets cruise past Timberwolves
    13. NBA.com : Rashad McCants Career Stats Page
    14. Timberwolves end 13-game skid, hand McHale first win as coach
    15. "KINGS ACQUIRE RASHAD McCANTS AND CALVIN BOOTH". NBA.com. 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
    16. Rockets sign former Tar Heels star McCants. Retrieved on September 24, 2009.
    17. Windhorst, Brian. "Another strong summer-league effort by J.J. Hickson keeps Cleveland Cavaliers coaches smiling". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
    18. "SIG Strasbourg officially signs Rashad McCants". Sportando.net. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
    19. "Rashad McCants, SIG Strasbourg part ways". Sportando.com. August 24, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
    20. "Rashad McCants signs in China with Foshan". Sportando.com. November 19, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
    21. "Foshan waive Rashad McCants to make room for Perkins". Sportando.com. January 10, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
    22. RASHAD MCCANTS RETURNS TO THE LEGENDS
    23. 2012-13 Transactions
    24. "Nova estrela no NBB" [New star in the NBB]. LNB.com.br. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
    25. "Sem desistir" [Not giving up]. LNB.com.br. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
    26. "Homenetmen Beirut inks Rashad McCants, ex NBA player". Eurobasket.com. November 23, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
    27. "Rashad McCants inks with Trotamundos de Carabobo". Sportando.com. April 6, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
    28. "2017 BIG3 draft results". sbnation.com. April 30, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
    29. "BIG3 Championship: Former NBA players Harrington, Martin win inaugural title". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2017-08-27.
    30. McCann, Michael; Wertheim, Jon (January 22, 2015). "Rashanda McCants, Devon Ramsay file suit against UNC, NCAA". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
    31. The Asheville High, Class of 73, Current Photos
    32. Gartland, Dan (25 May 2017). "Rashad McCants: I wouldn't have washed out of the NBA if I didn't date Khloe Kardashian". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
    33. Lane, Laura (5 February 2009). "Khloe Kardashian Calls Ex a "Loser"". OK!. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
    34. Cowart, C Jackson (24 May 2017). "Ex-UNC star Rashad McCants says relationship with school, coach Roy Williams no longer exists". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
    35. AP All-ACC Men's Basketball Squads :: McCants, Hodge, Pickett, Duhon and Gray earn spots on First Team Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
    36. Howard Unanimous Selection For First-Team All-ACC :: Duke's Jones, Maryland's Blake, NC State's Hodge and Clemson's Scott also earn first-team honors
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