Tayshaun Prince
From Hoopedia
| Tayshaun Prince |
|---|
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| Position Small Forward |
| League NBA |
| Height 6 ft 9 |
| Weight 215 lbs |
| Team Detroit Pistons |
| Born February 28, 1980 in Compton, California |
| College Kentucky |
| Drafted23rd overall in 2002 by the Detroit Pistons |
| Pro Career 2002 - |
| Former Teams none |
Tayshaun Durell Prince (born February 28, 1980, in Compton, California) is an American basketball player for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association. Prince is a small forward, listed at 6 ft. 9 in. (2.06 m) and 215 lbs. (98 kg). A graduate of Dominguez High School and the University of Kentucky, Prince was drafted in the first round (23rd overall) by the Detroit Pistons the in the 2002 NBA Draft.
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College Career
Tayshaun Prince played four seasons (1998-2002) for the Kentucky Wildcats, averaging 13.1 points and 5.6 rebounds as the Wildcats posted a 97-39 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament each year. Prince won SEC Player of the Year in his junior season (2000-01) - also leading the SEC in free throw percentage (84.3%) - and was named to the Associated Press All-SEC Teams in both his junior and senior years. Kentucky won the SEC Tournament in 1999 and 2001, and Prince was awarded the 2001 tournament's Most Valuable Player award.
Notable individual performances included a 31 point, 11 rebound, 4 assist, 4 steal effort in a 79-59 victory over North Carolina. In scoring Kentucky's first fifteen points, Prince made five consecutive three-point shots. Kentucky shooting guard Keith Bogans compared Prince's performance to "the Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan blistering Portland in the 1992 NBA Finals." In an 87-82 victory over Tulsa during the 2002 NCAA Tournament, Prince scored a career-high 41 points (along with 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks) to lead Kentucky to the Sweet Sixteen.
Prince was drafted in the first round (23rd overall) by the Detroit Pistons the in the 2002 NBA Draft.
2002-03
In his rookie season with the Detroit Pistons under head coach Rick Carlisle, Prince was not a member of the team's playing rotation and appeared in just 42 of 82 regular-season games. However, in the first round of the 2003 NBA Playoffs, Detroit trailed the Orlando Magic three games to one, forcing Carlisle to experiment with a different rotation. Prince was inserted into the lineup and received heavy minutes; he was even asked to defend superstar Tracy McGrady at times. The Pistons rallied to win the series, and Prince had a breakout performance during the decisive seventh game, scoring 20 points in 24 minutes. In the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers, Prince continued to see action and made several memorable plays, including a turnaround hook shot during the final seconds of the second game, forcing an overtime period that the Pistons went on to win.
2003-04
After the Pistons were eliminated by the New Jersey Nets in the Eastern Conference finals, Carlisle was fired and former Sixers coach Larry Brown took over as head coach. Under Brown, Prince became the Pistons' starting small forward and increased his scoring average to 10.3 points per game, up from 3.3 as a rookie. That 2003-04 season Prince was also selected to play for the Sophomores (second-year players) in the NBA All-Star Rookie Game in February 2004.
"The Block"
In the second game of the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, Prince made a spectacular defensive play, which became known as "the Block." In the final minute of the game, the Pacers' Reggie Miller took an outlet pass after an Indiana steal and sprinted up the right sideline for a seemingly uncontested basket that would have tied the score. Prince pursued from the left sideline. Miller, presumably thinking that Prince could not catch him, attempted a layup. At the last possible moment, Prince soared in from the other side of the basket and swatted the ball away; the ball landed in bounds and was scooped up by Pistons teammate Richard Hamilton, effectively ending the game. The Pistons went on to win the series and, eventually, the NBA championship. "The block" has been replayed numerous times on ESPN and sports programs elsewhere. When the Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one in the NBA Finals, Prince's tough defense on Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was credited a key factor in the Pistons' victory.
2004-05
Prince continued to show improvement in the 2004-05 season, setting career highs in scoring (14.7 points per game), rebounding (5.3 per game), assists (3.0) and blocks (0.9). He was selected for the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team and was a candidate for the NBA Most Improved Player Award, where he came in third behind winner Bobby Simmons of the Los Angeles Clippers and Primoz Brezec of the Charlotte Bobcats. Although he and the Pistons made it back to the NBA Finals in 2005, they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in a close 4-3 series.
Prince's superb play was rewarded by the Pistons with a 5-year contract extension worth $49 million on October 31, 2004.
2005-06
In the 2005-06 season, Prince played in all 82 regular season games, averaging 14.1 points and 4.2 rebounds a game. In the playoffs, the Pistons were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
2006-07
So far in the 2006-07 season, Prince has returned identical statistics to his 2004-05 campaign: 14.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
Honors/achievements
- Gold Medal with Team USA, Tournament of Americas Olympic Qualifiers
Talents
Prince is a skillful all-around player and is considered an emerging star at his position. He combines a solid outside shot with the ability to drive to the basket, aided by his quick feet and impressive leaping ability. Prince's unusually long arms, with a wingspan of 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m), help him to shoot at close range without getting blocked, and make him an excellent defensive shot-blocker. A southpaw, he is also an able ballhandler and passer, with a career average of 2.3 assists per game.
Personal
Tayshaun married his long-time girlfriend Farrah Brown on April 11, 2005 in a private ceremony on the island of Fiji. Her wedding ring cost an estimated $300,000; she also gave birth to their first son on October 2, 2006. Tayshaun and Farrah recently purchased a $15 million home in West Bloomfield, Michigan and a $5 million farmhouse in the state of Kentucky.
