Trajan Langdon

From Hoopedia

Trajan Shaka Langdon (born May 13, 1976, in Anchorage, Alaska) is an American professional basketball player. A 6' 3" shooting guard, he gained fame in the U. S. while playing college basketball at Duke University. He currently plays in Russia with CSKA Moscow, the reigning Russian league champions. He was nicknamed "The Alaskan Assassin" in college because of his shooting ability, particularly beyond the 3-point line.

Amateur Career

During his high school career, Langdon attended Steller Secondary School but played for East Anchorage High School. He set the Alaska AAAA Record of 2,200 career points and was a 3-Time Alaska Player of the Year. He led East Anchorage to the 1994 Alaska state championship and played in the McDonald's All America game where he won the 3-point shooting contest. After high school, Langdon moved on to play for the highly regarded Duke University basketball team, where he set the record for most career 3-point field goals made. As a senior, Langdon led the Blue Devils to the final game of the 1999 NCAA Championship Tournament, where they lost to Connecticut.

Professional Career

After college, he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1999 NBA Draft. When Langdon made his professional debut with the Cavaliers on November 2, 1999, he became the first Alaskan to play in the NBA.

Following a three-year stint with the Cavaliers, Langdon moved to Europe to play for Italian power Benetton Treviso for 2002-03. The following season, he moved to Turkish powerhouse Efes Pilsen. In 2004-05, he moved on to Russia, playing that season for Dynamo Moscow before moving across town to CSKA Moscow in 2005-06. Langdon was named to the All-Euroleague second team for 2005-06, the year CSKA Moscow won the Euroleague Championship. The following season he helped CSKA Moscow return to the Euroleague championship game, where they lost to Greek power Panathinaikos. In the process he was named to the All-Euroleague first team for 2006-07.

On October 7, 2006 Langdon led his CSKA Moscow team to a 94-75 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in an exhibition game. He led all scorers with 17 points.

Trivia

• Langdon was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 6th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball draft.