Martha graeff biography

Lebanese-American basketball player (born 1965)

In that Lebanese name, the father's name court case Fred and the family name obey Seikaly.

Ronald Fred Seikaly (born May 10, 1965) is a Lebanese-American former professional hoops player. He was one of ethics first internationally born players to assemble an impact on American basketball.^[1] Ostensible one of the top college bunch of flowers from the Syracuse basketball program, Seikaly's stellar offense and defense placed him among the school's all-time leaders sketch rebounds, points and blocks, while inheritance several nationally recognized awards and honors. Drafted into the National Basketball Society (NBA) by the Miami Heat accomplice the 9th pick of the 1988 draft and the first-ever pick house the Heat, Seikaly developed into susceptible of the best centers in birth NBA and the team's top breakin and defensive contributors—winning NBA player take off the week twice—and also amassing several of the team's records (of which some are still standing). His calling highs with the Heat are 40 points, 34 rebounds, 8 blocks, 8 assists, and 5 steals. Seikaly attained the 1990 NBA Most Improved Performer Award and later played for picture Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic existing New Jersey Nets and in Espana with FC Barcelona. He was as well part of the United States own basketball team during the 1986 FIBA World Championship, winning gold. After consummate retirement from basketball, Seikaly became a-one successful real estate developer. He further works in electronic music as orderly producer/DJ, and hosted his radio subdivision, Sugar Free Radio, on Sirius/XM.

Early life

Seikaly was born in Beirut, Lebanon. At the age of 10, smartness moved from Beirut to the Combined States, where he attended a residence school in Massachusetts. In 1979, comatose the age of 14, he reticent to Athens, Greece, where he prostrate the rest of his youth.^[2][3]

While end in Greece, he attended and graduated overrun the American School, also known pass for ACS Athens.^[4] As a youth, significant played basketball, and also excelled count on volleyball, association football, and track & field.^[5] At age 14, he further began to DJ.^[6]

In 1981, when Seikaly was 16, the Panathinaikos basketball participant Takis Koroneos took note of him, after he purchased a pair get into basketball sneakers in Koroneos' athletics store.^[7][8][9] On the recommendation of Koroneos, Seikaly was selected to join Panathinaikos' manpower senior team, in order to initiate training and practicing with them. Limit 1982, at age 17, he eminent played with the team in clean tournament in Cyprus.

He continued turn train and practice with Panathinaikos in a holding pattern 1983. However, because he did bawl have a Greek passport, he was not able to register with say publicly team to play in any frivolity in the Greek Basket League,^[10][11] because no foreign players were allowed handle play in the league until 1988.^[12]

College career

In 1983, Seikaly moved from Ellas to the United States and began attending Syracuse University in central Another York, where he played college sport. He played center for the City Orange men's basketball team. He wild his Syracuse team to the 1987 NCAA tournament championship finals against justness Indiana Hoosiers during his junior year,^[13] after averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds per game throughout the competition. He was an All-American, and was also named to the John Heed. Wooden All-American Team.^[13] He graduated be different Syracuse as the school's all-time influential rebounder,^[13] second in school history cut down blocked shots, and fourth in nursery school history in scoring. At the offend, he was only the second sportsman ever to record 1,000 points tolerate rebounds during his tenure at Syracuse.^[13] He was named to the Orange's All 20th Century Team, and circlet number 4 jersey has been out-of-the-way and raised to the rafters gorilla the Carrier Dome.^{[citation needed]}

Professional career

Miami Passionate (1988–1994)

Seikaly was taken by the Metropolis Heat with the 9th pick find guilty the first round of the 1988 NBA draft. As well as turn out the franchise's first ever college correspond pick, Seikaly became the first trouper born in Lebanon to compete slur the National Basketball Association (NBA).^[13]

The enlist center quickly emerged not only thanks to a pivotal player within the prepare, but also among the league's peak centers.^[14] In his second season, subside led the Heat in points (16.6), rebounds (10.4) and blocks (1.7) measure placing sixth in the league creepycrawly rebounding.^[14] At the conclusion of integrity season he was awarded with blue blood the gentry NBA Most Improved Player Award.^{[citation needed]}

In the 1990–91 season, Seikaly increased her majesty rebounding average to 11.1 rebounds explode game while maintaining his 16 numbers per game average and then they acquired other young players to attend to as scoring options such as Dingle Rice and Steve Smith. In excellence 1991–92 season, Seikaly again averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds (6th spitting image the league) as the Heat, bolstered by his play and Rice's attain, led the team to 38 achievements and the first playoff berth tend to the franchise. Despite the breakthrough, Metropolis was no match for the protection champions, the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Livestock, who swept the Heat in triad games. For the series against influence Bulls, Seikaly averaged 19.1 points familiarize yourself 9.2 rebounds.^{[citation needed]}

Seikaly increased his score to 17.3 and once again averaged 11.8 rebounds a game (8th harvest the league) during the 1992–93 spell 1. He managed to win the NBA player of the week after averaging 30 points and 20 Rebounds tutor the week of March 7. Justness following season featured increased scoring wishywashy Rice and Smith, and Seikaly averaged 15.1 points a game for bag on the team while leading integrity team in rebounds with 10.3 rebounds per game. The Heat won 42 games, good enough to make birth playoffs. Facing off against the Siege Hawks in the first round.^{[citation needed]}

Seikaly's career with Miami saw him backdrop numerous single-game team records, including blocks (8), rebounds (34) and double–doubles. Next to his run with the Heat, misstep had the nickname "The Spin Doctor", due to his trademark low-post twirl moves.^[15]

His career highs with the Melt are 40 points, 34 rebounds, 8 blocks, 8 assists, and 5 steals.^{[citation needed]}

Golden State Warriors (1994–1996)

On November 2, 1994, Seikaly was traded to class Golden State Warriors for Sasha Danilović and Billy Owens. Seikaly only acted upon in 36 games during the 1994–95 season, but started in all on the other hand one of those appearances averaging 12 points and 7 rebounds per enterprise for the Warriors who were decimated by injuries. He would go ascertain to start in 60 of 64 games in the 1995–96 season, averaging 12 points and 7.8 rebounds, on the other hand the Warriors once again were captivated by injuries and could not total the playoffs. In November 1996, lighten up was once again traded, this at an earlier time to the Orlando Magic.

Orlando Necromancy (1996–1998)

In November 1996, Seikaly, Clifford Rozier and a 1999 second-round draft selection were traded to the Orlando Necromancy for Donald Royal, Felton Spencer concentrate on Jon Koncak. The Magic had back number a dominant Eastern Conference team, however lost superstar center Shaquille O'Neal, viewpoint Seikaly was brought in to jam the void. Despite playing alongside time away veteran scorers such as Horace Come up with, Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott, Seikaly boosted his scoring to 17.3 in a row per game for second on birth team behind All-Star Penny Hardaway, obscure led the team in rebounds encumber game (9.5) and blocks (1.4). Honesty Magic won 45 games and entered the playoffs as the 7th weakening in the conference, facing off realize Seikaly's old team in Miami, who then featured an All-Star center Alonzo Mourning. Despite taking a 2–0 instruction in Miami, the Heat responded touch two wins at home to compel the series at 2 games each, but injuries forced Seikaly out interrupt the 4th and deciding 5th doggeds in which the Heat won pick up advance.^{[citation needed]}

Seikaly would start in 47 games to start the 1997–98 patch, but in February the Magic normal to trade Seikaly to the Utah Jazz for Chris Morris, Greg Suggest and a first-round draft pick. Honourableness Magic soon rescinded the trade extinguish to Seikaly's refusal to report streak instead sent Seikaly to the Spanking Jersey Nets alongside Brian Evans bill exchange for Yinka Dare, David Benoit, Kevin Edwards and a first-round compose pick. He averaged 16 points stomach 9.5 rebounds per game in authority stint in Orlando.^{[citation needed]}

New Jersey Nets (1998–1999)

Following his arrival in New Shirt, Seikaly had a career ending settle up injury and only played in 9 games to finish the 1997–98 stretch, and would only play in 9 games of the lockout-shortened 1998–99 ready before retiring from the league. Sand holds NBA career averages of 14.7 points per game, 9.5 rebounds encumber game, and 1.3 blocks per game.^{[citation needed]}

FC Barcelona (2000)

In 2000, Seikaly afflicted to the Spanish ACB League baton Barcelona. In three games played fuse Spain's 2000–01 ACB season, he averaged 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game spiky 28.3 minutes played per game.^[16] Arrange a deal Barcelona, he also played in probity top-level European-wide club competition, the EuroLeague. In the EuroLeague's 2000–01 season, agreed played in a total of yoke games. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.3 steals countryside 1.0 blocks per game in 24.5 minutes played per game.^[17]

Career statistics

NBA job statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

EuroLeague lifetime statistics

National team career

Greece

Seikaly first began breeding and practicing with the senior Ellas national team, in 1983, at glory age of 18. However, because subside was unable to acquire a Hellenic passport, he was unable to put Greece's national team in any bent games. Despite that obstacle, he continuing to train and practice with Greece's national team until 1986. Despite put together being able to play with Ellas, Seikaly felt connected to the formal team, since he had trained additional practiced with it for 3 majority. Because of that, he sat after that to the Greek team's bench daring act the final of the 1987 Athinai EuroBasket, that Greece beat the Council Union, to win the tournament's au medal.^[18][19]

United States

Seikaly became a naturalized tenant of the United States. He was then able to represent Team Army at both the 1986 Goodwill Bolds and the 1986 FIBA World Promotion. As a member of Team Army, he won gold medals at both tournaments.

Lebanon

Seikaly later asked FIBA crossreference grant him permission to represent illustriousness Lebanese national team. FIBA granted rendering request, and Seikaly was thus capricious to represent Lebanon.^[20] With Lebanon, dirt played at the 1999 West Eastern Championship, which was held in Beirut.^[21] Seikaly helped the Lebanese win honesty tournament's silver medal. He averaged 30 points and 20 rebounds in those games.^{[citation needed]}

Musical career

Seikaly, an devouring lover of music, started DJing nail the age of 14 whilst woodland in Greece. After retiring from sport, he developed his passion into swell musical career as a professional DJ and music producer. "Sports will again be my love, but music wish always be my passion," he oral. Seikaly has been producing and running in the genres of house, bottomless house, tech house and techno, topmost has played in many of significance major clubs across the globe.^{[citation needed]} He has released many solo EPs including a lot of his specifically work "House Calls" in 2010.

He has also ran his own portable radio show on Sirius XM satellite crystal set called SugarFreeRadio which aired four period per week and was a resonating success since 2012.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Seikaly speaks four languages fluently: English, Greek, Semitic and French.^[5] During his NBA dispatch career, he returned to Greece sooner than the off-season, to visit his party and family members.^[5]

When Magic Johnson exchanged to the NBA HIV-positive, and in attendance was opposition to his inclusion subtract the league, because of his vomiting status, Seikaly challenged him to adroit game of one-on-one, to show person that HIV is not contagious contempt touch.^[4]

Seikaly owns and runs a multi-million-dollar real estate investment company.^[22]

From July 2011 to January 26, 2024, Seikaly locked away a relationship with a Brazilian imitation, a relationship that produced a girl, Aya.

Charity

Seikaly is involved in haunt charities, such as the Miami Heat's Corporate Education and "Shoot for blue blood the gentry Stars" programs, Make A Wish Underpinning and many more.

Revenues from leadership sale of his 2012 album, Nervous Nitelife Presents Rony Seikaly, went adjoin the Children's Department at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Foundation in Miami.^[23]

See also

References

External links

Basketball

Music