Keith Closs
{{Short description|American basketball player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Keith Closs
| team = Santiago Basket Titanes
| position = Head coach
| league = LDC
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|4|3}}
| birth_place = Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
| height_ft = 7
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 212
| highschool = Sierra Vista
(Baldwin Park, California)
| college = Central Connecticut (1994–1996)
| draft_year = 1997
| career_start = 1996
| career_end = 2012
| career_number = 33
| career_position = Center
| coach_start = 2023
| years1 = 1996–1997
| team1 = Norwich Neptunes
| years2 = {{nbay|1997|start}}–{{nbay|1999|end}}
| team2 = Los Angeles Clippers
| years3 = 2001, 2003
| team3 = Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs
| years4 = 2004–2005
| team4 = Rockford Lightning
| years5 = 2005
| team5 = Gary Steelheads
| years6 = 2006–2007
| team6 = Butte Daredevils
| years7 = 2007
| team7 = Buffalo Silverbacks
| years8 = 2007–2008
| team8 = Tulsa 66ers
| years9 = 2008
| team9 = Yunnan Bulls
| years10 = 2012
| team10 = Santa Barbara Breakers
| cyears1 = 2023–present
| cteam1 = Santiago Basket Titanes
| highlights = * CBA blocks leader (2005)
- 2× NCAA blocks leader (1995, 1996)
}}
Keith Mitchell Closs Jr. (born April 3, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Santiago Basket Titanes of the Laliga de Campeones (LDC). He played at the center position.
College career
At {{convert|7|ft|3|in|m}} and {{convert|212|lb|abbr=out}}, Closs played collegiately at Central Connecticut State University, leading the nation in blocks his only two years in college, and still holding the NCAA Division I career record for blocks with 5.87 blocked shots per game.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/keith_closs.pdf |title=NBA Development League profile |access-date=2008-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217231706/http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/keith_closs.pdf |archive-date=2009-12-17 |url-status=dead}}
Professional career
= Los Angeles Clippers (1997–2000) =
After starting playing professionally in the Atlantic Basketball Association with the Norwich Neptunes,{{cite web |last1=Baker |first1=Chris |title=Tall Tale |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-oct-23-sp-45960-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=August 7, 2023 |date=October 23, 1997}} Closs moved to the Clippers in 1997. Having logged career highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals during 1999–2000, his NBA career abruptly ended, with a club record for most blocked shots per 48 minutes (4.7).
Closs played three seasons as a backup center for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers from 1997 to 2000, averaging 3.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during his spell.
= Later career (2001–2008) =
Closs played for the Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs of the USBL in the 2001 and 2003 seasons.{{cite web |title=Keith Closs minor league basketball statistics |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbasketball/stats/p-closskei001 |website=Stats Crew |access-date=August 31, 2023}}
On December 11, 2004, Closs signed with the Rockford Lightning of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).{{cite web |title=Former Clipper to join Rockford Lightning |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/former-clipper-to-join-rockford-lightning/n-3108622 |website=Our Sports Central |access-date=August 31, 2023}} He averaged a league-high 4.4 blocks per game as well as 7.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game with the Lightning. On February 1, 2005, Closs was released by the Lightning.{{cite web |title=Rockford releases Keith Closs |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/rockford-releases-keith-closs/n-3122590 |website=Our Sports Central |access-date=August 31, 2023 |date=February 1, 2005}} He also played in the CBA with the Gary Steelheads during the 2004–05 season.
Closs played for the Butte Daredevils in the CBA during the 2006–07 season but was released after being arrested for public intoxication.{{cite web |last1=Caputo |first1=Matt |title=Tall Tales |url=https://www.slamonline.com/news/nba/keith-closs-tall-tales/2/ |website=Slam |access-date=August 31, 2023 |date=February 21, 2012}} He then joined the Buffalo Silverbacks of the American Basketball Association.
Closs was selected with the 11th pick in the 5th round of the 2007 NBA Development League draft by the Tulsa 66ers.[http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/dleague_draft_07.html 2007 D-League draft] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220032931/http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/dleague_draft_07.html |date=2008-12-20 }}
In December 2008, Closs signed with the Chinese league's Yunnan Bulls, and averaged 16.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.9 blocked shots per game.[http://www.asia-basket.com/team.asp?Cntry=CHN&Team=6547 Yunnan Honghe Running Bulls roster]; Asia Basket
Closs played for the Santa Barbara Breakers of the West Coast Professional Basketball League in 2012.
Coaching career
On July 21, 2023, Closs was announced as the head coach of the Santiago Basket Titanes in the Dominican Laliga de Campeones.{{cite web |last1=Abousamra |first1=Ghassan |title=It's Official: Santiago Basket Titanes Hire NBA Vet Keith Closs As Head Coach |url=https://www.latinbasket.com/Dominican-Republic/news/820051/It's-Official:-Santiago-Basket-Titanes-Hire-NBA-Vet-Keith-Closs-As-Head-Coach |website=LatinBasket |access-date=August 7, 2023 |date=July 21, 2023}}
Career statistics
{{NBA player statistics legend}}
=NBA=
==Regular season==
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
| align="left" | L.A. Clippers
| 58 || 1 || 12.8 || .449 || – || .597 || 2.9 || .3 || .2 || 1.4 || 4.0
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | L.A. Clippers
| 15 || 0 || 5.8 || .522 || .000 || .800 || 1.7 || .0 || .2 || .6 || 2.1
|-
| align="left" | 1999–2000
| align="left" | L.A. Clippers
| 57 || 6 || 14.4 || .487 || .000 || .590 || 3.1 || .4 || .2 || 1.3 || 4.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 130 || 7 || 12.7 || .471 || .000 || .606 || 2.9 || .3 || .2 || 1.3 || 3.9
{{s-end}}
Personal life
Closs is the oldest of six children. His favorite book is Giant Steps by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Closs admitted to being an alcoholic, even before joining the Clippers. The pressure of the NBA only led to more drinking and after three DUI offenses, he sought help in 2007. During a 2008 interview, he said he had turned his life around, having given up the addiction for good.[http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?articleID=20080212_2_B1_ONWor42741 The long road back]; Tulsa World, 12 February 2008
His father, Keith Mitchell Closs Sr. died on December 1, 2017, from a possible heart attack, according to Closs's Twitter account.
Closs also has a son, Keith M. Closs III, born January 21, 2000.
In August 2022, Closs became an assistant coach in the Turkish basketball league[https://twitter.com/DaleoChris/status/1562925884327223296/photo/1 Chris Daleo on Keith Closs]; Tulsa World, 12 February 2008
Closs has the fifth lowest BMI of all players in NBA history.[https://www.espn.ph/nba/insider/story/_/id/34459327/chet-holmgren-season-foot-injury-means-oklahoma-city-thunder-their-star-rookie Chet Holmgren out for season: What a foot injury means for the Oklahoma City Thunder and their star rookie]; ESPN.COM, August 2022
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Basketballstats |nba= 1569 |bbr= c/closske01 }}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080114022020/http://www.sportsstats.com/jazzyj/greats/cba96/closs.htm College stats at Sportsstats]
- [https://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/players/c/closske01d.html NBDL statistics]
{{NCAA Division I men's basketball blocks champion}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Closs, Keith}}
Category:African-American basketball coaches
Category:American expatriate basketball people in China
Category:American men's basketball coaches
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball coaches from Connecticut
Category:Basketball players from Hartford, Connecticut
Category:Buffalo Sharks players
Category:Central Connecticut Blue Devils men's basketball players
Category:Harlem Globetrotters players
Category:Los Angeles Clippers players
Category:Rockford Lightning players
Category:Undrafted NBA players
Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen
Category:21st-century American sportsmen
Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen