Ken Charles

{{short description|Trinidad and Tobago basketball player}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Ken Charles

| image =

| width =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|07|10}}

| birth_place = Trinidad and Tobago

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 3

| weight_lb = 180

| high_school = Brooklyn Preparatory School
(Brooklyn, New York)

| college = Fordham (1970–1973)

| draft_year = 1973

| draft_round = 3

| draft_pick = 38

| draft_team = Buffalo Braves

| career_start = 1973

| career_end = 1977

| career_position = Shooting guard

| career_number = 14, 44

| years1 = {{nbay|1973|start}}–{{nbay|1975|end}}

| team1 = Buffalo Braves

| years2 = {{nbay|1976|start}}–{{nbay|1977|start}}

| team2 = Atlanta Hawks

| cyears1 = 2000–2007

| cteam1 = Brooklyn Kings

| highlights =

As player:

• No. 44 retired by Fordham Rams

As coach:

• USBL Coach of the Year (2005)

| stats_league = NBA

| stat1label = Points

| stat1value = 2,747 (8.5 ppg)

| stat2label = Rebounds

| stat2value = 640 (2.0 rpg)

| stat3label = Assists

| stat3value = 806 (2.5 apg)

}}

Kenneth M. Charles (born July 10, 1951) is a Trinidadian retired basketball player who played guard for the Buffalo Braves (1973–1976) and Atlanta Hawks (1976–1978). He was a {{convert|6|ft|3|in|m|adj=on}}, {{convert|180|lb|kg}} guard.

Charles was born on the island of Trinidad and moved to the United States when he was aged six.{{cite news |last1=Northrop |first1=Milt |title=Between His Wit and Wardrobe, Braves' Charles Is Always Sharp |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-between-his-wit-and-war/159904412/ |access-date=November 28, 2024 |work=The Buffalo News |date=April 19, 1975 |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com}} He played collegiately for Fordham University before being selected by the Braves in the third round (38th pick overall) of the 1973 NBA draft.

In 5 seasons he played in 322 games and played 7,637 minutes (23.7 per game), had a .441 field goal percentage (1,083 for 2,458), .789 free throw percentage (581 for 736), 640 rebounds (2.0 per game), 806 assists (2.5 per game), 407 steals (1.3 per game), 128 blocked shots (.4 per game) and 2,747 points (8.5 per game).

Charles was head coach of the Brooklyn Kings of the United States Basketball League (USBL) from 2000 to 2007. He won the USBL Coach of the Year Award in 2005.{{cite news |last1=Posadas |first1=Andrew |title=Beyond the Scoreboard: Celebrating Black History in Fordham Athletics |url=https://fordhamram.com/75117/sports/beyond-the-scoreboard-celebrating-black-history-in-fordham-athletics-2/ |accessdate=9 November 2020 |work=The Fordham Ram |date=4 March 2020}}