Trajan Langdon

{{Short description|American basketball executive and former professional player}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Trajan Langdon

| image = Trajan Langdon at all-star PBL game 2011 (1).JPG

| image_size =

| caption = Langdon with CSKA Moscow in 2011

| position = President of basketball operations

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lbs = 211

| league = NBA

| team = Detroit Pistons

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|5|13}}

| birth_place = Palo Alto, California, U.S.

| high_school = East Anchorage (Anchorage, Alaska)

| college = Duke (1994–1999)

| draft_year = 1999

| draft_round = 1

| draft_pick = 11

| draft_team = Cleveland Cavaliers

| career_start = 1999

| career_end = 2011

| career_position = Shooting guard

| career_number = 21

| years1 = {{nbay|1999|start}}–{{nbay|2001|end}}

| team1 = Cleveland Cavaliers

| years2 = 2002–2003

| team2 = Benetton Treviso

| years3 = 2003

| team3 = Long Beach Jam

| years4 = 2003–2004

| team4 = Efes Pilsen

| years5 = 2004–2005

| team5 = Dynamo Moscow

| years6 = 2005–2011

| team6 = CSKA Moscow

| highlights =

As player

2× EuroLeague champion (2006, 2008)
EuroLeague Final Four MVP 2008
2× All-EuroLeague First Team (2007, 2008)
All-EuroLeague Second Team (2006)
EuroLeague 2000–2010 All-Decade Team (2010)
2× EuroLeague 50–40–90 club (2007, 2010)
LBA champion (2003)
Italian Cup winner (2003)
Italian Super Cup winner (2002)
6× Russian League champion (2006–2011)
Russian League MVP (2008)
All-Russian League Second Team (2009)
3× Russian Cup winner (2006, 2007, 2010)
Turkish League champion (2004)
Consensus second-team All-American (1999)
Second-team All-American – SN (1998)
Third-team All-American – AP, USBWA, NABC (1998)
3× First-team All-ACC (1997–1999)
McDonald's All-American (1994)
Second-team Parade All-American (1994)

| medal_templates =

{{MedalCountry|{{bk|USA}}}}

}}

Trajan Shaka Langdon (born May 13, 1976) is an American basketball executive and former professional player. He is the current president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A {{height|ft=6|in=4}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cskabasket.com/team/?a=player&p=9371&season=56&lang=en|title=Error 404 - CSKA Moscow|first=CSKA Moscow Professional Basketball|last=Club|website=www.cskabasket.com|access-date=August 30, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?clubcode=csk&pcode=BEB|title=LANGDON, TRAJAN - Welcome to EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL|website=www.euroleague.net|access-date=August 30, 2018}} and {{convert|211|lb|abbr=on}}{{cite web|url=http://195.56.77.208/player/?id=LAN-TRA-76|title=Legabasket|website=195.56.77.208|access-date=August 30, 2018|archive-date=July 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704060055/http://195.56.77.208/player/?id=LAN-TRA-76|url-status=dead}} shooting guard, he first gained fame in the U.S. while playing college basketball at Duke University.

Following a three-year NBA stint, Langdon had a very successful career in Europe. A three-time All-EuroLeague Team member and the EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 2008, he won two EuroLeague titles with CSKA Moscow in 2006 and 2008.

In March 2016, he was named the assistant general manager of the Brooklyn Nets, serving in the role until May 2019, when he was named the general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans. On May 31, 2024, he was hired as President of Basketball Operations by the Detroit Pistons.

Early career

Born in Palo Alto, California, Langdon moved to Anchorage, Alaska soon after. During his high school career, Langdon attended Steller Secondary School, and played with East Anchorage High School. He set the Alaska 4A state record of 2,200 career points scored, and was a 3-time Alaskan State Player of the Year.

He led East Anchorage to the 1994 Alaskan State Championship, and he played in the McDonald's All-American Game, where he won the 3-point shooting contest.

Langdon also played high school baseball. Although his seasons were only twelve games long, as a senior he hit .333 with four home runs and 12 RBI. In the league championship game, he gave up only four hits and struck out eleven batters.

College career

After high school, Langdon moved on to play NCAA Division I college basketball at Duke, where he set the school record for the most career 3-point field goals made (which was broken by JJ Redick in 2006), earning him the nickname, "The Alaskan Assassin".[http://www.sportsstats.com/duke/player/players/tlangdon.html Trajan Langdon.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051001001415/http://www.sportsstats.com/duke/player/players/tlangdon.html |date=October 1, 2005 }} A major knee injury kept him sidelined for his entire sophomore year, so he finished his college career as a fifth year guard.[http://www.dukechronicle.com/blog/blue-zone/2013/06/where-are-they-now-duke-basketball-edition-trajan-langdon Where are they now? Duke basketball edition: Trajan Langdon], The Duke Chronicle, Bobby Colton, April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.[http://enquirer.com/editions/1999/03/26/spt_following_his.html Following his father's vision, Alaska's Trajan Langdon made it to Duke by learning to take the road less traveled], USA Today, Jill Lieber, March 26, 1999. Retrieved April 24, 2018.

In the 1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament championship game, with Duke down 1 point to the UConn Huskies, with 5.4 seconds to go in the game, Langdon attempted to drive the ball into the lane, and committed a traveling violation that turned the ball over to UConn. Analysts, as well as Langdon himself, credited the defense of Ricky Moore, who was considered the top defensive player in the tournament, for forcing the travel.{{cite news|title=UConn Had 'Moore' Than Enough Talent To Beat Duke |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salina-journal/170424420/ |newspaper=The Salina Journal|date=March 30, 1999|page=27|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = August 26, 2014}} {{Open access}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/30/sports/ncaa-tournament-men-s-championship-langdon-s-journey-is-a-step-too-long.html|title=N.C.A.A. TOURNAMENT: MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP; Langdon's Journey Is a Step Too Long|first=Judy|last=Battista|website=The New York Times |access-date=August 30, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.umich.edu/~msjrnl/backmsj/990405/current/sports/sports02.html|title=sports02|website=www.umich.edu|access-date=August 30, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dukechronicle.com/articles/1999/09/28/six-seconds-cant-define-langdons-duke-career#.VPUwXo7wrng|title=Six seconds can't define Langdon's Duke career|access-date=August 30, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/30/sports/sports-of-the-times-no-mystery-at-the-end-known-factors-not-an-x-factor-won-it.html|title=Sports of The Times; No Mystery at the End: Known Factors, Not an X Factor, Won It|first=William C.|last=Rhoden|website=The New York Times |access-date=August 30, 2018}}

=Baseball career=

A baseball scout discovered Langdon playing catch with his father in the parking lot of their hotel during Langdon's recruiting trip to Duke and was immediately impressed.{{cite magazine |last1=Garrity |first1=John |title=Beating the Bushes |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1994/07/11/beating-the-bushes-duke-bound-alaskan-basketball-star-trajan-langdon-is-playing-baseball-in-the-minors |access-date=7 January 2021 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=July 11, 1994 |language=en-us}} Langdon was selected in the 6th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball draft out of high school by the San Diego Padres, ahead of such eventual All-Stars as Carl Pavano and Plácido Polanco.{{cite web |title=6th Round of the 1994 MLB June Amateur Draft |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?year_ID=1994&draft_round=6&draft_type=junreg&query_type=year_round |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=7 January 2021 |language=en}} At the time he was the highest drafted player ever out of Alaska.{{cite web |title=MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from Alaska |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?came_from=ak&query_type=came_from&from_type_jc=0&from_type_hs=0&from_type_4y=0&from_type_unk=0 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=7 January 2021 |language=en}} He signed with the Padres and received a $230,000 signing bonus. Because NCAA rules at the time prevented a player from receiving a scholarship in one sport while playing another professionally, Langdon had to play basketball at Duke without a scholarship while playing Minor League Baseball during the summer.{{cite news |last1=Keech |first1=Larry |title=Duke Recruit Gets Unique Baseball Deal |url=https://greensboro.com/duke-recruit-gets-unique-baseball-deal/article_1551dd86-da8a-5cb8-ba42-7c9f777d02b2.html |access-date=7 January 2021 |work=Greensboro News and Record |date=June 24, 1994 |language=en}} In three seasons in the minors, he played in 50 games for the Spokane Indians and Idaho Falls Braves.{{cite web |title=Trajan Langdon Minor Leagues Statistics & History |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=langdo001tra |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=7 January 2021 |language=en}}

Professional career

Langdon was selected by the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1999 NBA draft. Langdon made his professional debut with the Cavaliers on November 2, 1999, when he became the first Alaskan to play in the NBA. Following a three-year career with the Cavaliers, Langdon moved to Europe to play for the Italian League club Benetton Treviso for the 2002–03 season.

The following season, after being waived by the Los Angeles Clippers in the preseason, he originally signed with and briefly played for the Long Beach Jam before he moved to the Turkish League powerhouse Efes Pilsen. For the 2004–05 season, he moved on to the Russian League club Dynamo Moscow, before moving across town to CSKA Moscow for the 2005–06 season. Langdon was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team for the 2005–06 season. CSKA won the EuroLeague championship that same season.

The following season, he helped CSKA return to the EuroLeague championship game, where they lost to Greek power Panathinaikos, on the Greek team's home court.{{efn|The EuroLeague determines the site for each year's Final Four shortly before the previous year's Final Four, before it can possibly be known who will advance. The 2008 event was held in Madrid.}} In the process, he was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team for the 2006–07 season, a feat that he repeated in the 2007–08 season. On May 4, 2008, he was named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP, after again winning the EuroLeague title with CSKA.{{YouTube|e9dcxJ8FEso|Euroleague feature: King of the Final Four}}

On October 7, 2006, Langdon led his CSKA Moscow team to a 94–75 win over the Clippers, in an NBA Europe Live Tour exhibition game. Coincidentally, he played against his former Duke University teammate Elton Brand, who was playing for the Clippers at that time. He led all scorers in the game with 17 points.{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2616198|title=Ex-Duke star Langdon leads Moscow team past Clippers|date=October 7, 2006|website=ESPN.com|access-date=August 30, 2018}}

In June 2011, he announced his retirement from playing professional basketball. He made his announcement two days after helping CSKA to its ninth consecutive Russian championship.{{cite web|url=http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/86135/180/cska-icon-langdon-announces-retirement|title=CSKA icon Langdon announces retirement|access-date=August 30, 2018}}{{cite web|title=Trajan Langdon retires from basketball|url=http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=7807|work=Inside Hoops|access-date=September 20, 2012}}

National team career

After graduating from Duke, with degrees in mathematics and history, Langdon played for the USA national basketball team at the 1998 FIBA World Championship, winning the bronze medal.[http://www.usabasketball.com/history/mwc_1998.html 1998 USA Basketball.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930022426/http://www.usabasketball.com/history/mwc_1998.html |date=September 30, 2007 }}

Post-playing career

After his playing days ended, Langdon was a scout for the San Antonio Spurs, from 2012 to 2015.{{cite web|title=Brooklyn Nets Name Trajan Langdon Assistant General Manager|url=http://www.nba.com/nets/news/2016/03/08/brooklyn-nets-name-trajan-langdon-assistant-general-manager/|website=NBA.com|access-date=October 13, 2016|date=March 8, 2016}} On March 8, 2016, he was named the assistant general manager of the Brooklyn Nets. On May 19, 2019, Langdon was named the general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans.{{cite web |title=Pelicans hire Trajan Langdon as General Manager |url=https://www.nba.com/pelicans/news/pelicans-hire-trajan-langdon-general-manager |website=NBA.com |access-date=May 20, 2019 |date=May 19, 2019}}

On May 31, 2024, Langdon was named President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons.{{cite web |url=https://www.nba.com/pistons/news/detroit-pistons-name-trajan-langdon-president-of-basketball-operations |title=Detroit Pistons Name Trajan Langdon President of Basketball Operations |website=NBA.com |date=May 31, 2024 |access-date=May 31, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2024/05/31/report-detroit-pistons-gm-troy-weaver-to-part-ways/73927839007/ |title=Pistons name Langdon top boss, Weaver officially departs |newspaper=The Detroit News |first=Madeline |last=Kenney |date=June 1, 2024 |access-date=June 1, 2024}}

Career statistics

=NBA=

==Regular season==

| align="left" | 1999–00

| align="left" | Cleveland

| 10 || 0 || 14.5 || .375 || .421 || 1.000 || 1.5 || 1.1 || .5 || .0 || 4.9

| align="left" | 2000–01

| align="left" | Cleveland

| 65 || 5 || 17.2 || .431 || .411 || .895 || 1.4 || 1.2 || .6 || .1 || 6.0

| align="left" | 2001–02

| align="left" | Cleveland

| 44 || 0 || 10.8 || .398 || .365 || .913 || 1.3 || 1.4 || .3 || .1 || 4.8

|- class="sortbottom"

| colspan="2" align="center" | Career

| 119 || 5 || 14.6 || .416 || .396 || .910 || 1.3 || 1.3 || .5 || .1 || 5.4

=EuroLeague=

class="wikitable"

style="background:#AFE6BA; width:3em;"|†

|Denotes season in which Langdon won the EuroLeague

style="background:#CFECEC; width:1em"|*

| Led the league

| style="text-align:left;"| 2002–03

| style="text-align:left;"| Treviso

| 21 || 19 || 28.6 || .540 || .511 || .759 || 2.7 || 1.7 || 1.6 || .1 || 14.8 || 13.4

| style="text-align:left;"| 2003–04

| style="text-align:left;"| Efes

| 20 || 19 || 33.1 || .461 || .391 || .864 || 3.0 || 1.6 || 1.5 || .2 || 14.3 || 13.0

| style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;"| 2005–06†

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="6"| CSKA Moscow

| 24 || 24 || 31.8 || .453 || .390 || .860 || 3.1 || 1.5 || 1.3 || .2 || 12.8 || 11.6

| style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07

| 25 || 25 || 29.5 || .475 || .420 || style="background:#CFECEC;"|.925* || 4.0 || 1.0 || 1.6 || .2 || 13.5 || 14.6

| style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;"| 2007–08†

| style="background:#CFECEC;"|25* || style="background:#CFECEC;"|25* || 29.1 || .512 || .458 || .884 || 3.3 || .9 || 1.2 || .1 || 12.6 || 13.0

| style="text-align:left;"| 2008–09

| 21 || style="background:#CFECEC;"|21* || 28.8 || .494 || .432 || .878 || 2.7 || 1.3 || 1.0 || {{sort|-|—}} || 10.6 || 11.2

| style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10

| 21 || 21 || 32.2 || .505 || .470 || .913 || 3.0 || 1.1 || 1.4 || .0 || 15.0 || 15.6

| style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11

| 10 || 9 || 27.5 || .397 || .229 || .708 || 2.2 || .5 || .2 || {{sort|-|—}} || 8.3 || 4.5

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2|Career

| 167 || 163 || 30.2 || .486 || .427 || .868 || 3.1 || 1.3 || 1.3 || .1 || 13.0 || 12.7

Personal life

Langdon is the son of social worker Gladys, and Dr. Steve Langdon, a professor of anthropology at the University of Alaska Anchorage.{{cite news|last=Lieber|first=Jill|title=Following his father's vision, Alaska's Trajan Langdon made it to Duke by . . .|url=http://enquirer.com/editions/1999/03/26/spt_following_his.html|access-date=May 26, 2011|newspaper=USA Today|date=March 26, 1999}} Trajan traveled with his father on many anthropological trips within southeastern Alaska. His father studied the Indigenous Nation of southeastern Alaska known as the Tlingit Nation.

Notes

References

External links

[https://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=BEB#!careerstats Trajan Langdon] at euroleague.net
[http://web.legabasket.it/player/LAN-TRA-76/ Trajan Langdon] at legabasket.it {{in lang|it}}
[http://www.pbleague.ru/en/players/17 Trajan Langdon] at pbleague.ru
[https://www.tblstat.net/player/413 Trajan Langdon] at tblstat.net

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