Charles Edward Shackleford (April 22, 1966 – January 27, 2017) was an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. He played center and power forward, he was renowned for his rebounding – regularly leading leagues in Europe. He played 6 seasons in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

(NBA), mostly as a bench player, intersected by seasons in Europe where he had more success. Off the court he was involved in a number of controversies and legal issues. Shackleford is sometimes remembered for telling a reporter after a NC State basketball game that "I can shoot with my left hand, I can shoot with my right hand, I'm amphibious."

College career

Shackleford played collegiate basketball for

North Carolina State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The unive ...

in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) of the

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic ...

from 1985 to 1988. He was suspended in the fall of 1986 because of poor grades, being reinstated for the spring semester after an appeal and a contractual agreement to attend all classes, with the unusual involvement of chancellor Bruce Poulton. Former head of the NC physical education department, Richard Lauffer, described him as a poor student, without "any interest in trying to get an education" and who "should never have been in school." On the court, Shackleford, nicknamed Shack by fans, was described as the Wolfpack's "indispensable man" and an imposing physical presence. He was an All-ACC selection in 1988 as he led the conference in rebounding. He declared early for the NBA draft as a junior in May 1988, invoking

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North Carolina State scandal

It was implied in 1989, first through a book, ''Personal Fouls'' by Peter Golenbock, that North Carolina State was home to a number of mispractices, with

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

naming Shackleford as suspected "of deliberately losing an NCAA Tournament game to avoid NCAA drug testing." Even more serious were allegations by ABC that Shackleford and three of his teammates took part in point-shaving during the 1987–88 season, with New Jersey businessman Robert Kramer said to have given $20,000 to Shackleford, who then distributed the cash. While Shackleford admitted to receiving the sum from Kramer and $45,000 from agent Larry Gillman, in violation of NCAA rules, he denied shaving points, with the loan from Kramer supposedly made to pay off Gillman, he declared repaying both loans by 1990. An investigation into the point shaving allegations ended in 1993, without charges being filed, when a New Jersey grand jury found insufficient evidence to support criminal charges.

Professional career

Shackleford was selected by the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

in the 2nd round (32nd overall pick) of the

1988 NBA draft The 1988 NBA draft took place on June 28, 1988, in New York City, New York. The length was reduced from seven rounds in the previous year to three rounds. This was also the first draft for the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat, prior to their i ...

. He played 130 games for the Nets in two seasons, starting 37. The 1989–90 NBA season was his statistical best in the NBA, with personal highs in minutes (22.2), points (8.2) and rebounds (6.8) per game. He had a career high of 23 points and 26 rebounds in a 20 February 1990 game against the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

, his rebound tally tied second-most for the Nets in a single game until at least 2005. He then moved to Italy, to play for Phonola Caserta in the

Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...

. He contributed 19.7 points and 15.8 rebounds (a league best) as the team won the 1990–91 title, the first in their history. Shackleford returned to the United States to play in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1991, signing a three-year contract – with two years guaranteed – at a reported annual salary of $1.3 million. He stayed two seasons, the first as a starter (62 games out of 72) with 6.6 points and 5.8 rebounds on average during 1991–92. He rejoined Caserta in Italy for 1993–94, signing a reported $1 million contract, and again led the league in rebounds. A return to the U.S. to play for the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

followed in September 1994, but he was waived in February 1995 after 21 games. Joining

Turkish Basketball League Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and ...

side Ülkerspor next, he led the European first tier EuroLeague in rebounding during 1995–96 with 12.4 rebounds. Despite this, Shackleford – at the time the most expensive import in Turkish basketball history – was released due to an injury, a cited lack of motivation and unwillingness to work. Moving to

Aris Thessaloniki Athlitikos Syllogos Aris Thessalonikis, means Athletic Club Aris Thessaloniki
...

of the

Greek Basket League The Greek Basket League (GBL), often also referred to as the Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship (originally called Panhellenic Basketball Championship), and also known as the Stoiximan Basket League for sponsorship reaso ...

the next season, he helped the team win the European third tier 1997 Korać Cup, with his defensive effort in the second leg of the final described as determinant. He also led the league in rebounding despite suffering from arthritis. He joined the Washington Wizards after having knee surgery, though he was released in less than a week in October 1997. Shackleford then returned to Greece, signing with

P.A.O.K. PAOK ( el, ΠΑΟΚ, Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινοπολιτών, ''Panthessalonikeios Athlitikós Ómilos Constantinopoliton'', ''Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans' ...

for the season. After a brief stint in the Continental Basketball Association with the

Idaho Stampede Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

, Shackleford joined the Charlotte Hornets in January 1999. He played in 32 games for the Hornets in the

1998–99 NBA season The 1998–99 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Due to a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999, after a new six-year Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the NBA and the ...

, the last games he would play in his professional career. When his contract expired in July of that year, he tried out unsuccessfully for a number of NBA teams, and retired in 2000.

Legal issues

Shackleford was arrested in March 1990 in

Orange, New Jersey The City of Orange is a township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 30,134, reflecting a decline of 2,734 (−8.3%) from the 32,868 counted in 2000. Orange was original ...

with several grams of marijuana in his possession, an offense but not a criminal count. This offense did not fall under the NBA's anti-drug program, but Shackleford was sentenced to probation. Shackleford was arrested in Johnston County, North Carolina in January 2006 during a routine traffic stop, and was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana and cocaine. He posted an $11,000 bond. In January 2010, a car belonging to

Jayson Williams Jayson Williams (born February 22, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 11 seasons, primarily with the New Jersey Nets. He played his first three seasons with the ...

rearended another car in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Williams identified himself to police as the driver, but Shackleford later admitted he had been behind the wheel. He was charged with driving with a suspended license and hindering/resisting arrest by providing false information. Shackleford was also arrested in

Kinston, North Carolina Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States, with a population of 21,677 as of the 2010 census. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791. Kinston is located in the coastal plains region of ...

in July of that year, after he sold prescription drugs to an undercover deputy during a sting operation. Since he reportedly had no assets left from his time playing in the NBA, a court-appointed attorney was assigned to him.

Death

Shackleford died in his Kinston, North Carolina home on the morning of January 27, 2017 at the age of 50 after suffering from a heart attack.

College career

North Carolina State scandal

Professional career

Legal issues

Death

References

External links