Felton LaFrance Spencer (January 5, 1968 – March 12, 2023) 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 Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player who was a

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

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 ...

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

, and

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

of 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 S ...

(NBA) from 1990 to 2002.

High school and college

Spencer was an all-state basketball player at Eastern High School in

Middletown, Kentucky Middletown is an independent, List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States, and a former neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville. The population was 7,218 at t ...

(now part of Louisville); as both a junior and a senior, he led the team to the KHSAA state tournament in Lexington. In the first year, Eastern was upset by lightly regarded Metcalfe County in the first round, 60–58. A year later as a senior, Eastern was eliminated in the quarter-finals by

Hazard A hazard is a potential source of harm Harm is a moral and legal concept. Bernard Gert construes harm as any of the following: * pain * death * disability * mortality * loss of abil ity or freedom * loss of pleasure. Joel Feinberg giv ...

High School. Spencer attended the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...

, where he played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Louisville Cardinals The Louisville Cardinals (also known as the Cards) are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. The Cardinals teams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning in the 2014 season. While playing in the Big East Co ...

. He became the all-time field goal percentage leader at 62.8%. He took over the

position as a senior in 1989–90 after

Pervis Ellison Pervis Ellison (born April 3, 1967) is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Nicknamed "Never Nervous Pervis" for his clutch play with the University of Louisville, after leading Louisville to a national championship, El ...

left to join the NBA. That season Spencer paced the Cardinals in scoring (14.9 ppg), rebounding (8.5 rpg), blocked shots (69), and field goal percentage (68.1%).

NBA career

The

selected Spencer in the first round, with the sixth overall pick, in the 1990 NBA draft. As a rookie, Spencer split time at center with veteran

Randy Breuer Randall W. Breuer (born October 11, 1960) is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round (18th pick overall) of the 1983 NBA draft. A 7'3" center from the University of Minnesota, ...

, but still managed respectable numbers, averaging 7.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, and shooting 51.2% from the floor. He finished the season with 272 offensive rebounds, the seventh-most in the NBA that year. Additionally, he blocked 121 shots, establishing a single-season record for the young franchise that would stand until

Kevin Garnett Kevin Maurice Garnett ( ; born May 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played for 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed KG by his initials, and the "Big Ticket" for his emphatic dunki ...

's rookie season in 1995–96. For his efforts, Spencer was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team that year. However, with the arrival of

Luc Longley Lucien James Longley (born 19 January 1969) is an Australian professional basketball coach and former player. He was the first Australian to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he played for four teams over 10 seasons. Long ...

the following season, Spencer's playing time declined over the following two years. After the 1992–93 season, Minnesota traded Spencer to the

for power forward/center Mike Brown. In Utah, Spencer became the successor to

Mark Eaton Mark Edward Eaton (January 24, 1957 – May 28, 2021) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career (1982–1993) with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Named an NBA All-Star in 1989, he wa ...

, and he provided the Jazz with solid scoring, rebounding and defense at the pivot position. In 1993–94, as a complement to

John Stockton John Houston Stockton (born March 26, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player. Regarded as one of the greatest point guards, players and passers of all time, he spent his entire NBA career (1984–2003) with the Utah Jazz, ...

and

Karl Malone Karl Anthony Malone (born July 24, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mailman", he is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Malone spen ...

, he averaged 8.6 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 50.5% from the floor. Spencer and the Jazz seemed to be on their way to greatness in 1994–95, but 34 games into the season he ruptured his left

Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (h ...

and was lost for the year. Utah went on to win 60 regular-season games but failed to reach the

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...

by losing in the first round. He missed the first 11 games of the 1995–96 season while recovering from his Achilles injury, but went on to play in the remaining 71, starting 70 and averaging 5.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game. He shot a career-high 52.0% from the field, tying Adam Keefe for the second-best mark on the team. On August 10, 1996, Spencer was obtained by the

for guard

Brooks Thompson Brooks James Thompson (July 19, 1970 – June 9, 2016) was an American basketball coach and retired player, who played for the Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NB ...

, forward

Kenny Gattison Kenneth Clay Gattison (born May 23, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player and National Basketball Association (NBA) assistant coach. College career Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, Gattison was a four-year lettermen at Old ...

and a first-round draft pick, after the Magic had lost

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...

to the

Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. But he played just one game for Orlando before he was traded to Golden State in the deal that brought

Rony Seikaly Rony is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Ronielson da Silva Barbosa, Brazilian footballer better known as Rony *Rony Ahonen (born 1987), Finnish ice hockey defenceman *Rony Bakale (born 1987), Olympic swimmer from the Republ ...

to the Magic. He went on to play 71 games for the Warriors and do a solid job in the middle, ranking second on the team in rebounding and third in blocked shots. His role was diminished in 1997–98 by the arrival of second-year man

Erick Dampier Erick Travez Dampier (born July 14, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks. ...

as the starter, as well as the drafting of rookie

Adonal Foyle Adonal David Foyle (born March 9, 1975) is a Vincentian-American former professional basketball center. He was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the eighth overall selection of the 1997 NBA draft. Foyle played ten seasons with the Warri ...

, and he saw relatively limited action as a reserve in 68 games. He played even less in 1998–99, averaging just 6.1 minutes in his 26 appearances off the bench. Spencer retired after the 2001–02 season, last playing with the Knicks.

Coaching

In 2011, Spencer became an assistant basketball coach at

Spalding University Spalding University is a private Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is affiliated with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. History Spalding University traces its origins to Nazareth Academy, one of the oldest educational instituti ...

. Spencer was later an assistant basketball coach at

Bellarmine University Bellarmine University (BU; ) is a private Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. It opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after Saint Rober ...

in Louisville, Kentucky.

Death

Spencer died at the University of Louisville Hospital on March 12, 2023, at the age of 55.

Career statistics

NBA

Source

Regular season

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Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, 81 , , 46 , , 25.9 , , .512 , , .000 , , .722 , , 7.9 , , .3 , , .6 , , 1.5 , , 7.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 61 , , 54 , , 24.3 , , .426 , , – , , .691 , , 7.1 , , .9 , , .4 , , 1.3 , , 6.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 71 , , 48 , , 18.3 , , .465 , , – , , .654 , , 4.6 , , .2 , , .3 , , .9 , , 4.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, 79 , , 79 , , 28.0 , , .505 , , – , , .607 , , 8.3 , , .5 , , .5 , , .8 , , 8.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 34 , , 34 , , 26.6 , , .488 , , – , , .793 , , 7.6 , , .5 , , .4 , , .9 , , 9.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 71 , , 70 , , 17.8 , , .520 , , – , , .689 , , 4.3 , , .2 , , .3 , , .8 , , 5.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...

, 1 , , 0 , , 19.0 , , 1.000 , , – , , – , , 6.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 4.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 72 , , 64 , , 21.4 , , .486 , , – , , .584 , , 5.7 , , .3 , , .5 , , .7 , , 5.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 68 , , 0 , , 12.0 , , .457 , , – , , .557 , , 3.3 , , .3 , , .3 , , .5 , , 2.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 26 , , 0 , , 6.1 , , .455 , , – , , .462 , , 1.8 , , .0 , , .2 , , .4 , , 1.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, 26 , , 0 , , 5.7 , , .455 , , – , , .667 , , 1.5 , , .1 , , .2 , , .3 , , 1.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, 18 , , 0 , , 6.3 , , .600 , , – , , .600 , , 1.9 , , .1 , , .1 , , .1 , , 2.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 8 , , 7.8 , , .231 , , – , , .515 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , .2 , , .3 , , .9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 640 , , 404 , , 19.4 , , .484 , , .000 , , .658 , , 5.4 , , .3 , , .4 , , .8 , , 5.2

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

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, 16 , , 16 , , 30.8 , , .448 , , – , , .660 , , 8.4 , , .4 , , .2 , , 1.3 , , 7.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 18 , , 18 , , 15.3 , , .434 , , .000 , , .556 , , 3.0 , , .1 , , .3 , , 1.2 , , 2.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , 0 , , 2.0 , , – , , – , , – , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 36 , , 34 , , 21.4 , , .443 , , .000 , , .644 , , 5.3 , , .3 , , .2 , , 1.2 , , 4.9

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Felton 1968 births 2023 deaths 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American sportspeople American men's basketball players Basketball players from Louisville, Kentucky Centers (basketball) Eastern High School (Louisville, Kentucky) alumni Golden State Warriors players Louisville Cardinals men's basketball players Minnesota Timberwolves draft picks Minnesota Timberwolves players New York Knicks players Orlando Magic players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) San Antonio Spurs players Utah Jazz players