Kenneth Cornelius Thomas (born July 25, 1977) is an American retired 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 who played eleven 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).

High school career

He attended Austin High School, in

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

, for three seasons before moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico to play for

Albuquerque High School Albuquerque High School is a public high school near Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. It is a part of the Albuquerque Public Schools district. Enrollment at AHS stands at 1,741. AHS was named the 43rd best high school in the state ...

during his senior season. Averaging 25.2 points and 16.9 rebounds each game, Thomas helped Albuquerque to a 22–3 record and Class 4A state title. '' Parade'' named him a boys' basketball All-American in 1995.

College career

Thomas attended the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

in Albuquerque, one of the highest-profile recruits to ever attend the school. He is second on the Lobos' all-time scoring list (1,931 points), career blocks list (239), and career dunks list (114), and leads the school's lists in career rebounds (1,032), freshman scoring (484) and rebounding (256), and personal fouls for a season (118) and career (383). Thomas is one of eight Lobos to be selected as an All-American (1998). Kenny led the Lobos to four consecutive NCAA Tournament first round wins. UNM was an amazing 71–3 in The PIT in Kenny's four years with the Lobos including 41 consecutive wins.

NBA career

The Houston Rockets selected Thomas as the 22nd pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. He led his team in rebounds for the 1999–2000 season, making him one of only two rookies to do so. Thomas was consistently among the team leaders in rebounds and blocked shots before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2002–03 season. He was then named, The "K9". Thomas was one of only eleven players to average a

double-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

for the 2003–04 season, and the shortest one at 6-foot, 7-inches. On February 23, 2005, Thomas was traded to the Sacramento Kings in a deal that sent

Chris Webber Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. Drafted number one overall by the Orlando Magic, though arguably best known and remembered as the star forward for the Sacramento Ki ...

to Philadelphia. On February 18, 2010, the Kings released Thomas after the trade deadline. Thomas was invited to the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

2010 pre-season camp, but was waived on October 11.

After basketball

Personal life

After basketball Kenny became an entrepreneur and established multiple businesses where he has been under the mentorship of basketball great, Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Currently, Kenny is the president and CEO of T3 Productions LLC, a versatile multi-faceted company that engages in various business ventures including, but not limited to television and film production, sports entertainment and management, real estate development, and the PPE industry. Given his tenure in the basketball industry from high school to college and 11 years in the NBA, Kenny is also a strong proponent in the push for name, image, and likeness availability and opportunities for college and pro athletes. As a University of New Mexico alum (“UNM”), Kenny enjoys rooting on their sports teams and is still recognized as one of the most celebrated athletes to ever play at UNM. He is an avid golfer and plays in many charitable and private tournaments throughout each year. Kenny has two children and currently resides in Sacramento, California.https://www.kennythomas.com/

Basketball tournaments and camps

Kenny hosts multiple basketball tournaments and camps throughout the year in both New Mexico and California. He is also a member of the AAU basketball circuit.

Charitable work

Kenny is the founder of the Kenny Thomas Foundation dedicated to helping the community youth experiencing financial hardship by providing them with opportunities through higher education, college scholarships, and helping families in need of assistance move from poverty to self-sufficiency. He is also a member of several nonprofit boards including the ALS New Mexico Chapter board, the African American Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, and The University of New Mexico Black Alumni Chapter.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

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, 74 , , 21 , , 24.6 , , .443 , , .272 , , .722 , , 5.6 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .6 , , 7.1 , - , align="left" , 2001–02 , align="left" ,

, 72 , , 71 , , 34.5 , , .478 , , .000 , , .664 , , 7.2 , , 1.9 , , 1.2 , , .9 , , 14.1 , - , align="left" , 2002–03 , align="left" ,

, 20 , , 14 , , 29.3 , , .432 , , .000 , , .733 , , 6.9 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , .3 , , 9.9 , - , align="left" , 2002–03 , align="left" ,

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, 74 , , 72 , , 36.5 , , .469 , , .200 , , .752 , , 10.1 , , 1.5 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , 13.6 , - , align="left" , 2004–05 , align="left" ,

, 47 , , 43 , , 28.6 , , .456 , , .250 , , .798 , , 6.6 , , 1.6 , , .9 , , .1 , , 11.3 , - , align="left" , 2004–05 , align="left" ,