Vakeaton Quamar "Von" Wafer (born July 21, 1985) is an American former 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. 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
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the athletic teams representing Florida State University located in Tallahassee, Florida. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivis ...
.
Wafer has previously played 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 S ...
(NBA) with the
Los Angeles 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 ...
,
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
,
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
,
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
,
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
,
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
and
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 ...
. He was the 39th overall selection (ninth pick of the second round) in the
2005 NBA draft
The 2005 NBA draft took place on June 28, 2005, in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players f ...
by the Lakers. His nickname is "The Dutch Cookie".
High school
Wafer attended Pineview High School in
Lisbon, Louisiana
Lisbon is a village in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 185 at the 2010 census. Lisbon is located east of the parish seat of Homer.
In the late 19th century Lisbon was the location of the former Lisbon Academy, atte ...
during his freshman, sophomore and junior years of high school. He averaged 32 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists during his junior season. Up to that point, Wafer was a virtual unknown on the national recruiting scene. Tim Loring, the coach of the Arkansas Wings
AAU team, invited Wafer to play for them the summer before his senior year. This allowed Wafer to display his skills on a wider stage, and by the end of the summer, he was considered to be one of the top ten seniors on many recruiting lists. He was also briefly at
R.L. Paschal High School
R. L. Paschal High School is a secondary school in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It is part of the Fort Worth Independent School District, and the oldest and largest high school in Fort Worth ISD.
The school is ranked 322nd in Texas and 3,892n ...
and
Laurinburg Institute
Laurinburg Institute is a historic African American preparatory school in Laurinburg, North Carolina. The school was founded in 1904 by Emmanuel Monty and Tinny McDuffie at the request of Booker T. Washington. Emmanuel McDuffie was a graduate ...
his senior year before deciding to attend and play at Heritage Christian Academy in
Cleveland, Texas
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area and Liberty County. The population was 7,471 at the 2020 census.
History
In 1854, a church and convent were built by Father Pet ...
, where he averaged 26 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks per game.
Wafer was the seventh
McDonald's High School All-American
The McDonald's All-American Game is the All-star game, all-star basketball game played each year for American and Canadian boys' and girls' High school (North America), high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team pla ...
to play at
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...
. During the game, he scored 8 points and finished second to
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...
in the McDonald's All-American slam-dunk contest.
College
During his freshman year at
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...
in the 2003–04 season, Wafer averaged 7.9 points in 17.5 minutes a game with the
Seminoles
The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and ...
. He ranked third among all
ACC
ACC most often refers to:
* Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US
*American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
freshmen with 43 three-point field goals made and scored in double figures 12 times. As a sophomore during the 2004–05 season, he led the team in scoring (12.5 ppg) and three-point field goals made (65). He made more than one three-point field goal in 14 games and surpassed the 20-point mark on six occasions. Despite some success that year, he was suspended for two games early in the season and benched frequently later. The ''
Tallahassee Democrat
The ''Tallahassee Democrat'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper. It covers the area centered on Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida, as well as adjacent Gadsden County, Jefferson County, and Wakulla County. The newspaper is owned by Gannett Co., ...
'' reported that his family explained the suspensions were because of missed classes and study sessions.
Professional career
Wafer declared himself as an early-entry candidate for the
2005 NBA draft
The 2005 NBA draft took place on June 28, 2005, in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players f ...
after his sophomore year at FSU despite many draft experts predicting he would not be drafted. There were several hurdles he had to overcome to become a viable option for an NBA team to select him. Wafer was not invited to the annual
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
pre-draft camp, which provides players who are not viewed as first-round prospects a chance to display their abilities in front of NBA team personnel. During a workout with the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
, Wafer reportedly was frustrated by the physical play from
Jan Jagla
Jan-Hendrik Jagla (born 25 June 1981) is a former German professional basketball player. Though he stands 7 feet tall, Jagla has the game of a 2-guard, and his game somewhat resembles that of Dirk Nowitzki. Jagla was also known to be a point forwa ...
, and responded by laying an intentional elbow to Jagla's nose, then walked off the court and ended the workout at that point. Los Angeles Lakers scout Irving Thomas, who played two seasons at FSU, saw three Seminoles games during the 2004–05 season and helped arrange a workout for Wafer with the Lakers. Lakers general manager
Mitch Kupchak
Mitchell Kupchak (born May 24, 1954) is an American professional basketball executive and retired player. He is the current president of basketball operations and general manager of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NB ...
saw enough of Wafer's ability that they used the second of their two second-round picks to select Wafer in the draft.
Wafer was placed on waivers by the Lakers on October 26, 2006. He played in only one pre-season game due to a bruised left heel. Wafer then played for the
Colorado 14ers
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
of the
NBA Development League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
during 2006–07, and was named Player of the Month in January 2007. He was signed to a ten-day contract by the
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
on February 21. He played one minute
without scoring before being waived a week later.
[Clippers Sign Will Conroy to 10-Day Contract](_blank)
/ref> On April 12, 2007, the Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
signed Wafer for the remainder of the 2006–07 season.
On February 21, 2008, the Denver Nuggets traded Wafer to the Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
for Taurean Green
Taurean James Green (born November 28, 1986) is a Georgian-American professional basketball player who last played for Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski of the Polish Basketball League (PLK). He is the son of former NBA journeyman Sidney Green. Green p ...
. Wafer changed his number from 22 (which he wore with the Nuggets) to 24, as number 22 had been retired
Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload.
Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
by the Trail Blazers to honor Clyde Drexler
Clyde Austin Drexler (born June 22, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player and the commissioner of the Big3 3-on-3 basketball league. Nicknamed "Clyde the Glide", he played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association ...
.
Houston Rockets
Wafer was signed by the Houston Rockets and managed to keep a spot on the team due to his hot shooting in the preseason. On January 13, 2009, Wafer scored a career-high 23 points on 10-14 shooting in 39 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers. He found a regular place in the Rockets' starting lineup due to good performance as well as an injury to regular starter Tracy McGrady. He continued to impress by scoring 21 points versus the Jazz and hitting the game-winning three at a game in Boston that the Rockets won 89–85. In that month he averaged 14.3 points per game. After Wafer moved to a team in Greece, the Rockets offered him a contract midway through the next season. He signed the contract, but failed his physical, so he could not join the Rockets.
Olympiacos Piraeus
Wafer joined the Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
Euroleague club Olympiacos Piraeus in August 2009, signing a two-year $10 million gross income contract.[ESPN.com Wafer says he's signed with Olympiakos.](_blank)
/ref> He was then waived by Olympiacos in December 2009. Wafer shot 36.4% from the field and averaged 3.0 points per game and 1.3 rebounds per game in the Greek A1 League with Olympiacos. In Euroleague play, he shot 50% from the field and averaged 7.7 points per game, 1.3 rebounds per game, and 1.0 assists per game.
Dallas Mavericks
On February 24, 2010, Wafer signed a ten-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
. He was not expected to crack the rotation during his tenure and although he was eligible to play six games, Wafer finished his contract with Dallas without playing a single minute.[Report: C's sign Von Wafer - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston]
/ref>
Boston Celtics
On July 3, 2010, Wafer signed a free agent deal with the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
. On October 29, 2010, he was involved in a locker-room altercation with new teammate Delonte West
Delonte Maurice West (born July 26, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dallas Mavericks. He als ...
.
Vanoli-Braga Cremona
In August 2011, during the 2011 NBA lockout, he signed a one-year contract with Vanoli-Braga Cremona in Italy.
Orlando Magic
Wafer was traded to the Magic on December 12, 2011, along with Glen Davis for Brandon Bass
Brandon Samuel Bass (born April 30, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player.
Early life
Bass was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the oldest of three siblings; he has a brother, Chris, and sister, Dashia. Bass is the son of C ...
. He was waived by the Magic at the end of the 2011–12 season.[Orlando Magic waive Von Wafer]
/ref>
Move to CBA
Wafer moved to China in 2012, signed a one-year contract with Xinjiang Flying Tigers worth $2 million. He played 34 games for Xinjiang, averaged 26.4 points with a shooting percentage of 55.4%. He also got 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
In October 2013, he signed with the Shanghai Sharks
The Shanghai Sharks () are a Chinese Basketball Association team based in Shanghai.
It is best known outside China as the club that developed Yao Ming before he entered the National Basketball Association. With Yao on the team, the Sharks made ...
, the team owned by his former teammate Yao Ming
Yao Ming (; born September 12, 1980) is a Chinese basketball executive and former professional player. He played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Associat ...
at the Rockets
A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...
. In December 2013, he left the Sharks.
Bakersfield Jam
On January 10, 2014, he was acquired by the Bakersfield Jam
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...
of the NBA Development League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
. On January 28, 2014, he was waived by the Jam.
Russia
On February 3, 2014, he signed with BC Krasny Oktyabr
BC Krasny Oktyabr was a Russian professional basketball club that is based in Volgograd. In English, the club's name translates to "'BC Red October'". The club played in the VTB United League until 2016, when the team was forced to leave the league ...
for the rest of the 2013–2014 season.
Delaware 87ers
On November 26, 2016, Wafer returned to the United States, signing with the Delaware 87ers
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
of the NBA Development League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
.
Westchester Knicks
On December 14, 2016, Wafer was traded to the Westchester Knicks
The Westchester Knicks are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in White Plains, New York, and are affiliated with the New York Knicks. The Knicks typically play their home games at Westchester County Center in White ...
in exchange for Devondrick Walker.
Return to CBA
On January 27, 2017, Wafer returned to China, signing with the Jilin Northeast Tigers
The Jilin Northeast Tigers () or Jilin Tonggang, Jilin Tonggang Northeast Tigers () or Jiutai Rural Commercial Bank are a professional basketball team based in Changchun, Jilin, China, which plays in the North Division of the Chinese Basketball A ...
.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. 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 ...
, 16 , , 0 , , 4.6 , , .158 , , .118 , , .750 , , .5 , , .3 , , .2 , , .0 , , 1.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers
, 1 , , 0 , , 1.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 21 , , 0 , , 4.3 , , .263 , , .067 , , .750 , , .5 , , .2 , , .1 , , .0 , , 1.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
, 8 , , 0 , , 8.0 , , .304 , , .273 , , .500 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , .0 , , .3 , , 2.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", 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 in ...
, 63 , , 11 , , 19.4 , , .447 , , .390 , , .752 , , 1.8 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , .1 , , 9.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 58 , , 2 , , 9.5 , , .421 , , .269 , , .842 , , .8 , , .6 , , .3 , , .1 , , 3.2
, -
, 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 ...
, 33 , , 1 , , 14.2 , , .452 , , .359 , , .704 , , 1.4 , , .9 , , .3 , , .1 , , 5.9
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 200 , , 14 , , 12.4 , , .420 , , .325 , , .751 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , .4 , , .1 , , 5.3
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
, style="text-align:left;", 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 in ...
, 13 , , 0 , , 13.9 , , .424 , , .409 , , .864 , , .9 , , .7 , , .2 , , .1 , , 8.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, style="text-align:left;", Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 3 , , 0 , , 1.7 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .3 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, 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 , , 6.0 , , .600 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 6.0
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 17 , , 0 , , 11.2 , , .424 , , .391 , , .864 , , .8 , , .5 , , .1 , , .1 , , 6.6
References
External links
Career statistics and player information from NBA.com
Euroleague.net Profile
Italian League Profile
Greek Basket League Profile
Greek Basket League Profile
ESPN.com FSU College Statistics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wafer, Von
1985 births
Living people
American expatriate basketball people in China
American expatriate basketball people in Greece
American expatriate basketball people in Italy
American expatriate basketball people in Russia
American men's basketball players
Bakersfield Jam players
Basketball players from Louisiana
BC Krasny Oktyabr players
Boston Celtics players
Colorado 14ers players
Delaware 87ers players
Denver Nuggets players
Florida State Seminoles men's basketball players
Fort Worth Flyers players
Houston Rockets players
Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings players
Jilin Northeast Tigers players
Leones de Ponce basketball players
Los Angeles Clippers players
Los Angeles Lakers draft picks
Los Angeles Lakers players
McDonald's High School All-Americans
Olympiacos B.C. players
Orlando Magic players
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
People from Homer, Louisiana
Portland Trail Blazers players
Shanghai Sharks players
Shanxi Loongs players
Shooting guards
Vanoli Cremona players
Westchester Knicks players
Xinjiang Flying Tigers players