Eddy Anthony Curry Jr. (born December 5, 1982) 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 court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. Coming directly out of Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois, Curry was selected fourth overall in the

2001 NBA draft The 2001 NBA draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player to be drafted with the first overall pick in the history of the NBA. The selection of Kwame Brown by the Washington Wizards, ...

by the

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

. Curry played for the Bulls until 2005, then played for the New York Knicks from 2005 to 2010. Curry played for the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...

in the season and was part of the Heat's 2012 championship team. Curry played for the Dallas Mavericks for the early part of the season before playing out the season for the

Zhejiang Golden Bulls The Zhejiang Golden Bulls, or Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Rent are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Yiwu in Zhejiang, China. It competes in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), in the Southern Division. Its corporate sponsor is Z ...

of the

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier professional men's basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...

High school career

Prior to becoming considered one of the best high school basketball players in the nation as a senior at Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois, Curry aspired to be a

gymnast Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...

and did not pick up basketball until the seventh grade when he reluctantly went out for the school team. In 2001, Curry led his team to second place in the IHSA State Playoffs. For his efforts, Curry was named 2001 Illinois Mr. Basketball. In his senior year of high school he posted averages of 22 points per game, 9 rebounds and 6 blocks. He was named to the 1998, 1999 and 2000 State Farm Holiday Classic all-tournament teams, and in 2003 was named by the fans to the tournament's All-Quarter Century Team. In 2001, Eddy Curry and four other high school basketball stars, were the subject of the documentary "Preps:Chicago Hoops", a series about making the jump to college or the NBA.

Professional career

Chicago Bulls (2001–2005)

Curry had signed a letter of intent to play at

DePaul University DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Ca ...

but declared himself eligible for the

2001 NBA Draft The 2001 NBA draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player to be drafted with the first overall pick in the history of the NBA. The selection of Kwame Brown by the Washington Wizards, ...

in which the

made him the fourth overall pick. Curry's contribution was limited during his rookie year due to limited minutes. Curry improved in his second year, leading the NBA in field goal percentage (58.5%) and becoming the first Bull to lead the league in a major statistical category since Michael Jordan in 1998. In the 2004–05 season the Bulls improved by 28 wins and made the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...

as the 22-year-old Curry led the team in scoring before being hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat. This caused him to miss the last 13 games of the regular season and the entire playoffs. On June 24, 2005, heart specialists cleared Curry to resume practice.

New York Knicks (2005–2011)

On October 3, 2005, after refusing on privacy grounds to submit to a DNA test, as requested by Bulls management, to assess whether he has a congenital heart condition, Curry was traded to the New York Knicks. The trade included the Bulls'

Antonio Davis Antonio Lee Davis (born October 31, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also playe ...

, as well as the Knicks' Mike Sweetney, Tim Thomas, and

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackso ...

. First-round draft picks were also exchanged in the trade—which later came back to haunt the Knicks as they had a poor 2005–06 season in which Curry averaged 13.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game (numbers that were significantly down from the previous season). Curry's inability to defend and rebound was a source of frustration for former coaches

Scott Skiles Scott Allen Skiles Sr. (born March 5, 1964) is an American former basketball coach and player. He coached the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic. A first-round draft pick out of Michigan State University, Skiles played ...

and Larry Brown. When asked by a reporter in 2003 what Curry needed to do to become a better rebounder, Skiles simply replied: "Jump." The 2006–07 season saw a resurgence in Curry's performance under new coach Isiah Thomas, with Curry anointed the team's primary offensive option, averaging career highs in points (19.6), rebounds (7.1), and minutes (34.9) per game. On April 7, 2007 Curry scored a career-best 43 points in an overtime win over 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 first

three-pointer A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or trey) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two poi ...

of the season forcing the game into the extra period.Curry nets 43, grabs 13 boards and forces OT with 3-pointer

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...

, April 8, 2007, accessed January 14, 2009. Curry is 2 for 2 (100%) from three-point range in his NBA career. In the 2007–2008 season, Curry was expected to form a great frontcourt with

Zach Randolph Zachary McKenley Randolph (born July 16, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Z-Bo", the 2-time NBA All-Star played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans before being drafted in the 2001 NBA draft by ...

, however both of them saw a regression in their games. Curry showed up to training camp in October 2008 out of shape for the second year in a row, incensing new head coach

Mike D'Antoni Michael D'Andrew D'Antoni (born May 8, 1951) is an Italian-American professional basketball coach and former player who is a coaching advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While head coach of the Ph ...

. Curry not only lost his starting job, but was not even in D'Antoni's rotation at the beginning of the 2008–2009 season. Curry was also bothered by a sore right knee for much of the season. Curry played his first game of the season on January 8, 2009 against the Dallas Mavericks and played in two other games later in the season. During the 2009 off-season Curry began working with a trainer on a fitness and weight-loss regimen. As of mid-July he had lost 30 pounds, but according to the trainer it would be "delusional" for coaches to think he could get down to his listed weight of 285 pounds.

Miami Heat (2011–2012)

On February 22, 2011, Curry was traded to 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 ...

in a three-way blockbuster deal which also involved Denver Nuggets that brought

Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team ...

to New York. On March 1, 2011, his contract was bought out by the Timberwolves before he played a single game for them, making him a free agent. On December 10, 2011, Curry signed a one-year contract with the Miami Heat. On January 19, 2012, a noticeably-slimmer Curry played in the NBA for the first time since 2009, against the Los Angeles Lakers. He had lost nearly 70 pounds since he last played in the NBA, and scored six points in six minutes in his return to the NBA. As a part of the Heat's 2011–2012 championship team, Curry played 83 minutes in 14 games (starting one), and was active for (but did not play in) one game during the playoffs.

Dallas Mavericks (2012)

In October 2012, Curry signed with the

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 Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

. However, he did not make the team's final roster. Curry was claimed off waivers by the Dallas Mavericks on October 25, 2012. He played two games for Dallas before being waived to make room for

Troy Murphy Troy Brandon Murphy (born May 2, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Murphy was born in Morristown, New Jersey but grew up in Sparta Township. He at ...

, as the Mavericks wanted a power forward with outside shooting ability instead of a traditional center. The second game that Curry played for Dallas on October 31, 2012 ended up being his final NBA game ever. In his final game, Curry and the Mavericks would lose to the Utah Jazz 94 - 113 with Curry recording 2 points and no other stats in 8 minutes of play.

Zhejiang Golden Bulls (2012–2013)

In December 6, 2012, Curry signed with the

in China, replacing Josh Boone. Curry played in 29 games and averaged 23.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game. Curry played his last game with Zhejiang on February 27, 2013, as he missed the last two playoff games due to gastroenteritis.

Zhuhai Wolf Warriors (2018–2019)

Curry signed with the Zhuhai Wolf Warriors of the

ASEAN Basketball League The ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) is a professional men's basketball league in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong/Macau, which includes six teams from Southeast Asian nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), one tea ...

(ABL) in 2018, and played for the team in the 2018–19 ABL season. He was released by the Wolf Warriors on January 20, 2019.

Personal life

Curry is married and has seven children, one from a previous marriage (Eddy III), and four with his current wife Patrice Curry, who starred on VH1's ''

Basketball Wives LA ''Basketball Wives'' is an American reality television series franchise on VH1. It chronicles the everyday lives of women romantically linked to men in the professional basketball industry. The original incarnation was filmed in Miami, Florida an ...

'' franchise. Curry's other two children, Ava and Noah, were with former girlfriend Nova Henry, who was murdered in 2009 along with 10-month-old Ava.

Cardiac problems

Several prominent cardiologists cleared Curry to play, but Barry Maron, a world-renowned specialist in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, suggested a DNA test. During the team's media day, Bulls General Manager

John Paxson John MacBeth Paxson (born September 29, 1960) is an American basketball administrator and former player who was vice president of basketball operations for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2009 to 2020. He was th ...

said he understood the privacy issues involved but insisted the Bulls did not have an ulterior motive, that their concern was a situation similar to those of former Boston Celtics guard

Reggie Lewis Reginald C. Lewis (November 21, 1965 – July 27, 1993) was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1987 to 1993. Early life Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Lewis attended high schoo ...

or Loyola Marymount star

Hank Gathers Eric Wilson "Hank" Gathers Jr. (February 11, 1967 – March 4, 1990) was an American college basketball player for the Loyola Marymount Lions in the West Coast Conference (WCC). As a junior in 1989, he became the second player in NCAA Division I ...

—players with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who collapsed and died—and that the Bulls had offered Curry an annuity of $400,000 per year for 50 years if he took and failed the genetic test. Curry never took the test and ultimately continued his career based on the clearances from other experts.

Alleged sexual harassment

On January 12, 2009, Curry was sued by his former chauffeur, David Kuchinsky. Kuchinsky accused Curry of trying to solicit sex from him. According to court papers, Curry twice approached Kuchinsky "in the nude," saying, "Look at me, Dave, look" and, "Come and touch it, Dave." Kuchinsky also alleged that Curry called him racial slurs. Kuchinsky claimed Curry owed him $68,000 in unpaid wages, as well as $25,000 in expenses which Curry never repaid. Those expenses, he said, included cellphones that Curry had him buy as gifts and hotel and club bills. Curry's lawyer, Kelly A. Saindon, called Kuchinsky's claims "preposterous" and "extortion". Federal judge Denise Cote dismissed the lawsuit on May 28, 2009 and sent it to arbitration.

Daughter's and ex-girlfriend's murders

Curry's ex-girlfriend, Nova Henry, and their ten-month-old daughter Ava Curry were found murdered in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

on January 24, 2009. A paternity test proved that Ava was the daughter of Curry and Henry. Their three-year-old son Noah was found unharmed at the scene. Two counts of first degree murder were brought against 36-year-old attorney Frederick Goings on February 22, 2009; Goings had served as Henry's attorney in a custody case against Curry involving Ava, and was allegedly involved in a relationship with Henry. Goings was convicted of all charges against him on February 12, 2013.

Foreclosure

As of June 2009, Curry's Chicago home was in foreclosure; he owed close to $220,000 in

mortgage A mortgage loan or simply mortgage (), in civil law jurisdicions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners to raise funds for any ...

payments. Curry took out a nearly $4 million mortgage on the property in 2006, which included monthly house payments of more than $25,000.Eddy's financial issues continue
In June 2021, Curry was evicted for violating his lease agreement in Katy, Texas.

Awards and accomplishments

High school

* ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...

'' First Team

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n * '' PARADE'' High School Player of the Year * Earned Illinois Mr. Basketball honors * MVP of the

McDonald's All-American McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hamburger s ...

game after scoring 28 points with 8 rebounds and 4 blocked shots in leading the West to a 131–125 victory * Led Thornwood High School to the Illinois State Championship game, averaging 22.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.0 blocked shots, shooting .640 from the floor, including 25.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in the state tournament. Averaged 24.6 points and 11.2 rebounds, along with 4.8 blocks, as a junior. * Was selected to the State Farm Holiday Classic all-tournament team in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

NBA

* Led league in field goal percentage, 2002–03 * 2012 NBA champion

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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

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, 81 , , 48 , , 19.4 , , style="background:#cfecec;", .585* , , .000 , , .624 , , 4.4 , , .5 , , .2 , , .8 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

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, 73 , , 63 , , 29.5 , , .496 , , 1.000 , , .671 , , 6.2 , , .9 , , .3 , , 1.1 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 63 , , 60 , , 28.7 , , .538 , , .000 , , .720 , , 5.4 , , .6 , , .3 , , .9 , , 16.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 72 , , 69 , , 25.9 , , .563 , , .000 , , .632 , , 6.0 , , .3 , , .4 , , .8 , , 13.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 81 , , 81 , , 35.2 , , .576 , , 1.000 , , .615 , , 7.0 , , .8 , , .4 , , .5 , , 19.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 59 , , 58 , , 25.9 , , .546 , , .000 , , .623 , , 4.7 , , .5 , , .2 , , .5 , , 13.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 3 , , 0 , , 4.0 , , 1.000 , , .000 , , .333 , , 1.3 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 7 , , 0 , , 8.9 , , .381 , , .000 , , .588 , , 1.9 , , .0 , , .0 , , .1 , , 3.7 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, 14 , , 1 , , 5.9 , , .462 , , .000 , , .750 , , .9 , , .1 , , .0 , , .1 , , 2.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, 2 , , 0 , , 12.5 , , .500 , , .000 , , .250 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 4.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 527 , , 411 , , 24.9 , , .545 , , 1.000 , , .642 , , 5.2 , , .5 , , .3 , , .7 , , 12.9

References

External links

NBA.com profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Curry, Eddy 1982 births Living people African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in China American men's basketball players ASEAN Basketball League players Basketball players from Illinois Big3 players Centers (basketball) Chicago Bulls draft picks Chicago Bulls players Dallas Mavericks players McDonald's High School All-Americans Miami Heat players New York Knicks players National Basketball Association high school draftees Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Harvey, Illinois People from South Holland, Illinois Sportspeople from the Chicago metropolitan area Zhejiang Golden Bulls players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people American men's 3x3 basketball players