Felipe López (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Luis Felipe López is a retired Dominican professional basketball
player.
He starred in United States
high school and university basketball. López then played for four seasons in the National Basketball Association
(NBA), but with far less success. He has since played for teams in a half dozen countries, as well as in the Continental Basketball Association
(CBA) in the U.S. Most recently, he is a broadcaster with Spanish-language networks.
in New York City, where he would follow New York high school players Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) and Kenny Anderson
in becoming one of the most highly touted recruits in U.S. high school history. The 6'5" guard made many All-American lists in 1994, earning Player of the Year honors from Gatorade
, USA Today, Parade, and many others. He was selected as New York State Mr. Basketball
and also named a McDonald's All-American and took MVP honors at the 1994 McDonald's All-American Game, scoring 24 points amongst a group that included future collegiate standouts and NBA pros Antoine Walker
, Raef LaFrentz
, Trajan Langdon
, and others. Coincidentally, the game was played at legendary Alumni Hall, on the campus of St. John's University, where López would commit to play his college ball (over Seton Hall University
and Georgia Tech) for then-coach Brian Mahoney.
before he even played one college game. He also appeared along with Jim Brown
and Jackie Joyner-Kersee
at a conference along with then-President Bill Clinton
.
Though he never quite lived up to the massive hype and through-the-roof expectations heaped upon him by the fans and media, López still finished his freshman season for the newly named St. John's Red Storm by averaging 17.8 points per game, earning a spot on the All-Big East Rookie Team and All-Big East Third Team in the process. And, though his numbers dipped slightly the next two years, bottoming out at 15.9 ppg as a junior, he finished strong as a senior, averaging 17.6 ppg and garnering All-Big East First Team honors. He finished his career with 1,927 points, placing him third all-time in St. John's history behind former Johnnies' greats Chris Mullin
and Malik Sealy
and sixth in Big East history with 1,222 conference points, while also ranking seventh all time in steals, 14th in assists, and 20th in rebounds. He also holds the St. John's record for most three-pointers made in a single season (60) and in a career (148).
with the 24th pick in the 1998 NBA Draft
and was immediately traded along with Carl Herrera
, to the Vancouver Grizzlies
for point guard
Antonio Daniels
. He played 112 games for the Grizzlies before being traded to the Washington Wizards
along with Dennis Scott
, Cherokee Parks
, and Obinna Ekezie
in exchange for free agent
Isaac Austin
on August 22, 2000. Lopez went on to sign as a free agent with both the Minnesota Timberwolves
and Dallas Mavericks
, although he never played a regular season game for the Mavs. He trained with the Orlando Magic
and Los Angeles Clippers
in the first months of the 2005-06 NBA season
before signing a contract with Lleida.
He holds career NBA averages of 5.8 points, 2.4 rebound
s and one assist
per game.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player.
He starred in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
high school and university basketball. López then played for four seasons in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA), but with far less success. He has since played for teams in a half dozen countries, as well as in the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
(CBA) in the U.S. Most recently, he is a broadcaster with Spanish-language networks.
Early life and high school career
Felipe's father, who played amateur baseball in the Dominican Republic, and his family immigrated to the U.S. when he was 14. López played high school basketball at famed Rice High SchoolRice High School (New York)
Rice High School was a private, Roman Catholic high school in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, United States. It is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York...
in New York City, where he would follow New York high school players Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) and Kenny Anderson
Kenny Anderson
Kenneth "Kenny" Anderson is a retired American basketball player. After a college career at Georgia Institute of Technology, he played point guard professionally from 1991 to 2006, mostly in the National Basketball Association....
in becoming one of the most highly touted recruits in U.S. high school history. The 6'5" guard made many All-American lists in 1994, earning Player of the Year honors from Gatorade
Gatorade Player of the Year awards
The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to male and female high-school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys' baseball, boys' football, girls' softball, girls' volleyball, boys' basketball, girls' basketball, boys' cross country, girls' cross country,...
, USA Today, Parade, and many others. He was selected as New York State Mr. Basketball
New York Mr. Basketball Award
The Mr. New York Basketball award is presented annually to a high school senior by the Basketball Coaches Association of New York, which includes scholastic and collegiate coaches from across the state.-Award winners:-Awards by school:...
and also named a McDonald's All-American and took MVP honors at the 1994 McDonald's All-American Game, scoring 24 points amongst a group that included future collegiate standouts and NBA pros Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Devon Walker is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League...
, Raef LaFrentz
Raef LaFrentz
Raef Andrew LaFrentz is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played in the NBA from 1998 to 2009. Born and raised in Iowa, LaFrentz attended the University of Kansas and was drafted in 1998 by the Denver Nuggets...
, Trajan Langdon
Trajan Langdon
Trajan Shaka Langdon is a retired American professional basketball player. A 210 lb. shooting guard, he gained fame in the U.S. while playing college basketball at Duke University with the Duke Blue Devils.-Biography:...
, and others. Coincidentally, the game was played at legendary Alumni Hall, on the campus of St. John's University, where López would commit to play his college ball (over Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
and Georgia Tech) for then-coach Brian Mahoney.
Collegiate career
Unrealistic expectations hounded López from the start, beginning with an appearance on the cover of Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
before he even played one college game. He also appeared along with Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
and Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jacqueline "Jackie" Joyner-Kersee is a retired American athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the women's heptathlon as well as in the women's long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, in those four different events...
at a conference along with then-President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
Though he never quite lived up to the massive hype and through-the-roof expectations heaped upon him by the fans and media, López still finished his freshman season for the newly named St. John's Red Storm by averaging 17.8 points per game, earning a spot on the All-Big East Rookie Team and All-Big East Third Team in the process. And, though his numbers dipped slightly the next two years, bottoming out at 15.9 ppg as a junior, he finished strong as a senior, averaging 17.6 ppg and garnering All-Big East First Team honors. He finished his career with 1,927 points, placing him third all-time in St. John's history behind former Johnnies' greats Chris Mullin
Chris Mullin (basketball)
Christopher Paul Mullin is a retired American basketball player and former general manager of the NBA's Golden State Warriors. He has also been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame....
and Malik Sealy
Malik Sealy
Malik Sealy was an American professional basketball player, active from 1992 until his death in an automobile accident at the age of 30...
and sixth in Big East history with 1,222 conference points, while also ranking seventh all time in steals, 14th in assists, and 20th in rebounds. He also holds the St. John's record for most three-pointers made in a single season (60) and in a career (148).
Professional career
Lopez was selected by the San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
with the 24th pick in the 1998 NBA Draft
1998 NBA Draft
The 1998 NBA Draft took place on June 24, 1998 at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This draft helped turn around three struggling franchises: the Dallas Mavericks, the Sacramento Kings, and the Toronto Raptors....
and was immediately traded along with Carl Herrera
Carl Herrera
Carl Víctor Herrera Alleyne is a retired Venezuelan basketball player. A power forward, he was part of the Houston Rockets National Basketball Association championship teams of the mid-1990s....
, to the Vancouver Grizzlies
Vancouver Grizzlies
The Vancouver Grizzlies were a professional basketball team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They were part of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Toronto Raptors, as part of the NBA's...
for point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Antonio Daniels
Antonio Daniels
Antonio Robert Daniels is an American professional basketball player. He most recently played for the Philadelphia 76ers.-Career:...
. He played 112 games for the Grizzlies before being traded to the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
along with Dennis Scott
Dennis Scott (basketball)
Dennis Eugene Scott is an American former professional basketball player. A 6' 8" small forward from Georgia Tech, and the 1989–1990 ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year, Scott was selected by the Orlando Magic with the fourth pick of the 1990 NBA Draft after being the leading scorer on a...
, Cherokee Parks
Cherokee Parks
Cherokee Bryan Parks is an American professional basketball player.A 6' 11" , 240 lbs center, Parks played his college basketball at Duke University under coach Mike Krzyzewski and won the 1992 national title during his freshman year...
, and Obinna Ekezie
Obinna Ekezie
Obinna Ralph Ekezie is a Nigerian professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA. His name, Obinna, means "Father´s heart".-Career:...
in exchange for free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
Isaac Austin
Isaac Austin
Isaac Edward "Ike" Austin is a retired American professional basketball player. He is also the uncle of the top 2012 college basketball recruit, Isaiah Austin....
on August 22, 2000. Lopez went on to sign as a free agent with both the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
and Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
, although he never played a regular season game for the Mavs. He trained with the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
and Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in the first months of the 2005-06 NBA season
2005-06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...
before signing a contract with Lleida.
He holds career NBA averages of 5.8 points, 2.4 rebound
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
s and one assist
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
per game.
External links
- The Felipe López Foundation
- St. John's vs Detroit NCAA 1998
- "Shoot the Moon", New Yorker article by Susan Orlean