This article will be permanently flagged as inappropriate and made unaccessible to everyone. Are you certain this article is inappropriate? Excessive Violence Sexual Content Political / Social
Email Address:
Article Id: WHEBN0025787464 Reproduction Date:
Eric Bledsoe (born December 9, 1989) is an American professional basketball guard who currently plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft and subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Bledsoe played for one year at the University of Kentucky, averaging 11.3 points per game. Although he is a point guard, he mostly played shooting guard for the 35–3 Wildcats, alongside John Wall.
In September 2010, it was reported that Bledsoe may have been ineligible to play his one season for Kentucky when discrepancies were found in his high school transcripts.[1] The Alabama Public School System hired the independent law firm of White Arnold & Dow to investigate claims that one of Bledsoe's grades was improperly changed.[2][3] His algebra grade had been changed from a C to an A, thus raising his GPA high enough that he was eligible for the NCAA.[3]
Though the investigators concluded that the instructor's reasons for changing the grade were "not credible," and that a significant number of his high school grades were written over to reflect higher grades, the school board voted to allow the grade to stand, and the NCAA declared its investigation of Bledsoe's eligibility closed the following week.[4]
On April 7, 2010, Bledsoe announced that he would forgo his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2010 NBA Draft.[5] He was touted for his quickness, ball handling ability, and ability to hit the long ball. Bledsoe was picked 18th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder but was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. In his first season, he averaged 6.7 points and 3.6 assists and started 25 games. As a result, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In his second season, due to the Clippers' acquisition of Chris Paul, he played only an average of 11 minutes per game, with only one start, and his stats dropped. In fact, during that season, he ended up being assigned to the Clippers' D-League affiliate team, the Bakersfield Jam. However, during his third season, his statistics ended up rising in spite of still being behind Chris Paul for most of the games that he played. Bledsoe would also end up participating in the 2013 All-Star Game's Slam Dunk Contest.
On July 10, 2013, Bledsoe was traded to the Phoenix Suns alongside teammate Caron Butler in a three-way trade with the L.A. Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks that sent the Suns' Jared Dudley and the Bucks' J. J. Redick to the Clippers with two different second round picks going to the Bucks.[6] On his opening night debut with the Suns, Bledsoe helped the team by getting 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in a 104-91 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. In his second game with the Suns, Bledsoe hit his first ever game-winning shot in an 87-84 home victory over the Utah Jazz. Before the November 19, 2013 game against the Sacramento Kings, Bledsoe's shin collided with fellow teammate P. J. Tucker during practice. He would miss six games before returning with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals in a 112-101 victory against the Jazz on November 29, 2013. Bledsoe gained a career-high 28 points in a 116-107 victory against the Sacramento Kings on December 13, 2013. Bledsoe also got his first double-double with the Suns by scoring 16 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and putting up 7 assists in a blowout 117-90 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on December 23, 2013.
During the third quarter of the Suns' last game of 2013 against the Clippers, Bledsoe injured his left shin. What began as a shin injury eventually turned into a meniscus injury that would leave him sidelined for nearly two and a half months. His injury was a leading factor in the Suns signing former player Leandro Barbosa back onto the team. Bledsoe returned to action on March 12, 2014 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.[7] He started for the Suns again and racked up 17 points and 10 rebounds two days later in an 87-80 victory against the Boston Celtics. He continued to start for the team throughout the rest of the season. On April 4, 2014, Bledsoe scored 30 points, setting a new NBA career high, in a 109-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
On June 27, 2014, the Suns extended a qualifying offer to Bledsoe, thus making him a restricted free agent.[8] After months of deliberation and rumors concerning his future, Bledsoe and the Suns reached an agreement on a new five-year, $70 million contract on September 24, 2014.[9][10] In the Suns' 2014–15 season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 29, 2014, Bledsoe recorded 16 points and nine assists before he drew his second technical foul and was ejected with 30 seconds left in the third quarter. Despite Bledsoe's ejection, the Suns went on to win 119-99.[11]
Steve Nash, Alvan Adams, San Antonio Spurs, Walter Davis (basketball), Kevin Johnson
United States, Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks
Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, National Basketball Association, Denver Nuggets
National Basketball Association, Los Angeles Lakers, Buffalo Braves, Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics
National Basketball Association, Clyde Drexler, Houston Rockets, Bill Walton, New York Knicks
Goran Dragić, United States, Oklahoma City Thunder, Eric Bledsoe, Miles Plumlee
Phoenix Suns, NBA Development League, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers
Sacramento Kings, Alabama, Basketball, Mobile, Alabama, 2010 NBA Draft