Marcus Camby

At 50 years old, Marcus Camby has this physical status:

Marcus Dion Camby (born March 22, 1974) is an American retired professional basketball player who played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association.

He was named Defensive Player of the Year during the 2006–07 NBA season, leading the league in blocked shots per game.

Camby is also a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team and is 12th on the NBA's all-time career blocks list.

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College career

Camby spent three seasons with the UMass Minutemen. During his first year at UMass, he had a total of 105 rejections, and was named the Atlantic 10's Freshman of the Year. Camby was invited to the A-10's First Team in 1994-95 as the Minutemen advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

During the 1995–96 season, Camby earned the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year Award. He led UMass to several top-ranked positions and the 1996 NCAA Final Four. Camby set a record of 43 total blocked shots in 11 games in the NCAA tournament. Camby revealed on April 29, 1996 that he did not complete his senior year at UMass and enter the NBA Draft.

The NCAA had suspended UMass' ride to the Final Four in 1997 because Camby was discovered to have received $28,000 from two sports agents. The school was required to return $151,617 in revenue from the 1996 NCAA Tournament as part of the fine. The school was later reimbursed for the amount that was forfeited. According to a 1997 Sports Illustrated article, John Lounsbury and Wesley Spears of Connecticut, had hoped that Camby would recruit them to represent him when he became a professional. According to the report, Camby had also received "jewelry, rented cars, and prostitutes from the agents.

Camby was inducted into the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame on September 10, 2010. Although some students chastised the school for dismissing a student athlete who caused their Final Four achievements to be canceled, others praised it as a positive sign of one of the school's best ever athletes.

Camby returned to school, taking online classes from UMass, and received his degree on May 12, 2017.

NBA career

Camby was drafted second overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors' first round. He made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in his rookie season, scoring 14.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Camby played his best game as a rookie on March 27, 1997, defeating the Atlanta Hawks by 37 points (a remarkable 47 percent of Toronto's points) and grabbing 8 rebounds. Camby led the league in blocked shots at 3.7 per game during the 2009 season.

Camby was drafted to the New York Knicks as a rookie All-Star center Patrick Ewing, and he spent his first two seasons in New York. In the 1999–99 season, the Knicks struggled to establish on-court chemistry, finishing with a 27–23 record, just good enough to qualify for the 8th and final seed in the Eastern Conference. Camby and his teammate (and close friend) Latrell Sprewell began to assert themselves in the first two rounds of the Eastern Conference Finals, setting up a match against the Indiana Pacers. Camby filled the void after Ewing went down with a season-ending Achilles injury early in the series, leading the Knicks to a six-game upset series victory over the Pacers and into the NBA Finals. The Knicks were the first (and to-date the only) 8th-seeded team to make it to the NBA Finals, where they met with the San Antonio Spurs for the first time (and to-date the only) 8th-seeded team. In five games, the Spurs defeated the Knicks to win the 1999 Championship.

The Ewing back at center for the 1999–00 season bounced back and gained 50 games, including the Sixth Man of the Year Award-type seasons from Camby, with Ewing back at center. In the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Knicks defeated the Toronto Raptors in three games and Miami Heat in seven games, en route to making it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row. They met the Indiana Pacers, the top seed in the East, but the Pacers were defeated in six games by the Pacers.

Camby took a roundhouse swing at Spurs' forward Danny Ferry after being struck in the eye on a box-out during a game against the San Antonio Spurs on January 15, 2001. Ferry was kicked out of the game because Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy stepped in at the last second, resulting in his headbutted by Camby. To close a gash above his left eye, Van Gundy needed 15 stitches. Camby, who suffered with bruises from both games, was banned for five games and fined $25,000. Ferry was banned for one game and fined $7,500 for the first foul. Camby started playing his best ball of the season on Sunday, averaging 12 points with 11 rebounds and 2 blocks a game; however, the Knicks were unable to win in five games in the first round of the playoffs. Camby missed the majority of the 2001–02 season, and without him as an insider, the Knicks struggled with a 30–52 record and missed the playoffs. Camby, who was traded to Denver, accused the Knicks of misdiagnosing his injury and causing him to miss more games than he should have. The Nuggets, on the other hand, sided with the Knicks.

In 2002, the Knicks traded Camby to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Antonio McDyess.

Camby, along with rookie teammate Carmelo Anthony, helped the Nuggets return to the playoffs, where they were defeated by the Minnesota Timberwolves led by league MVP Kevin Garnett in 2003-2004.

Camby was the NBA's top blocked shot shooter for many seasons. He had 12.0 rebounds per game, 9.6 defensive rebounds per game, and 1.4 steals per game during the 2005–06 season with the Nuggets. In addition, he averaged 12.8 points per game and led the league in blocks per game (3.3), while helping Denver win the Northwest Division and a playoff spot.

Camby was involved in the Knicks-Nuggets brawl on December 16, 2006. He was one of ten players suspended from the game but he was given no suspension.

Camby was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award for the 2006-07 season. The award was the first of Camby's career. At a pregame ceremony for the Nuggets' first home 2006–07 playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs on April 28, 2007, he received the real award from NBA commissioner David Stern. Camby averaged 3.3 blocks per game (first in the league), 11.7 rebounds per game (fifth in the league), 9.3 defensive rebounds per game (second in the league), and 1.24 steals per game (second among centers).

Camby continued to make his name as one of the best defensive players and centers in the league during the 2007-08 NBA season. He finished the season with 13.1 rebounds per 48 minutes (second in the league), 18.1 defensive rebounds per game (first in the league), 10.2 defensive rebounds per 48 minutes (second in the league), 1.76 blocks per game (first in the league), 10.42 blocks per game (first among centers), 1.01 blocks per game (second in the league), 1.26 blocks per game (second among centers), 8.06 blocks per game (second among centers), and 3.3 assists per game (second among centers). Camby earned a triple-double on December 26, 2007, with 10 points (which included a three-pointer), 11 rebounds, and 10 blocks, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks on December 26, 2007. Camby's third appearance in his career and first since the Philadelphia 76ers in 1998. Camby's road loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on January 14, 2008, was a game of 20 points, 23 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 blocks. He was only the fourth player to score at least 20 points, 20 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 blocks in one game since 1990. Camby was the third player since blocked shots became an official NBA statistic in 1973–74 with at least 24 rebounds and 11 blocks in a game, on January 17, 2008. Camby blocked 4 shots against the New Jersey Nets in January 25, 2008, and in the process, shot earned his 1,000th blocked shot as a Nugget fan. Camby's second triple-double of the 2007-08 NBA season came on March 16, 2008, when he had 13 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a stunning 168–116 home win over the Seattle SuperSonics (the 168 points were the most points scored in NBA history for a non-overtime game). In a NBA record-tying 27 minutes, the triple-double was achieved in a record-tying 27 minutes.

Camby was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2010 NBA draft for the opportunity to swap second-round draft picks. Camby expressed dissatisfaction with his Nuggets' trade, effectively making them the scapegoat for their lack of post-season success.

He started at power forward in the first part of the 2008-09 NBA season, with Chris Kaman remaining as the starting center. Camby's return to the starting center position after a back injury to Kaman and the arrival of forward Zach Randolph. Camby scored a career-high 27 rebounds in a 115-109 overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls on December 17, 2008. He had 19 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 4 blocks.

Camby was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw, and 1.5 million dollars in cash on February 16, 2010.

Camby appeared in 23 games for the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2009-2010 season. Camby helped the team secure a playoff spot as the Western Conference's top seed after losing to teammates Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla. With 30 points and 13 rebounds, the team won the game in Portland on April 12, 2010. He signed a two-year contract extension on April 20, 2010 to remain with the Blazers.

Camby was traded to the Houston Rockets on March 15, 2012, in exchange for Jonny Flynn, Hasheem Thabeet, and a second round draft pick.

Camby was traded to the New York Knicks in a sign-and-trade contract that also involved Toney Douglas, Josh Harrellson, Jerome Jordan, and two future draft picks were sent to the Rockets on July 11, 2012. He missed the majority of the 2012–2013 season due to a tight plantar fascia in his left foot, despite playing only 24 games.

Camby, Steve Novak, Quentin Richardson, a future first-round draft pick, and two future second round draft picks were traded from the Knicks to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Andrea Bargnani. Camby's deal was eventually sold out by the Raptors.

Camby re-signed with the Houston Rockets on July 29, 2013. However, he was waived by the Rockets on October 28, 2013.

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Awards and honors

• NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award (2006–07)
• NBA All-Defensive First Team (2006–07, 2007–08)
• NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2004–05, 2005–06)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team (1996–97)
• Holds the distinction of having won a major award (DPOY) without being named to an All-Star team
• John R. Wooden Award (1995–96)
• Naismith College Player of the Year Award (1995–96)
• Oscar Robertson Trophy (1995–96)
• The Sporting News College Player of the Year
• Associated Press First-Team All-American (1995–96)
• UPI First-Team All-American (1995–96)
• Basketball Weekly First-Team All-American (1995–96)
• NCAA East Regional Most Outstanding Player (1995–96)
• All-Atlantic 10 First Team (1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96)
• Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year (1993–94)
• New Haven Register All-State Team (1992–1993)