Alec Kessler: Difference between revisions

Alec Kessler
Personal information
Born	January 13, 1967; Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	October 13, 2007 (aged 40); Gulf Breeze, Florida, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school	Roswell (Roswell, Georgia)
College	Georgia (1986–1990)
NBA draft	1990: 1st round, 12th overall pick
	Selected by the Houston Rockets
Playing career	1990–1994
Position	Power forward / center
Number	33
Career history
1990–1994	Miami Heat
1994	Olimpia Stefanel Milano
Career highlights and awards
	Second-team All-American – UPI (1990); SEC Athlete of the Year (1990);
Career NBA statistics
Points	1,084 (5.2 ppg)
Rebounds	751 (3.6 rpg)
	Stats at NBA.com
	Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

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Alec Christopher Kessler (January 13, 1967 – October 13, 2007) was an American college basketball player for the University of Georgia and later, as a professional, for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and in the Italian league for Olimpia Stefanel Milano.^[1] After his basketball career ended, he became an orthopedic surgeon.

Career[edit]

Kessler played collegiately for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, where he was a three-time academic all-American first-team selection as well as the national academic all-American of the year in 1989 and 1990.^[2] Kessler left Georgia as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,788 points (until the record was surpassed by Litterial Green^[3]).

The 6'11" power forward/center was selected 12th in the 1990 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, but his draft rights were immediately traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for the draft rights to Dave Jamerson and Carl Herrera.^[4]

Kessler made some news during the 1991 NBA Playoffs when he went missing for days in the Bahamas while checking on honeymoon spots with his fiancé. He had failed to check in with family members and it prompted a two-day search until he was found safe.^[5]

In his NBA career, he was a member of the Miami Heat for 210 games spanning four seasons until being waived on November 2, 1994, prior to the start of the 1994–95 season.^[6] He was played mostly as a backup center and held career averages of 5.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He was still receiving $300,000 per annum from the Heat ten years after being cut.^[1]

After the NBA[edit]

After leaving the NBA, Kessler attended medical school at Emory University, graduating in 1999. He was an orthopedic surgeon in practice in Pensacola, Florida.^[7]

Kessler died after suffering a heart attack during a pick-up basketball game in Gulf Breeze, Florida on October 13, 2007.^[7] He was survived by his wife, Rhea, and two sons, Nickolas and Christopher.^[7]

Family[edit]

Kessler's brother, Chad, also played for the Georgia Bulldogs basketball team.^[8] Chad was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 5th round of the 1987 NBA draft, but was cut in the pre-season.^[9] Chad's son, Houston Kessler, signed a letter of intent to play for the Bulldogs in the 2012–13 season.^[3] Chad's other son Walker plays for the Utah Jazz.

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b Kessler Finds Job In Italy – Sun Sentinel
^ Bowers, Matt (June 3, 2005). "UGA Men's Basketball". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on March 19, 2007. Retrieved March 14, 2007.
^ ^a ^b "Bulldogs sign son of former UGA basketball star Kessler | Athens Banner Herald Mobile". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
^ "HEAT: Key Dates and Transactions: 1990". NBA.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2007.
^ "Miami Heat's Kessler, Reported Missing at Sea, Turns Up Safe". Los Angeles Times. April 29, 1991. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
^ "HEAT: Key Dates and Transactions: 1994". NBA.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Former Georgia standout, No. 1 pick Kessler dies at 40". CBSSports.com. Associated Press. October 14, 2007. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
^ Mike Blum (May 16, 1985). "Alec Kessler joins brother Chad with Bulldogs". The Atlanta Constitution. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
^ "Chad Kessler Stats | Basketball-Reference.com".

External links[edit]

[sunsentinel-1] Kessler Finds Job In Italy – Sun Sentinel

[NGEUGAMensBBall-2] Bowers, Matt (June 3, 2005). "UGA Men's Basketball". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on March 19, 2007. Retrieved March 14, 2007.

[onlineathens-3] "Bulldogs sign son of former UGA basketball star Kessler | Athens Banner Herald Mobile". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2012.

[4] "HEAT: Key Dates and Transactions: 1990". NBA.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2007.

[5] "Miami Heat's Kessler, Reported Missing at Sea, Turns Up Safe". Los Angeles Times. April 29, 1991. Retrieved May 15, 2021.

[6] "HEAT: Key Dates and Transactions: 1994". NBA.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2007.

[APobit-7] "Former Georgia standout, No. 1 pick Kessler dies at 40". CBSSports.com. Associated Press. October 14, 2007. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2007.

[8] Mike Blum (May 16, 1985). "Alec Kessler joins brother Chad with Bulldogs". The Atlanta Constitution. Retrieved May 15, 2021.

[9] "Chad Kessler Stats | Basketball-Reference.com".

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|American basketball player (1967–2007)}}
 {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
-{{Infobox NBA biography
+{{Infobox basketball biography
 | name            = Alec Kessler
-| image           =
+| image           = Alec_Kessler_photo.png
 | width           =
 | caption         =
-| number          = 33
-| position        = [[Center (basketball)|Center]]
 | height_ft       = 6
 | height_in       = 11
 | weight_lb       = 230
 | birth_date      = {{birth date|1967|01|13}}
-| birth_place     = [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]]
+| birth_place     = [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]], U.S.
 | death_date      = {{death date and age|2007|10|13|1967|1|13}}
-| death_place     = [[Gulf Breeze, Florida]]
+| death_place     = [[Gulf Breeze, Florida]], U.S.
-| nationality     = American
 | high_school     = [[Roswell High School (Georgia)|Roswell]] ([[Roswell, Georgia]])
 | college         = [[Georgia Bulldogs basketball|Georgia]] (1986–1990)
@@ Line 23: / Line 21: @@
 | career_start    = 1990
 | career_end      = 1994
+| career_number   = 33
+| career_position = [[Power forward (basketball)|Power forward]] / [[Center (basketball)|center]]
 | years1          = {{nbay|1990|start}}–{{nbay|1993|end}}
 | team1           = [[Miami Heat]]
@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 | stat2label      = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
 | stat2value      = 751 (3.6 rpg)
-| bbr             = kesslal01
 }}
-'''Alec Christopher Kessler''' (January 13, 1967 – October 13, 2007) was an American [[college basketball]] player for the [[University of Georgia]] and later, as a professional, for the [[Miami Heat]] in the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] and in the [[Lega Basket Serie A|Italian league]] for [[Olimpia Milano|Olimpia Stefanel Milano]].<ref name=sunsentinel>[http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1994-11-28/sports/9411270317_1_coach-kevin-loughery-alec-kessler-heat Kessler Finds Job In Italy - Sun Sentinel]</ref> After his basketball career ended, he became an [[orthopedic surgeon]].
+'''Alec Christopher Kessler''' (January 13, 1967 – October 13, 2007) was an American [[college basketball]] player for the [[University of Georgia]] and later, as a professional, for the [[Miami Heat]] in the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) and in the [[Lega Basket Serie A|Italian league]] for [[Olimpia Milano|Olimpia Stefanel Milano]].<ref name=sunsentinel>[http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1994-11-28/sports/9411270317_1_coach-kevin-loughery-alec-kessler-heat Kessler Finds Job In Italy – Sun Sentinel]</ref> After his basketball career ended, he became an [[orthopedic surgeon]].
 ==Career==
-Kessler played collegiately for the University of Georgia [[Georgia Bulldogs basketball|Bulldogs]] where he was a three-time academic all-American first-team selection as well as the national academic all-American of the year in 1989 and 1990.<ref name=NGEUGAMensBBall>{{cite web|last=Bowers |first=Matt |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1973 |title=UGA Men's Basketball |publisher =[[New Georgia Encyclopedia]] | date=June 3, 2005 |accessdate=March 14, 2007| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070319130309/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1973| archivedate= March 19, 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> Kessler left Georgia as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,788 points (until the record was surpassed by [[Litterial Green]]<ref name=onlineathens>{{Cite web |url=http://m.onlineathens.com/dogbytes/basketball/2012-04-25/bulldogs-sign-son-former-uga-basketball-star-kessler |title=Bulldogs sign son of former UGA basketball star Kessler {{!}} Athens Banner Herald Mobile |access-date=May 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101529/http://m.onlineathens.com/dogbytes/basketball/2012-04-25/bulldogs-sign-son-former-uga-basketball-star-kessler |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>).
+Kessler played collegiately for the University of Georgia [[Georgia Bulldogs basketball|Bulldogs]], where he was a three-time academic all-American first-team selection as well as the national academic all-American of the year in 1989 and 1990.<ref name=NGEUGAMensBBall>{{cite web|last=Bowers |first=Matt |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1973 |title=UGA Men's Basketball |publisher =[[New Georgia Encyclopedia]] | date=June 3, 2005 |access-date=March 14, 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070319130309/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1973| archive-date= March 19, 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> Kessler left Georgia as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,788 points (until the record was surpassed by [[Litterial Green]]<ref name=onlineathens>{{Cite web |url=http://m.onlineathens.com/dogbytes/basketball/2012-04-25/bulldogs-sign-son-former-uga-basketball-star-kessler |title=Bulldogs sign son of former UGA basketball star Kessler {{!}} Athens Banner Herald Mobile |access-date=May 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101529/http://m.onlineathens.com/dogbytes/basketball/2012-04-25/bulldogs-sign-son-former-uga-basketball-star-kessler |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>).
-The 6' 11" [[power forward (basketball)|power forward]]/[[center (basketball)|center]] was selected 12th in the [[1990 NBA Draft]] by the [[Houston Rockets]], but his draft rights were immediately traded to the [[Miami Heat]] in exchange for the draft rights to [[Dave Jamerson]] and [[Carl Herrera]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/heat/history/keydates_transactions_1990.html |title=HEAT: Key Dates and Transactions: 1990 |access-date=August 9, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024041834/http://www.nba.com/heat/history/keydates_transactions_1990.html |archive-date=October 24, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+The 6'11" [[power forward (basketball)|power forward]]/[[center (basketball)|center]] was selected 12th in the [[1990 NBA draft]] by the [[Houston Rockets]], but his draft rights were immediately traded to the [[Miami Heat]] in exchange for the draft rights to [[Dave Jamerson]] and [[Carl Herrera]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/heat/history/keydates_transactions_1990.html |title=HEAT: Key Dates and Transactions: 1990 |website=[[NBA.com]] |access-date=August 9, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024041834/http://www.nba.com/heat/history/keydates_transactions_1990.html |archive-date=October 24, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-Kessler made some news during the 1991 NBA Playoffs when he went missing for days in the Bahamas while checking on honeymoon spots with his fiancé. He had failed to check in with family members and it prompted a two-day search until he was found safe.<ref>https://articles.latimes.com/1991-04-29/sports/sp-669_1_miami-heat</ref>
+Kessler made some news during the 1991 NBA Playoffs when he went missing for days in the Bahamas while checking on honeymoon spots with his fiancé. He had failed to check in with family members and it prompted a two-day search until he was found safe.<ref>{{cite news |title=Miami Heat's Kessler, Reported Missing at Sea, Turns Up Safe |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-29-sp-669-story.html |access-date=15 May 2021 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=29 April 1991}}</ref>
-In his NBA career, he was a member of the Miami Heat for 210 games spanning four seasons until being waived on November 2, 1994 (prior to the start of the [[1994–95 NBA season|1994-95 season]]).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/heat/history/keydates_transactions_1994.html |title=HEAT: Key Dates and Transactions: 1994 |access-date=August 9, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024042014/http://www.nba.com/heat/history/keydates_transactions_1994.html |archive-date=October 24, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> He was played mostly as a backup center and held career averages of 5.2 points and 3.6 [[rebound (basketball)|rebound]]s per game. He was still receiving $300,000 per annum from the Heat ten years after being cut.<ref name=sunsentinel/>
+In his NBA career, he was a member of the Miami Heat for 210 games spanning four seasons until being waived on November 2, 1994, prior to the start of the [[1994–95 NBA season|1994–95 season]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/heat/history/keydates_transactions_1994.html |title=HEAT: Key Dates and Transactions: 1994 |website=[[NBA.com]] |access-date=August 9, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024042014/http://www.nba.com/heat/history/keydates_transactions_1994.html |archive-date=October 24, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> He was played mostly as a backup center and held career averages of 5.2 points and 3.6 [[rebound (basketball)|rebound]]s per game. He was still receiving $300,000 per annum from the Heat ten years after being cut.<ref name=sunsentinel/>
 ==After the NBA==
-After leaving the NBA, Kessler attended [[medical school]] at [[Emory University]], graduating in 1999. He was an orthopedic surgeon in practice in [[Pensacola, Florida]].<ref name=APobit>{{cite news | url = http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10408430 | title = Former Georgia standout, No. 1 pick Kessler dies at 40 | date = October 14, 2007 | author = Associated Press | work = [[CBSSports.com]] | accessdate = October 14, 2007 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071015120854/http://sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10408430| archivedate= October 15, 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref>
+After leaving the NBA, Kessler attended [[medical school]] at [[Emory University]], graduating in 1999. He was an orthopedic surgeon in practice in [[Pensacola, Florida]].<ref name=APobit>{{cite news | url = http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10408430 | title = Former Georgia standout, No. 1 pick Kessler dies at 40 | date = October 14, 2007 | agency = Associated Press | work = [[CBSSports.com]] | access-date = October 14, 2007 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071015120854/http://sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10408430| archive-date= October 15, 2007 | url-status= dead}}</ref>
-Kessler died after suffering a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] during an informal basketball game in [[Gulf Breeze, Florida]] on October 13, 2007.<ref name=APobit/> He was survived by his wife, Rhea, and two sons, Nickolas and Christopher.<ref name=APobit/>
+Kessler died after suffering a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] during a pick-up basketball game in [[Gulf Breeze, Florida]] on October 13, 2007.<ref name=APobit/> He was survived by his wife, Rhea, and two sons, Nickolas and Christopher.<ref name=APobit/>
 ==Family==
-Alec Kessler's brother, Chad, also played for the [[Georgia Bulldogs basketball]] team, and Chad's son, Houston Kessler (Alec's nephew), signed a letter of intent to play for the Bulldogs in the 2012–13 season.<ref name=onlineathens/>
+Kessler's brother, Chad, also played for the [[Georgia Bulldogs basketball]] team.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Mike Blum |title=Alec Kessler joins brother Chad with Bulldogs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/399066355/ |access-date=15 May 2021 |work=[[The Atlanta Constitution]] |date=16 May 1985}}</ref> Chad was drafted by the [[Los Angeles Clippers]] in the 5th round of the [[1987 NBA draft]], but was cut in the pre-season.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kesslch01.html| title = Chad Kessler Stats {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com}} </ref> Chad's son, Houston Kessler, signed a letter of intent to play for the Bulldogs in the 2012–13 season.<ref name=onlineathens/>  Chad's other son [[Walker Kessler|Walker]] plays for the [[Utah Jazz]].
 ==References==
@@ Line 60: / Line 59: @@
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1296&Itemid=5 The Draft Review - Alec Kessler NBA Draft Profile]
+*[http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1296&Itemid=5 The Draft Review – Alec Kessler NBA Draft Profile]
 *[https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kesslal01.html Basketball Reference: Alec Kessler]
 {{navboxes|list=
-{{1990 NBA Draft}}
+{{1990 NBA draft}}
 {{Academic All-America of the Year}}
 {{Men's Basketball Academic All-America of the Year}}
@@ Line 73: / Line 72: @@
 [[Category:1967 births]]
 [[Category:2007 deaths]]
+[[Category:20th-century surgeons]]
 [[Category:All-American college men's basketball players]]
 [[Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy]]
+[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
 [[Category:American orthopedic surgeons]]
-[[Category:Basketball players from Minnesota]]
+[[Category:Basketball players from Minneapolis]]
 [[Category:Centers (basketball)]]
 [[Category:Emory University School of Medicine alumni]]
@@ Line 82: / Line 83: @@
 [[Category:Houston Rockets draft picks]]
 [[Category:Miami Heat players]]
-[[Category:Power forwards (basketball)]]
+[[Category:Power forwards]]
-[[Category:Sportspeople from Minneapolis]]
-[[Category:American men's basketball players]]