Theo Ratliff

Theophalus Curtis Ratliff[1] (born April 17, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Primarily a center, he was an excellent shot-blocker who had led the league three times in blocks per game. As of 2020, he is ranked 20th all-time in career blocks.[2]

Theo Ratliff

Ratliff with the Pistons in 2008
Personal information
Born	April 17, 1973 Demopolis, Alabama
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school	Demopolis (Demopolis, Alabama)
College	Wyoming (1991–1995)
NBA draft	1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career	1995–2011
Position	Center / Power forward
Number	42, 50
Career history
1995–1997	Detroit Pistons
1997–2001	Philadelphia 76ers
2001–2004	Atlanta Hawks
2004–2006	Portland Trail Blazers
2006–2007	Boston Celtics
2007–2008	Minnesota Timberwolves
2008	Detroit Pistons
2008–2009	Philadelphia 76ers
2009–2010	San Antonio Spurs
2010	Charlotte Bobcats
2010–2011	Los Angeles Lakers
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Star (2001) 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1999, 2004) 3× NBA blocks leader (2001, 2003, 2004) 2× First-team All-WAC (1994, 1995) NCAA blocks leader (1993)
Career statistics
Points	5,809 (7.2 ppg)
Rebounds	4,596 (5.7 rpg)
Block	1,968 (2.4 bpg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Men's Basketball Representing  United States FIBA U21 World Championship 1993 Valladolid National team

College career

At Wyoming, Ratliff had a successful career, finishing as the career leader in blocked shots. He accumulated 425 blocked shots in his career as a Cowboy, a record that still stands today.[3] Ratliff was inducted into the University of Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.[4]

NBA career

Ratliff was selected with the 18th overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons, for whom he played 2½ seasons. During the 1997–98 season he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, along with Aaron McKie, in a package for Eric Montross and Jerry Stackhouse.

He played in Philadelphia for three seasons, and was voted Eastern Conference reserve center of the 2001 All-Star Game,[5] but was unable to play due to injury. He was a key fixture on the 2000–01 Sixers team that made it to the NBA finals, but an injured Ratliff was dealt at the trading deadline to the Atlanta Hawks for Dikembe Mutombo.

He missed most of the next season due to injury, but rebounded to post 262 blocks the next year with the Hawks. His best year as a pro was 2003–04, when he recorded a league-leading 307 blocked shots. During that season he was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers, along with Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Dan Dickau, for Rasheed Wallace and Wesley Person.[6] After the 2004 season, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Blazers but was not as effective in 2004–05 and lost his starting job to Joel Przybilla midway through the schedule.

In June 2006, the Boston Celtics acquired Ratliff along with Sebastian Telfair from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for the draft rights of Randy Foye, power forward–center Raef LaFrentz, and point guard Dan Dickau.[7]

In July 2007, he was traded along with Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair, and draft picks, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Garnett.[8] In February 2008 Ratliff was waived by the Timberwolves,[9] and he rejoined the Detroit Pistons in March.[10]

Ratliff returned to the Philadelphia 76ers for 2008–09 season.[11] In the offseason he was signed by the San Antonio Spurs.[12] In February 2010, he was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats for a projected second round draft pick in 2016.[13]

Ratliff was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers on July 22, 2010 to a one-year deal.[14]

In December 2011, Ratliff retired from basketball.[15]

Awards and honors

Ratliff won numerous awards during his career. The following are some of his collegiate achievements:[4]

• First Team All-Western Athletic Conference (1994, 1995)
• Inducted into the University of Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame (2005)

Personal life and business ventures

Ratliff played basketball at Demopolis High School in Demopolis, Alabama, and later graduated from the University of Wyoming. He created The Theo Ratliff Center in Demopolis, Alabama which is a recreation center with a basketball court.

Ratliff is the owner of the Rome Gladiators basketball team.

NBA career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high
*	Led the league

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1995–96	Detroit	75	2	17.4	.557	.000	.708	4.0	.2	.2	1.5	4.5
1996–97	Detroit	76	38	17.0	.531	.000	.698	3.4	.2	.4	1.5	5.8
1997–98	Detroit	24	12	24.4	.514	.000	.683	5.0	.6	.5	2.3	6.5
1997–98	Philadelphia	58	55	32.1	.512	.000	.706	7.3	.7	.7	3.5	11.2
1998–99	Philadelphia	50	50	32.5	.470	.000	.725	8.1	.6	.9	3.0	11.2
1999–00	Philadelphia	57	56	31.5	.503	.000	.771	7.6	.6	.6	3.0	11.9
2000–01	Philadelphia	50	50	36.0	.499	.000	.760	8.3	1.2	.6	3.7*	12.4
2001–02	Atlanta	3	2	27.3	.500	.000	.545	5.3	.3	.3	2.7	8.7
2002–03	Atlanta	81	81	31.1	.464	.000	.720	7.5	.9	.7	3.2*	8.7
2003–04	Atlanta	53	52	31.1	.458	.000	.653	7.2	1.0	.6	3.1	8.3
2003–04	Portland	32	31	31.8	.540	.000	.629	7.3	.6	.8	4.4*	7.3
2004–05	Portland	63	45	27.5	.447	.000	.692	5.3	.5	.4	2.5	4.8
2005–06	Portland	55	19	23.7	.571	.000	.651	5.1	.5	.3	1.6	4.9
2006–07	Boston	2	2	22.0	.333	.000	.750	3.5	.0	.5	1.5	2.5
2007–08	Minnesota	10	6	21.4	.511	.000	.680	3.9	.7	.3	1.9	6.3
2007–08	Detroit	16	3	13.9	.450	.000	.667	3.1	.4	.3	1.1	3.0
2008–09	Philadelphia	46	0	12.6	.531	.000	.600	2.8	.2	.4	1.0	1.9
2009–10	San Antonio	21	3	8.7	.444	.000	.500	1.9	.4	.1	.9	1.6
2009–10	Charlotte	28	26	22.3	.466	.000	.783	4.2	.6	.3	1.5	5.1
2010–11	L.A. Lakers	10	0	7.0	.167	.000	.000	1.3	.3	.2	.5	.2
Career		810	533	25.5	.496	.000	.710	5.7	.6	.5	2.4	7.2

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1996	Detroit	1	0	4.0	.000	.000	.000	.0	.0	.0	.0	.0
1997	Detroit	3	0	6.0	.750	.000	.500	1.3	.3	.3	1.3	2.7
1999	Philadelphia	7	7	29.1	.465	.000	.579	7.3	.9	.7	2.6	7.3
2000	Philadelphia	10	10	37.4	.475	.000	.723	7.9	.9	1.0	3.0	13.0
2008	Detroit	12	0	10.9	.500	.000	.500	2.3	.1	.1	.9	1.3
2009	Philadelphia	6	0	15.7	.818	.000	.500	3.8	.0	.2	.7	3.3
2010	Charlotte	4	4	11.8	.375	.000	.500	.8	.3	.5	.0	1.8
2011	L.A. Lakers	1	0	1.0	.000	.000	.000	1.0	.0	.0	.0	.0
Career		44	21	19.8	.497	.000	.643	4.3	.4	.5	1.5	5.3

See also

• List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
• List of National Basketball Association annual blocks leaders
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career blocks leaders
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season blocks leaders

References

1. "Theo Ratliff Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
2. ESPN.com - All-Time Leaders-Blocks
3. "History & Records 2013-2014" (PDF).
4. "Cowboy Hoops All-Century Team Announced". December 16, 2004. Archived from the original on May 29, 2013.
5. "Four selected for first All-Star Game". ESPN. January 31, 2001. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
6. "Trail Blazers Acquire Two All-Stars From Atlanta". NBA.com. February 9, 2004. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
7. "Celtics Acquire Telfair and Ratliff". NBA.com. June 28, 2006. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
8. "Wolves Acquire Five Players and Picks for KG". NBA.com. July 30, 2007. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
9. "Wolves Waive Theo Ratliff". NBA.com. February 29, 2008. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
10. "Pistons Sign Center Theo Ratliff". NBA.com. March 4, 2008. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
11. "Former All-Star Center Theo Ratliff Returns to Sixers". NBA.com. August 20, 2008. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
12. "Spurs Sign Theo Ratliff". NBA.com. July 25, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
13. "Bobcats acquire Theo Ratliff from Spurs". NBA.com. February 18, 2010. Archived from the original on February 19, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
14. "LAKERS SIGN THEO RATLIFF". NBA.com. July 22, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
15. Bob Hammond."Success story". Laramie Boomerang. January 18, 2012. Retrieved on January 21, 2012.

External links

• NBA.com profile
• Basketball-Reference profile