Kenny Anderson Inducted in 2008
Kenny Anderson
Kenny Anderson a protégée to the game of basketball at the early age of 10. Anderson played for legendary coach Jack Curran at Archbishop Molloy finishing his high school career with 2,621 points, a city and New York State record that once was held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. By the end of his high school career, he was a four-time Parade All-American, a feat not accomplished since Lew Alcindor and the first player to be named All-City four times.
He was a McDonald's All-American, was named New York State Mr. Basketball by the New York State Coaches Organization, and named High School Basketball Player of the Year by Gatorade, the New York State Sportswriters Association, Parade, Naismith, and USA Today Despite his coach, Jack Curran, benching him for the first quarter of all of his games during his freshman year at Molloy, Anderson set the all-time state record for scoring in New York, with 2,621 points. This record stood until 2004 when Lincoln High School guard Sebastian Telfair eclipsed the mark late in his senior season. He was considered the No. 1 player in the country, over such notables as Jimmy Jackson and Shaquille O'Neal.
Anderson was selected by the New Jersey Nets with the second pick in the 1991 NBA draft. He was the youngest player in the league in his rookie year and averaged seven points, two rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. During Anderson's second season, he nearly doubled his point, rebound, and assist averages en route to the Nets making the 1993 NBA playoffs.
While in New Jersey, coached by Chuck Daly, Anderson formed what was widely expected to become a "big three" of sorts with Derrick Coleman and Dražen Petrović. However, Petrović's 1993 death in a car accident prevented this from coming to fruition. In his third season, he averaged career highs of 18.8 points and 9.6 assists per game. That season, on February 18, 1994, Anderson scored a career-high 42 points and recorded 14 assists during a 119–114 win over the Detroit Pistons. That same season, Anderson and teammate Coleman represented the East squad in the 1994 NBA All-Star Game. He played point guard professionally from 1991 to 2006, mostly in the National Basketball Association. Currently, he is the head basketball coach for Fisk University.
He was a McDonald's All-American, was named New York State Mr. Basketball by the New York State Coaches Organization, and named High School Basketball Player of the Year by Gatorade, the New York State Sportswriters Association, Parade, Naismith, and USA Today Despite his coach, Jack Curran, benching him for the first quarter of all of his games during his freshman year at Molloy, Anderson set the all-time state record for scoring in New York, with 2,621 points. This record stood until 2004 when Lincoln High School guard Sebastian Telfair eclipsed the mark late in his senior season. He was considered the No. 1 player in the country, over such notables as Jimmy Jackson and Shaquille O'Neal.
Anderson was selected by the New Jersey Nets with the second pick in the 1991 NBA draft. He was the youngest player in the league in his rookie year and averaged seven points, two rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. During Anderson's second season, he nearly doubled his point, rebound, and assist averages en route to the Nets making the 1993 NBA playoffs.
While in New Jersey, coached by Chuck Daly, Anderson formed what was widely expected to become a "big three" of sorts with Derrick Coleman and Dražen Petrović. However, Petrović's 1993 death in a car accident prevented this from coming to fruition. In his third season, he averaged career highs of 18.8 points and 9.6 assists per game. That season, on February 18, 1994, Anderson scored a career-high 42 points and recorded 14 assists during a 119–114 win over the Detroit Pistons. That same season, Anderson and teammate Coleman represented the East squad in the 1994 NBA All-Star Game. He played point guard professionally from 1991 to 2006, mostly in the National Basketball Association. Currently, he is the head basketball coach for Fisk University.