Kenneth Lavon "Chucky" Atkins (born August 14, 1974) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player who played for nine different NBA teams throughout his career.

Basketball career

Atkins played college basketball at the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...

from 1992 to 1996. As of November 2020 he still owns three team records. He is a member of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame. Atkins was undrafted in the 1996 NBA draft. In 1996–97, he played with the LaCrosse Bobcats in the now-defunct

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...

(CBA) and was named to the CBA All-Rookie First Team in 1997. He then went overseas to play for the Cibona Zagreb club in

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

from 1997 to 1999. Atkins started his NBA career in

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

with his hometown Orlando Magic, with immediate impact, playing in all 82 games and averaging nine points and four assists per game. The following year, the Magic dealt Atkins and center Ben Wallace to the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

for star forward Grant Hill, who was acquired by Orlando in a sign-and-trade deal. In 2004, Atkins was acquired by the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

in a three-team deal with the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

, sending Mike James and Rasheed Wallace to Detroit, helping the Pistons win the 2004 NBA Finals. In the offseason of 2004, Atkins, Chris Mihm, and Jumaine Jones were traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Gary Payton and Rick Fox. During the 2004–05 NBA season, Atkins played well, registered career-highs in points (14 ppg) and minutes (35), playing and starting in all 82 regular season contests for the Lakers. In the summer of 2005, Atkins was traded along with Caron Butler to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kwame Brown and Laron Profit in the 2005 offseason. As Atkins appeared sparingly throughout the season, the Wizards bought out the remainder of his contract on January 18, 2006. Atkins had voiced displeasure with the amount of playing time he was receiving, and he and the team both felt a change of scenery was needed. On January 23, 2006, Atkins signed as a free agent with the Memphis Grizzlies, replacing the injured Damon Stoudamire. Atkins averaged in double figures in his half-season stint in Memphis. Atkins signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

in July 2007 with the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

. A hernia injury plagued him throughout most of the year, and he failed to have a significant impact in the 2007–08 NBA season. On January 7, 2009, the Nuggets traded Atkins, along with a 2009 first round draft pick and cash considerations, to the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...

for Johan Petro and a 2009 second round draft pick. On July 27, 2009, Atkins was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with Damien Wilkins for center Etan Thomas and two future second-round draft picks. On September 22, 2009, Chucky Atkins was waived by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He signed a non guaranteed contract with the Detroit Pistons on September 28, 2009. Atkins played 40 games for the Pistons in his second stint with them during the 2009–2010 season . On September 27, 2010, Atkins signed with the Phoenix Suns. He was waived on October 11, 2010. After retiring from the game in 2011, Atkins went on to coach his alum high school in 2012–13 and 2013–14 before quitting the job on the eve of the 2014–15 season after he was arrested on charges of driving under the influence twice within three months.Chucky Atkins out as Evans basketball coach
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NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" , Orlando , 82 , , 0 , , 19.8 , , .424 , , .350 , , .729 , , 1.5 , , 3.7 , , .6 , , .0 , , 9.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, 81 , , 75 , , 29.2 , , .399 , , .357 , , .692 , , 2.1 , , 4.1 , , .8 , , .1 , , 12.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 79 , , 62 , , 28.9 , , .466 , , .411 , , .692 , , 2.0 , , 3.3 , , .9 , , .1 , , 12.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 65 , , 7 , , 21.5 , , .361 , , .355 , , .816 , , 1.5 , , 2.7 , , .4 , , .1 , , 7.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 40 , , 0 , , 18.8 , , .374 , , .323 , , .721 , , 1.2 , , 2.4 , , .5 , , .0 , , 6.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, 24 , , 24 , , 33.0 , , .418 , , .351 , , .778 , , 1.9 , , 5.3 , , 1.1 , , .0 , , 12.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 82 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 35.4 , , .426 , , .387 , , .803 , , 2.4 , , 4.4 , , .9 , , .0 , , 13.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Washington , 28 , , 2 , , 19.7 , , .379 , , .359 , , .710 , , 1.6 , , 2.5 , , .5 , , .0 , , 6.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Memphis , 43 , , 39 , , 27.0 , , .401 , , .352 , , .811 , , 1.7 , , 3.0 , , .7 , , .1 , , 11.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Memphis , 75 , , 23 , , 27.5 , , .434 , , .379 , , .810 , , 1.9 , , 4.6 , , .7 , , .1 , , 13.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, 24 , , 0 , , 14.7 , , .344 , , .316 , , .444 , , 1.3 , , 2.0 , , .4 , , .0 , , 4.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 14 , , 0 , , 8.2 , , .333 , , .294 , , 1.000 , , .4 , , 2.0 , , .1 , , .1 , , 1.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

, 18 , , 0 , , 16.6 , , .291 , , .250 , , .917 , , 1.0 , , 1.7 , , .4 , , .1 , , 3.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 40 , , 11 , , 16.1 , , .363 , , .301 , , .926 , , .7 , , 2.3 , , .4 , , .0 , , 4.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 696 , , 325 , , 24.9 , , .412 , , .364 , , .772 , , 1.7 , , 3.4 , , .7 , , .0 , , 9.9

Playoffs

, - , align="left" , 2002 , align="left" ,

, 10 , , 10 , , 29.4 , , .364 , , .359 , , .765 , , 2.4 , , 3.4 , , .6 , , .1 , , 11.3 , - , align="left" ,

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, align="left" ,

, 17 , , 3 , , 18.4 , , .352 , , .367 , , .808 , , 1.2 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 6.1 , - , align="left" ,

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, align="left" ,

, 4 , , 4 , , 33.3 , , .436 , , .300 , , .895 , , 3.5 , , 3.8 , , .8 , , .0 , , 13.5 , - , align="left" , 2006 , align="left" , Memphis , 4 , , 4 , , 25.8 , , .405 , , .364 , , .625 , , .8 , , 3.0 , , .5 , , .0 , , 9.8 , - , align="left" ,

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

, align="left" ,

, 1 , , 0 , , 3.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 36 , , 21 , , 23.5 , , .374 , , .355 , , .800 , , 1.7 , , 2.4 , , .8 , , .0 , , 8.6

References

External links

Chucky Atkins playerfile at NBA.com
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Chucky 1974 births Living people 20th-century American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen American expatriate basketball people in Croatia American men's basketball players Basketball players from Orlando, Florida Boston Celtics players Denver Nuggets players Detroit Pistons players KK Cibona players La Crosse Bobcats players Los Angeles Lakers players Maynard Evans High School alumni Medalists at the 1995 Summer Universiade Memphis Grizzlies players Oklahoma City Thunder players Orlando Magic players Phoenix Suns players Point guards South Florida Bulls men's basketball players Undrafted NBA players FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States Summer World University Games medalists in basketball Washington Wizards players