Luther A. Wright Jr. (born September 22, 1971) 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, in the
center position.
Basketball career
A native of
, Wright played high school ball for one season under coach
Bob Hurley
Robert Emmet Hurley (born July 31, 1947) is an American basketball coach. At the now-closed St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, New Jersey, Hurley amassed 26 state championships in 39 years as a coach. On February 2, 2011, Hurley became the ...
at powerhouse at
St. Anthony High School before failing out and enrolling at
Elizabeth High School in
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University (SHU) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizab ...]
, averaging 9.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.2 blocked shots per game as a sophomore, before leaving school in 1993 to pursue professional basketball.
Professional
Wright was selected by the
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
in the 1st round (18th overall) of the
1993 NBA draft
The 1993–94 NBA season, 1993 NBA draft took place on June 30, 1993, at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Chris Webber, Pen ...
. Listed at 7'2" and 270 pounds in college, Wright arrived in Utah overweight and out-of-shape at 325 pounds. The Jazz were not short on size at that time, with
Mark Eaton
Mark Edward Eaton (January 24, 1957 – May 28, 2021) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career (1982–1993) with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Named an NBA All-Star in 1989, he w ...
(7'4" and 290 pounds),
Isaac Austin (6'10" and 290 pounds), and
Felton Spencer (7'0" and 275 pounds) on the roster at center. Wright was seen as a project who the Jazz planned to develop slowly. However, poor play on the court, in addition to poor conditioning and mental health issues, limited Wright to only one season in the NBA. He averaged 1.3 points and 0.7 rebounds in 15 games.
Personal problems
In January 1994, police found Wright at a highway rest area west of
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
, banging garbage cans and smashing in car windows.
After the season with the Jazz finished, he entered a mental institution. Still during his NBA stint, he was diagnosed with
bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...
and left the team. In 1996, he was released from
Essex County Hospital Center, a
psychiatric hospital
A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe Mental disorder, mental disorders. These institutions cater t ...
, after a 30-day admission. Under the terms of his contract with the Jazz, Wright was to be paid
US$
The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
153,000 per year for 25 full years.
[via ]Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
"SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Wright Leaves Psychiatric Hospital"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', April 4, 1996. Accessed August 28, 2017.
References
External links
Stats at Basketball-Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Luther
1971 births
Living people
21st-century African-American sportsmen
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Jersey City, New Jersey
Centers (basketball)
Elizabeth High School (New Jersey) alumni
McDonald's High School All-Americans
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
People with bipolar disorder
Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball players
Basketball players from Elizabeth, New Jersey
FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States
Summer World University Games medalists in basketball
Utah Jazz draft picks
Utah Jazz players
20th-century African-American sportsmen