Michael David Ruffin (born January 21, 1977) 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 was previously working as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). At 6'8" and 248 lbs, he played as a forward/ center.

Basketball career

After playing

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

at the

University of Tulsa The University of Tulsa (TU) is a Private university, private research university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has a historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Presbyterian Church, although it is now nondenominational, and the campus ...

, where he studied

chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of the operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials ...

, Ruffin was drafted in the second round of the 1999 NBA draft by the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

. He has played for the Bulls, the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

, 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 ...

, the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

, the

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

, and the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

. He averaged 1.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game through his NBA career and is considered to be a defensive presence on the court. Ruffin's best statistical season came with the 2000-01 Bulls, where tallied career best averages in rebounding (5.8) and scoring (2.6). On March 30, 2007, Ruffin was part of a dubious blooper that indirectly cost the Wizards a game. Up 109–106 on the Toronto Raptors, with less than four seconds remaining in regulation, Ruffin intercepted an inbound pass. In an attempt to run the clock out, Ruffin tossed the ball in the air, but it landed in the hands of Toronto's Morris Peterson, who sank a game-tying three-pointer as time expired. Forced into overtime, Washington lost the game 123–118. On February 17, 2009, Ruffin was sent to the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

and then to the

for Ike Diogu shortly thereafter in a 3-team trade. In 2010, Ruffin became coach of the ABA's Colorado Kings.Denver Nuggets sign nine-year veteran forward Michael Ruffin - ESPN
/ref> However, he resumed his career in Spain playing for Obradoiro CAB. After two years out of the NBA, Ruffin was signed by the league's

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 ...

in mid-December 2011. However, he did not make the team's opening day roster.

Post-NBA career

As of 2012, Ruffin was living in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, working for ASQ and coaching basketball. Ruffin joined the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

as player development coach in October 2014. In January 2021, Ruffin became an assistant coach for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

. On September 24, 2021, Ruffin joined the Phoenix Suns as an assistant coach.Michael Ruffin latest assistant added to Phoenix Suns coaching staff
/ref>

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

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Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

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Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, 41 , , 23 , , 17.9 , , .325 , , .000 , , .421 , , 5.0 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .5 , , 2.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Washington , 79 , , 7 , , 16.0 , , .414 , , .000 , , .433 , , 4.2 , , .8 , , .5 , , .5 , , 1.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Washington , 76 , , 4 , , 13.3 , , .442 , , .000 , , .500 , , 3.6 , , .4 , , .4 , , .4 , , 1.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Washington , 30 , , 0 , , 9.0 , , .278 , , .000 , , .368 , , 2.1 , , .2 , , .2 , , .3 , , .6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, 46 , , 2 , , 13.7 , , .532 , , .000 , , .397 , , 4.0 , , .5 , , .7 , , .4 , , 2.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Portland , 11 , , 0 , , 3.2 , , .286 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .3 , , .1 , , .5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 414 , , 58 , , 14.4 , , .407 , , .000 , , .459 , , 3.9 , , .6 , , .5 , , .4 , , 1.7

Playoffs

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2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

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2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, align="left" , Washington , 6 , , 0 , , 11.7 , , .500 , , .000 , , .000 , , 2.7 , , .7 , , .2 , , .3 , , .3 , - , align="left" ,

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

, align="left" , Washington , 4 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .333 , , .000 , , .000 , , 2.3 , , .0 , , .8 , , .0 , , .5 , - , align="left" ,

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

, align="left" , Portland , 1 , , 0 , , 5.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , .500 , , 5.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 20 , , 0 , , 13.0 , , .563 , , .000 , , .500 , , 3.4 , , .7 , , .4 , , .3 , , 1.4

References

External links

NBA.com Profile - Michael Ruffin
*
Spanish League profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruffin, Michael 1977 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Spain American men's basketball players Basketball players from Denver Bàsquet Manresa players Centers (basketball) Chicago Bulls draft picks Chicago Bulls players Fort Wayne Mad Ants coaches Liga ACB players Medalists at the 1997 Summer Universiade Milwaukee Bucks players New Orleans Pelicans assistant coaches Obradoiro CAB players Philadelphia 76ers players Phoenix Suns assistant coaches Portland Trail Blazers players Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's basketball players Utah Jazz players Washington Wizards players FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States Cherry Creek High School alumni