Sebastian Telfair (born June 9, 1985) 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 court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player who played in the NBA and the

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier professional men's basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basi ...

. Telfair was picked thirteenth overall in the

2004 NBA draft The 2004 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2004, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm ( EDT). In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur col ...

by 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 league's Western Con ...

on the heels of an eminent high school career playing for

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...

. He had committed to the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...

during his senior year, but decided to turn professional instead. Telfair is the cousin of former NBA player

Stephon Marbury Stephon Xavier Marbury (born February 20, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach in the Chinese Basketball Association. After his freshman year with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, he was selected as t ...

Early years

Telfair was born in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, the son of Erica Telfair and Otis Telfair, a

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

veteran who served as a Marine.Ian O'Connor, ''The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High Stakes Business of High School Ball.'' mmaus, Pa. Rodale, 2005. p. 7-16 Living in the Surfside Gardens projects in Brooklyn's

Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to th ...

, he attended Abraham Lincoln High School, where he became one of the most highly lauded and coveted high school basketball prospects in the country.Ian O'Connor, ''The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High Stakes Business of High School Ball.'' mmaus, Pa. Rodale, 2005. p. 2-3 Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Telfair was listed as the No. 2 point guard and No. 6 player in the nation in 2004. Originally, he had committed to the

and head coach

Rick Pitino Richard Andrew Pitino (born September 18, 1952) is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach for Iona College. He was also the head coach of Greece's senior national team. He has been the head coach of several teams in NCAA ...

. However, he later had a change of mind and went pro instead, a decision precipitated by a fatal shooting that occurred at the apartment complex where his family lived.

Professional career

Portland Trail Blazers (2004–2006)

Telfair was selected by the

with the thirteenth overall pick in the

. On January 1, 2005, Telfair scored 14 points on five-for-eleven shooting, making four of five

free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...

s to go with five rebounds and five assists with one turnover. In February 2005, interim coach

Kevin Pritchard Kevin Lee Pritchard (born July 18, 1967) is an American basketball executive, and a former player and coach, who is currently the president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers. Pritchard played 4 seasons in the NBA as a player, and w ...

promoted Telfair to the team's starting lineup. Telfair notched 6.8 points and 3.3 assists per contest. The Blazers ultimately lost 23 of their final 28 games that season, finishing with the team's worst record since 1973–74. Under new head coach Nate McMillan, Telfair began the 2005–06 season as the starting point guard and was occasionally paired in the backcourt with another high school draftee taken in 2005, Martell Webster. Telfair improved upon his 2004–05 numbers; though his production was still seen by many commentators as being somewhat below par for an NBA starting point guard. As a result, Telfair experienced increasing pressure from various local media. In December 2005, Telfair suffered a thumb injury and was replaced in the starting lineup by

Steve Blake Steven Hanson Blake (born February 26, 1980) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. After winning the 2002 NCAA Championship with Maryland, Blake was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 38th overall pick in the 20 ...

, who went on to have fewer turnovers and more assists. Telfair returned to the court on January 9, 2006, after having missed twelve games. Blake continued as the starting point guard with Telfair coming off the bench. Although the Trail Blazers had already been eliminated from

playoff The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

contention that season, Telfair scored the game-winning basket against the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Divisio ...

on April 5, 2006.

Boston Celtics (2006–2007)

On June 28, 2006, the Trail Blazers traded Telfair, along with center Theo Ratliff and a 2008 second-round pick, to 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 league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of ...

for guard Dan Dickau, center–forward Raef LaFrentz, and the 7th overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft, Randy Foye, who was traded to the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

for the 6th overall pick, Brandon Roy. Telfair wore number 30, as his traditional number 31 was retired by the Celtics. On April 24, 2007, Celtics managing partner Wyc Grousbeck announced that Telfair's

nameplate A nameplate identifies and displays a person or product's name. Nameplates are usually shaped as rectangles but are also seen in other shapes, sometimes taking on the shape of someone's written name. Nameplates primarily serve an informa ...

on his Celtics locker had been removed and did not expect him back for the 2007–08 season.Celtics move toward severing ties with Telfair
ESPN.com news services, published April 25, 2007

Minnesota Timberwolves (2007–2009)

On July 31, 2007, the Celtics traded Telfair, along with Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff and two first-round draft picks, to the

for

Kevin Garnett Kevin Maurice Garnett ( ; born May 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played for 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed KG by his initials, and the "Big Ticket" for his emphatic dunki ...

. He was given the # 3 jersey while with Minnesota, the same number that his cousin,

wore while playing for that team. In the 2007–08 season, Telfair had his best season as a pro, averaging 9.3 points and 5.9 assists per game. Telfair also had a stretch of five games in which he had 40 assists and only four turnovers. He wore number 3 for the Timberwolves because the number 31 had been taken by shooting guard Ricky Davis. On July 22, 2008, the Minnesota Timberwolves re-signed Telfair to a three-year contract. Because the Timberwolves fired head coach Randy Wittman and replaced him with interim coach Kevin McHale, Telfair played for his sixth coach on his third NBA team in his fifth NBA season. He played in 75 games including 43 starts.

Los Angeles Clippers (2009–2010)

On July 20, 2009, Telfair was traded to the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

along with Craig Smith and Mark Madsen in exchange for Quentin Richardson.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2010)

On February 17, 2010, Telfair was traded from the

to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

as part of a three-team, six-player trade that sent

Antawn Jamison Antawn Cortez Jamison (; born June 12, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He serves as director of pro personnel for the Washington Wizards. Jamison pl ...

from 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 league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

to Cleveland, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, a 2010 first-round pick (which became Lazar Hayward) and the rights to

Emir Preldžić Emir Preldžić (born 6 September 1987) is a Bosnian-Turkish professional basketball player who last played for Orlovik Žepče of the A2 League of FBiH, third level of basketball in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also represented the Turkish nation ...

from Cleveland to Washington,

Drew Gooden Andrew Melvin Gooden III (born September 24, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player who is currently a broadcaster for NBC Sports Washington. The power forward played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). ...

from Washington to Los Angeles, and Al Thornton from Los Angeles to Washington.

Return to Minnesota (2010–2011)

On July 26, 2010, Telfair was traded back to the

, along with

Delonte West Delonte Maurice West (born July 26, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dallas Mavericks. He also ...

, for

Ramon Sessions Ramon Sessions (born April 11, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player and a licensed Sports Agent for an independently owned firm, On Time Agency (OTA). He played three years of college basketball for Nevada, earning WAC All-N ...

and Ryan Hollins.

Phoenix Suns (2011–2013)

Right after the 2011 NBA lockout ended, Telfair signed with the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division (NBA), P ...

in December 9, 2011. His contract had him initially staying for one year, but he received a team option to play for a second season in Phoenix. Telfair started for the Suns in a 91–87 victory against the

. Telfair would score a season high 21 points in a 105–91 loss to the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

. During the month of April in the shortened season, Telfair averaged an impressive 10.9 points and 3.6 assists on a .522 shooting percentage. In other months, he had averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 assists on a .358 shooting percentage.

Toronto Raptors (2013)

On February 21, 2013, Telfair was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Hamed Haddadi and a second-round draft pick. He became a free agent in the summer of 2013.

Tianjin Ronggang (2013–2014)

In October 2013, Telfair signed a one-year deal with the

Tianjin Ronggang The Tianjin Ronggang Pioneers () or Tianjin Ronggang or Tianjin Pioneers are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Tianjin, which plays in the Northern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The Ronggang Import & Export Tr ...

of the

Oklahoma City Thunder (2014)

On July 15, 2014, Telfair signed with 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 league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

but was subsequently waived by them on November 26 of that year.

Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2014–2015)

On December 2, 2014, Telfair signed with the

Xinjiang Flying Tigers The Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers () is a professional basketball team based in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. The team play its home games at the Hongshan Arena, which has a capacity for 3,800 spectators. The club joined the Chinese Basketball ...

for the rest of the 2014–15 CBA season.

Fuijan Sturgeons (2016–2017)

On November 18, 2016, Telfair signed with the Fuijan Sturgeons.

Legal issues

On October 16, 2006, Telfair had a chain, valued at $50,000, snatched from his possession outside Sean "Diddy" Combs's restaurant, Justin's. As it happened, rapper

Fabolous John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition while still a senior in high school, when he performed live on American music executive ...

was shot outside the same club shortly afterward. The following night, Telfair left a pre-season basketball game against the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associa ...

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsyl ...

to observe a police lineup, but he did not identify any of the potential suspects. Telfair and a friend, Al Eden Fuentes, were arrested early on April 20, 2007, and charged with felony possession of a weapon. The arrest was preceded by a traffic stop prompted when Telfair was spotted driving his 2006 Range Rover at on the

Bronx River Parkway The Bronx River Parkway (sometimes abbreviated as the Bronx Parkway) is a long parkway in downstate New York in the United States. It is named for the nearby Bronx River, which it parallels. The southern terminus of the parkway is at Story Aven ...

, a zone. Telfair was driving with a suspended Florida license. Furthermore, when police searched Telfair's vehicle, they uncovered a loaded .45 caliber handgun under the passenger's seat. Both Telfair and Eden claimed to not have any knowledge of the firearm. Police had yet to determine the registration status of the handgun. In September 2008, Telfair pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon and received three years' probation. In October 2008, the NBA handed him a three-game suspension following the guilty plea. On June 11, 2017, Telfair and another man were arrested on weapons and marijuana-related charges during a traffic stop in Brooklyn. Police pulled them over for driving without headlights on and illegally parking. Inside the vehicle, officers spotted a lit

joint A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw ...

, and a subsequent search yielded three loaded handguns, a semiautomatic rifle, a ballistics vest, and several bags of marijuana that were among suitcases, clothing, shoes, and furniture parts. Sebastian was in New York at the time for what was supposed to have been only a matter of hours, being in between a move of residence, and for the opening of basketball courts at the

projects where he was raised. In April 2019, following a two-week trial, Telfair was found guilty of felonious weapons possession, On August 12, 2019, he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for the offense. The case is currently on appeal. Reported by ESPN from an October 7, 2021 indictment, eighteen former NBA players, including Telfair, Jamario Moon, Glen Davis, Tony Allen and Darius Miles, were arrested on charges alleging they defrauded the league's health and welfare benefit plan out of about $4 million. According to the indictment, the former players engaged in a widespread scheme to defraud the plan by submitting false and fraudulent claims to get reimbursed for medical and dental expenses that were never actually incurred.

Biographical coverage

Telfair is the subject of the book, ''The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High-Stakes Business of High School Ball'' (), by Ian O'Connor as well as a documentary film by Jonathan Hock, '' Through the Fire''; the latter follows Telfair through his final year in high school and accounts his decision to choose the NBA over college. Telfair is the cousin of

, a former NBA and CBA star, and the half-brother of former NBA player

Jamel Thomas Jamel Thomas (born July 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a guard/ forward. Thomas was born in Brooklyn, New York. He played collegiately for Providen ...

. Attending Lincoln High School in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, Telfair was the school's all-time leading scorer until Lance Stephenson broke his record in 2009. Telfair was also named New York State Mr. Basketball following his outstanding senior season at Lincoln. His younger brother Ethan Telfair, who likewise featured in the documentary film, played basketball at

Idaho State , mottoeng = " The truth will set you free" , established = , former_names = Academy of Idaho(1901–1915)Idaho Technical Institute(1915–1927) University of Idaho—Southern Branch(1927–1947)Idaho Sta ...

.Lincoln relying on youth to defend dynasty
/ref>

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, 68 , , 26 , , 19.6 , , .393 , , .246 , , .789 , , 1.5 , , 3.3 , , .5 , , .1 , , 6.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 68 , , 30 , , 24.1 , , .394 , , .352 , , .743 , , 1.8 , , 3.6 , , 1.0, , .1 , , 9.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

, 78 , , 30 , , 20.2 , , .371 , , .289 , , .818 , , 1.4 , , 2.8 , , .6 , , .1 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

, 60 , , 51 , , 32.2 , , .401 , , .281 , , .743 , , 2.3 , , 5.9 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 9.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , 43 , , 27.9 , , .383 , , .346 , , .819 , , 1.7 , , 4.6 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 9.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

L.A. Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

, 39 , , 1 , , 14.9 , , .404 , , .234 , , .774 , , 1.1 , , 2.9 , , .6 , , .1 , , 4.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...

, 4 , , 0 , , 19.3 , , .457 , , .222 , , .833 , , 1.0 , , 3.0 , , .5 , , .0 , , 9.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 37 , , 8 , , 19.2 , , .402 , , .359 , , .733 , , 1.5 , , 3.0 , , .7 , , .1 , , 7.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 60 , , 1 , , 14.9 , , .412 , , .314 , , .791 , , 1.5 , , 2.3 , , .7 , , .2 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 46 , , 2 , , 17.3 , , .381 , , .381 , , .772 , , 1.5 , , 2.5 , , .6 , , .2 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

, 13 , , 0 , , 14.2 , , .290 , , .270 , , .833 , , 1.2 , , 3.0 , , .7 , , .1 , , 4.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, an ...

, 16 , , 1 , , 20.4 , , .368 , , .300 , , .706 , , 1.9 , , 2.8 , , .6 , , .0 , , 8.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 564 , , 193 , , 21.5 , , .390 , , .319 , , .777 , , 1.6 , , 3.5 , , .7 , , .1 , , 7.4

References

External links

*
Yahoo! Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Telfair, Sebastian 1985 births Living people Abraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn) alumni African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in China American men's basketball players 21st-century African-American sportspeople Basketball players from New York City Boston Celtics players Cleveland Cavaliers players Fujian Sturgeons players Los Angeles Clippers players McDonald's High School All-Americans Minnesota Timberwolves players National Basketball Association high school draftees Oklahoma City Thunder players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Phoenix Suns players Point guards Portland Trail Blazers draft picks Portland Trail Blazers players Sportspeople from Brooklyn Tianjin Pioneers players Xinjiang Flying Tigers players 20th-century African-American people