Tellis Joseph Frank Jr. (born April 26, 1965) 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 and former assistant coach for the
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream are an American professional basketball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Dream compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded for the ...
of the
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. The league comprises 13 teams (scheduled to expand to 15 in 2026). The WNBA is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.
The WNBA w ...
(WNBA). At and he played as a
power forward
The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...
.
High school & college career
Frank is a 1983 graduate of
Lew Wallace High School
Lew Wallace High School was a four-year (9-12) public high school of the Gary Community School Corporation in Gary, Indiana, United States.
Staff
The faculty included nearly 65 teachers.
History
In 1926 the 45th Avenue School of Gary, Indi ...
(
Gary, Indiana
Gary ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it Indiana's List of municipalities in Indiana, eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historical ...
).
He played college basketball for
Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state.
;Always included
* The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recogniz ...
from 1983 to 1987. At Western Kentucky, Frank was a key player in the resurgence of the basketball program. He led the team to its first
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that has been affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football confe ...
basketball championship, a top ten national ranking, a 2nd-place finish in the
pre-season NIT, and back-to-back
NCAA tournament appearances.
Professional career
Frank was selected by the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
in the first round (14th overall pick) of the
1987 NBA draft
The 1987 NBA draft was held on June 22, 1987, in New York City.
This draft included two future members of the NBA 50 Greatest Players list, David Robinson and Scottie Pippen, as well as fellow Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, who was named to t ...
.
He played for the Warriors (1987–1989),
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
(1989–1990) and
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
(1991–1992, 1993–1994) during his five-year NBA career, averaging 6.5
points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player or team per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of poi ...
.
He was briefly signed by
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 Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
in 1995, but did not play in any NBA games for the club.
He also played in Italy, for
Phonola Caserta (1990–1993, won the
league
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
* ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...
in 1991),
Scandone Avellino (
Serie A2, 1998–1999),
Basket Livorno (Serie A2, 1999–2000) and
Longobardi Scafati (Serie A2, 2000–2001). He also played in the Spanish
Liga ACB
The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administered by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, w ...
with three teams in as many years.
References
External links
NBA playing history for FrankSerie A profile Retrieved 11 August 2015
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frank, Tellis
1965 births
Living people
20th-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century American sportsmen
21st-century African-American sportsmen
American expatriate basketball people in France
American expatriate basketball people in Italy
American expatriate basketball people in Spain
American men's basketball players
American women's basketball coaches
Atlanta Dream coaches
Baloncesto León players
Basket Livorno players
Basketball coaches from Indiana
Basketball players from Gary, Indiana
Bàsquet Manresa players
Real Betis Baloncesto players
Cholet Basket players
Golden State Warriors draft picks
Golden State Warriors players
Juvecaserta Basket players
Lega Basket Serie A players
Liga ACB players
Miami Heat players
Minnesota Timberwolves players
Power forwards
S.S. Felice Scandone players
Sportspeople from Gary, Indiana
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball players