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Keith Closs
Santiago Basket Titanes
Head coach
Personal information
Born (1976-04-03) April 3, 1976 (age 48)
Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
High school Sierra Vista
(Baldwin Park, California)
Listed height 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m)
Listed weight 212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
College Central Connecticut (1994–1996)
NBA Draft 1997 / Undrafted
Pro career 1996–2012
Coaching career 2023–present
League LDC
Career history
As player:
1996–1997 Norwich Neptunes
1997–2000 Los Angeles Clippers
2001, 2003 Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs
2004–2005 Rockford Lightning
2005 Gary Steelheads
2006–2007 Butte Daredevils
2007 Buffalo Silverbacks
2007–2008 Tulsa 66ers
2008 Yunnan Bulls
2012 Santa Barbara Breakers
As coach:
2023–present Santiago Basket Titanes
Career highlights and awards
  • CBA blocks leader (2005)
  • 2× NCAA blocks leader (1995, 1996)

Keith Mitchell Closs Jr. (born April 3, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Santiago Basket Titanes of the Laliga de Campeones (LDC). He played at the center position.

College career

At 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m) and 212 pounds (96 kg), Closs played collegiately at Central Connecticut State University, leading the nation in blocks his only two years in college, and still holding the NCAA Division I career record for blocks with 5.87 blocked shots per game.

Professional career

Los Angeles Clippers (1997–2000)

Closs played three seasons as a backup center for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers from 1997 to 2000, averaging 3.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during his spell.

After starting playing professionally in the Atlantic Basketball Association with the Norwich Neptunes, Closs moved to the Clippers in 1997. Having logged career highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals during 1999–2000, his NBA career abruptly ended, with a club record for most blocked shots per 48 minutes (4.7).

Later career (2001–2008)

Closs played for the Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs of the USBL in the 2001 and 2003 seasons.

On December 11, 2004, Closs signed with the Rockford Lightning of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). He averaged a league-high 4.4 blocks per game as well as 7.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game with the Lightning. On February 1, 2005, Closs was released by the Lightning. He also played in the CBA with the Gary Steelheads during the 2004–05 season.

Closs played for the Butte Daredevils in the CBA during the 2006–07 season but was released after being arrested for a public misdemeanor. He then joined the Buffalo Silverbacks of the American Basketball Association.

Closs was selected with the 11th pick in the 5th round of the 2007 NBA Development League draft by the Tulsa 66ers.

In December 2008, Closs signed with the Chinese league's Yunnan Bulls, and averaged 16.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.9 blocked shots per game.

Closs played for the Santa Barbara Breakers of the West Coast Professional Basketball League in 2012.

Coaching career

On July 21, 2023, Closs was announced as the head coach of the Santiago Basket Titanes in the Dominican Laliga de Campeones.

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Source

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1997–98 L.A. Clippers 58 1 12.8 .449 .597 2.9 .3 .2 1.4 4.0
1998–99 L.A. Clippers 15 0 5.8 .522 .000 .800 1.7 .0 .2 .6 2.1
1999–2000 L.A. Clippers 57 6 14.4 .487 .000 .590 3.1 .4 .2 1.3 4.2
Career 130 7 12.7 .471 .000 .606 2.9 .3 .2 1.3 3.9

Personal life

Closs is the oldest of six children. His favorite book is Giant Steps by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

..... During a 2008 interview, he said he had turned his life around, having given up the addiction for good.

His father, Keith Mitchell Closs Sr. died on December 1, 2017, from a possible heart attack, according to Closs's Twitter account.

Closs also has a son, Keith M. Closs III, born January 21, 2000.

In August 2022, Closs became an assistant coach in the Turkish basketball league

Closs has the fifth lowest BMI of all players in NBA history.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Keith Closs para niños

  • List of tallest players in National Basketball Association history
  • List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 13 or more blocks in a game
  • List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season blocks leaders
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