BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN " ZACHARY RANDOLPH " IS AN AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER WHO CURRENTLY PLAYS FOR THE MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES OF THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION (NBA): GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

                                   BLACK                    SOCIAL                     HISTORY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Zachary Randolph (born July 16, 1981) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Memphis Grizzlies of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball at Michigan State University and was drafted in the 2001 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazer                                                                                                                                                                                                                     High school career

Randolph grew up in Marion, Indiana and attended Marion High School, where his coach was Moe Smedley. As a sophomore, he helped lead the Marion Giants to the 1998 Indiana Class 4A Championship Game. As a senior, he again led his team to the state championship game in which Marion High School won its seventh state basketball championship. He finished second in Indiana's 'Mr. Basketball' voting that year, closely behind Jared Jeffries, who played for the team that the Giants beat in the state championship game that year and would later become Randolph's teammate with the Knicks.

College career

After high school, Randolph attended and played basketball for the Michigan State University Spartans, coached by Tom Izzo. His teammates at MSU included Jason Richardson and Charlie Bell. In his single season at Michigan State, he averaged 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game over 33 games, with a team that finished with a 28–5 record and went to the NCAA Final Four. After his freshman season he entered the2001 NBA Draft.

NBA career

Portland Trail Blazers (2001–2007)

He was drafted by the Blazers in the first round (19th overall) in 2001. At the time, the Trail Blazers had acquired the nickname "Jail-Blazers" due to the bad reputation of individuals on the roster. Continuing on from his college career, he remained in the power forward position. In 2004 he won the NBA's Most Improved Player award, after which he signed a 6-year, $84-million extension with the Blazers. Randolph averaged 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game in the 2006–07 season, which was cut short in March 2007 due to a hand injury. In what would turn out to be his final game as a Trail Blazer, he accumulated a career high 43 points and 17 rebounds.

New York Knicks (2007–2008)

On June 28, 2007, Randolph, along with Dan Dickau, Fred Jones and draft rights to Demetris Nichols, was traded to the Knicks in a draft day deal for Steve Francis, Channing Frye, and a 2008 2nd round draft pick.^[1] On July 2, 2007, Randolph was introduced at a press conference in New York,^[2] where he revealed he would wear the jersey #50.

Los Angeles Clippers (2008–2009)

On November 21, 2008, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers along with Mardy Collins in exchange for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas.^[3] During a game against the Phoenix Suns on February 17, 2009, Randolph was ejected,^[4] and subsequently suspended,^[5] for punching Louis Amundson in the jaw.

Memphis Grizzlies (2009–present)

On July 17, 2009, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Quentin Richardson.^[6] Randolph was selected for his first NBA All Star Game in 2010 and helped the Grizzlies improve despite failing to make it to the 2010 playoffs. On April 18, 2011, Randolph agreed to a four-year extension with the Grizzlies worth $71 million, with $66 million guaranteed.^[7] Later, Randolph was named to the All-NBA Third Team for the first time in his career. The Grizzlies made the playoffs in 2011 as the eighth seed and eliminated the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round, just the second time the eighth seed defeated the first seed since the league expanded to a seven-game first-round series. The series marked the first four wins in franchise playoff history for the Grizzlies and the first time the franchise won a playoff series. In the decisive sixth game, Randolph scored a then playoff career-high 31 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter.^[8]

Randolph then led the Grizzlies to an opening game win in their second-round playoff series, posting a playoff-career-high 34 points as the Grizzlies defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 114–101.^[9] However, the Grizzlies fell in the second round after losing game 7 to the Thunder, 105–90.

In 2012, Randolph and the Grizzlies faced the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. The Grizzlies lost the series in seven games.^[10]

Randolph was named to his second All-Star game during the 2012-13 season. On May 15, 2013, Randolph helped lead the Grizzlies to victory over Oklahoma City to advance for the first time in franchise history to the Western Conference Finals. In the close out game against the Thunder, Randolph scored a team-high 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

In the 2012-13 Western Conference Finals, the Grizzlies were swept in four games by the San Antonio Spurs.

Career transactions

• June 27, 2001: Drafted 19th overall by Portland Trail Blazers in 2001 NBA Draft.
• June 28, 2007: Traded by Portland Blazers along with Dan Dickau, Fred Jones and draft rights of 53rd pick Demetris Nichols to the New York Knicks for Channing Frye, Steve Francis and a future second-round draft pick.^[11]
• November 21, 2008: Traded by New York Knicks along with Mardy Collins to the Los Angeles Clippers for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley.^[3]
• July 17, 2009: Traded by Los Angeles Clippers to the Memphis Grizzlies for Quentin Richardson.