Charlie Villanueva
Encyclopedia
Charlie Alexander Villanueva (born August 24, 1984 in Queens
, New York City
) is an American
basketball player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons
of the National Basketball Association
.
The son of Dominican
immigrants, Villanueva was raised in Elmhurst, Queens
, New York
. He was drafted at the age of 20, seventh overall pick, in the 2005 NBA Draft
by the Toronto Raptors
. He also holds Dominican citizenship and therefore he has represented the Dominican Republic national basketball team
in international competition.
. He spent his next three years at Blair Academy
in Blairstown, New Jersey, where he played with another future NBA player, Luol Deng
. Villanueva received All-American honors as a senior and was named New Jersey Co-Player of the Year. He entered the 2003 NBA Draft
, but withdrew his eligibility so he could play basketball at the University of Connecticut
.
In his senior year, he was 5th place in the high school slam dunk contest
, ahead of Ndudi Ebi
, Travis Outlaw
, and Brittany Hunter, and behind Shannon Brown
, Von Wafer
, J.R. Giddens, and the winner, LeBron James
.
, but after Bill Self
left the Illini
for the University of Kansas
, Villanueva withdrew his commitment. He considered following Self to the Jayhawks
, but instead opted to play for University of Connecticut
.
In his freshman year at UConn, Villanueva earned Big East
All-Rookie Team honors and was a key reserve member of the 2004 NCAA National Championship team
. As a sophomore at UConn, he averaged 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds, leading the team in scoring and receiving team MVP
and Second Team All-Big East honors. Villanueva elected to enter the 2005 NBA Draft
after two years at UConn.
were widely criticized for selecting Villanueva seventh overall in the 2005 NBA Draft
, but he responded with a solid rookie campaign. He averaged 13 points and 6.4 rebounds in 81 games. He finished second among rookies in points and rebounds, and third in minutes and blocked shots. He also tallied 12 double-doubles and set the Raptors' rookie records for points (48) and rebounds (18) in a game. Villanueva also appeared in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and was named to the All-NBA Rookie First Team.
Villanueva was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks
for point guard
T. J. Ford
and cash considerations on June 30, 2006.
In March 2009 he was reprimanded by Bucks coach Scott Skiles
for posting a message on his Twitter
account during halftime of the Bucks–Celtics
game.
As the season progressed Villanueva started to put up better statistics, and by the end of the year he was averaging a career high in points and rebounds (16.2 and 6.7 respectively).
In June 2009, Villanueva signed a five year contract with the Pistons worth $35 million.
basketball team at youth levels. In 2009, Villanueva wanted to switch sports nationality to the Dominican Republic
. Under FIBA rules, he asked USA Basketball
to release him in order to switch his sports nationality. He played for the Dominican Republic national basketball team
in the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship.
, a variation of alopecia areata
, an autoimmune skin disease. This results in hair loss on the scalp
and/or elsewhere on the body, but the disease is not otherwise life-threatening or harmful. Villanueva is a spokesman for the NAAF (National Alopecia Areata Foundation), and received the February 2006 Community Assist Award from the NBA for his work with the organization.
Villanueva is fluent in Spanish
, as it is the language he speaks with his family.
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Toronto
| 81 || 36 || 29.1 || .463 || .327 || .706 || 6.4 || 1.1 || .7 || .8 || 13.0
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Milwaukee
| 39 || 17 || 25.2 || .470 || .337 || .820 || 5.8 || .9 || .6 || .3 || 11.8
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Milwaukee
| 76 || 31 || 24.1 || .435 || .297 || .783 || 6.1 || 1.0 || .4 || .5 || 11.7
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Milwaukee
| 78 || 47 || 26.9 || .447 || .345 || .838 || 6.7 || 1.8 || .6 || .7 || 16.2
|-
| align="left" | 2009-10
| align="left" | Detroit
| 78 || 16 || 23.7 || .439 || .351 || .815 || 4.7 || .7 || .6 || .7 || 11.9
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Detroit
| 76 || 11 || 21.9 || .442 || .387 || .767 || 3.9 || .6 || .6 || .6 || 11.1
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 428 || 158 || 25.2 || .448 || .346 || .790 || 5.6 || 1.0 || .6 || .6 || 12.7
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
.
The son of Dominican
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
immigrants, Villanueva was raised in Elmhurst, Queens
Elmhurst, Queens
Elmhurst is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is bounded by Roosevelt Avenue on the north; Corona to the northeast; Junction Boulevard on the east; Rego Park to the southeast; the Long Island Expressway on the south; Middle Village to the south and southwest; and Maspeth...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He was drafted at the age of 20, seventh overall pick, in the 2005 NBA Draft
2005 NBA Draft
The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...
by the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
. He also holds Dominican citizenship and therefore he has represented the Dominican Republic national basketball team
Dominican Republic national basketball team
The Dominican Republic national basketball team are the men's basketball side that represent the Dominican Republic in international competition...
in international competition.
High school
During his freshman year, Villanueva attended Newtown High School in Queens, New York, where he was a teammate of future NBA player Smush ParkerSmush Parker
William Henry "Smush" Parker is an American professional basketball player. Parker played shooting guard in college but moved to point guard in the NBA...
. He spent his next three years at Blair Academy
Blair Academy
Blair Academy is a private, coeducational, secondary boarding high school with an enrollment of about 448 students for grades nine through twelve. The school has 78 faculty members...
in Blairstown, New Jersey, where he played with another future NBA player, Luol Deng
Luol Deng
Luol Deng is a South Sudanese-British professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls and the Great Britain national basketball team. He plays the small forward position.-Early life:...
. Villanueva received All-American honors as a senior and was named New Jersey Co-Player of the Year. He entered the 2003 NBA Draft
2003 NBA Draft
The 2003 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2003 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and...
, but withdrew his eligibility so he could play basketball at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
.
In his senior year, he was 5th place in the high school slam dunk contest
Slam Dunk Contest
The Slam Dunk Contest is an annual National Basketball Association competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was inaugurated by the American Basketball Association at its All-Star Game in 1976 in Denver, the same year the slam dunk was legalized in the NCAA...
, ahead of Ndudi Ebi
Ndudi Ebi
Ndudi Hamani Ebi is a Nigerian-British professional basketball player who formerly played in the NBA.He committed to the University of Arizona, in the U.S., but reneged by making himself eligible for the NBA Draft...
, Travis Outlaw
Travis Outlaw
Travis Marquez Outlaw is an American professional basketball player currently with the New Jersey Nets of the NBA.-NBA career:...
, and Brittany Hunter, and behind Shannon Brown
Shannon Brown
Shannon Brown is an American professional basketball player who plays at the shooting guard and point guard positions. He last played in the National Basketball Association for the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, was named Illinois Mr...
, Von Wafer
Von Wafer
Vakeaton Quamar Wafer , commonly referred to as Von Wafer, is an American professional basketball player who plays with Vanoli Cremona of the Lega Basket....
, J.R. Giddens, and the winner, LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
.
College career
Villanueva originally gave a verbal commitment to play for the University of IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, but after Bill Self
Bill Self
Bill Self is an American college men's basketball coach at the University of Kansas, where he led the Jayhawks to the 2008 NCAA national championship....
left the Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
for the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, Villanueva withdrew his commitment. He considered following Self to the Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawks
The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
, but instead opted to play for University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
.
In his freshman year at UConn, Villanueva earned Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
All-Rookie Team honors and was a key reserve member of the 2004 NCAA National Championship team
2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2004, and ended with the championship game on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
. As a sophomore at UConn, he averaged 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds, leading the team in scoring and receiving team MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
and Second Team All-Big East honors. Villanueva elected to enter the 2005 NBA Draft
2005 NBA Draft
The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...
after two years at UConn.
NBA career
The Toronto RaptorsToronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
were widely criticized for selecting Villanueva seventh overall in the 2005 NBA Draft
2005 NBA Draft
The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...
, but he responded with a solid rookie campaign. He averaged 13 points and 6.4 rebounds in 81 games. He finished second among rookies in points and rebounds, and third in minutes and blocked shots. He also tallied 12 double-doubles and set the Raptors' rookie records for points (48) and rebounds (18) in a game. Villanueva also appeared in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and was named to the All-NBA Rookie First Team.
Villanueva was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
for point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
T. J. Ford
T. J. Ford
Terrance Jerod "T. J." Ford is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for KK Zagreb. Having been awarded numerous top basketball accolades in high school and college, Ford entered the 2003 NBA Draft and was selected eighth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks...
and cash considerations on June 30, 2006.
In March 2009 he was reprimanded by Bucks coach Scott Skiles
Scott Skiles
Scott Allen Skiles is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and former American professional basketball player. He also is the former head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. Skiles holds the NBA record for assists in one game, with 30...
for posting a message on his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account during halftime of the Bucks–Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
game.
As the season progressed Villanueva started to put up better statistics, and by the end of the year he was averaging a career high in points and rebounds (16.2 and 6.7 respectively).
In June 2009, Villanueva signed a five year contract with the Pistons worth $35 million.
National team
Villanueva represented the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball team at youth levels. In 2009, Villanueva wanted to switch sports nationality to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. Under FIBA rules, he asked USA Basketball
USA Basketball
USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States Olympic Committee...
to release him in order to switch his sports nationality. He played for the Dominican Republic national basketball team
Dominican Republic national basketball team
The Dominican Republic national basketball team are the men's basketball side that represent the Dominican Republic in international competition...
in the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship.
Personal
Villanueva has alopecia universalisAlopecia universalis
Alopecia universalis or alopecia areata universalis is a medical condition involving rapid loss of all hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes. It is the most severe form of alopecia areata, with an incidence of .001%...
, a variation of alopecia areata
Alopecia areata
Alopecia areata is a medical condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body, usually from the scalp. Because it causes bald spots on the scalp, especially in the first stages, it is sometimes called spot baldness. In 1–2% of cases, the condition can spread to the entire scalp ...
, an autoimmune skin disease. This results in hair loss on the scalp
Scalp
The scalp is the anatomical area bordered by the face anteriorly and the neck to the sides and posteriorly.-Layers:It is usually described as having five layers, which can conveniently be remembered as a mnemonic:...
and/or elsewhere on the body, but the disease is not otherwise life-threatening or harmful. Villanueva is a spokesman for the NAAF (National Alopecia Areata Foundation), and received the February 2006 Community Assist Award from the NBA for his work with the organization.
Villanueva is fluent in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, as it is the language he speaks with his family.
Honors
- Mar 2003 – New Jersey State High School Co-Player of the Year, shared with Luol DengLuol DengLuol Deng is a South Sudanese-British professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls and the Great Britain national basketball team. He plays the small forward position.-Early life:...
- Mar 2003 – New Jersey High School All-State Team Honor Selection
- Mar 2003 – McDonald's High School All-American
- Mar 2004 – Big East Conference All-Rookie Team
- Apr 2004 – NCAA National Championship, UConn Huskies
- Jul 2004 – USA Junior World Basketball Team Gold Medalist
- Mar 2005 – Big East All-Conference Second Team
- Jun 2005 – NBA Draft Lottery Seventh Pick
- Oct 2005 – Toronto Raptors Community MVP Award
- Nov 2005 – Toronto Raptors Community MVP Award
- Dec 2005 – Named NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month
- Feb 2006 – Selected to compete in the 2006 T-Mobile NBA All-Star Rookie ChallengeRookie ChallengeThe Rookie Challenge is an exhibition basketball game held by the National Basketball Association on the Friday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend....
in Houston - Feb 2006 – NBA Cares Community Assist Award
- Mar 2006 – Toronto Raptors Franchise Rookie Record: Single-Game 48 Points
- Apr 2006 – Toronto Raptors Franchise Rookie Record: Single-Game 18 Rebounds
- May 2006 – NBA Rookie of the Year Runner Up, behind Chris PaulChris PaulChristopher Emmanuel Paul is an American professional basketball point guard for the New Orleans Hornets.Paul was born and raised in North Carolina. Despite only playing two varsity basketball seasons in high school, he was a McDonald's All-American and accepted a scholarship with nearby Wake...
- May 2006 – NBA All-Rookie First Team Honors
- Aug 2008 – NBA Cares Community Assist Award
- Sep 2008 - Latin Pride National Awards Outstanding Athlete
Trivia
- His idol growing up was Reggie MillerReggie MillerReginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
. He wears #31 as a tribute to Miller, who retired after the 2004-05 season.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Toronto
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
| 81 || 36 || 29.1 || .463 || .327 || .706 || 6.4 || 1.1 || .7 || .8 || 13.0
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Milwaukee
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
| 39 || 17 || 25.2 || .470 || .337 || .820 || 5.8 || .9 || .6 || .3 || 11.8
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Milwaukee
| 76 || 31 || 24.1 || .435 || .297 || .783 || 6.1 || 1.0 || .4 || .5 || 11.7
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | Milwaukee
| 78 || 47 || 26.9 || .447 || .345 || .838 || 6.7 || 1.8 || .6 || .7 || 16.2
|-
| align="left" | 2009-10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
| 78 || 16 || 23.7 || .439 || .351 || .815 || 4.7 || .7 || .6 || .7 || 11.9
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | Detroit
| 76 || 11 || 21.9 || .442 || .387 || .767 || 3.9 || .6 || .6 || .6 || 11.1
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 428 || 158 || 25.2 || .448 || .346 || .790 || 5.6 || 1.0 || .6 || .6 || 12.7