Obie Trotter
Encyclopedia
Obadiah Nelson "Obie" Trotter (born February 9, 1984) is an American
and Hungarian
professional basketball player. As of the 2010–11 basketball season, he plays for Szolnoki Olaj KK
in the Hungarian Basketball National Championship
. He is , weighs 180 lbs. and plays the point guard
position. He received Hungarian citizenship in June 20, 2011.
A native of Robertsdale
in Baldwin County
, Alabama
, Trotter had received interest from more established, higher tier mid-major
NCAA Division I basketball programs in high school, but he ended up playing at Alabama A&M because his mother wanted him coached by a "godly man." She felt that head coach L. Vann Pettaway
fit the bill, and so Trotter became an Alabama A&M Bulldog.
to 2005–06
. He played in 114 career games and led the team in scoring in each of his final three seasons. Trotter averaged 18.1, 15.3 and 19.2 points per game, respectively, during that stretch. By the time he graduated he had become the most decorated men's basketball player in school history: three-time First Team All-Conference, two-time All-America, two-time conference defensive player of the year, one-time Southwestern Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
, one-time SWAC Tournament MVP, a winner of both the regular season and conference championships in 2004–05, a one-time NCAA Division I season steals leader, and at the time of his graduation, the holder of the eighth highest career steals total (346) in college basketball history. Upon the conclusion of the 2009–10 season
he was named the "SWAC Player of the Decade" for the years spanning between 2000 and 2010, according to Rivals.com
.
Trotter finished with 1,726 points, 483 rebounds, 466 assists, 346 steals and 228 three-point field goals made. Despite his statistically solid collegiate career, Trotter went undrafted in the 2006 NBA Draft
and decided to take his game overseas.
's Basketball Bundesliga
. Trotter played for two seasons with the team, appearing in 54 total games, while averaging 9.6 points, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He then spent the 2008–09 season in France
's Ligue Nationale de Basketball
B-League for Étendard de Brest
before one season in Finland
playing for Torpan Pojat
. It was during his one-year stint in Finland that he garnered the most personal accolades in his professional career to date; Eurobasket.com
named him their Finnish Guard of the Year, All-League First Team and All-League Imports Team. After that season ended, Trotter signed with Szolnoki Olaj KK
and plays for them as of the 2010–11 season.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
professional basketball player. As of the 2010–11 basketball season, he plays for Szolnoki Olaj KK
Szolnoki Olaj KK
Szolnoki Olaj KK is a professional basketball team based in Szolnok, Hungary. The team also goes by the name of Olaj, which is a well-known nickname in the country. The club competes in the Hungarian League and the EuroChallenge. The club was founded in 1959, and it has since developed into one of...
in the Hungarian Basketball National Championship
Hungarian Basketball National Championship
The Hungarian Basketball National Championship — commonly abbreviated NBI or NBI/A — is the highest level league of club basketball in Hungary. The league comprises 14 teams. A NBI/A season is split into a league stage and a playoff/playout stage...
. He is , weighs 180 lbs. and plays the 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...
position. He received Hungarian citizenship in June 20, 2011.
A native of Robertsdale
Robertsdale, Alabama
Robertsdale is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,782. It is part of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
in Baldwin County
Baldwin County, Alabama
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*85.7% White*9.4% Black*0.7% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.5% Two or more races*4.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, Trotter had received interest from more established, higher tier mid-major
Mid-major
Mid-major is a term used in American Division I college sports, to refer to athletic conferences that are not among the major six conferences...
NCAA Division I basketball programs in high school, but he ended up playing at Alabama A&M because his mother wanted him coached by a "godly man." She felt that head coach L. Vann Pettaway
L. Vann Pettaway
L. Vann Pettaway is the former men's basketball coach at Alabama A&M. He served 25 years as the Bulldogs' head coach. During his tenure at Alabama A&M, the school moved up to Division I and competed in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. He has compiled over 400 wins. In 2011, Pettaway was fired from his...
fit the bill, and so Trotter became an Alabama A&M Bulldog.
College career
Trotter's collegiate career spanned from 2002–032002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2002, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 7, 2003 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans,...
to 2005–06
2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 6, 2005, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 3, 2006 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana...
. He played in 114 career games and led the team in scoring in each of his final three seasons. Trotter averaged 18.1, 15.3 and 19.2 points per game, respectively, during that stretch. By the time he graduated he had become the most decorated men's basketball player in school history: three-time First Team All-Conference, two-time All-America, two-time conference defensive player of the year, one-time Southwestern Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
Southwestern Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Southwestern Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given to the Southwestern Athletic Conference's most outstanding player...
, one-time SWAC Tournament MVP, a winner of both the regular season and conference championships in 2004–05, a one-time NCAA Division I season steals leader, and at the time of his graduation, the holder of the eighth highest career steals total (346) in college basketball history. Upon the conclusion of the 2009–10 season
2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2009, and ended with the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 5, 2010 on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The opening round occurred on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, followed by first...
he was named the "SWAC Player of the Decade" for the years spanning between 2000 and 2010, according to Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
.
Trotter finished with 1,726 points, 483 rebounds, 466 assists, 346 steals and 228 three-point field goals made. Despite his statistically solid collegiate career, Trotter went undrafted in the 2006 NBA Draft
2006 NBA Draft
The 2006 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2006 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players,...
and decided to take his game overseas.
Professional career
The first professional team he signed with was Gießen 46ers in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Basketball Bundesliga
Basketball Bundesliga
The Basketball Bundesliga — commonly abbreviated BBL — is the highest level league of club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season is split into a league stage and a playoff stage...
. Trotter played for two seasons with the team, appearing in 54 total games, while averaging 9.6 points, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He then spent the 2008–09 season in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's Ligue Nationale de Basketball
Ligue Nationale de Basketball
The Ligue National de Basket is the top men's French professional basketball league. There are two divisions: French Pro A League and French Pro B League .-Pro A:...
B-League for Étendard de Brest
Étendard de Brest
Étendard de Brest is a basketball club based in Brest, France that plays in the Ligue Nationale de Basketball. Their home arena is Salle Marcel Cerdan.- Current roster :Championship : Pro B-External links:...
before one season in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
playing for Torpan Pojat
Torpan Pojat
Torpan Pojat is a basketball club, based in Helsinki, Finland. It was formed in 1932, originally as a sport club for the school of Munkkiniemi. With approximately 500 members, it includes men's, women's, and junior teams...
. It was during his one-year stint in Finland that he garnered the most personal accolades in his professional career to date; Eurobasket.com
Eurobasket.com
Eurobasket.com and its related web sites are a group of global basketball websites covering 242 basketball leagues in 153 countries.The site was opened in March 1997...
named him their Finnish Guard of the Year, All-League First Team and All-League Imports Team. After that season ended, Trotter signed with Szolnoki Olaj KK
Szolnoki Olaj KK
Szolnoki Olaj KK is a professional basketball team based in Szolnok, Hungary. The team also goes by the name of Olaj, which is a well-known nickname in the country. The club competes in the Hungarian League and the EuroChallenge. The club was founded in 1959, and it has since developed into one of...
and plays for them as of the 2010–11 season.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season steals leaders
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career steals leaders
External links
- Alabama A&M statistics @ sports-reference.com