Orlando Lightfoot
Encyclopedia
Orlando Lightfoot is a retired American
professional basketball player whose international career spanned between 1994–95 and 2006–07. He is best known in the United States for his collegiate career at the University of Idaho
between 1991–92 and 1993–94 in which he was a two-time Big Sky Conference Player of the Year
and graduated as the all-time leading scorer in conference history (2,201 points). Since retiring from basketball he has become an account manager for a trucking company in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee
.
. He was named a Parade magazine All-American, was the 1989 Class AA Tennessee Mr. Basketball recipient and had signed a National Letter of Intent
to play for the Oklahoma Sooners
. Lightfoot's grades were so poor, however, that the NCAA's Proposition 48
did not allow him to enroll at the university. To improve his academic standing and to become eligible to play at a four-year Division I institution he enrolled at Hiwassee College
, a junior college in Madisonville, Tennessee
.
season but still afforded him the ability to retain three years of eligibility. During this one year off, he was determining which school to attend. Larry Eustachy
, then-head coach of the Idaho Vandals men's basketball
team, had approached Lightfoot during his freshman
season at Hiwassee. One of Lightfoot's coaches at Hiwassee became an assistant to Eustachy at Idaho, and after encouragement from several of his junior college teammates who had visited that school and had loved it there, and thus he decided to play at Idaho.
named him their national player of the week on February 17, 1992. To earn that honor, he had averaged 33.7 points, 10 rebounds and shot 54% from the field in wins over Southern Utah
, Northern Arizona
and Nevada
. At the end of the season, Lightfoot was named to the All-Big Sky First Team as well as the recipient of its Newcomer of the Year Award.
As a junior
in 1992–93 he once again led the Vandals in scoring with his 22.3 points per game average. He set the still-standing single season school record by scoring 715 points en route to leading Idaho to a regular season conference championship. They finished with a 24–8 overall (11–3 conference) record, but did not earn a berth into either the NCAA Tournament
nor the National Invitation Tournament
. On February 15, 1993, Sports Illustrated named him their national player of the week for a second time, almost exactly one year after his first national honor. He averaged 32.5 points and 16 rebounds in wins over Idaho State and Boise State
. Against Boise State, Lightfoot scored a then-school record 44 points. The media recognized Lightfoot's outstanding season and named him the conference player of the year
.
In Lightfoot's final season, the Vandals finished with an 18–10 (9–5 conference) record. For the third consecutive season he led the team in scoring, this time with a 25.4 points per game average. On December 21, he scored a still-standing school record 50 points against Gonzaga
, including a career-high 8-for-11 shooting performance on three-point field goal
s. He had been in foul trouble early in the game and was forced to sit out for 10 minutes in the first half, so his 50 points came in only 30 minutes of playing time. In addition, his teammates only scored a combined 19 points, and the Vandals lost the game 76 to 69. Lightfoot then repeated as the conference player of the year, joining Montana
's Larry Krystkowiak
at the only two players to achieve the feat at least twice up until that point. Although the team achieved moderate success that season, they were not good enough to play in any postseason tournaments. Lightfoot's individual success during the year, and over the course of his career at the school, saw him graduate in 1994 as the most decorated player in the university's history and one of the Big Sky Conference's greatest players of all time.
In just a three-year career, Lightfoot scored 2,201 points, which through the 2010–11 season
remain the most in Big Sky history. In each year, he averaged 20+ points per game for a career average of 23.1—nearly four points per game better than the next closest player at Idaho. He was a three-time first team all-conference selection, two-time conference player of the year, and currently holds 13 different records in the Vandals' record book. Among them are the top three single season scoring averages and four of the top six single game scoring marks. His career scoring record is also more than 500 points greater than the second closest player in school history. When asked if this mark will ever be topped, he responded, "I think it will happen, as all records are made to be broken. I do not know when or how, but I think Rodney Stuckey
was on pace to break it if he had stayed four years at[ Eastern Washington
] . It will have to be a young kid who stays all four years. However, if you are scoring 20 points per game as a sophomore, then I think you might leave early and go to the [ National Basketball Association
] (NBA)."
While at Idaho, Lightfoot also excelled in the classroom, which was the opposite of what had been occurring at the high school and junior college levels. He did not miss a single class in his three years and graduated on time. Years later, he had this retrospective on the change: "I was not dumb, just lazy and spoiled. I was put on probation at Idaho and they would have kicked me out of there if I screwed up even once. Basketball was everything to me and it was my out, so I gave it all I had and buckled down in school."
. Rather than try out for a number of NBA teams in hopes of making a final roster, he decided right away to play professional basketball internationally. Between 1994–95 and 2006–07 he played for teams in Argentina
, Austria
, Belgium
, France
, Germany
, Holland
, Lebanon
, Luxembourg
, Spain
, Sweden
and Switzerland
.
During his 12-year career he averaged at least 20 points per game in eight seasons and at least 18 per game in two others. His best statistical season came in 1995–96 while playing for Geneva in Switzerland. He averaged 27.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. His career highlights include:
The final team of his career was KFUM Jämtland Basket in Sweden. He appeared in 15 games that year and averaged 19.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Since his professional basketball retirement, Lightfoot has moved back to Chattanooga, Tennessee and become a trucking company's accounts manager. He has also become a father after his wife gave birth to their son. When asked how he would like people to remember his basketball career, he responded, "I want people to say that he played for the big game. When the game was on the line and everything mattered, he made all the big shots and led his team to a win."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball player whose international career spanned between 1994–95 and 2006–07. He is best known in the United States for his collegiate career at the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
between 1991–92 and 1993–94 in which he was a two-time Big Sky Conference Player of the Year
Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given to the Big Sky Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1978–79 season. Only one player—Larry Krystkowiak of Montana—has won the award three times...
and graduated as the all-time leading scorer in conference history (2,201 points). Since retiring from basketball he has become an account manager for a trucking company in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
.
Early life
Born in Chattanooga, Lightfoot played basketball at Chattanooga High SchoolChattanooga High School
Chattanooga High School was founded in the fall of 1874 in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee.-Status:Chattanooga High School, sometimes called "City" has evolved into two high schools...
. He was named a Parade magazine All-American, was the 1989 Class AA Tennessee Mr. Basketball recipient and had signed a National Letter of Intent
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...
to play for the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball
-1908-1980:The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen , and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980...
. Lightfoot's grades were so poor, however, that the NCAA's Proposition 48
Proposition 48 (NCAA)
Proposition 48 is an NCAA regulation that stipulates minimum high school grades and standardized test scores that student-athletes must meet in order to participate in college athletic competition.As of 2010, the regulation is as follows:...
did not allow him to enroll at the university. To improve his academic standing and to become eligible to play at a four-year Division I institution he enrolled at Hiwassee College
Hiwassee College
Hiwassee College is a private, accredited college located in Madisonville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1849, the college offers associate degrees as well as four year degrees, The majority of its associate degree graduates go on to attend, and complete, four-year...
, a junior college in Madisonville, Tennessee
Madisonville, Tennessee
Madisonville is a city in Monroe County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,939 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Monroe County and the location of Hiwassee College.-Geography:...
.
Hiwassee
During Lightfoot's time at Hiwassee, his grades remained fairly poor. He played for the basketball team while enrolled, and even though he did not receive stellar marks in the classroom, they were good enough where he could play for a four-year school. After one year at the junior college, Lightfoot left. Due to NCAA rules, by leaving the two-year school early, he was forced to sit out on what would have been his true sophomoreSophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
season but still afforded him the ability to retain three years of eligibility. During this one year off, he was determining which school to attend. Larry Eustachy
Larry Eustachy
Larry Eustachy is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of The University of Southern Mississippi's men's basketball team. He was hired as head coach on March 25, 2004. He had previously been head coach of the men's basketball teams at Idaho , Utah State and Iowa State...
, then-head coach of the Idaho Vandals men's basketball
Idaho Vandals men's basketball
The Idaho Vandals men's basketball team represents the University of Idaho, located in Moscow, Idaho, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference...
team, had approached Lightfoot during his freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
season at Hiwassee. One of Lightfoot's coaches at Hiwassee became an assistant to Eustachy at Idaho, and after encouragement from several of his junior college teammates who had visited that school and had loved it there, and thus he decided to play at Idaho.
Idaho
Lightfoot played for the Vandals for three seasons: 1991–92 through 1993–94. During his first year with the team, Idaho finished with an 18–14 (10–6 conference) record. He led the team in scoring with 21.8 points per game, and Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
named him their national player of the week on February 17, 1992. To earn that honor, he had averaged 33.7 points, 10 rebounds and shot 54% from the field in wins over Southern Utah
Southern Utah Thunderbirds men's basketball
The Southern Utah Thunderbirds Basketball team is the basketball team that represent Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah. The school's team currently competes in The Summit League. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2001...
, Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks men's basketball
The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks men's basketball team represents Northern Arizona University, located in Flagstaff, Arizona, in NCAA Division I men's competition. The school's team currently competes in the Big Sky Conference. The team's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's...
and Nevada
Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball
The Nevada Wolf Pack basketball program is a college basketball team that represents the University of Nevada, Reno. The team is currently a member of the Western Athletic Conference, which is a Division I conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. At the end of the season, Lightfoot was named to the All-Big Sky First Team as well as the recipient of its Newcomer of the Year Award.
As a junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
in 1992–93 he once again led the Vandals in scoring with his 22.3 points per game average. He set the still-standing single season school record by scoring 715 points en route to leading Idaho to a regular season conference championship. They finished with a 24–8 overall (11–3 conference) record, but did not earn a berth into either the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
nor the National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
. On February 15, 1993, Sports Illustrated named him their national player of the week for a second time, almost exactly one year after his first national honor. He averaged 32.5 points and 16 rebounds in wins over Idaho State and Boise State
Boise State Broncos men's basketball
The Boise State Broncos men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Mountain West Conference. The team's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was...
. Against Boise State, Lightfoot scored a then-school record 44 points. The media recognized Lightfoot's outstanding season and named him the conference player of the year
Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given to the Big Sky Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1978–79 season. Only one player—Larry Krystkowiak of Montana—has won the award three times...
.
In Lightfoot's final season, the Vandals finished with an 18–10 (9–5 conference) record. For the third consecutive season he led the team in scoring, this time with a 25.4 points per game average. On December 21, he scored a still-standing school record 50 points against Gonzaga
Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
The Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, including a career-high 8-for-11 shooting performance on three-point field goal
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
s. He had been in foul trouble early in the game and was forced to sit out for 10 minutes in the first half, so his 50 points came in only 30 minutes of playing time. In addition, his teammates only scored a combined 19 points, and the Vandals lost the game 76 to 69. Lightfoot then repeated as the conference player of the year, joining Montana
Montana Grizzlies men's basketball
The Montana Grizzlies men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Sky Conference. Home games are played at Dahlberg Arena located inside the University of Montana's Adams Center.-Season by season records:...
's Larry Krystkowiak
Larry Krystkowiak
Larry Brett Krystkowiak is a retired American professional basketball player, and current head coach of the Utah Utes men's basketball team. His nicknames include Krysko and Special K...
at the only two players to achieve the feat at least twice up until that point. Although the team achieved moderate success that season, they were not good enough to play in any postseason tournaments. Lightfoot's individual success during the year, and over the course of his career at the school, saw him graduate in 1994 as the most decorated player in the university's history and one of the Big Sky Conference's greatest players of all time.
In just a three-year career, Lightfoot scored 2,201 points, which through the 2010–11 season
2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 8, 2010 with the preliminary games of the 2010 Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic, and ended with the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 4, 2011 at Reliant Stadium in Houston...
remain the most in Big Sky history. In each year, he averaged 20+ points per game for a career average of 23.1—nearly four points per game better than the next closest player at Idaho. He was a three-time first team all-conference selection, two-time conference player of the year, and currently holds 13 different records in the Vandals' record book. Among them are the top three single season scoring averages and four of the top six single game scoring marks. His career scoring record is also more than 500 points greater than the second closest player in school history. When asked if this mark will ever be topped, he responded, "I think it will happen, as all records are made to be broken. I do not know when or how, but I think Rodney Stuckey
Rodney Stuckey
Rodney Norvell Stuckey is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA.-High school career:...
was on pace to break it if he had stayed four years at
Eastern Washington Eagles men's basketball
The Eastern Washington Eagles men's basketball team represents Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big Sky Conference, of which it has been a member since 1987. The Eagles are currently coached by Jim Hayford.-Key...
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...
While at Idaho, Lightfoot also excelled in the classroom, which was the opposite of what had been occurring at the high school and junior college levels. He did not miss a single class in his three years and graduated on time. Years later, he had this retrospective on the change: "I was not dumb, just lazy and spoiled. I was put on probation at Idaho and they would have kicked me out of there if I screwed up even once. Basketball was everything to me and it was my out, so I gave it all I had and buckled down in school."
Professional
Lightfoot did not get selected in the 1994 NBA Draft1994 NBA Draft
The 1994 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is notable for the fact that two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season...
. Rather than try out for a number of NBA teams in hopes of making a final roster, he decided right away to play professional basketball internationally. Between 1994–95 and 2006–07 he played for teams in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, 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...
, Germany
Germany
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...
, Holland
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
During his 12-year career he averaged at least 20 points per game in eight seasons and at least 18 per game in two others. His best statistical season came in 1995–96 while playing for Geneva in Switzerland. He averaged 27.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. His career highlights include:
- Belgian LeagueBasketball League BelgiumThe Basketball League Belgium , also known as the Ligue Ethias or Ethias League, is the highest professional basketball league in Belgium.-Teams:* Antwerp Giants* Belgacom Liège Basket* Dexia Mons-Hainaut* Generali Okapi Aalstar...
All-Star Game (1999) - German BundesligaBasketball BundesligaThe 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...
All-Imports 2nd Team (2000) - German Bundesliga Cup Semifinals (2002)
- Dutch EredivisieDutch Basketball LeagueThe Dutch Basketball League , is the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands. The league has a closed system...
All-Star Game (2005) - Eurobasket.com All-Dutch Eredivisie 2nd Team (2005)
- Dutch Eredivisie Semifinals (2005)
- Swedish Basketligan All-Star Game (2006)
- Also won the Three-Point Competition
The final team of his career was KFUM Jämtland Basket in Sweden. He appeared in 15 games that year and averaged 19.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Since his professional basketball retirement, Lightfoot has moved back to Chattanooga, Tennessee and become a trucking company's accounts manager. He has also become a father after his wife gave birth to their son. When asked how he would like people to remember his basketball career, he responded, "I want people to say that he played for the big game. When the game was on the line and everything mattered, he made all the big shots and led his team to a win."