Shawn Respert
Encyclopedia
Shawn Christopher Respert (born February 6, 1972 in Detroit, Michigan
) is a retired American professional basketball
player. A 6'1", 195 lb. shooting guard
, he attended Bishop Borgess High School
, and he came to prominence while playing college basketball
at Michigan State University
where his jersey is now retired. He played professionally in the NBA
for four seasons from 1995 to 1999.
Respert was a standout at Michigan State. He and point guard
Eric Snow
combined to form one of the nation's most prolific backcourt tandems for head coach Jud Heathcote
's Spartans
. He was a unanimous first team All-American and Big Ten
Player of the Year with a 25.6 scoring average during his senior season.
Respert was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
in the 1st round, with the 8th overall pick, of the 1995 NBA Draft
. The Blazers traded his NBA rights to the Milwaukee Bucks
for the rights to Gary Trent
and a first-round pick. Respert was traded to Toronto in his second year, where he scored 5.6 points a game. He next played briefly in Dallas the next season and then had a second stint with the Raptors. Respert finished his career in Phoenix during the 1998-99 season. He was under contract with Los Angeles Lakers
for a brief period in October 2000 but was waived before playing in any NBA games for them. In his NBA career, Respert played in 172 games and scored a total of 851 points on averages of 4.9 points in 13.7 minutes per game.
He played professionally in Italy for Adecco Milano
(1999–2000) and Fillattice Imola
(2001–2002). He also played in Poland for Spójnia Stargard Szczeciński
(2002–2003).
Respert had stomach cancer
but did not admit it until 2005. He started being bothered with stomach cramps towards the end of his rookie season. He noticed a lump below his belly button even after changing his diet. Respert was diagnosed with cancer after undergoing a series of tests at Milwaukee's St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in May 1996. After confirmation through a second opinion, he underwent daily radiation therapy for three consecutive months, losing twenty pounds in the process. The only people who knew about this treatment were the Bucks' trainers, doctors, his coach Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
and Michigan State backcourt partner Eric Snow
. He only told a select few, not even his family and girlfriend knew, because he "did not want to make an excuse, even if it was cancer." http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=290060.
Respert became a volunteer coach at Prairie View A&M in Texas in 2004. Then in early 2005, he was hired to be Director of Basketball Operations at Rice University
for 2 years. Next, Respert spent two years as the Director of Player Development of the NBA's minor league, the NBA Development League
. In September 2008, he was hired by the Houston Rockets
as the Director of Player Programs.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
) is a retired American professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. A 6'1", 195 lb. shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
, he attended Bishop Borgess High School
Bishop Borgess High School
Bishop Borgess High School was a Catholic secondary school in the Detroit suburb of Redford, Michigan.The Archdiocese of Detroit closed the school in 2005 after a period of declining enrollment. During the 1970s, Bishop Borgess was the largest Catholic High School in Michigan.-Noted alumni:*Saul...
, and he came to prominence while playing college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
where his jersey is now retired. He played professionally in the NBA
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...
for four seasons from 1995 to 1999.
Respert was a standout at Michigan State. He and 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...
Eric Snow
Eric Snow
Eric Snow is a retired American professional basketball player and businessman. He is now an analyst on NBA TV and an announcer for the Philadelphia 76ers.-High school career:...
combined to form one of the nation's most prolific backcourt tandems for head coach Jud Heathcote
Jud Heathcote
George Melvin "Jud" Heathcote is a former college basketball coach. He was a head coach for 24 seasons at the collegiate level: five at Montana and 19 at Michigan State...
's Spartans
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
. He was a unanimous first team All-American and Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
Player of the Year with a 25.6 scoring average during his senior season.
Respert was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
in the 1st round, with the 8th overall pick, of the 1995 NBA Draft
1995 NBA Draft
The 1995 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1995 at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It marked the first NBA draft for the two Canadian expansion teams, Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies...
. The Blazers traded his NBA rights 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 the rights to Gary Trent
Gary Trent
Gary Dajaun Trent is an American retired professional basketball player.Trent played his high school basketball at Hamilton Township High School in Columbus, Ohio...
and a first-round pick. Respert was traded to Toronto in his second year, where he scored 5.6 points a game. He next played briefly in Dallas the next season and then had a second stint with the Raptors. Respert finished his career in Phoenix during the 1998-99 season. He was under contract with Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
for a brief period in October 2000 but was waived before playing in any NBA games for them. In his NBA career, Respert played in 172 games and scored a total of 851 points on averages of 4.9 points in 13.7 minutes per game.
He played professionally in Italy for Adecco Milano
Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
(1999–2000) and Fillattice Imola
Andrea Costa Imola
Andrea Costa Imola, also known for sponsorship reasons as Aget Imola, is an Italian professional basketball team from the town of Imola and named after Andrea Costa, a former mayor of Imola....
(2001–2002). He also played in Poland for Spójnia Stargard Szczeciński
Spojnia Stargard Szczecinski
Spójnia Stargard Szczeciński is a Polish basketball team, based in Stargard Szczeciński.- Roster :As of September 26, 2009 Jakub Dłoniak - SG/SF Konrad Koziorowicz - SG Łukasz Grzegorzewski - SG Wiktor Grudziński - C Hubert Mazur - SG/SF Jerzy Koszuta - SF Paweł Polowy - PF/C Arkadiusz...
(2002–2003).
Respert had stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
but did not admit it until 2005. He started being bothered with stomach cramps towards the end of his rookie season. He noticed a lump below his belly button even after changing his diet. Respert was diagnosed with cancer after undergoing a series of tests at Milwaukee's St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in May 1996. After confirmation through a second opinion, he underwent daily radiation therapy for three consecutive months, losing twenty pounds in the process. The only people who knew about this treatment were the Bucks' trainers, doctors, his coach Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.
Michael Joseph Dunleavy is a retired American professional basketball player, former head coach, and former general manager of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. He is the father of Indiana Pacers player Mike Dunleavy, Jr.-Early life:...
and Michigan State backcourt partner Eric Snow
Eric Snow
Eric Snow is a retired American professional basketball player and businessman. He is now an analyst on NBA TV and an announcer for the Philadelphia 76ers.-High school career:...
. He only told a select few, not even his family and girlfriend knew, because he "did not want to make an excuse, even if it was cancer." http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=290060.
Respert became a volunteer coach at Prairie View A&M in Texas in 2004. Then in early 2005, he was hired to be Director of Basketball Operations at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
for 2 years. Next, Respert spent two years as the Director of Player Development of the NBA's minor league, the NBA Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
. In September 2008, he was hired by the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
as the Director of Player Programs.