Childhood & Early Life
He was born on July 16, 1981, in Marion, Indiana, US. He and his three siblings, Kelly, Roger, and Tomika, were raised by their mother singlehandedly. In an interview, he had mentioned that he never knew his father. His mother died in November 2016.
Growing up in penury and hardship, Randolph, who was called “crusty” by his schoolmates, would wear the same pair of jeans for weeks. Once, he fell on the wrong side of the law when he attempted to shoplift a pair of jeans from ‘Walmart.’ Following this, he had to spend 30 days in juvenile detention.
With time, he indulged in all sorts of nasty work, such as rebounding, muscling, and pounding guys who were older than him. He was kept under house arrest for battery when he was 15 years old. After a couple of years, he was kept in juvenile detention for receiving stolen guns. He was also arrested for underage drinking, in 2002.
Although eclipsed with such issues, Randolph excelled in basketball. He studied at the ‘Marion High School,’ where he is said to have told his coach Moe Smedley about his determination to play for the ‘NBA.’
In 1998, while in his sophomore year, he aided the ‘Marion Giants’ to enter the ‘Indiana Class 4A Championship Game.’ He led his school team to the state championship game while in his senior year. This resulted in ‘Marion High School’ winning its seventh state-basketball championship.
The 2000 Indiana ‘Mr. Basketball’ honor for the top high-school basketball player of Indiana went to Jared Jeffries, while Randolph finished second. The two later played as teammates when they were with the ‘New York Knicks.’
Following high-school studies, he enrolled at the ‘Michigan State University.’ There, he continued playing basketball under Coach Tom Izzo and with teammates such as Charlie Bell and Jason Richardson. He played 33 games for the varsity in his single season with a 28–5 record and an average of 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. The 2000–2001 ‘Michigan State Spartans’ men's basketball team, including Randolph, reached its third straight ‘NCAA Final Four.’
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Career
He commenced his professional career in 2001, following his freshman season, when he entered the 2001 ‘NBA’ draft of the Oregon-based professional basketball team ‘Portland Trail Blazers,’ also referred to as the ‘Blazers.’
The ‘NBA’ award for the ‘Most Improved Player’ (MIP) was won by him in 2004. Following this feat, he went on to sign a six-year US$ 84-million extension with the ‘Blazers.’
During the 2006–2007 ‘Portland Trail Blazers’ season, Randolph could only play till March 2007, as he suffered from a hand injury. His average stood at 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He garnered a career-high 43 points and 17 rebounds in the game that happened to be his last one with the ‘Blazers.’ He garnered an average of 16.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, in the six seasons that he played with the team.
He was traded to the ‘New York Knicks,’ generally referred to as the ‘Knicks,’ on June 28, 2007.
In the 2007–2008 season, he played 69 games for the ‘Knicks’ and garnered a double–double average of 17.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. In the 2008–2009 season, he played 11 games for the ‘Knicks,’ garnering an average of 18.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, following which he was traded to the ‘Los Angeles Clippers’ on November 21, 2008.
On February 17, 2009, while playing for the ‘Clippers,’ against the ‘Phoenix Suns,’ he punched the ‘Suns’ player Louis Amundson in the jaw, for which he was driven out of the field and was suspended thereafter. He was with the ‘Clippers’ till the end of the 2008–09 season, playing a total of 39 games for them and garnering an average of 20.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
The ‘Clippers’ traded him to the Tennessee-based ‘Memphis Grizzlies’ on July 17, 2009. While with the ‘Grizzlies,’ he was selected for his first ‘NBA All-Star’ game, in 2010. In the 2011 ‘NBA’ playoffs, the eighth-seeded ‘Grizzlies’ eliminated the top-seeded ‘San Antonio Spurs’ in the first round. The ‘Grizzlies’ won their first playoff game in the history of the team. During the sixth game, Randolph scored 31 points, encompassing 17 in the fourth quarter, marking his playoff career-high score till such time.
He extended his tenure with the ‘Grizzlies’ for four more years. His tenure was worth US$ 71 million, with US$ 66 million guaranteed on April 18, 2011. He achieved yet another feat when he was included in the ‘All-NBA Third Team’ during the 2010–2011 season.
During the 2012–13 ‘Memphis Grizzlies’ season, he was selected for his second ‘All-Star’ game. His superb performance in the match on May 15, 2013, led the team to defeat ‘Oklahoma City Thunder’ to make it to the ‘Western Conference Finals’ for the first time in the history of the franchise. They, however, lost to the ‘San Antonio Spurs’ in the ‘Western Conference Finals.’
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He used his player option for the 2014–2015 season on June 30, 2014, and extended his tenure with the ‘Grizzlies,’ signing a two-year US$ 20-million contract.
His first career triple–double came on March 19, 2016, with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, in a 113–102 victory against the ‘Los Angeles Clippers.’ On November 2 that year, he emerged as the all-time leader in field goals for the ‘Grizzlies.’ He became the 121st ‘NBA’ player to achieve the milestone of playing 1,000 career games, on December 6, 2016.
He signed a two-year US$ 24-million contract with the ‘Sacramento Kings’ on July 10, 2017. He surpassed 10,000 career rebounds during a match against the ‘Brooklyn Nets,’ on December 20, 2017, where he garnered 21 points and eight rebounds.
Facts About Zach Randolph
Zach Randolph is known for his philanthropy off the court, supporting various charities and initiatives in his community.
Despite his imposing presence on the basketball court, Randolph is known for his gentle and humble demeanor off the court.
Randolph's love for music is well-known, and he has been spotted attending concerts and music festivals in his free time.
In addition to his basketball skills, Randolph is also an avid chess player and enjoys challenging opponents in friendly games.
Randolph has a soft spot for animals and has been involved in several initiatives to help shelter pets find loving homes.
