Zach Randolph

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Lore & Background

Randolph grew up in Marion, Indiana, and attended Marion High School, where his coach was Moe Smedley. As a sophomore, he helped lead the Marion Giants to the 1998 Indiana Class 4A Championship Game. As a senior, he again led his team to the state championship game in which Marion High School won its seventh state basketball championship. He finished second in Indiana's "Mr. Basketball" voting that year behind Jared Jeffries. During the 2000 McDonald's All-American Game, Randolph was named MVP, finishing with 23 points and 15 rebounds. After high school, he attended and played basketball for Michigan State University coached by Tom Izzo. In his single season at Michigan State, he averaged 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game over 33 games, with a team that finished with a 28–5 record and advanced to its third straight NCAA Final Four. After his freshman season, he entered the 2001 NBA draft. He was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round (19th overall) in 2001. Randolph's tenure on the Trail Blazers proved tumultuous, and included off-court incidents such as being arrested for underage drinking in 2002 and on-court incidents such as punching teammate Ruben Patterson after arguing with teammate Qyntel Woods in 2003. In the 2003 NBA Playoffs, Randolph averaged 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds in a seven-game series loss to the Dallas Mavericks. In 2004, he won the NBA's Most Improved Player award, after which he signed a 6-year, $84-million extension with the Blazers. Randolph averaged 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game in the 2006–07 season, which was cut short in March 2007 due to a hand injury. In his final game as a Trail Blazer, he accumulated a career high 43 points and 17 rebounds. On June 28, 2007, Randolph was traded to the New York Knicks. He played 69 games with the Knicks during the 2007–08 season, averaging a double-double, with 17.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. On November 21, 2008, after playing 11 games with the Knicks in the 2008–09 season, Randolph was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. In his 39 games with the Clippers, he averaged 20.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. On July 17, 2009, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Randolph was selected for his first NBA All Star Game in 2010. The Grizzlies made the playoffs in 2011 as the eighth seed and eliminated the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round. In

In Their Own Story

On May 15, 2013, Zach Randolph delivered a masterclass that propelled the Grizzlies into the franchise's first Western Conference Finals. In the close-out game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he scored a team-high 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to secure the victory. Although the Grizzlies were eventually swept by the San Antonio Spurs in four games, Randolph's consistency remained a constant throughout his Memphis tenure. His physical dominance was evident on November 30, 2016, when he recorded his first career triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Los Angeles Clippers. Even as he aged, his impact endured; on January 6, 2017, he scored 27 points off the bench in an overtime win over the Golden State Warriors, marking his highest total off the bench since 2006. His connection to the city was so profound that upon his departure, the Grizzlies announced his number would never be worn again.

Reader's Guide

Zach Randolph was a power forward known for his scoring and rebounding. He was a two-time NBA All-Star (2010 and 2013 per source, but note: source says first All-Star in 2010 and second during 2012–13 season, so All-Star appearances were in 2010 and 2013). He won the NBA Most Improved Player award in 2004 and made the All-NBA Third Team in 2011. He played for the Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, and Sacramento Kings. He retired in December 2019.

Did You Know?

• Randolph was named MVP of the 2000 McDonald's All-American Game with 23 points and 15 rebounds.
• He was drafted 19th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2001 NBA draft.
• Randolph recorded his first career triple-double on March 19, 2016, with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
• He became the Grizzlies' all-time leader in made field goals on November 2, 2016, passing Pau Gasol.