Voshon Lenard

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Lenard played college basketball at the University of Minnesota, finishing as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,103 points. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the 1994 NBA draft but returned to Minnesota for his senior season. After graduating, he played in the Continental Basketball Association for the Oklahoma City Cavalry, averaging 30.1 points per game in 18 games during the 1995–96 season. He left the CBA mid-season to sign with the Miami Heat.

In Their Own Story

The 1997–1998 season saw Lenard start 81 games, averaging 12.6 points while maintaining a 40 percent three-point shooting rate. The Heat reached the playoffs but lost in five games to New York, where Lenard averaged 14.4 points. His career in Miami hit a low point during the lockout-shortened 1998–1999 season, where an injury limited him to just 12 appearances as the team again fell to the Knicks. He rebounded in 1999–2000, coming off the bench for 11.9 points per game and shooting 39 percent from deep before injuries sidelined him late in the season. Miami reached the second round that year, defeating Detroit before losing a seven-game series to New York. Following this run, the Heat traded Lenard and Mark Strickland to the Denver Nuggets for Chris Gatling.

Reader's Guide

Lenard played for the Miami Heat from 1995–2000, then was traded to the Denver Nuggets after the 1999–2000 season. He played for Denver from 2000–2002, then signed with the Toronto Raptors for the 2002–2003 season. He returned to Denver for the 2003–2004 through 2005–2006 seasons, and was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in February 2006, playing 14 games before retiring at the end of the 2006 season.

Did You Know?

• Lenard scored a memorable game-winning double-pump leaning shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 11, 1996.
• He won the 2004 NBA All-Star Weekend Three-point Shootout.
• Lenard averaged a career-high 14.3 points per game with the Toronto Raptors in the 2002–2003 season.
• He placed 7th in the league in three-point shots made and 10th in three-point shooting percentage in the 1996–1997 season.