Frédéric Weis

Frédéric Weis
Personal information
Born (1977-06-22) June 22, 1977
Thionville, France
Nationality French
Listed height 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)
Listed weight 260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
NBA draft 1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15th overall
Selected by the New York Knicks
Playing career 1995–2011
Position Center
Career history
1995–2000 CSP Limoges
2000 PAOK Thessaloniki
2000–2004 Unicaja Málaga
2004–2009 Iurbentia Bilbao
2009 ViveMenorca
2010–2011 CSP Limoges
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Summer Olympics
2000 Sydney France
EuroBasket
2005 Serbia & Montenegro France

Frédéric Weis (born June 22, 1977) is a French retired professional basketball player.

Professional career

During his pro career, Weis played with Unicaja Málaga and Iurbentia Bilbao of the Spanish ACB League, PAOK Thessaloniki in the Greek League, and Limoges in the French League. On January 28, 2009, Iurbentia Bilbao waived him, after he missed 3 games in a row, due to his health,[1] and on February 13, he signed with ViveMenorca.[2]

He was drafted by the New York Knicks, with the 15th pick in the first round, of the 1999 NBA draft, but he did not sign with them, and never played in the NBA. The draft pick angered many Knicks fans, because Ron Artest, who had grown up in Queens, New York, and played for St. John's University, was still available. Artest was taken with the next pick by the Chicago Bulls. On August 29, 2008, Weis's draft rights were traded from the New York Knicks, to the Houston Rockets, for power forward Patrick Ewing Jr.[3]

Weis never played in an NBA game. In March 2011, he announced his retirement.[4]

French national basketball team

Weis won the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, with the senior French national basketball team. With France's national team he played at the following EuroBaskets: the 1999 EuroBasket, the 2001 EuroBasket, the 2005 EuroBasket, and the 2007 EuroBasket.

At the 2005 EuroBasket, Weis won the bronze medal with his national team. He also played with France's national team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.[5]

"Le dunk de la mort"

Weis is known for having been posterized by the United States' Vince Carter, during a basketball game between the U.S. and France at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, on September 25, 2000. After getting the ball off a steal, the 6'6" (1.98 m) tall Carter, drove to the basket, leaped, spread his legs as he jumped over the 7'2" (2.18 m) tall Weis, and ferociously dunked the ball. The French media dubbed the slam "le dunk de la mort": "the dunk of death". The US won the game 106–94. In an ESPN story published on the 15th anniversary of the dunk, Weis said that Carter, "deserves to make history. Sadly for me, I was on the video, too. I learned people can fly."[6]

Personal life

In 2002, Weis' wife, Celia, gave birth to a son, Enzo, while Weis was playing in Spain. After Enzo was diagnosed with autism as a toddler, Weis spiraled into alcoholism and depression, and Celia took their son and returned to France. In 2008, Weis drove to a rest stop in Biarritz, and attempted suicide, by intentionally overdosing on sleeping pills. After surviving the attempt, Weis eventually quit drinking and reconciled with his wife. Following his retirement from basketball, Weis and Celia began operating a tobacco shop and bar in Limoges.[7] He is also a television analyst for French league games.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "El iurbentia Bilbao Basket y Fred Weis acuerdan rescindir el contrato" (in Spanish). ACB.com. 2009-01-29.
  2. ↑ "El ViveMenorca firma a Weis y da de baja a Vladimir Boisa" (in Spanish). ACB.com. 2009-02-13.
  3. ↑ Beck, Howard (October 28, 2008). "The Knicks Let Go of Another Ewing, for Now". The New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  4. ↑ Entretien avec Frédéric Weis (in French).
  5. ↑ Frédéric WEIS (FRA) participated in 13 FIBA / FIBA Zones events.
  6. 1 2 Wallace, Michael; Peterson, Rob (September 25, 2015). "In a Single Bound". ESPN. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  7. ↑ Borden, Sam (July 14, 2015). "For Frédéric Weis, Knicks' Infamous Pick, Boos Began a Greater Struggle". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
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