Robert Traylor

Robert Traylor

Personal information
Born	(1977-02-01)February 1, 1977 Detroit, Michigan
Died	May 11, 2011(2011-05-11) (aged 34) Isla Verde, Puerto Rico
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	290 lb (132 kg)
Career information
High school	Murray-Wright (Detroit, Michigan)
College	Michigan (1995–1998)
NBA draft	1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall
Selected by the Dallas Mavericks
Playing career	1998–2011
Position	Power forward / Center
Number	54, 34, 32
Career history
1998–2000	Milwaukee Bucks
2000–2001	Cleveland Cavaliers
2001–2002	Charlotte Hornets
2002–2004	New Orleans Hornets
2004–2005	Cleveland Cavaliers
2006	Gestibérica Vigo
2007–2008	Santurce Crabbers
2008–2009	Antalya Kepez Belediyesi
2009	NSB Napoli
2010	Vaqueros de Bayamón
2010–2011	Halcones UV Xalapa
2011	Vaqueros de Bayamón
Career highlights and awards
Third-team All-American – NABC (1998) NIT champion (1997)* NIT Most Valuable Player (1997)* First-team Parade All-American (1995) * indicates awards retroactively forfeited
Career NBA statistics
Points	2,085 (4.8 ppg)
Rebounds	1,640 (3.7 rpg)
Blocks	306 (0.7 bpg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
hide Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States FIBA Americas U18 Championship 1994 Santa Rosa Team competition

Robert DeShaun "Tractor" Traylor (February 1, 1977 – May 11, 2011) was an American professional basketball player.

High school and college[]

Traylor was a McDonald's All-American the same year as Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter and Paul Pierce. He attended the University of Michigan. Standing 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) and weighing in excess of 300 pounds, he joined a frontcourt for the Wolverines that included Maurice Taylor and Maceo Baston. That year, Traylor broke a backboard while dunking in a game against Ball State.^[1] Traylor helped lead the Wolverines to the 1997 National Invitation Tournament title, and was named the tournament's most valuable player. His junior year was his best, as he averaged 16.2 points and 10 rebounds while leading his team to the inaugural Big Ten Tournament championship and second round of the NCAA Tournament as a three seed.

Traylor was one of the former Michigan players whose ties to booster Ed Martin roiled the program. During his freshman year, Traylor broke his arm in a car accident while out with teammates and recruiting prospect Mateen Cleaves (who ended up going to rival Michigan State). That accident triggered a six-year investigation into the Wolverine program. Martin, who died in 2003 at 69, pleaded guilty in 2002 to conspiracy to launder money and told federal prosecutors he took gambling money, combined it with other funds and lent $616,000 to Traylor, Chris Webber and two other Wolverine players dating to when they were still in high school.^[2] Traylor received three years' probation for tax fraud.^[3]

Due to NCAA violations connected to the case (principally the compromising of the amateur status of Traylor, Webber and Taylor), Michigan withdrew from consideration for the 2003 NCAA tournament, lost scholarships and was placed on probation. The school also vacated the records of every game in which Traylor played from its record book. Traylor also had to surrender his MVP award for the 1997 NIT, as well as his MVP award from the 1998 Big Ten tournament.^{[citation needed]} Murray-Wright High School in Detroit, where Traylor played high school basketball, voluntarily forfeited its entire 1994–95 season (Traylor's senior season).^{[citation needed]}

NBA career[]

In the 1998 NBA Draft, Traylor was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round (with the sixth pick), then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Pat Garrity and German prospect Dirk Nowitzki. Many rank this as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, as Nowitzki would go onto a 21-season career with the Mavericks, while Garrity was shortly thereafter traded by the Mavericks for future Hall of Famer, Steve Nash.

In the 2005 offseason, Traylor had surgery on his aorta.^[4] He then signed on with the New Jersey Nets for the 2005–06 NBA season, but—due to his failing a physical examination—the deal was scrapped.^[3][5] Traylor battled weight problems throughout his career.

International career[]

Traylor played in Turkey for Antalya Kepez Belediyesi, in Italy with the Lega Basket Serie A club NSB Napoli,^[6] in México for Halcones UV Xalapa, and in Puerto Rico with the Cangrejeros de Santurce and Vaqueros de Bayamón.^[7] Traylor was selected as 2010 Defensive Player of the Year of Baloncesto Superior Nacional.^[8] Traylor's last game was played on April 26, 2011, against San German, where he tallied five minutes of playing time with no points scored and two personal fouls.

Death[]

On May 11, 2011, Traylor was found dead at his apartment in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, of an apparent heart attack. Traylor was talking to his wife on the phone at the time; the connection was suddenly lost, at which point his wife Raye Traylor alerted team officials to investigate. ESPN reported that Traylor had died of a heart attack.^[9]

Former coach Paul Silas commented on Traylor's death, saying, "It's just a shock and hard to believe."^[10]

See also[]

• List of basketball players who died during their careers

References[]

Further information[]

• Enlund, Tom. "Lighter Traylor still big on talent." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Thursday June 25, 1998. 3C. Google News 193 of 205.
• "Michigan's Traylor is turning professional." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. March 28, 1998. Page 13.

External links[]

• "NBA.com profile". Archived from the original on April 7, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2007.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
• "Michigan Wolverines biography". Archived from the original on December 23, 1996. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
• NBA Draft busts #16
• Robert Traylor @ Basketball-Reference.com