 Charles in 1987 wearing a Irge Desio jersey | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1963-11-25)November 25, 1963 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 27, 2011(2011-06-27) (aged 47) Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Brooklyn Tech (Brooklyn, New York) |
| College | NC State (1981–1985) |
| NBA draft | 1985: 2nd round, 41st overall pick |
| Drafted by | Atlanta Hawks |
| Playing career | 1985–2001 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 43 |
| Career history | |
| 1985–1986 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1986–1987 | Arexons Cantù |
| 1987–1988 | Irge Desio |
| 1988–1989 | Quad City Thunder |
| 1989 | Rapid City Thrillers |
| 1990–1991 | Arapt Uppsala |
| 1991 | CB Llíria |
| 1992–1993 | Oyak Renault |
| 1993–1994 | Oklahoma City Cavalry |
| 1994–1995 | Cordon Atlético |
| 1995–1996 | Solna Vikings |
| 1996 | Atlanta Trojans |
| 1997 | Raleigh Cougars |
| 1997–1998 | Atenas Atletico |
| 1998 | Raleigh Cougars |
| 1998–1999 | Atenas Atletico |
| 1999 | Peñarol Mar del Plata |
| 1999–2000 | Nacional Montevideo |
| 2000–2001 | Fargo-Moorhead Beez |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Lorenzo Emile Charles[1] (November 25, 1963 – June 27, 2011)[2] was an American college and professionalbasketball player. A native ofBrooklyn, New York, Charles playedcollegiately for theNC State Wolfpack and scored the game-winning points in the championship game of the1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. He played briefly in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) and for several professional teams in Europe. Charles died in a bus accident on June 27, 2011, at age 47.
Lorenzo Charles was born inBrooklyn, New York toPanamanian immigrants. He was a 1981 graduate ofBrooklyn Technical High School and playedcollege basketball atNorth Carolina State University inRaleigh.[2][3] During his sophomore season with theWolfpack, Charles scored the game-winning put-back dunk off an airball shot byDereck Whittenburg in the final seconds of the championship game of the1983 NCAA Tournament. The basket broke a 52–52 tie atThe Pit inAlbuquerque, New Mexico, as NC State scored the last eight points to defeat the top-ranked and heavily favoredHouston Cougars, led byHakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon,Clyde "The Glide" Drexler and the rest ofPhi Slama Jama.
Charles blossomed into a star in his next two seasons for the Wolfpack. After packing on another 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of muscle, he averaged 18 points and more than eight rebounds a game in 1983–84, becoming a third-teamAll-American. As a senior, Charles averaged 18 points a game and grabbed more than six rebounds as NC State finished the regular season tied for first-place with a 9–5 conference record in theAtlantic Coast Conference. The Wolfpack advanced to the Elite Eight in the1985 NCAA Tournament, but fell 69–60 in the West region finals toSt. John's University, led byplayer of the yearChris Mullin. Charles' number 43 was honored by the NC State program in 2008, 25 years after his most-famous dunk.[4]
Charles was the 41st selection in the1985 NBA draft at age 21 and went on to have a modest professional career, playing briefly in theNBA with theAtlanta Hawks. He later played with several European teams, particularly inItaly forArexons Cantù and Irge Desio.[5]
Charles died at the age of 47 in a bus crash onInterstate 40 in Raleigh on June 27, 2011. He was at the controls of an Elite Coach rentalbus, without passengers.[4][6][7] Charles was interred atOakwood Cemetery in Raleigh.[3]