| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1973-06-08)June 8, 1973 (age 52) Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 290 lb (132 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Gans (Gans, Oklahoma) |
| College | Oklahoma State (1991–1995) |
| NBA draft | 1995: 1st round, 6th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Vancouver Grizzlies |
| Playing career | 1995–2001 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 50 |
| Career history | |
| 1995–2001 | Vancouver Grizzlies |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 4,945 (12.5 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,745 (6.9 rpg) |
| Blocks | 302 (0.8 bpg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Bryant Reeves (born June 8, 1973) is an American former professionalbasketball player. Reeves spent his entire career with theNational Basketball Association'sVancouver Grizzlies, playing with the team from 1995 until 2001. He was nicknamed "Big Country" by his college teammateByron Houston after Reeves was amazed by the size of the United States following his first cross-country airplane flight,[1] having grown up in the small community ofGans, Oklahoma.[2]
Standing 7 feet (210 cm) tall and weighing between 275 and 300 pounds (125 and 136 kg), Reeves was an imposing physical presence on the court and was primed to become a dominantcenter in the NBA. He had a strong collegiate career withOklahoma State University, where he averaged 21.5 points per game as a senior and led OSU to the1995 Final Four.
Reeves became the Grizzlies' first-ever draft choice, selected sixth overall in the1995 NBA draft.[3]
Reeves played six seasons with the Grizzlies. After averaging 13.3 points per game in a solidrookie season, he averaged 16.2 points per game in the1996–97 season and was subsequently awarded with a six-year, $61.8 million contract extension. Thenext season was his best, when he averaged 16.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.08 blocked shots per game. During that season he scored a career-high 41 points against theBoston Celtics. He was the first and last player to wear #50 beforeZach Randolph, whom it was retired in honor of.
After 1998, weight-control problems and injuries began to take a toll on Reeves, and his numbers fell off dramatically.[4] He was still the starting center for the Grizzlies, but his minutes per game dropped, and hisfield goal percentage dropped significantly. Eventually, after theGrizzlies moved toMemphis, Tennessee in2001, Reeves started the season on the injured list due to chronic back pain and was never able to play another game (the only games he played with the team in Memphis were two preseason games). During preseason play in the fall of 2001, Reeves experienced back pain after just two preseason games.[5] On January 29, 2002, the Grizzlies announced Reeves' retirement from the NBA due to chronic back pain caused by degenerative discs.Shaquille O'Neal said he was the toughest matchup he faced in his career.[6] At the time he was the Grizzlies all-time leader in games played with 395.[7]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | Vancouver | 77 | 63 | 24.9 | .457 | .000 | .732 | 7.4 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 13.3 |
| 1996–97 | Vancouver | 75 | 75 | 37.0 | .486 | .091 | .704 | 8.1 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 16.2 |
| 1997–98 | Vancouver | 74 | 74 | 34.1 | .523 | .000 | .706 | 7.9 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 16.3 |
| 1998–99 | Vancouver | 25 | 14 | 28.1 | .406 | .000 | .578 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 10.8 |
| 1999–00 | Vancouver | 69 | 67 | 25.7 | .448 | .000 | .648 | 5.7 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 8.9 |
| 2000–01 | Vancouver | 75 | 48 | 24.4 | .460 | .250 | .796 | 6.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 8.3 |
| Career | 395 | 341 | 30.6 | .475 | .074 | .703 | 6.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 12.5 | |
Bryant was the subject ofKathleen Jayme's documentary filmFinding Big Country in 2018.[8]
Following his career, Reeves went back to Oklahoma and is now a cattle farmer and a family man, living on a ranch inSequoyah County.[9] His son Trey was a three year walk on at Oklahoma State, earning a scholarship his final year before going on to being accepted atHarvard Law School.[10][11]