Charlie Ward played for nine years with the New York Knicks and started in the 1999 NBA Finals.
25 Facts About Charlie Ward
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Charlie Ward later had short spells with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets, before retiring in 2005.
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Charlie Ward was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
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Charlie Ward was the only Heisman winner to play in the NBA.
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In 1993, Charlie Ward won the James E Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.
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Charlie Ward played basketball for four years at The Florida State University.
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Charlie Ward made the game-winning shot in its Metro Conference Tournament Championship game win over Louisville in 1991.
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Charlie Ward still holds FSU basketball records for career steals at 236 and steals in one game at 9, and ranks sixth all-time in assists at 396.
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Charlie Ward played a shortened season his senior year, joining the basketball team just 15 days after winning the Heisman Trophy.
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Charlie Ward started 16 games at the point guard position that year, and averaged a college career high of 10.5 points and 4.9 assists for the season.
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Charlie Ward is the only Heisman Trophy winner to play in the NBA, and besides Bo Jackson, the only winner of that award to play professionally in another Big 4 league.
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Charlie Ward became a fan favorite in New York for his hard work ethic and unselfish play.
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Charlie Ward was selected to participate in the 1998 NBA All-Star three-point competition, finishing fourth in the event.
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Charlie Ward soon helped the Knicks reach the 1999 NBA Finals before falling to the San Antonio Spurs.
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Charlie Ward was traded to the Phoenix Suns in February 2004 as part of the blockbuster trade that brought Stephon Marbury to the Knicks and was promptly cut by the Suns for salary purposes.
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Charlie Ward spent the remainder of the season with the Spurs and signed a contract with the Houston Rockets the following summer.
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Dubiously, Charlie Ward was the last Knicks draft pick to sign a multiyear contract with the team after the expiration of their rookie deal expired for 23 years.
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In 2011, at the NCAA Final Four, Charlie Ward received the John Wooden Keys to Life award given for continued excellence and integrity on and off the court.
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Charlie Ward established The aCharlie Ward Foundation to enhance the lives of young people through sports based mentoring and educational programs.
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In 2001, while playing for the Knicks, it was discovered that Charlie Ward had made comments about Jews during a Bible-study session, comments that were eventually leaked to the press.
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Charlie Ward eventually apologized for those statements, with his apology being accepted by the Anti-Defamation League.
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Charlie Ward was previously an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets.
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In March 2018, Charlie Ward became the head Boys' Basketball coach for Florida State University Schools in Tallahassee, Florida.
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In June 2018, while on a church mission trip to Ensenada, Mexico, Charlie Ward suffered a stroke.
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Charlie Ward switched to a vegan diet and began a more consistent workout regimen to improve his health and prevent another stroke in the future.