Steven D'Shawn Francis was born on February 21,1977 and is an American former professional basketball player.
34 Facts About Steve Francis
2.
Steve Francis was selected with the second overall pick of the 1999 NBA draft and was named co-NBA Rookie of the Year in his first season.
3.
Steve Francis was a three-time NBA All-Star while playing for the Houston Rockets.
4.
Steve Francis was known for his crossover dribble, driving ability, and flashy dunks.
5.
Steve Francis's father served 20 years in federal prison for bank robbery.
6.
Steve Francis later described his stepfather, a garbage collector, as his best friend.
7.
Steve Francis began working for drug dealers at ten years old and began selling crack cocaine on the street as a teenager during the American crack epidemic.
8.
Steve Francis attended six high schools and played in a total of two high school basketball games.
9.
Steve Francis dropped out of school at 18 years old after his mother died.
10.
Steve Francis completed his GED after receiving an offer to play college basketball for San Jacinto College, whose coaches had noticed him at an Amateur Athletic Union tournament.
11.
Steve Francis became the first player to take two unbeaten teams into the National Junior College Tournament.
12.
Steve Francis transferred to Maryland in 1998 for his junior season.
13.
Steve Francis made an instant impact as Maryland's starting shooting guard, scoring 17 points in the season opener against Western Carolina.
14.
The Terrapins finished second in the ACC and Steve Francis was named to the All-ACC first team and the All ACC Tournament team.
15.
Steve Francis finished the season averaging 17 points per game, 4.5 assists per game, and 2.8 steals per game.
16.
Steve Francis was a consensus second-team All-American and was named a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith Player of the Year Awards.
17.
Steve Francis soon began attending Ravin's workouts and recommended Ravin as trainer to fellow college players, including Elton Brand.
18.
Steve Francis was selected second in the 1999 NBA draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies.
19.
Steve Francis publicly announced that he did not want to play for the Grizzlies, citing the distance from his Maryland home, taxes, endorsements, and "God's will".
20.
Steve Francis scored a career-high 44 points in a nationally televised home win against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 17,2003.
21.
At first, Steve Francis was unhappy with the trade to Orlando, but he adapted to his new environment.
22.
Steve Francis flourished in the run n' gun offense of interim head coach Chris Jent.
23.
Still, rumors persisted that Steve Francis would be traded to the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets or even back to his former team the Houston Rockets.
24.
On February 22,2006, one day before the NBA's trade deadline, Steve Francis was traded to the New York Knicks for small forward Trevor Ariza and the expiring contract of shooting guard Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway.
25.
On 2007 draft night, June 28, the Knicks traded Steve Francis and Channing Frye to the Portland Trail Blazers for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, and Fred Jones; Portland then bought out the remaining two years of Steve Francis's contract for a reported $30 million, making him an unrestricted free agent.
26.
Steve Francis averaged 5.5 points and 3 assists in ten games before undergoing season-ending surgery stemming from an earlier left quadriceps tendon injury.
27.
Steve Francis lost 15 pounds for training camp, but was not able to play in the beginning of the season due to the recovery period of his injury.
28.
On January 27,2009, it was reported that Steve Francis was waived by the Grizzlies, without having appeared in a game for them.
29.
In November 2010, Steve Francis signed with the Beijing Ducks of China.
30.
Steve Francis, who was on campus at the time, arranged to sponsor a dinner for the displaced students before he flew back to Houston for his third season with the Rockets.
31.
On election day 2008, Steve Francis supported presidential candidate Barack Obama by wearing a red velvet sports jacket with "Barack Obama" spelled on the back in sequins.
32.
Steve Francis has suffered from Meniere's disease, which causes episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, and aural fullness.
33.
Steve Francis has ventured into several entrepreneurial projects, including a construction company, boxing promotions, a barbershop and clothing line, as well as a hip-hop record label, Mazerati Music.
34.
In November 2016, Steve Francis was arrested in Houston for driving under the influence and a felony charge of threatening a public servant.