ANDRAY BLATCHE BIO

QUICK STATS

Andray Blatche
Born: Aug 22, 1986
Height: 6-11 / 2.11
Weight: 260 lbs. / 117.9 kg.
Prior to NBA: South Kent Prep (CT)
Country: USA
Years Pro: 7

The son of Angela Oliver, Andray Blatche did not play organized basketball until high school. Andray Spent four years at Henninger High School in Syracuse, NY, before transferring to South Kent Prep (CT) for a fifth season. As a senior at Henninger, he averaged 25.0 points, 18.0 rebounds and 8.0 blocks per game, and led his team to a 20-5 record. He averaged 27.5 points, 16.0 rebounds, and 6.0 blocks with the Cardinals and guided South Kent to a 32-9 record. Selected to play in the 2005 Jordan Classic, Andray's 26 points on 12–17 shooting with 16 rebounds earned him co-MVP honors for the game. Andray was chosen by the Washington Wizards in the second round of the 2005 NBA draft. Andray's on-court performance and consistent statistical improvement in his six years with the Wizards underscore his superiority as an NBA athlete.

Splitting time during his 2005-2006 rookie season between Washington and its NBDL affiliate, the Roanoke Dazzle, Andray averaged 11.2 ppg and 6.8 rpg. After Andray's rookie year, his playing time steadily increased and in the latter part of the 2009-2010 season, he became the Wizards' starting power forward. Andray dazzled the Wizards faithful with his leadership, unselfishness, efficient ball handling, and sweet shot. During the 2010-2011 season, Andray led the Wizards in rebounds-per-game (8.2) and was second in scoring averaging averaging 16.8 points-per-game despite being injured for most of the season. On April 1, 2011, playing against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Andray had an astounding game: 36 points, 19 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. His 16 offensive rebounds in that game shattered a Chicago Packers/Chicago Zephyrs/Baltimore Bullets/Capital Bullets/Washington Bullets/Washington Wizards franchise record. The fact that Andray set the franchise record is even more impressive when you consider that Moses Malone, one of the NBA's 50 greatest players and holder of virtually every NBA offensive rebounding record, played two years while still in his prime in Washington, DC. Yet Moses never topped more than 11 offensive rebounds in one game as a Bullet.

He is a fixture at Wizards Basketball Camps and community events, including "Salute To The Stars," "Wizards Halloween Treat," "Abe's Table," and the annual Family-to-Family Holiday Delivery. Andray has also visited wounded persons at Andrews Air Force Base and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, spent time with families at the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Virginia and hosted a "Reading Time-Out" with students at a local elementary school. He participated in the "We Can!" program to promote a healthy lifestyle among children, and the "Our House, Our Rules" anti-violence writing challenge. In June 2011, Blatche established the Andray Blatche Foundation. Andray went on a charity mission to Jamaica where he donated sneakers, basketballs and gave a $50,000 check to Jamaican schools.