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86
JULY 2012
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HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
WHEN YOU CONSIDER
the guys who’ve gone
straight from high school to the NBA, big
expectations are o en accompanied by big
egos, both on and off the court (see Kobe,
LeBron). Not so for Tyson Chandler, a team
playerwho treats every game like a last stand,
andwhose star has risensteadilyever sincehis
childhood on the family farm just south of Fresno, Calif., where,
whenhewasn’tmilking cows, feeding pigs or working in the fields,
the nearly 6-foot-tall 9-year-old was practicing on a rim that his
grandfather had fixed to a tree.
A er moving to Compton and leading his high school team to
a state championship, the now 7-foot-1 center was the No. 2 NBA
dra pick in 2001, and played for five years with the Chicago Bulls,
spending much of his time injured or in foul trouble. But during
his stintswith theNewOrleansHornets and theCharlo eBobcats,
Chandler’s game matured, and a er being traded to the Dallas
Mavericks in 2010, the tenacious big man stunned everybody by
helping the aging teamwin its first championship.
The New York Knicks took notice and signed Chandler to a
reported $58 million four-year contract. By all accounts, it was
moneywell spent. Thanks to Chandler’s relentless defensive skills
and knack for adapting to the players aroundhim, theKnicks—for
HIGH STYLE
Tyson Chandler
with, from left, wife
Kimberly; Coach K
in 2010; New York
Knicks teammates
Carmelo Anthony and
Amar’e Stoudemire
THE
HEMI
Q&A:
TYSONCHANDLER
whom colossal blunders (Amar’e
Stoudemire lacerating his hand
punching a f ire extinguisher
case, for instance) overshadowed
occasional flashes of hope (Linsan-
ity)—made the playoffs. Through
it all, Chandler was there, the last
thing anyopposing teamwanted to
see anywhere near the basket. For
his efforts hewas named theNBA’s
Defensive Player of the Year.
Lately, in addition to posting
the fourth highest field-goal per-
centage in NBA history, he’s been
getting noticed for his off-court
pursuits, namely art and fashion,
attending events like the famed
Costume Institute Gala Benefit
in New York. We called him just as
he was preparing to step into the
international spotlight as a center
on USA Basketball’s all-star roster
at theLondon2012OlympicGames.