Michael Beasley
Michael Paul Beasley Jr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He played college basketball for Kansas State University for one year before declaring for the NBA draft in 2008. Beasley was the 2nd pick in the 2008 NBA draft and was selected by the Miami Heat. He is regarded as one of the best freshman college basketball players of the 2000s. Though he is ambidextrous, he shoots left-handed.
Early life
Beasley was born in the Prince George's County town of Cheverly, Maryland. Beasley's mother Fatima Smith and his four siblings moved from nearby Montgomery County to Frederick in 2005 and lived there for one year.High school career
While growing up, Beasley played for one of the country's most successful AAU youth teams at the time, the PG Jaguars. Beasley won multiple national championships with this team alongside future fellow blue-chip recruits Kevin Durant and Chris Braswell. Beasley later moved on to play AAU ball for DC Assault's 17 & Under team, playing alongside such players as future KSU teammate Ron Anderson, Nolan Smith, Chris Wright, Austin Freeman, and Julian Vaughn.Beasley attended a total of six high schools: Bowie High School in Bowie, Maryland, National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Maryland, The Pendleton School in Bradenton, Florida, Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, and Notre Dame Preparatory School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. As a high school senior, he averaged 28 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 4.5 blocks per game for the 2006–07 season. During his senior season he had single-game highs of 64 points and 31 rebounds.
In 2006, Beasley was a second-team Parade All-American and was also named to the 2006 USA Men's U18 National Team member on June 26, 2006. Beasley averaged team highs of 13.8 ppg. and 8.3 rpg at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men in San Antonio, Texas. He ranked fifth in rebounds per game among all 2006 tournament leaders, and he ranks third all-time in the USA Men's U18 record book. He was named to the McDonald's All-American team. In the 2007 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, he won the MVP with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Rivals.com rated Beasley No. 1 in the class of 2007 high school basketball prospects.
College career
Beasley began his freshman year at Kansas State in the fall of 2007. In the 2007–2008 regular season, Beasley was one of the most dominant players in the country. His 26.2 points and nation-leading 12.4 rebounds were the most by a Big 12 player in any season. His 866 total points and 408 rebounds ranked third and second among all freshmen in NCAA history. He also led the nation in double-doubles, 40-point games, 30-point, 10-rebound games, and 20-point, 10-rebound games. His 28 double-doubles broke the freshman double-double record previously held by Carmelo Anthony who had 22 double-doubles in his only season at Syracuse in 2002–03. On February 23, 2008, Beasley scored a Big 12 record 44 points in a 92–86 loss at Baylor. Beasley became known as an unstoppable force when shooting, finishing the season shooting 53.7 percent from the field. He also finished the season shooting 39.5 percent from 3-point range.Beasley holds 30 Kansas State career, single-season and freshman records as well as 17 Big 12 single-game and single-season marks. Beasley guided the Wildcats to a 20–10 record and a 10–6 Big 12 Conference record. Some of the key conference victories were a win at Oklahoma and, a home victory against Texas A&M, and a victory against then-unbeaten No. 2 Kansas, marking the first time in over four years that Kansas State defeated a Top 10 team at home, the first time K-State beat Kansas in Manhattan since 1983 and the first-ever victory against the Jayhawks in Bramlage Coliseum. The win partially backed up a boast he had made before the season about K-State's prospects against the Jayhawks:
On March 1, 2008, his boast did not come true, as Kansas won the return match in Lawrence, 88–74 despite 39 points and 11 rebounds from Beasley. He matched a Big 12 record by equaling former Kansas player Drew Gooden's record for most double-doubles in a season. With his 33-point, 14-rebound effort against Colorado on March 4, he eclipsed Mitch Richmond's 20-year-old school single-season points record, while he broke the Big 12 record for double-doubles in a season with his 26th for the year. He is just the 27th player in NCAA Division I history to post 26 or more double-doubles in a season and the first since Utah's Andrew Bogut did it in 2004–05.
Beasley led the Wildcats to a 10–6 record in conference play, earning a number 3 seed in the 2008 Big 12 men's basketball tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The Wildcats faced the No. 6 seed Texas A&M Aggies and lost 77–71. Beasley had 25 points and 9 rebounds, one board short of a double-double. He shot 10–21 from the field and 1–4 from behind the three-point line. He also registered three blocks. The Wildcats earned a berth in the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament as the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region. They beat the No. 6 seed USC Trojans. Beasley had 23 points and 11 rebounds for his 27th double-double of the year. However, the Wildcats lost 72–55 to No. 3 Wisconsin in the second round of the tournament. Beasley added 23 points and 13 rebounds against the Badgers his 28th and final double-double.
On April 14, 2008, Beasley announced that he would forgo his last three years of eligibility and enter the NBA draft.
Awards and honors
Beasley is one of just two players in Kansas State history to earn first team All-America honors from the Associated Press. Overall, Beasley is the fifth player in school history to earn recognition to any of organization's three All-America teams. Beasley was one of 24 finalists for the John R. Wooden Player of the Year award and was selected by voters to the 10-member 2008 John R. Wooden Award All American team. He followed Kevin Durant as the second consecutive standout freshman to win both Big 12 Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year accolades.Beasley became the fourth player in school history to be honored as the conference's Player of the Year and the first since the inception of the Big 12. He was the first player to be named league Freshman of the Year and the 12th overall to be selected as either Freshman or Newcomer of the Year since 1970.
Beasley was named National Freshman of the Year by CBS Sports.com, Rivals.com, The Sporting News, and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He has also been selected a first team All-American by numerous outlets, including CBS Sports.com, Dick Vitale, ESPN.com, Rivals.com, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News and U.S. Basketball Writers Association. In addition, he was chosen as a first team Freshman All-American by CBS Sports.com and Rivals.com.
In addition, he was named one of four finalists for the 2008 Naismith Player of the Year Award. He also was one of 10 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Player of the Year award.
Professional career
Miami Heat (2008–2010)
On June 26, 2008, Beasley was selected 2nd overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. He signed with the Heat on July 2.In his NBA Summer League debut on July 7, Beasley scored 28 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in 23 minutes played. He was second in the league in rebound average, and tied for third in scoring average in the 2008 Summer League. During his first official practice with the Heat, he was accidentally hit in the chest with an unidentified teammate's elbow. He was evaluated and returned to the team a day later with chest bruising, but only participated in non-contact play. He had slightly cracked his sternum, and resumed contact drills 2 days after that.
In his first preseason game, Beasley scored 16 points against the Detroit Pistons. He followed those performances with 21 points and 7 rebounds, 12 points and 11 rebounds, 14 points and 6 rebounds, 19 points and no rebounds, 14 points and 3 rebounds, and 19 points and 9 rebounds. On opening night of the 2008–09 regular season, Beasley scored 9 points in a loss against the New York Knicks. He posted double-digit point totals for the next nine straight games, including a season-high 25 points in a loss to Charlotte on November 1.
After the Heat's first round exit from the 2009 playoffs, it was reported that Beasley, along with fellow rookie Mario Chalmers, had been fined multiple times throughout the season for violations of team policy.
During the 2009–10 season, he was a starter for the entire season. On February 19, 2010, he led the Heat to victory over the Memphis Grizzlies with a then career-high 30 points along with 8 rebounds. For the season, he averaged 14.8 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game. In the Heat's first-round playoff series loss to Boston, those averages declined to 10.4 and 5.8, respectively.
Minnesota Timberwolves (2010–2012)
On July 12, 2010, Beasley was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for 2011 and 2014 second-round draft picks. Beasley was traded in order to clear salary cap space for Miami, allowing them to sign free agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh, as well as re-sign Dwyane Wade.On November 10, 2010, he led the Timberwolves to victory over the Sacramento Kings with a career-high 42 points along with 9 rebounds. He finished the season averaging 19.2 points per game which was ranked top 20 in the league. In the 2011–12 season, Beasley sprained his foot against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 6, 2012, which kept him out for 11 straight games. Shortly after he returned from injury, he led the Timberwolves to victory over the Houston Rockets with 34 points. Over the 2011–12 season, he averaged 11.5 points per game.