Cedric Ceballos

Cedric Ceballos is a former professional basketball player who played in the NBA.  He was born in 1969 in Maui, Hawaii.  Ceballos played small forward at 6'6'', 190 pounds and spent most of his NBA career with the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.  He also played for the Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat is his last few years before playing overseas.  Ceballos was selected to an NBA All-Star game and was the 1992 Slam Dunk Champion, winning the contest by doing a blind-folded dunk, though some might argue that he could actually see through the blindfold.

Ceballos went to college at Ventura College and then Cal State Fullerton.  In the 92-93 NBA season, he led the NBA in field goal percentage, shooting 57.6 percent.  He also helped the Phoenix Suns make it to the NBA Finals that same year, but they were defeated by the Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls who were on their way to their first three-peat.  In 94-95, Ceballos led the Lakers in scoring with an average of 21.7 points a game.  He was selected to the Western Conference All-Star team that season, but he could not play in the game due to injury.  He led the Lakers in scoring again the following season.  He also had the first 50-point game, the first for the Lakers in more than 20 years.  Then Kobe Bryant came along and started doing stuff like that all the time.  Ceballos was never accused of rape, though, so he has that going for him.

Ceballos started his career in 1990 when he was drafted by the Phoenix Suns.  He played for the Suns through 2004 and then went to the Lakers.  After being with the Lakers for a couple seasons, Ceballos went back to the Suns where he played another season.  In 1997, he became a member of the Dallas Mavericks until 2000 when he was traded to the Detroit Pistons.  His tenure in Detroit was short as his next stop was in Miami to play for the Heat.  Ceballos would play his last NBA game with the Heat in 2001.  He signed with the Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2002, but he was waived by the team after just a couple of games.  Ceballos' next move was to Russia where he was signed by the BC Lokomotiv Mineralnye Vody.  Ceballos also played for the Philippine Basketball Association on the San Miguel Beermen.  In 2004, he signed with the ABA's Los Angeles Stars.

After his playing days were over, Cedric Ceballos was hired by the Phoenix Suns to be the arena emcee.  He also hosted a weekly webcast called "Nothin' but Net."  In addition, Ceballos hosted a morning show for the local rythm and blues station MEGA 104.3.

In March 2007, the IBL's Phoenix Flame signed Ceballos for their first season in the league.  He played for the team for a month before becoming an assistant coach instead.  Ceballos has two children with his wife Sherlynn Cook.  He also did work on the album called B-Ball's Best Kept Secret.  It was a 1994 album that featured tracks from several former NBA players.  Warren G even did a song with Ceballos called "Flow On."

While Cedric Ceballos was never a huge superstar in the NBA, fans that watched during the 90s certainly recognize his name.  This was when the NBA was at its height of popularity, mostly because Jordan was still playing.  The early 90s Phoenix Suns were one of the best teams in the league and even made it to the NBA Finals in 1993.  Just like most other teams of that era, they lost out to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.  No one could take down that team.  Think of how many other teams and famous players would have gotten that elusive championship ring if Jordan had never played.  The only reason the Houston Rockets were able to win two NBA championships is because Jordan decided to retire for nearly two seasons.  Had he never left, the Bulls probably would have won eight straight titles.  Hall of Famers like Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing and Karl Malone never won championships because Jordan was always in their way.  Even Cedric Ceballos probably would have a ring had they not run into the unstoppable Jordan in his prime.

Overall, Cedric Ceballos was one of the good guys in the NBA.  He didn't get into any trouble and does a lot of work for the community.  He supports the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and owns a recording and dance studio for kids.  All players past and present should look at Ceballos as someone to emulate.  He has been a real force both on and off the court as he continuse to do a lot of good for the local community.