Former USF basketball player signs with Memphis Grizzlies
Because of Damon Stoudamire’s knee injury late last month, the Memphis Grizzlies decided to sign guard and former USF basketball player Chucky Atkins on Monday.
Atkins joined the Grizzlies in Miami where they play the Heat on Tuesday night.
The seven-year veteran was averaging 6.7 points and 2.5 assists with the Washington Wizards before they agreed to a buyout of his $4.5 million contract on Jan. 18. He wanted more playing time in Washington, after coming off a year with the L.A. Lakers in which he played in all 82 games and set career highs of 13.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 35.4 minutes per game.
Atkins will help take pressure off Bobby Jackson, who is averaging 26.1 minutes per game and played a season-high 42 minutes in a loss at Philadelphia last week.
“Chucky is a veteran point guard, and he fills our need for an added leader in the backcourt,” Jerry West, the Grizzlies’ director of basketball operations, told the Associated Press. “He will be a great addition to our team, and we are happy he was available and eager to come to Memphis.”
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound guard has career averages of 10.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 481 games, including 252 starts over seven seasons. Atkins is fifth on the men’s all-time scoring list at USF with 1,619 points.
Atkins, 31, is currently the only former USF player in the NBA.The Orlando native was originally brought into the league as a free agent with the Orlando Magic by current Celtics coach Doc Rivers during the 1999-00 season and also has spent time with the Detroit Pistons (2000-04) and Boston Celtics (2003-04).
More Stories
Meet the Team
Oracle EditorProfile
USF gives it away in Memphis 34-33
At the half, a 14-point lead meant USF was on track to win its first conference game in over a calendar year. That energy was kept up even with under five minutes to go when the Bulls were up 33-20. Then USF watched as its lead went from comfortable, to slim, to nonexistent in the […]
Club teams missing competition, friendship due to COVID-19
Under normal circumstances, Grant Nolder, president of the USF flag football team would be preparing for the club’s biggest competition of the year, the Swamp Bowl. The annual tournament, hosted at UF, typically takes place during the fall semester and features some of the best club flag football teams in the country. Winners of the […]
Bulls battle with ECU in OT win
Coach Brian Gregory said Tuesday the Bulls didn’t play complete, 40-minute games in their two losses last week. It’s debatable if they did Wednesday night against East Carolina (11-18, 5-11) at the Yuengling Center, but it was more than enough to put up a 73-68 overtime win. “It’s funny. There were stretches where we played […]
First SG scholarship rewards student leaders
Student Government (SG) launched the first-of-its-kind, merit-based scholarship to students Nov. 5 on USF’s Tampa campus. As a part of Student Body President Britney Deas and Student Body Vice President Travis McCloskey’s platform, Bull S.H.I.F.T., — Success, Health, Innovation, Finance and Tradition — the SG’s Student Leadership Scholarship consists of two merit-based scholarships which will […]
On-campus Jabil institute sparks anticipation from students
A plan drafted on a bar napkin two years ago has now become the USF Jabil Innovation Institute, a multi-million dollar institute combining the College of Engineering and the Muma College of Business. Senior Vice President of Advancement and CEO of the USF Foundation Joel Momberg and Jabil CEO Mark Mondello jotted the idea down […]