“I just want to go as far as I can take myself. No limits.” -- Tyson Chandler, 2002

The basketball world has known about Tyson Chandler ever since the unusually tall nine-year old was recruited by a local recreational coach in San Bernardino, California. The entire world has known his name ever since the Compton Dominguez high school freshman was profiled on 60 Minutes. And ever since he was taken as the second pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, Tyson Chandler has worked to become a force on the greatest basketball stage in the world.

In his first seven years in the NBA, he has done just that.

Tyson enters his third season in New Orleans as one of the best big men in the game. His hard work and leadership helped the Hornets to their first Southwest Conference Championship in 2007-2008, and brought them within one game of the Western Conference Finals.

His statistics from the 2007-2008 season tell the story. For the first time in his career, Tyson averaged a double double -- his 38 for the season ranked him 12th overall in the NBA.. His 11.7 rebounds per game were fourth in the league and marked the second straight season he averaged over 11 boards per contest. But it was Tyson’s scoring that showed the biggest up-tick. Ty averaged a career high 11.8 points per game as the Hornets called on their veteran big man throughout their push toward the playoffs. The rise in his scoring, along with his domination on the offensive glass, established Tyson as a threat on both ends of the court. 

With the incredible length of his 7’1” frame and remarkable athleticism, Tyson was also among the league leaders in blocked shots and is regarded as one of the league’s toughest interior defenders. He started 79 games in 2007-2008, a career high, and played the most minutes per game he’s ever played, holding down center in NOLA for 35.2 minutes per game.

It was no mystery that as Tyson improved, so did the Hornets, who have clearly established themselves as a dominant force in a loaded Western Conference.

It hasn’t always been easy, but through hard work and with the help of his family, Tyson has managed to improve his game and his community.

Under the Microscope
Born October 2, 1982 in Hanford, California, Tyson spent his early years on a farm, getting up early to do his chores, learning the value of hard work, and throwing jumpers through a rim his grandfather nailed to a tree. After moving to San Bernadino at age nine, Tyson would later find himself playing for national powerhouse Compton Dominguez in Los Angeles.

As a seven-foot freshman, his 60 Minutes segment made national news, but so did his play. Wrote the Los Angeles Daily News in 1998:

“Common sense tells you it's premature to label Dominguez High's Tyson Chandler anything more than what he is: a 15-year old freshman. But then you watch the 7-footer play and conventional wisdom goes right out the window. It's the way he gracefully runs the floor and the body control he displays when he catches a pass in the low post and turns and shoots.

It's the sophistication and skill level not normally seen in a big man so young. The footwork on defense and fluid movement on offense…As good as Chandler is now, he really only begun to scratch the surface.”

Throughout his career at Compton Dominguez, Tyson and his game garnered huge attention. When the team went on the road, Tyson was mobbed by autograph seekers and media attention, with everybody looking for a glimpse of the kid believed to be “the next big thing.” And why not? As a senior, Tyson led the Dons to a 31-4 record and the California state championship behind his 26 points, 15 boards, and eight blocks a game. He was named California State Player of the Year, and placed on the prestigious Parade Magazine All-American team.

At that point, it was clear the NBA was in his very near future.

Breaking in with the Big Boys
After the Los Angeles Clippers made him the second pick in the ’01, Tyson was immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls with Brian Skinner for Elton Brand. With the Bulls, Tyson became one half of a promising- but extremely young- inside combo with fellow high school center Eddy Curry.

Replacing Brand in Chicago was a burden for Tyson.

“I never expected the Bulls to do that. If anything, I imagined they might draft me to play along side him. Suddenly, I felt a huge weight on my back. I thought, ‘I have to get out there and really do something big—and fast.’ I felt a lot of pressure,” he said.

Tyson learned to adjust both to life in the NBA and life away from his large family in California. He was brought along slowly, but by the end of his rookie season, Tyson had started 31 games. Over the course of the season, he averaged 6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds a night, and led the Bulls with 1.31 blocks per game.

After the season, Tyson headed back to his grandparent’s farm in Hanford, recharging his batteries though time with his family. “I was fishing. I helped with the farm. That’s what I like, still having the chores,” Tyson said. “Nobody knew I was there.” A good offseason got better when Tyson bought his mom, Vernie Threadgill, a new house in Riverside, California.
Soon it was time to return to Chicago and prepare for his second season, another step forward for Tyson. He started 68 games, increasing his scoring average to 9.2, his rebounding to 6.9, and maintained a strong average for blocks at 1.4 per game. Tyson was quickly establishing himself as one of the NBA’s more dynamic young big men.

Injuries took the air out of Tyson’s third season in Chicago, but in his fourth he once again showed the league that he was a player on the rise. Tyson finished the year setting career highs in rebounding (9.7, good for ninth in the league), blocks (1.8, 13th in the NBA), and minutes per game (27.4). Tyson’s growth was a major factor in Chicago’s 23-game improvement in the standings, as the Bulls made the playoffs for the first time since the Jordan Era ended.

It was a busy offseason for Tyson. Off the court, he tied the knot, marrying his longtime fiancé, Kimberly. In September, the Bulls rewarded Tyson with a big six-year contract extension. They also traded Curry, putting a lot more responsibility on Tyson for the success of Chicago’s future. “Tyson’s play last season was an important factor to our success and we hope to take the next step forward with Tyson being a major contributor to our team,” said Bulls Executive VP John Paxson.

As for Tyson, he was “ecstatic,” but understood that with the big deal came big pressure. “When you sign a contract like that, you’ve got a lot to live up to and I consider myself to be the type of player that wants to do just that. I’ve received a huge commitment from my team and I intend to give that commitment right back,” Tyson said.

It wasn’t just about improving his offense and putting up big flashy numbers on that end, but doing the dirty work and all the things he does best:

“It’s all about pride with defense. Everybody knows the theme, ‘This is my house,’ but that really is how you’ve got to feel. You don’t want anybody walking into your house and taking a Gatorade out of your refrigerator, you’ve got to get in there and protect it.”

Unfortunately, the following year was a tough one for Tyson. He continued to rebound well (9.1 a game) but his stats in other categories dropped, most notably in scoring. Suddenly, only a season after signing his new contract, Tyson’s future in Chicago was in doubt.

A New Beginning
In July of 2006, the Bulls agreed to trade Tyson to the New Orleans Hornets. But rather than sulk, Tyson looked at the move as a new beginning. "It's a great basketball opportunity to play with a bunch of young, up-and-coming guys," he told the Chicago Tribune. "That's the thing I'm excited about. They're moving the team in a direction that fits me well. I can help a team make the playoffs. I'll get a chance to play with a great, young point guard [Chris Paul]."

Tyson moved to his new team with a fresh attitude, a new haircut (a mohawk), and most importantly, a new baby. He and Kimberly had welcomed Sasha-Marie into the world on May 6.

He was ready to prove the Hornets had a young player still on the rise. “I do have a chip on my shoulder, in a good way, from my past years,” he said. “I feel like there are a lot of doubters, and that’s always a good thing, because I can prove them wrong.”

”I can wake a lot of people up.”

That he did, with a big time alarm clock. Starting every game he played for the first time in his career, Tyson proved he was nowhere near the limit of his game. For the up-and-coming Hornets, Tyson averaged 9.5 points, 12.4 rebounds (2nd in the league), 1.8 blocks, and shot an incredible 62% from the floor, which would have led the NBA had Tyson had enough shots to qualify.

But most importantly, Tyson’s intensity on the glass and defensive end turned a lot of heads. “The one thing on his mind is to grab every rebound,” his coach Byron Scott said. “How he approaches it is like Dennis Rodman, that wherever it is he’s going to get it. It’s a terrific approach, that ‘every missed shot is mine.” But Tyson doesn’t just Windex the glass. “He also changes shots,” Scott said. “You don’t know where he is, and are looking for him. He does what all the great rebounders do.”

Firmly on the map and established as one of the league’s best bigs, Tyson continued in the offseason to improve his game. Endless drills in the gym. Running. Shooting. Honing his craft. All with the idea of being the best player he can possibly be. The results were encouraging. Tyson’s Hornets became one of the league’s most exciting squads.

Breakthrough: 2007-2008
It was obvious that Ty and the Hornets were on the cusp of being contenders, and in 2007-2008, they did that and more, holding the Western Conference’s best record for much of the season. And Tyson? His offensive game grew, and he was as aggressive on the glass as ever.

The talented big took the Bayou’s ballers to another level, raising his own game to average 11.8 points per game, topping a previous career high of 9.5. He also shot 62% from the floor for the second straight season, a remarkable achievement that allowed the Hornets to show confidence in TY to knock down big shots. Tyson added 11.7 boards per game to average a double double.

The Hornets qualified as the No. 2 seed in the West, drawing the Dallas Mavericks in the first round. The series was all New Orleans. The Hornets dispatched the Mavs in five games, and Tyson was unstoppable, pulling down 11.2 per game in the series, and setting the defensive tone.

In the Western Conference semifinal series, the Hornets had an opportunity to knock off another Lone Star state power, the San Antonio Spurs. The series teetered back and forth, with each team winning their home games, until game seven, when New Orleans' season came to a close.

Tyson finished the 2007-2008 postseason with 10.8 rebounds per game and eight points per contest.

2007-2008 gave NOLA a taste of what is to come from its talented Hornets squad. It also gave Tyson another taste of playoff basketball. The Hornets success makes the team a legitimate title contender in 2008-2009, and that challenge drives Tyson to keep playing at his absolute best. Ty would give the fans of NOLA nothing less.

The Journey Continues
The 2008-09 season saw the New Orleans Hornets decimated by injuries, and Tyson was among the players whose season was cut short. The dramatic change in the U.S. economy was also felt by some of the smaller market NBA teams, and New Orleans was no exception. Tyson was traded in the 2009 offseason to the Charlotte Bobcats, where he joined Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown and a talented team of young players who had never before reached the postseason.

That would change in the 2009-2010 season. By late in the year, Tyson was healthy, and it showed. He made a surprise start with the Bobcats on March 8, 2010, and was a defensive force, instrumental in a 98-83 victory over the Western Conference leading Los Angeles Lakers.

Afterward, coach Brown was unequivocal in his praise:

"I don't think we win this game if Tyson doesn't play.''

With his presence on the defensive and offensive end, Charlotte reached the postseason for the first time in the history of the franchise.

Big Game, Big Heart
Tyson has always found inspiration in his mother and grandparents, who instilled in him the value of hard work and commitment to family. Now a husband and father, he’s worked hard not only to improve his performance on the court, but become an important part of the community as well.

He’s been an active participant in the NBA’s Read to Achieve program, and while in Chicago and New Orleans worked extensively with youth programs and in the community to renovate outdoor basketball courts, work to combat teen violence, help rebuild homes destroyed by hurricane Katrina, and more.