NBA.com: Detlef Schrempf Bio

Detlef Schrempf is Germany's most successful NBA player and a unique talent. In a pro career that has spanned 14 seasons, the versatile 6-10 forward has won two NBA Sixth Man Awards, made three All-Star Game appearances, earned a spot on the All-NBA Third Team and helped the Seattle SuperSonics reach the NBA Finals in 1995-96. He signed with the Portland Trail Blazers as a free agent prior to the 1999-2000 season. A native of Leverkusen, Germany, Schrempf came to the United States for his senior year of high school, attending Centralia High in the state of Washington. He played college ball at the University of Washington, where he finished among the school's all-time top 10 in eight categories. As a senior in 1984-85 he averaged 15.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting .558 from the floor. He was named to the All-Pac-10 Team and the Sporting News All-America Second Team. Versatility has always been Schrempf's strength. At 6-10, he has the size to work inside, but he is also an effective driver, adept passer and excellent long-range shooter. He has twice lost the three-point shooting title on the last day of the season. Because of his multiple skills, Schrempf was projected by many to be the next Larry Bird when he was selected eighth overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1985 NBA Draft. Although Schrempf started slowly and never achieved Bird-like numbers, he has developed into an excellent NBA player. He also played for the German Olympic team in 1984 and 1992. Schrempf spent 3 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, where he was used as a reserve behind Mark Aguirre and Sam Perkins. In 1986-87 he was the team's three-point threat, finishing second in the NBA with a .478 three-point percentage. Traded to Indiana during the 1988-89 season, Schrempf blossomed with the Pacers, averaging better than 16.1 points and 7.9 rebounds for four seasons. He won the NBA Sixth Man Award in both 1991 and 1992. In 1992-93 he averaged 19.1 points and 9.5 rebounds to rank second on the Pacers in scoring and first in rebounding. He made his first appearance in the NBA All-Star Game that season. Prior to the 1993-94 campaign the Pacers traded Schrempf to the Seattle SuperSonics for Derrick McKey and Gerald Paddio. Schrempf continued to excel on a deep and talented Seattle team. In 1994-95, his second year with the Sonics, he averaged 19.2 points and 6.2 rebounds, played in his second All-Star Game, and made the All-NBA Third Team. He also finished second in the league in three-point shooting with a remarkable .514 percentage. In 1995-96, despite missing 19 games with a fracture in his left leg, he contributed to the Sonics' run to the NBA Finals, ranking third on the team with 17.1 ppg and 5.2 rpg and second on the club with 4.4 apg. Schrempf was Seattle's third-leading scorer in 1996-97 as well, averaging 16.8 ppg, and ranked second on the team with 6.5 rpg and 4.4 apg. In 1997 he made his third All-Star appearance. He had another fine all-around season in 1997-98, again finishing third on the team in scoring at 15.8 ppg and second in rebounding at 7.1 rpg and assists at 4.4 apg. He ranked among the NBA's top 40 in those three categories as well as all three shooting categories. He played all 50 games for the Sonics in 1998-99 and averaged 15.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, ranking second on the team in both categories. But on August 2, 1999, the Sonics renounced their rights to Schrempf, and on that same day he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers as a free agent.

2000-2001 REGULAR SEASON
Averaged 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 15.3 minutes in 26 games...Scored a season-high 13 points against Denver February 20 on 5-10 shooting from the field, 2-2 from the free-throw line and 1-1 from beyond the three-point arc...Had 12 points, seven rebounds and a season-high seven assists in a season-high 28 minutes against Boston February 17...Grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds against Golden State March 3...Knocked down 85.1% of his fre throws on 23-27 shooting...Activated off injured-list February 1 after missing his first 47 games with chronic neck pain

1999-2000 REGULAR SEASON
Netted 16 points (9-9 FT) and grabbed 8 boards in a 96-91 win over Sacramento on 3/14 Logged 17 points and 7 rebounds in a 107-94 win over Dallas on 1/10 Totaled 18 points and 9 rebounds in a 94-90 win over Charlotte on 12/1 Scored 22 points (13-14 FT) and grabbed 6 boards in a 103-100 loss in Cleveland on 11/23

1998-1999 REGULAR SEASON
Registered 21 points (9-10 FG), 10 rebounds and 4 assists in a 107-105 victory over the L.A. Clippers on 5/5 Scored 21 points (9-15 FG, 9-10 FT) and grabbed 11 rebounds against the L.A. Lakers on 5/2 Posted a game-high 28 points (9-15 FG, 9-10 FT), 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a 111-101 victory over the Denver Nuggets on 4/30 Scored his 15,000th career point, logging 13 points and 4 assists, against the Portland Trail Blazers on 4/28 Totaled 19 points (7-9 FG, 4-4 FT), 8 assists and 6 rebounds in a 119-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on 4/21 Recorded game-highs of 28 points (12-17 FG) and 13 rebounds, and added 4 assists, against the Houston Rockets on 4/19 Registered a team-high 19 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists in a 99-98 overtime win over the Sacramento Kings on 4/15 Posted 25 points (7-13 FG, 11-14 FT), 6 assists and 4 rebounds in a 104-98 victory over the L.A. Clippers on 3/26 Totaled a team-high 22 points (6-10 FG, 2-4 3FG, 8-9 FT), 7 rebounds and 5 assists against the Denver Nuggets on 3/21 Averaged 17.5 ppg, 12.0 rpg and 4.0 apg in back-to-back double-doubles against the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bullls on 3/10 and 3/11 Played in his 1,000th career game, logging a team-high 18 points (6-9 FG, 6-6 FT), 8 rebounds and 3 assists, against the Minnesota Timberwolves on 3/9 Recorded team-highs of 22 points (8-15 FG, 5-6 FT) and 13 rebounds, and added 4 assists, against the Phoenix Suns on 3/4

1997-1998 REGULAR SEASON
Totaled team-highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds and added 3 assists against the San Antonio Spurs on 4/17 Posted 16 points, a season-high 15 rebounds and 4 assists in a 103-95 victory over the Houston Rockets on 4/12 Registered 22 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists in a 103-101 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on 4/9 Recorded a team-high 23 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists against the Phoenix Suns on 4/6 Totaled 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in a 133-109 win over the Washington Wizards on 3/25 Posted 24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in a 104-97 victory over the Indiana Pacers on 2/4 Registered 20 points and a game-high 13 rebounds in a 97-87 victory over the New Jersey Nets on 2/1 Recorded 19 points and a game-high 13 rebounds in a 101-95 victory over the L.A. Lakers on 1/24 Totaled team-highs of 23 points (9-14 FG, 4-4 FT) and 13 rebounds and added 3 assists against the New York Knicks on 1/11 Posted 22 points (10-12 FG), 8 assists and 7 rebounds in a 120-108 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 1/4 Registered a team-high 25 points (10-14 FG, 4-4 FT), 9 rebounds and 5 assists in a 106-97 win over the Phoenix Suns on 12/28 Recorded 17 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds against the Washington Wizards on 12/2 Totaled 23 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds in a 107-87 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 11/19 Posted 12 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists in a 109-92 victory over the Toronto Raptors on 11/6 Registered 22 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds in a 118-94 victory over the Houston Rockets on 11/4

1996-1997 REGULAR SEASON
The versatile Schrempf enjoyed his third All-Star season in 1996-97. He ranked third on the Sonics in scoring at 16.8 ppg, second in rebounding at 6.5 rpg, second in assists at 4.4 apg, fourth in three-point field goals with 57, fourth in three-point shooting percentage at .354 and fifth in steals at 1.03 spg. Schrempf appeared in 61 games, all but one as a starter. He was on the injured list from Feb. 27 to April 1, missing 17 games due to a partial tear of the peroneal tendon in his left foot. He also missed three games due to testicular trauma and one because of the flu. Schrempt scored a season-high 34 points in a 102-91 win at the Lakers on Feb. 16, tying Shawn Kemp for the highest-scoring game by a Sonic in the 1996-97 season. He had five point-rebound double-doubles, including 23 points and a season-high 15 rebounds in a 115-110 double overtime victory at Washington on Nov. 20, and one point-assist double-double, with 18 points and a season-high 12 assistsin a 92-82 decision over Indiana on Jan. 11. In 12 playoff starts, Schrempf ranked third on the team in scoring at 16.9 ppg and rebounding at 5.8 rpg and second in assists at 3.4 apg. He also was third on the club in three-pointers made with 16, in just 29 attempts, for a .552 percentage that ranked fourth among all playoff participants.

1995-1996 REGULAR SEASON
Schrempf's versatility helped the Sonics win the Western Conference crown as he ranked third on the team in scoring at 17.1 ppg, third in rebounding a 5.2 rpg and second in assists at 4.4 apg. He shot .486 from the field, .408 from three-point range and .776 from the free throw line. He posted season highs of 35 points at Denver on Nov. 8, 11 rebounds against Detroit on Feb. 28 and nine assists against Houston on Feb. 6. Schrempf played in 63 games, all but three as a starter. He missed 12 games from Dec. 12 through Jan. 21 due to a non-displaced fracture of the left fibula. A starter in all 21 postseason games, Schrempf averaged 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 37.8 minutes per game.

1994-1995 REGULAR SEASON
In his 10th season in the NBA and 2nd in Seattle, Schrempf logged one of his best campaigns to date, finishing in the league's top 25 in four offensive categories. After a season of adjustment with the Sonics, he averaged a career-best 19.2 points to go along with 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest. His scoring average ranked 22nd in the league. Selected as a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star Team, he teamed with Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton to give the Sonics three players in the midseason showcase. Realizing that the Sonics needed more outside shooting, and taking advantage of the shortened three-point arc, Schrempf emerged as one of the league's best three-point shooters. He led the NBA for much of the second half of the season and was well above the .600 mark just after the All-Star Game. On the last day of the season, however, he was overtaken by Chicago's Steve Kerr for the three-point title. In 1986-87 Schrempf had lost the title on the season's final day to Kiki Vandeweghe. Between then and the 1994-95 season he had only made 97 treys. In 1994-95 he was 93-of-181 for a .514 percentage. Schrempf's overall field-goal percentage was .523, 17th in the NBA, and his free-throw percentage of .839 ranked 25th in the league. His best game of the year came on January 10, when he punished the Golden State Warriors with 33 points and 16 rebounds in an overtime victory. On January 15 he scored his 10,000th career point. Schrempf had another disappointing postseason, however. Although he averaged 18.8 points and canned 10 of 18 shots from three-point territory, the Sonics lost in four games to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.

1993-1994 REGULAR SEASON
Days before the start of the 1993-94 season, the Indiana Pacers traded Schrempf to the Seattle SuperSonics for Derrick McKey and Gerald Paddio. Schrempf was welcomed with open arms in Seattle, where he and fellow newcomer Kendall Gill figured to be the missing pieces to the Sonics' championship puzzle. During the regular season everything seemed to go according to plan. Schrempf's all-around contributions (15.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.4 apg) helped Seattle to a league-best 63-19 record. He started 80 of 81 games and ranked second on the team in minutes played (2,728). However, the Sonics' world came crashing down in the playoffs, when the upstart Denver Nuggets shocked them in the first round. Schrempf led Seattle in the postseason with 18.6 points per game, but for the fifth consecutive year his team failed to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

1992-1993 REGULAR SEASON
Fresh from a starring role for the German Olympic team at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain, Schrempf played his last season for Indiana in 1992-93, and he went out with a flourish. The eight-year veteran made the first All-Star Game appearance of his career in the midst of his finest NBA season to date. Pacers Coach Bob Hill decided the two-time NBA Sixth Man Award winner was too valuable to keep out of the starting lineup, so he made Schrempf a starter in 60 of 82 games. Schrempf responded with career highs of 19.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, becoming the only NBA player to rank among the league's top 25 in all three categories. The 6-foot-10 forward recorded four triple-doubles during the season, bringing his career total to seven. He set a Pacers single-season record for free throws attempted (653) and established club single-game marks for both makes and attempts with a 22-of-23 performance from the line on December 8 at the Golden State Warriors. Schrempf averaged 19.5 points in the postseason, but Indiana fell to the New York Knicks in a four-game first-round playoff series.

1991-1992 REGULAR SEASON
Schrempf continued his climb into the upper echelon of NBA players in 1991-92 when he won his second straight NBA Sixth Man Award. Widely recognized by now as one of the game's best all-around players, Schrempf averaged 17.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while coming off the bench in 76 of his 80 appearances. He ranked 15th in the NBA in rebounding and 13th in field-goal percentage (.536), leading the Pacers in rebounding for the second straight year. The seven-year veteran notched the third triple-double of his career with 10 points, 10 assists, and 17 rebounds against the Los Angeles Clippers on January 11. He then logged his first-ever 20-20 performance with 26 points and a career-high 23 rebounds on February 11 against the Magic at Orlando. The Pacers advanced to the postseason for the third straight year and again met Boston in a first-round playoff series. The Celtics swept the series, despite prodigious contributions from Schrempf, who averaged 21.0 points and 13.0 rebounds in three games.

1990-1991 REGULAR SEASON
One year after finishing runner-up to Ricky Pierce for the NBA Sixth Man Award, Schrempf took the honor in 1991 after averaging 16.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. He came off the bench in 79 of 82 games and ranked second on the team in minutes played (32.1 per game). He also led the team in rebounding while ranking third in scoring and second in field-goal percentage (.520). Schrempf recorded his first triple-double as a Pacers player and the second of his career when he had 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists on March 26 against the Atlanta Hawks. He helped the Pacers (41-41) to their second straight playoff berth, but Indiana fell to the Boston Celtics in a grueling five-game first-round series. Schrempf averaged 15.8 points in the postseason.

1989-1990 REGULAR SEASON
Schrempf played his first full season in Indiana and made huge contributions for the Pacers, averaging 16.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He came off the bench in 60 of his 78 appearances and finished runner-up to the Milwaukee Bucks' Ricky Pierce for the NBA Sixth Man Award. Schrempf shot .516 from the floor and .820 from the free-throw line. He led the Pacers in rebounding 31 times during the season, including a 19-rebound effort on April 4 at Milwaukee. The fifth-year forward also established a new career high with 29 points against the Heat at Miami on March 20. Indiana finished at 42-40 and met the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 1990 NBA Playoffs. The Pistons swept the series in three games, but Schrempf sparkled with a 20.3 scoring average.

1988-1989 REGULAR SEASON
Schrempf missed the first 12 games of the 1988-89 season while recovering from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left leg. He then played 37 games for Dallas, averaging 9.5 points in 22.8 minutes per game, before the Mavericks traded him to the Indiana Pacers on February 21 for Herb Williams. The move essentially launched Schrempf's NBA career, though he had already played three full seasons in the league. The Pacers rescued him from chronic reserve duty in Dallas and immediately made him a major contributor, playing him 31.4 minutes per game in the season's final 32 contests. The fourth-year forward responded with 14.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, shooting .514 from the field. It was but a glimpse of what Schrempf, with his many talents, would accomplish in the years to come.

1987-1988 REGULAR SEASON
Schrempf played in all 82 games for the first time in his career, averaging 8.5 points in 19.4 minutes per game. He started four times during the season at three different positions but spent most of the year as a reserve at off guard and small forward. Schrempf had his best stretch in the season's final 29 games, scoring in double figures 21 times and averaging 11.4 points and 4.2 rebounds. He helped the Mavericks into the postseason but suffered a stress fracture above his left ankle in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. The injury forced him to sit out the rest of the series and undergo surgery in the offseason. For the second straight year, Schrempf competed in the Long Distance Shootout at the NBA All-Star Weekend. After a runner-up finish in 1987, he placed fourth in 1988 behind Larry Bird, Dale Ellis, and Byron Scott.

1986-1987 REGULAR SEASON
Schrempf became a regular in the Mavericks' rotation, seeing action in 81 games as a reserve at off guard, small forward, and power forward. He averaged 21.1 minutes per appearance, scoring 9.3 points per game. On a team loaded with talent, Schrempf found a way to distinguish himself by becoming one of the most accurate three-point shooters in the NBA. He hit 33 of 69 attempts for the season, leading the NBA in three-point percentage for most of the year until Kiki Vandeweghe passed him in the final week. Schrempf was invited to compete in the Long Distance Shootout at the 1987 NBA All-Star Weekend in Seattle, and he placed second to Larry Bird. Schrempf started five times during the season at three different positions. During one start as a fill-in for Rolando Blackman at shooting guard, he posted the first triple-double of his career, with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 30.

1985-1986 REGULAR SEASON
Detlef Schrempf didn't try his hand at basketball until he suffered a soccer injury at age 13 in his hometown of Leverkusen, Germany. Temporarily forced to look elsewhere for amusement, the lanky teenager dabbled in hoops and became hooked. He came to the United States as an exchange student in 1980-81 and proceeded to lead Centralia High School to the Washington state championship in his first year playing organized basketball. Schrempf then accepted a basketball scholarship from the University of Washington. In his four years with the Huskies, Schrempf started at every position and grew from 6-foot-7 as a freshman to 6-foot-10 as a senior. He averaged 15.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in his final season, helping the Huskies to their second straight Pacific-10 Conference title. Schrempf also made the first of two Olympic appearances in 1984, leading the West German team at the Summer Games in Los Angeles. The Dallas Mavericks liked Schrempf's versatility for his size, so they selected him with the eighth overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. But Schrempf soon found himself stuck in a frontcourt logjam on a talented Mavericks team that also included Mark Aguirre, Sam Perkins, Jay Vincent, and Dale Ellis. Schrempf appeared in only 64 games and averaged 6.2 points in 15.1 minutes per game. He tallied 10.2 points a game in 12 appearances as a starter, including a season-high 23 points against the Denver Nuggets on December 14.