American basketball player
Keith Mitchell Closs Jr. (born April 3, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Santiago Basket Titanes of the Laliga de Campeones (LDC). He played at the center position.
College career
At 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m) and 212 pounds (96 kg), Closs played collegiately at Central Connecticut State University, leading the nation in blocks his only two years in college, and still holding the NCAA Division I career record for blocks with 5.87 blocked shots per game.[1]
Professional career
Los Angeles Clippers (1997–2000)
After starting playing professionally in the Atlantic Basketball Association with the Norwich Neptunes,[2] Closs moved to the Clippers in 1997. Having logged career highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals during 1999–2000, his NBA career abruptly ended, with a club record for most blocked shots per 48 minutes (4.7).
Closs played three seasons as a backup center for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers from 1997 to 2000, averaging 3.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during his spell.
Later career (2001–2008)
Closs played for the Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs of the USBL in the 2001 and 2003 seasons.[3]
On December 11, 2004, Closs signed with the Rockford Lightning of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).[4] He averaged a league-high 4.4 blocks per game as well as 7.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game with the Lightning. On February 1, 2005, Closs was released by the Lightning.[5] He also played in the CBA with the Gary Steelheads during the 2004–05 season.[3]
Closs played for the Butte Daredevils in the CBA during the 2006–07 season but was released after being arrested for public intoxication.[6] He then joined the Buffalo Silverbacks of the American Basketball Association.[6]
Closs was selected with the 11th pick in the 5th round of the 2007 NBA Development League draft by the Tulsa 66ers.[7]
In December 2008, Closs signed with the Chinese league's Yunnan Bulls, and averaged 16.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.9 blocked shots per game.[8]
Closs played for the Santa Barbara Breakers of the West Coast Professional Basketball League in 2012.[6]
Coaching career
On July 21, 2023, Closs was announced as the head coach of the Santiago Basket Titanes in the Dominican Laliga de Campeones.[9]
Personal life
Closs is the oldest of six children. His favorite book is Giant Steps by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.[1]
Closs admitted to being an alcoholic, even before joining the Clippers. The pressure of the NBA only led to more drinking and after three DUI offenses, he sought help in 2007. During a 2008 interview, he said he had turned his life around, having given up the addiction for good.[11]
His father, Keith Mitchell Closs Sr. died on December 1, 2017, from a possible heart attack, according to Closs's Twitter account.
Closs also has a son, Keith M. Closs III, born January 21, 2000.
In August 2022, Closs became an assistant coach in the Turkish basketball league[12]
Closs has the fifth lowest BMI of all players in NBA history.[13]
