Keith Closs: From NBA Shot-Blocker To Global Basketball Veteran
Discover the professional journey of Keith Closs, a former Los Angeles Clippers center known for his shot-blocking skills. Learn how he extended his career across minor leagues and international teams after the NBA.
Jul 25, 20259.8K Shares138.8K Views
Keith Mitchell Closs Jr. was born on April 3, 1976, in Hartford, Connecticut. He grew very tall early on, later reaching 7 feet 3 inches in height. For high school, Closs attended Sierra Vista High School in Baldwin Park, California. At first he struggled: his team cut him in both his sophomore and junior years when he was already nearly 7 feet tall. After being cut, he joined an AAU basketball team, where he began to win notice from college scouts. Finally, Closs graduated after an intense year of night and summer school, completing both junior and senior coursework simultaneously so he could enter college sooner.
College Career
Keith Clossplayed college basketball at Central Connecticut State University for two seasons (1994–95 and 1995–96). During both years he led NCAA Division I in blocked shots, averaging 5.3 blocks per game as a freshman and 6.36 as a sophomore. His career block average of 5.87 per game remains the NCAA record.
As a freshman, he appeared in 26 games, starting 22. He averaged 10.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.3 blocks per game in about 29.3 minutes. His scoring and rebounding increased in his sophomore season: over 28 games, he averaged 13.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 6.4 blocks in about 31.6 minutes per game.
Closs earned First Team All–Mid-Continent Conference honors as a sophomore and was named to the Mid-Continent All-Freshman team as a freshman. He set Central Connecticut State’s all-time record for blocked shots with a total of 317 during his college career.
Professional Career
Keith Closs started his pro journey with the Norwich Neptunes in the Atlantic Basketball Association before joining the NBA as an undrafted player with the Los Angeles Clippers in 1997. He played three seasons (1997–2000) as a backup center, appearing in 130 games with averaged stats of 3.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game in about 12.7 minutes per game.
After his NBA run, Closs played in various minor and overseas leagues. He joined the Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs (USBL) in 2001 and 2003, then signed with the Rockford Lightning (CBA) in December 2004. With Rockford, he led the league in blocks per game (4.4) and averaged 7.2 points and 7.0 rebounds, before his release in early 2005. He also suited up for the Gary Steelheads (CBA), Butte Daredevils, Buffalo Silverbacks (ABA), and the Tulsa 66ers (NBDL) in later seasons.
In December 2008, Closs signed with China’s Yunnan Bulls, where he averaged an impressive 16.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 5.9 blocks per game. Later, in 2012, he played for the Santa Barbara Breakers in the West Coast Professional Basketball League.
Keith Closs’s pro career reflects his reputation as an elite shot-blocker, whether in the NBA or in other leagues, and shows how he kept playing professionally for over a decade outside the NBA arena.
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