Lance Collin Allred American basketball player. Date of Birth: 02.02.1981 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Family
2. Basketball Journey
3. College Success at Weber State
4. Professional Career
5. NBA Debut
6. Book Writing
7. "The Battle of the Titans: A Historical Novel"

Early Life and Family

Lance Collin Allred was born on February 2, 1981, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He spent his early years in Montana and is a descendant of Rulon C. Allred, the prophet of a fundamentalist polygamist sect. However, his family disillusioned with the teachings and moved to Salt Lake City when Lance was six. Six years later, they completely separated themselves from the extremist sect.

Basketball Journey

Allred did not play organized basketball until the 8th grade when he joined a local LDS Church league. With his exceptional height (nearly 7 feet) and natural talent, he quickly became a basketball standout at East High School in Salt Lake City. As a senior, he averaged 17.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game, earning numerous accolades.

Despite offers from several colleges, Allred chose to attend the University of Utah. However, his freshman year was limited by restrictions, as he played only 17 games and averaged just 5.6 minutes per game. The following season saw a slight increase in playing time, but it was still insufficient. After his sophomore year, Lance transferred to Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.

Allred cited verbal abuse from head coach Rick Majerus as the reason for his transfer. According to Allred, Majerus repeatedly made derogatory comments related to his hearing impairment. Two other University of Utah players corroborated Allred's account, while two assistant coaches denied ever hearing such remarks.

College Success at Weber State

At Weber State, Allred became a driving force. He saw significant playing time and averaged 11.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game as a junior. Through offseason work, he gained muscle and increased his weight from 238 pounds to 270.

As a senior, Allred averaged an impressive 17.7 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. He ranked third in the nation in rebounds, behind only Paul Millsap and Andrew Bogut. He nearly single-handedly led his team to the Big Sky Conference tournament, which the Wildcats lost by just two points. His efforts earned him first-team All-Big Sky and first-team All-Utah honors.

Professional Career

Allred began his professional basketball career as an injury replacement for SPO Rouen Basket of France's LNB League. He averaged 5.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 11 games. In 2006, he played in four games for JL Bourg Basket of the LNB League, averaging 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds.

He then moved on to Sedesa Lliria of Spain's LEB2 League and averaged 15.0 points and 7.2 rebounds in 10 games. In the 2006-07 season, Allred averaged 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds in 47 games (19 starts) for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League. The following season, he appeared in all 38 games for the Stampede, averaging 16.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He was named to the D-League's Red All-Star Team in 2008.

NBA Debut

On March 13, 2008, the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA signed Allred to a 10-day contract. He made his NBA debut on March 17, 2008, becoming the first legally deaf player in NBA history. Allred's contract was extended for another 10 days on March 25, 2008, and then for the remainder of the 2008 season on April 4th.

Book Writing

In addition to his basketball career, Allred has also authored two books:

"Longshot: The Adventures of a Deaf Fundamentalist Mormon Kid and His Journey to the NBA"

"The Battle of the Titans: A Historical Novel"