Blue Edwards
Encyclopedia
Theodore "Blue" Edwards (born October 31, 1965 in Washington, D.C.
) is a retired American
professional basketball
player who played in the NBA
. Edwards played ten years in the league.
. He attended Greene Central High School, in Snow Hill, North Carolina
.He started his college career at Louisburg College
in Louisburg, North Carolina
where he played from 1984 to 1986. Louisburg College participates in Region X of the NJCAA. He also played for East Carolina University
in 1986-87 and 1988-89. In 1988-89 Edwards recorded the most points in a single season for ECU (773) and finished sixth in the nation in scoring (26.7). Edwards also lead the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring (26.7) and steals per game (1.6). Edwards recorded the second highest career scoring average (20.7) of any player to ever play at East Carolina. Edwards was suspended for the entire 1987–88 season along with several other people after being found guilty of breaking and entering. In 1994 Edwards was selected to be a member of the East Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame.
He was selected by the Utah Jazz
with the 21st overall pick of the 1989 NBA Draft
out of East Carolina University
and was a member of the 1990 NBA All-Rookie 2nd team.
He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1992 and tied for scoring with Frank Brickowski
for the Milwaukee Bucks
during the 1992–93 season with 16.9 points per game (although at 16.85, Edwards' average was slightly lower than Brickowski's 16.89).
He recorded the first triple-double in the history of the Vancouver Grizzlies
(and his first, too) on March 1, 1996 against the Dallas Mavericks
with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. In the Grizzlies' first season, he ranked fourth overall in points per game (12.7).
Edwards was a quality player, and won several games with last-second shots, including a game winning bucket against the Minnesota Timberwolves
that ended the Grizzlies' 23-game losing streak. The shot prevented the Grizzlies from tying the National Basketball Association
record for most consecutive losses. He also hit a last-second game winning shot against the Philadelphia 76ers
. He was also the only Grizzly to play and start all 82 games.
Due to Edwards' dunking ability, he was invited to the 1990 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in which he did not take part due to injury, and was replaced by David Benoit
. However, he did take part in the 1991 event, placing 6th. Edwards wore number 30 throughout his career until he moved to the Miami Heat where he wore 32 as 30 was in use by Terry Porter
.
After his NBA career, Edwards played overseas.
After a lengthy trial that ran from the fall of 1998 to early 1999, the trial judge released his decision and awarded sole custody to the mother. Edwards was given considerable access — four one-week periods quarterly throughout the year, shared time at Christmas
and on Elijah's birthday and additional access upon short notice when he was in Vancouver
. Theodore appealed this decision.
During the hearing at the British Columbia Court of Appeal
, the Court invited Mrs. Edwards to apply to be admitted as a party and to request joint custody of Elijah with her husband. Mrs. Edwards is also an African American
. This new, joint application for custody was successful, and Elijah was placed in the custody of Edwards and his wife.
The Court of Appeals' decision was stayed to allow the mother the opportunity to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada
, with the result that Elijah remained primarily in his mother's care throughout these proceedings. In 2001 the Supreme Court of Canada restored the trial decision and awarded custody to Elijah's mother; the Court concluded that in this case there was no evidence introduced that race should be "an important consideration". After the Supreme Court affirmed that the mother should have sole custody, the father ceased visiting and paying child support.
In 2009, the Canadian Television Network produced and aired a made for TV movie based on the custody battle story entitled "Playing for Keeps", which is released in the US under the title "What Color Is Love?".
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who played in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Edwards played ten years in the league.
Biography
Edwards' hometown was Walstonburg, North CarolinaWalstonburg, North Carolina
Walstonburg is a town in Greene County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 224 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 233 in 2006. Its map location is due north of Snow Hill on NC Highway 91...
. He attended Greene Central High School, in Snow Hill, North Carolina
Snow Hill, North Carolina
Snow Hill is a town in Greene County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,564 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Greene County and is part of the Greenville Metropolitan Area...
.He started his college career at Louisburg College
Louisburg College
Louisburg College is a private two-year college located in Louisburg, North Carolina. The Methodist-affiliated college claims that 90 percent of its graduates move on to four-year institutions...
in Louisburg, North Carolina
Louisburg, North Carolina
Louisburg is a town in Franklin County, North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,111. It is the county seat of Franklin County...
where he played from 1984 to 1986. Louisburg College participates in Region X of the NJCAA. He also played for East Carolina University
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
in 1986-87 and 1988-89. In 1988-89 Edwards recorded the most points in a single season for ECU (773) and finished sixth in the nation in scoring (26.7). Edwards also lead the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring (26.7) and steals per game (1.6). Edwards recorded the second highest career scoring average (20.7) of any player to ever play at East Carolina. Edwards was suspended for the entire 1987–88 season along with several other people after being found guilty of breaking and entering. In 1994 Edwards was selected to be a member of the East Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame.
He was selected by the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
with the 21st overall pick of the 1989 NBA Draft
1989 NBA Draft
The 1989 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. It has been regarded as one of the worst drafts in NBA history, along with the 1986 NBA Draft and the 2000 NBA Draft. Though the draft produced talented players such as Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice, Sean Elliott, Nick...
out of East Carolina University
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
and was a member of the 1990 NBA All-Rookie 2nd team.
He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1992 and tied for scoring with Frank Brickowski
Frank Brickowski
Francis Anthony Brickowski is a retired American professional basketball player, formerly in the National Basketball Association.-College and overseas career:...
for the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
during the 1992–93 season with 16.9 points per game (although at 16.85, Edwards' average was slightly lower than Brickowski's 16.89).
He recorded the first triple-double in the history of the Vancouver Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
(and his first, too) on March 1, 1996 against the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. In the Grizzlies' first season, he ranked fourth overall in points per game (12.7).
Edwards was a quality player, and won several games with last-second shots, including a game winning bucket against the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
that ended the Grizzlies' 23-game losing streak. The shot prevented the Grizzlies from tying the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
record for most consecutive losses. He also hit a last-second game winning shot against the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
. He was also the only Grizzly to play and start all 82 games.
Due to Edwards' dunking ability, he was invited to the 1990 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in which he did not take part due to injury, and was replaced by David Benoit
David Benoit (basketball)
David Benoit is a former American professional basketball player, in the small forward position.During his career, he played seven years in the National Basketball Association, six with the Utah Jazz....
. However, he did take part in the 1991 event, placing 6th. Edwards wore number 30 throughout his career until he moved to the Miami Heat where he wore 32 as 30 was in use by Terry Porter
Terry Porter
Terry Porter is an American professional basketball coach and former player in the National Basketball Association . A native of Wisconsin, he played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point before being drafted 24th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1985 NBA Draft...
.
After his NBA career, Edwards played overseas.
Child custody issue
At the end of 2001, Edwards was involved in one of the most public child custody cases in Canadian history. While playing for the Vancouver Grizzlies in the spring of 1996, Edwards, who was married, started an affair with Canadian citizen Kimberly Van de Perre. He had at least two other affairs. During the affair with Kimberly, she became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy named Elijah, in June 1997. When Elijah was three months old, Ms. Van de Perre began proceedings for custody and child support, naming Edwards as the father of the child. Edwards responded initially by seeking joint custody and liberal access, but later changed his response to seek sole custody.After a lengthy trial that ran from the fall of 1998 to early 1999, the trial judge released his decision and awarded sole custody to the mother. Edwards was given considerable access — four one-week periods quarterly throughout the year, shared time at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
and on Elijah's birthday and additional access upon short notice when he was in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. Theodore appealed this decision.
During the hearing at the British Columbia Court of Appeal
British Columbia Court of Appeal
The British Columbia Court of Appeal is the highest appellate court in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The BCCA hears appeals from the Supreme Court of British Columbia and a number of boards and tribunals. The BCCA also hears criminal appeals from the Provincial Court of British...
, the Court invited Mrs. Edwards to apply to be admitted as a party and to request joint custody of Elijah with her husband. Mrs. Edwards is also an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
. This new, joint application for custody was successful, and Elijah was placed in the custody of Edwards and his wife.
The Court of Appeals' decision was stayed to allow the mother the opportunity to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
, with the result that Elijah remained primarily in his mother's care throughout these proceedings. In 2001 the Supreme Court of Canada restored the trial decision and awarded custody to Elijah's mother; the Court concluded that in this case there was no evidence introduced that race should be "an important consideration". After the Supreme Court affirmed that the mother should have sole custody, the father ceased visiting and paying child support.
In 2009, the Canadian Television Network produced and aired a made for TV movie based on the custody battle story entitled "Playing for Keeps", which is released in the US under the title "What Color Is Love?".