Steve Francis is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA from 1999 to 2008. He was a three-time NBA All-Star and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2000.
Steve Francis is a former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for twelve seasons. He was born in Takoma Park, Maryland on February 21, 1977. He attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where he was a two-time All-American and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in 1999.
Francis was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies with the second overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. He was then traded to the Houston Rockets, where he spent the majority of his career. During his time with the Rockets, Francis was a three-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2004. He also led the Rockets to the playoffs in four consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2006.
In 2006, Francis was traded to the Orlando Magic, where he played for two seasons. He then played for the New York Knicks, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Houston Rockets again before retiring in 2011.
Throughout his career, Francis was known for his flashy style of play and his ability to score. He was also known for his charitable work, as he established the Steve Francis Foundation in 2002. The foundation works to provide educational and recreational opportunities for underprivileged children.
In 2016, Francis was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame. He is currently the head coach of the Houston Rockets’ G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.