Chris Dudley - WikiHQ

Christen Guilford Dudley (born February 22, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player and politician. He played 886 games across 16 seasons in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, and Phoenix Suns. A journeyman center, he was known primarily for his defensive skill as a rebounder and shot blocker. In his second season with the Knicks, he played in the 1999 NBA Finals.

In 2010, he was the Republican nominee for Governor of Oregon, narrowly losing to Democrat John Kitzhaber, and was a candidate for the 2026 election, losing the primary to Christine Drazan.

Early life and education

Dudley was born in Stamford, Connecticut, the son of Elizabeth Josephine (née Kovacs, c.1941–present), a teacher, and Guilford Dudley III (c. 1932–present), a minister. His maternal grandfather, also a minister, immigrated from Hungary, and his maternal grandmother's parents were also Hungarian. His paternal grandfather was Guilford Dudley, who was U.S. ambassador to Denmark under the Nixon and Ford presidential administrations.

Dudley played high school basketball at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, California. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 16. Like his parents, grandfather, and uncle, Dudley attended Yale University. At Yale he played NCAA basketball for the Bulldogs from 1983 to 1987, was a member of Timothy Dwight College, and earned a degree in political science and economics.

NBA career

Cleveland Cavaliers (1987–1990)

Dudley began playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 1987–88 NBA season. During his rookie season, he played in 55 of 82 games, averaging three points per game. He returned for all 82 games in 1994-95 and missed only three games in the next two seasons.

New York Knicks (1997–2000)

After playing 161 games for the Blazers between 1995 and 1997, Dudley was traded to the New York Knicks in a three-team deal with the Toronto Raptors, sending John Wallace from New York to Toronto, a 1998 first-round pick from New York to Portland, a 2007 second-round pick from Toronto to Portland and a 2000 first-round pick from Toronto to New York. During his stint with the Knicks, Dudley primarily backed up Patrick Ewing for three seasons. The next month, on April 16, he grabbed his 5,000th NBA rebound during a game between the Knicks and the Detroit Pistons.

Phoenix Suns (2000–2001)

After his stint with the Knicks, Dudley was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Luc Longley, participating in 53 games in the 2000–01 season. During this season, he averaged 1.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.1 fouls in 11.6 minutes per game.

On July 18, 2001, Dudley, along with superstar point guard Jason Kidd, was traded back to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Soumaila Samake, Johnny Newman, and Stephon Marbury. He was waived by the Nets the following month.

Return to Portland (2001–2003)

Dudley returned to the Trail Blazers in 2001 as a free agent. In his first season back, he played 43 games (two starts), with averages of 1.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game, alongside 40% field goal shooting. Dudley retired after playing 11 total minutes in three games during the 2002–03 season. In 1989, he set the record for most free throws missed in a single trip to the foul line, missing five consecutive free throws after the opposing team committed three lane violations.

NBA Honors

He was the recipient of the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 1996,

Post-NBA

thumb|Dudley meeting with President [[George W. Bush, 2004]]

In 1994, he created the Chris Dudley Foundation, an Oregon-based group intended to improve the lives of diabetic children. In the summer of 1996 the Foundation started a basketball camp for children with diabetes. He received an NBA award as well as other community awards for founding the organization. From 2005 to 2007, he was a volunteer assistant coach for the Lake Oswego High School boys' basketball team, where he mentored UCLA-bound star Kevin Love.

In early 2006, Dudley became vice president of M Financial Wealth Management. Since October 2008, he has been a wealth management partner with Filigree Advisors.

Political career

2010 Oregon gubernatorial campaign

thumb|Lawn sign in [[Hillsboro, Oregon|Hillsboro during the primary campaign]]

thumb|left|150px|Dudley at the 2010 Dorchester Conference in [[Seaside, Oregon]]

In the summer of 2009, Dudley, a Lake Oswego resident, was encouraged by the Republican Party to consider a run for the U.S. House of Representatives. Dudley declined to run for Congress, preferring to spend more time in the state. On October 11, 2009, The Oregonian reported that Dudley was considering entering the Republican primary for Oregon governor in 2010. In November 2009 he formed a campaign committee and raised roughly $340,000 by early December of the same year. Dudley formally announced his entry into the race on December 16. On March 6, 2010, The Oregonian reported Dudley had raised over $1 million, aided by a $50,000 donation from Nike co-founder Phil Knight.

In May 2010, Dudley won 39% of the vote in a crowded Republican primary to win the GOP nomination, and prepared to face former governor John Kitzhaber in the November general election. On September 29, 2010, The Register-Guard reported that Chris Dudley's campaign had received $5.6 million, more than twice what was raised by the Kitzhaber campaign. His primary sponsors included the national Republican Governors Association, in-state timber companies, industry trade groups, and Portland area business executives. Nike chairman and co-founder Phil Knight gave Dudley's campaign $400,000.

Kitzhaber beat Dudley 49%–48%, or just over 22,000 votes. While Dudley carried the majority of Oregon's counties, he was unable to overcome a deficit of over 120,000 votes in Multnomah County, the most populous in the state. Dudley raised and spent a total of $10.3 million, the largest amount ever in an Oregon governor's campaign. Kitzhaber raised and spent $7.4 million. On January 26, 2026, Dudley officially announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for Oregon governor again. In the May 2026 Oregon primaries, Dudley lost the Republican gubernatorial nomination to Christine Drazan.

Personal life

Dudley and his wife, also named Chris, have two sons and one daughter. Dudley closed his Oregon campaign committee, which could have been used for future races, in April 2014.

During his playing career, Dudley donated $300,000 to a non-profit organization to help pay the cost of college tuition for a class of fourth-graders at Vernon Elementary School in Portland. Dudley's daughter Emma was a reserve forward for the Utah State Aggies from 2018–2020. During 29 career games over two seasons, she averaged 0.9 points and 1.4 rebounds across 6.3 minutes per game.

Alleged altercation

In October 2018, it was reported that Dudley and current United States Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh were in a bar fight in September 1985, which involved throwing ice and a drinking glass at a man who allegedly resembled Ali Campbell of UB40. Through an article published in The Guardian, Campbell wrote that whomever Dudley and Kavanaugh fought was not him, and that he was not at the bar that night.

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Electoral history

References

External links

Chris Dudley Foundation
Biography at NBA.com
Chris Dudley for Governor official campaign site