Silent No More: Who Is This Kris Humphries - More Than Just A Name Thrown Around With "The Matrix" Deal

[CRYSTAL]

By Crystal Carroll
friends.mavs.com

During all the Matrix mix of talking about signings and trades and deals, a single name has been almost the silent partner to Shawn Marion along the entire bumpy ride this week, Kris Humphries, and while he has been almost an afterthought to the big name of "the Matrix" he too will be coming to the Big D by way of Toronto as part of one of the biggest deals in the NBA.

But fans so hyped up about Marion might just be asking, WHO IS HUMPHRIES??

While in trade talks he might just be taking a backseat, there is nothing backseat about this character who was selected 14th overall in the 2004 draft. Instead the 6'9" player has deep roots in Minnesota where he was born, played college ball and went on to be drafted. But while most might think of his name with only basketball and more specifically this trade, Humphries is a multitalented athlete, almost by nature as his father was a former football player who more than likely passed on that competitive spirit to Kris, his only son.

Humphries found success in competitive swimming before hitting the hardwood, that's right he was one step away from gills falling second in the nation within 6 events to only Michael Phelps, that's right Phelps himself at the humble age of only 10.

He traded his gills and speedo for a ball and some sneakers at age 12 and by high school was turning the world of basketball on its ear. He was named McDonald's All-American in 2003 and was selected to the Second Team All-USA by the prestigious USA Today after leading his high school team to their first state championship in 49 years. And all this before even picking up a book in college.

It seems he should have been an old soul by the time he rolled up into the University of Minnesota but he was just beginning to climb. He went on to the 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was named to the All-Big Ten First team. He was an Honorable Mention All-American and set a school record with 36 points in that opening season while also setting the freshman scoring record of 629 points. He was exceptional to say the least honored on every level possible as merely a freshman, something many players could only hope to achieve throughout four years and still fall shy of accomplishing.

He followed his bigger dreams to enter the draft and was a quick fit for the Utah Jazz working as a player off the bench averaging 11.6 minutes per game while contributing an average of 3.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

The Raptors brought him on board in a 2006 trade and over eh next two seasons he would play 130 games with an average shooing .476 per game from the field.