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Rony Seikaly

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Rony Seikaly
روني ﺼيقلي
Personal information
Born (1965-05-10) May 10, 1965 (age 59)
Beirut, Lebanon
NationalityAmerican / Lebanese
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight253 lb (115 kg)
Career information
High schoolAmerican School (Athens, Greece)
CollegeSyracuse (1984–1988)
NBA draft1988: 1st round, 9th overall pick
Selected by the Miami Heat
Playing career1988–2000
PositionCenter
Number4, 9, 2
Career history
1988–1994Miami Heat
1994–1996Golden State Warriors
1996–1998Orlando Magic
1998–1999New Jersey Nets
2000FC Barcelona (Spain)
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points9,991 (14.7 ppg)
Rebounds6,424 (9.5 rpg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals
Men’s Basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1986 Spain National Team

Ronald Fred "Rony" Seikaly (Arabic: رونالد ﺼيقلي), known in Greece as Rony Sakalis (Greek: Ρόνι Σακαλής); born May 10, 1965) is a retired Lebanese-born American professional basketball player. Considered one of the top college players from Syracuse Orange men's basketball program, Seikaly's stellar offense and defense placed him among the school's all-time leaders in rebounds, points and blocks while earning several nationally recognized awards and honors.

Drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) by the Miami Heat, Seikaly became one of the team's earliest franchise players as he ranked among the team's top offensive and defensive contributors. He also played for the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and New Jersey Nets and internationally in Spain. He was also part of the US national basketball team during the 1986 FIBA World Championship, winning gold. After his retirement from basketball, Seikaly has developed a musical career as a DJ and music producer.

Early life

Seikaly was born in Beirut, Lebanon. As a young child, Rony moved from Beirut to Greece, where he spent the rest of his youth, and was known by the name Rony Sakalis. He attended and graduated from the American School, also known as ACS Athens. In addition to playing basketball, he was also a football (soccer) player, and an accomplished track and field athlete.

After being scouted by Panathinaikos player Takis Koroneos, Seikaly was selected to join Panathinaikos' men's senior team, and played with them in a tournament in Cyprus in 1982. However, because he did not have Greek citizenship at the time, he could not register with them to play in the Greek Basket League, as the league did not permit foreign players at the time. Seikaly continued to train with the club's youth teams.

Despite being raised in Greece, and being eligible for Greek citizenship, as a contributor to Greek society as a prospective member of the senior men's Greek national basketball team, Seikaly was unable to attain Greek citizenship. This was because while he was waiting to attain his Greek citizenship, after the head of the Hellenic Basketball Federation, George Vassilakopoulos, had officially applied for his status in 1984, Thanasis Tsouras, the then head of the Greek State Department, stated that Seikaly would have to wait his turn to get citizenship, behind over a thousand other qualified applicants that were ahead of him. Seikaly unfortunately was not in a position to wait, because he had to accept his scholarship offer to play college basketball in the United States at the University of Syracuse, and so he left without attaining his Greek citizenship.[1]

Seikaly would later go on to become a naturalized American citizen and play with Team USA at the 1986 FIBA World Championship. However, he later returned to train with and support the Greek national team at the FIBA EuroBasket 1987, and celebrate along with them when they won the tournament's gold medal.[2]

Basketball career

College

In 1984, Seikaly began attending Syracuse University in central New York, where he played college basketball. He played center for the Syracuse Orange men's basketball team. He led his Syracuse team to the 1987 NCAA Tournament championship finals against the Indiana Hoosiers during his junior year,[3] after averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds per game throughout the tournament. He was an All-American, and was also named to the John R. Wooden All-American Team.[3] He graduated from Syracuse as the school's all-time leading rebounder,[3] second in school history in blocked shots, and fourth in school history in scoring. At the time, he was only the second player to record 1,000 points and rebounds during his tenure at Syracuse.[3] He was chosen on the Orange's All Century Team, and his number 4 jersey has been retired and raised to the rafters at the Carrier Dome.

NBA career

Seikaly was taken by the Miami Heat with the 9th pick in the first round of the 1988 NBA Draft, the franchise's first ever college draft pick.[3] The rookie center quickly emerged not only as a pivotal player within the team, but also among the league's top young centers.[4] He led the Heat in points, rebounds and blocks while placing sixth in the league for rebounds during his second NBA season.[4]

Seikaly's career with Miami saw him setting numerous team records, including blocks (8), rebounds (34) and double doubles. He averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game in his career with the Heat. He was also named the NBA's Most Improved Player in 1990. During his run with the Heat, he had the nickname "The Spin Doctor", due to his trademark low-post spin moves.[5]

In 1994, Seikaly was traded to the Golden State Warriors, where he spent two years, before going on to play for the Orlando Magic. He averaged 16 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for the Magic. During the 1997–1998 season, he was traded to the Utah Jazz, but the transaction was voided. Eventually, he was traded to the New Jersey Nets in early 1998, before announcing his retirement from the game in 2000. He holds NBA career averages of 14.7 points per game, 9.5 rebounds per game, and 1.29 blocks per game.

Seikaly's NBA career highs in a game are 40 points, 34 rebounds, 8 blocked shots, 4 steals and 6 assists.

Records and accolades

[6]

  • Set the Miami Heat record for blocks in a game (8)
  • Set the Miami Heat record for free throw attempts in a game (26) and blocks in a season (124)
  • 1989-1990 NBA's Most Improved Player
  • Set the Miami Heat record for rebounds in a season (934)
  • NBA Player of the Week award
  • Set the Miami Heat record for defensive rebounds (26) and total rebounds (34) in a game
  • Set the Miami Heat record for free throws made in a game (16)
  • 20 games of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game

International career

His last year professionally was as an international player with FC Barcelona Bàsquet in the Liga ACB, the professional Spanish basketball league.[7][8]

USA national basketball team

Seikaly played for the US national basketball team at the 1986 FIBA World Championship, and with the US team he won the gold medal.[9]

Music career

Rony Seikaly
Birth nameRonald Seikaly
Born (1965-05-10) 10 May 1965 (age 59)
OriginLebanon
GenresHouse music, deep house, tech house and techno
OccupationDJ / Music producer
Years active2010-present
LabelsSubliminal Records, Nervous Records
Websiteronyseikaly.com

Seikaly, an avid lover of music, had been DJing on and off since the age of 14. After retiring from basketball, he developed a musical career as a professional DJ and as a music producer.[10] "Sports will always be my love. But music will always be my passion," he said.[11] He also had his own studio in Florida. Seikaly has been producing and working in the genres of house, deep house, tech house and techno.[citation needed] He has played in major clubs in Ibiza, Atlantic City, New York, and Miami.[10]

He has released two EPs, House Calls in 2010 and East West EP in 2012.[12] In 2012, he released a full mix album titled Nervous Nitelife Presents Rony Seikaly[13] and singles released on Nervous Records, Subliminal Records and many more.

He has his own radio show on Sirius/XM Electric Area called SugarFree which airs every Saturday and Monday.

Discography

Albums

Title details Tracklist
Nervous Nitelife Presents Rony Seikaly
  1. Released: June 5, 2012
  2. Record label: Nervous Inc.
  1. "Mood That I Love" (Rony Seikaly & Jean Claude Ades Remix) (5:56)
  2. "Can't Decide" (Fabo feat. Angela Sheik) [Original Mix] (5:13)
  3. "The Playa" (Original Mix) (6:25)
  4. "Miami Vice" (Lazaro Casanova feat. Amy Douglas) [Julien Sandre Mix] (5:53)
  5. "Bring It On (Original Mix) (4:35)
  6. "Build Up the Volume" (Original Mix) (4:19)
  7. "You Can Feel It" (Original Mix) (6:05)
  8. "Future Lately (Saarid feat. Javi Silva) [Walker & Royce Remix] (5:04)
  9. "Desert Night" (Original Mix) (5:03)
  10. "Illusion" (Original Mix) (5:48)
  11. "Watergate" (CamelPhat Instrumental) (5:09)
  12. "Maro" (Original Mix) (5:17)
  13. "Empty Days" (Original Mix) (4:16)
  14. "Bourgie Bourgie" (John Davis & The Monster Orchestra - Catz 'n Dogz Remix) (5:24)
  15. "Nervous Nitelife: Rony Seikaly" (Continuous Mix) (1:14)

EPs

Title details Tracklist
Subiminal Essentials Presents House Calls EP
  • Released: 2010
  • Label: Subliminal Records
  1. "Ignition" (Original Mix) (6:30)
  2. "Close Your Eyes" (Original Mix) (6:28)
  3. "Session 13" (Original Mix) (6:46)
  4. "Sensations" (Original Mix) (8:11)
  5. "Carry the Light" (Rony Seikaly feat. Polina) [Original Mix] (8:26)
East West EP
  • Credited to: Jean Claude Ades & Rony Seikaly
  • Released: 2012
  • Record label: Swings Records
  1. "Oh Yeah"
  2. "Perfect Match"
  3. "Mood That I Love"
Funk the Monk / MILF
  • Released: August 13, 2012
  • Label: Juicy Music
  1. "Funk the Monk" (6:36)
  2. "MILF" (7:50)
  3. "MILF" (Robbie Rivera Remix) (6:21)

Songs

  • 2010: "Come with Me" (featuring Polina) (Subliminal Records)
  • 2010: "Let You Go" (featuring Polina) (Subliminal Records)
  • 2010: "Let You Go Part Two" (featuring Polina). Remix by Cedric Gervais (Subliminal Records)
  • 2011: "Take Me Higher" (Subliminal Records)
  • 2011: "The World Is Beautiful" (Subliminal Records)
  • 2011: "Personal Stereo" (Swing Records)
  • 2011: "Crazy Powder" (Nervous Inc)
  • 2012: "MILF" (Juicy Records)
  • 2012: "Funk The Munk" (Juicy Records)
  • 2012: "Mood That I Love" (Nervous Records)
  • 2012: "Desert Nights" (Nervous Records)
  • 2012: "Oh Yeah" (Swing Records)
  • 2012: "Perfect Match" (Swing Records)
  • 2012: "Illusion" (Nervous Records)
  • 2012: "Le Freak" (with Antranig) (Stereo Productions)
  • 2012: "Welcome to the Machine" (Nervous Inc.)
  • 2012: "Happy Trees" (Nervous Inc.)
  • 2013: "You Make Me Feel" (with Jean Claude Ades) (Be Crazy Music)
  • 2013: "Thanks for Everything" (Perfect Driver Music)
  • 2013: "Can You Hear Me" (Suara Records)
  • 2013: "TATOUS" (Nervous Records)

Personal life

Seikaly owns and runs a multi-million dollar real estate investment company;[10] he is also an investor in the South Beach, Miami restaurants Quattro, Sosta, Solea, and Club Wall.

When Magic Johnson returned to the NBA HIV-positive, and there was opposition to his inclusion in the league, because of his health status, Seikaly challenged him to a game of one-on-one to show everyone that HIV is not contagious by touch.

He was formerly married to Mexican model Elsa Benítez, the 2001 and 2006 cover girl for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues. They divorced in 2005; they have a daughter, Mila.

Charity

Seikaly is involved in many charities, such as the Miami Heat's Corporate Education and "Shoot for the Stars" programs. He founded the Rony Seikaly Golf Tournament to benefit cystic fibrosis research.

Revenues from the sale of his 2012 album Nervous Nitelife Presents Rony Seikaly went to the Children's Department at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Foundation in Miami.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ DoubleTeam.gr Η πονεμένη ιστορία του Ρόνι Σεϊκέλι Template:El icon.
  2. ^ Gazetta.gr Από τα καρφώματα στα… decks! Template:El icon.
  3. ^ a b c d e "1989–90 Hoops #243 – Rony Seikaly RC (Rookie Card)". Hoops. NBA Properties, Inc. 1989. Retrieved 2010-03-03. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ a b "1990-91 Hoops #169B – Rony Seikaly". Hoops. NBA Properties, Inc. 1990. Retrieved 2010-03-03. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ Encyclopedia.com: Roni Seikaly (Lebanese / Lebanon's Ex-NBA player).
  6. ^ Bleacherreport.com The Top 10 Scorers in Miami Heat History.
  7. ^ ACB.com Spanish League Profile Template:Es icon
  8. ^ Euroleague.net - Rony Seikaly page
  9. ^ 1986 USA Basketball statistics.
  10. ^ a b c Michael Picard (July 31, 2012). "Rony Seikaly: The Spin Doctor". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 20, 2013. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ Amanda Mactas in Joonbug.com: Rony Seikaly - From NBA Star to Global DJ (June 4, 2012)
  12. ^ NotableDance.com: Interview with Jean Claude Ades (August 9, 2012)
  13. ^ a b Lesire Lab.com: Interview with Rony Seikaly (27 June 2012)
Basketball
Music

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