In 2019, Todd created the hand-drawn animation Trim. The Investigator for the State Library of NSW. The piece depicts a statue of Matthew Flinders Cat (Trim) on Macquarie St coming to life and exploring the Library. The animation can be viewed on the entrance to the John B Fairfax Learning Centre.
Golden State Warriors End Todd Fuller Partnership; Deal Center to Utah Jazz
On February 4th, 1999, the Golden State Warriors traded center Todd Fuller to the Utah Jazz for a 2000 second round draft pick (Chris Porter).
Coming off a 36-46 finish to the 1995-96 campaign, the Golden State Warriors were looking for help with the 11th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. With players like Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O’Neal, Steve Nash and Peja Stojakovic available, the Warriors opted for big man Todd Fuller. Fuller had been productive as a four-year player at NC State. In his senior season, he made the All-ACC first team after averaging 20.9 PPG and 9.9 RPG.
The Warriors got off to a 3-10 start during the 1996-97 campaign. They never recovered and finished well short of a playoff appearance with a 30-52 record. Fuller began his NBA career starting at center for Golden State, but lost his spot nine games into the season. He ended up spending most of the season as a reserve behind veteran Felton Spencer. Overall, Fuller compiled 4.1 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 75 appearances (18 starts) and 12.7 MPG.
After the season, head coach Rick Adelman was fired and the Warriors replaced him with P.J. Carleismo. The Warriors made some moves at center by trading Chris Mullin to the Indiana Pacers for Fuller’s 1996 draft class peer Erick Dampier. The team also drafted center Adonal Foyle from Colgate with their first round pick.
The 1997-98 Warriors were a miserable bunch. The team began the season 1-13. At that point, star Latrell Sprewell choked coach Carleismo in practice and he would be suspended for the rest of the season. The team also made three trades during the season including a deal with Philadelphia that sent Joe Smith to the Sixers. At the end of the season, Golden State finished 19-63.
Fuller played less, but ended his second pro season with nearly identical numbers to his first year. The 6′11″ Fuller managed 4.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 57 games and 10.8 MPG.
The Warriors gave up on Fuller near the start of the lockout shortened 1998-99 season. Golden State was mocked for selecting Fuller over the previously mentioned names that all went on to become All-Stars. The Warriors looked to get off of Fuller’s salary in a trade that saw them acquire a meager second round pick.
Fuller ended his run in Golden State with 4.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 132 career games. He shot 43% on field goals and 69% from the free-throw line in that time.
The Jazz had to waive guard Saddi Washington to make room for Fuller on their roster. Washington had originally made Utah’s roster out of training camp.
Fuller went from a perennial cellar dweller in Golden State, to a title contender in the Utah Jazz. With Michael Jordan retired, the Jazz were one of the clear cut favorites for a title. Utah had Greg Ostertag and Greg Foster manning the middle, but Foster entered the lockout-shortened season recovering from a broken ankle.
Fuller was given some minutes as a backup during the 1998-99 season. The 6′11 big man appeared in 42 games (2 starts) and compiled 3.4 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 11.0 MPG.
Utah started off the season with a bang, winning nine of their first 10 games. At the 40-game mark, the Jazz had the best record in the NBA at 32-8. They went 5-5 over the final ten games to finish 37-13 and in a tie with the San Antonio Spurs for the first seed. The Spurs owned the head-to-head tiebreaker (2-1), so Utah dropped from first to the third seed in the Western Conference.
The Jazz went on to the playoffs where they battled the Sacramento Kings in the first round. Expected to be an easy series, the Jazz dominated Game One with a 117-87 drubbing. Sacramento responded well in Game Two, stealing homecourt with a 101-90 win.
The third game was tight and went into overtime. Vlade Divac made two jump hooks late to give Sacramento an 83-81 edge with 22 second left. Fuller missed two free throws that would’ve tied the game, and John Stockton missed a three at the buzzer, giving Sacramento a stunning 2-1 series lead.
Facing elimination, the Jazz battled back on the road in Game Four. Facing a one-point deficit with 7.2 seconds left, Stockton managed to shake free from the defense off a Karl Malone screen and nailed a long two to give Utah a 90-89 lead with 00.7 seconds left on the clock. The Kings could never get off a shot and Utah managed to take the series back home for a decisive Game Five.
The series deciding game was close throughout and went to overtime. Despite cold shooting nights from Stockton (1-for-12) and Malone (6-for-19), the Jazz managed to pull through with an 11-4 advantage in overtime, They won the game 99-92 and the series 3-2. Fuller played in all five first round games and produced 2.2 PPG on 33.3% shooting and 3.6 RPG in 10.8 MPG.
Utah advanced to the Semifinals where they faced the 33-17 Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers built a 15-point advantage in the first half of the series opener, but Utah got back into the game. It was a close game, with Portland leading by four points going into the fourth quarter. The Blazers collapsed as Utah outscored them 19-5 to win 93-83.
The second game in Utah was tight once again. Portland managed to take a two-point lead late after a Greg Anthony free throw. With 9.2 seconds left, John Stockton missed a potential game-tying layup. Portland ended up tying the series with an 84-81 win.
Game Three in Portland saw the Blazers use a 25-2 run in the first half to power their way to a comfortable 97-87 victory. Blazers guard Isaiah Rider (24 points) guided Portland to a 3-1 series lead after a close 81-75 win. The Jazz got 23 points from Karl Malone and 22 points from Bryon Russell in a comfortable 88-71 win that prevented Utah’s playoff elimination.
Game Six in Portland was close. Utah managed to get within two points on a Bryon Russell layup and Jeff Hornacek free throw with 1:21 left. Portland outscored Utah 12-2 in the final minute-plus to win the game 92-80 and the series 4-2. Fuller appeared in five of the six Conference Semifinals games and put up 3.0 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 10.2 MPG.
Fuller became a free agent after the ‘98-‘99 season. Utah and Fuller both expressed interest in a new deal. Fuller showed his commitment to the Jazz by playing in Summer League for the Jazz team despite not having a new contract. Fuller largely disappointed in Summer League and never signed a contract with Utah. Fuller ended up signing a deal with the Charlotte Hornets for the 1999-00 season.
The second rounder that the Warriors acquired from Utah became the 55th overall selection in the 2000 NBA Draft. The pick was used on forward Chris Porter from Auburn. A former SEC Player of the Year and second-team All-American during his junior season, Porter and Auburn's performance tailed off in his senior campaign. Porter's individual numbers dropped and he became a news headline after news broke that he had accepted money from a sports agent to prevent his mother from being evicted from her home. The infraction cost Porter the last eight games of the college season.
The whole scenario had dropped Porter from a likely first round pick to a late second rounder. A problem for Porter was his lack of a true position on the court. A power forward in college, Porter was the size of a traditional small forward in the NBA, but he lacked a jump shot.
The 2000-01 Warriors struggled from the jump. The team lost seven of their first eight games. Things would not improve much as they finished a Western Conference-worst 17-65. Porter was able to see some action in his rookie season and start multiple games. The 6′8″ forward appeared in 51 games (35 starts) and posted 8.6 PPG on 38.9% from the field, 3.7 RPG, 1.2 APG and 0.9 SPG in 22.5 MPG.
In late August of 2001, Porter was arrested on drug possession charges in Alabama. Soon after, the forward would be a throw-in in a three-team trade with the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers in late October of 2001.
Todd Fuller on the pressure he felt in Golden State (via Jazz.com):
“The franchise was really struggling, and they were looking for a savior every year it seemed like. I didn't fit that bill and never have through my career. It put tons of pressure on me, which was counterproductive.”
How he feels no pressure in Utah:
“I can certainly say it has helped that I can come in and not have all the excess pressure and feeling like I have all the eyes on me. Of course I’m the new guy here so everybody is going to be watching me anyway, but I don't feel like I have the extreme pressure that I had when I was with the Warriors.”
How Utah has more confidence due to veteran leadership:
“Here you’ve got a veteran base of players as opposed to the Warriors, especially my first year or two, where we only had a couple veterans. We’ve got some great players here in Karl [Malone] and John [Stockton] who are used to winning and used to success. And the confidence level is higher here than it was with the Warriors my first year.”
On his future with the Jazz and pending free agency:
“I don't even think about [free agency] now. There’s today, and then the next day, step by step, that's the only way I can look at things. There's a ton of basketball left this season, so there's still a long way to go.”
On the argument that the Warriors have nothing to show for recent lottery picks (via SF Gate):
“They’re going to have some backbone to the argument if they (critics) say that. Joe [Smith] was here just a couple of years and he was traded. I was here just a couple of years and I’m traded. I can’t argue there's nothing to show for it at the moment.”
Golden State Warriors general manager Garry St. Jean on why the trade was made (via SF Gate):
“The opportunity was there to acquire a pick where there wasn’t a salary involved coming back. Those were the key things.”
Utah Jazz vice president of basketball operations Scott Layden on Fuller’s development early on in Utah (via Jazz.com):
“A lot of people think you’ve got to wait three or four years for a big guy before he’ll actually make a contribution. So maybe we were fortunate he was able to fit into this system and be at the right time of when he was ready.”
Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan on how being in the right place at the right time is important for Fuller (via Jazz.com):
“Being in the right place at the right time is a very big factor in this league. Some players will have a chance maybe in one situation where they didn’t in another. If you realize the situation you’re in, you take advantage of it. One of the things that’s really unfortunate a lot of times is, you get a lottery player like [Fuller] was, expectations are high. They expect him to be a Jabbar or somebody like that. That’s really unfair. Then a guy like Todd comes in here and it's just ‘come and play.’ You don’t have to worry about where you were picked in the draft.”
Great Moments In Warriors History: Todd Fuller makes a dunk.
In a November 12, 1996 game against the Seattle Supersonics (R.I.P.), Warriors center Todd Fuller, AKA "The White Tornado," successfully and improbably dunked the basketball. Detlef Schrempf slipped and lost the ball, and Chris Mullin passed to a wide-open Fuller, a player the Warriors took two spots ahead of Kobe Bryant. Fuller bobbled the pass, brought it down, then leaped as high as he could, just barely nudging the ball over the rim with both hands. He then pumped his fist almost imperceptibly, before running back down the court with his head down.
Fuller would dunk just two more times in his career, both occurring after the Warriors traded him to Utah for a second-round pick. As Utah had the best record in the NBA that year, it was, by rule, the least the Warriors could receive in return.
