Background
Lawrence Funderburke was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, where he played high school basketball.
Lawrence Funderburke was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, where he played high school basketball.
Ohio State University.
Collegiate career
Funderburke played his freshman year of college basketball at Indiana University, where he is known for tangling with Bobby Knight. He transferred after that season to Ohio State University, where he played his three remaining years of eligibility. There, he teamed with fellow National Basketball Association star Jimmy Jackson to lead Ohio State to the Big Ten Championship in 1992.
National Basketball Association career
Funderburke was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in the 2nd round (51st overall) of the 1994 National Basketball Association Draft, honing his game in Europe (in Greece"s Ampelokipoi and PAOK British Columbia and French outfit Pau-Orthez) for three years, before joining the Kings in 1997.
Funderburke averaged 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds as a rookie and played a vital role for the Kings during their successful seasons spanning from 1999–2003 as a backup to Chris Webber. After serving mainly as a reliable backup for All-Star Chris Webber for 6 seasons, Funderburke missed the entire 2003-2004 schedule, being ultimately waived in March 2004.
After appearing in two games for the Chicago Bulls, Funderburke retired in June 2005, holding National Basketball Association career averages of 6.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. Lawrence Funderburke graduated with a degree in business finance from Ohio State.
Hook Maine Up, Playa! is a book by Lawrence Funderburke that warns both professional and aspiring athletes of the dark side of the limelight through interviews with close friends who are (or were) professional athletes.