Chuck Eidson

Chuck Eidson

Chuck Eidson during a game against Efes Pilsen in 2007.
Nickname(s)	General Eidson
Position	Small Forward Shooting Guard Point Guard
Height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Team	Regal Barcelona
Number	31
Born	October 10, 1980 (1980-10-10) (age 31)
Nationality	American
College	University of South Carolina
Career history	North Charleston Lowgators (2003-04) Giessen 46ers (2004-06) Strasbourg IG (2006-07) Lietuvos Rytas (2007-09) Maccabi Tel Aviv (2009-11) FC Barcelona (2011- )
Awards	German League MVP (2005) 2x LKL All-Star (2008, 2009) LKL All-Star Game MVP (2009) Eurocup MVP (2009) Baltic League Finals MVP (2009)

Chuck Eidson (born Charles Patrick Eidson Jr., October 10, 1980, in Summerville, South Carolina, USA) is an American professional basketball player. He is 2.02 m (6 ft 7 ½ in) tall and he plays mainly at the small forward position. He can also play at both the point guard and shooting guard positions as well as a point forward. He currently plays at FC Barcelona Bàsquet.

Amateur career

Eidson played high school basketball at Pinewood Preparatory School where he was a Parade All-American and South CarolinaGatorade Player of the Year. He played college basketball at the University of South Carolina with the South Carolina Gamecocks. He also played at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in 1998 and at the Nike Hoop Summit in 1999.

Pro career

After his college career with the University of South Carolina Gamecocks, Eidson spent a season with the North Charleston Lowgators of the NBDL. After a short stint with the Boston Celtics, he signed a one-year deal with the Giessen 46ers in the German Basketball Bundesliga. The team, that was on the verge of relegation the season before, was brought back to life by Eidson, who led the 46ers to the Bundesliga playoffs against RheinEnergie Köln. In the decisive game five, Eidson scored 40 points, leading Giessen to a 3-2 series win and straight to the semifinals, where they lost against the eventual champion GHP Bamberg. For his stellar performance, the Small Forward was named the 2004-05 Bundesliga MVP. In a pre-season game versus EnBW Ludwigsburg the following fall, Eidson suffered a torn ACL and sat out 172 days before returning to the starting lineup of the 46ers in a Bundesliga game against BG Karlsruhe. Only three games later, Eidson torched TBB Trier for 41 points. After the season, Eidson left Germany and signed with Strasbourg IG in the French ProA, where he also gained ULEB cup experience. One year later, he signed with the Lithuanian powerhouse Lietuvos Rytas of Vilnius.

When Eidson came to Lietuvos Rytas, he quickly became a starter, and one of the team's leaders. His most memorable performance was in the Euroleague game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, when he scored 28 points and helped Rytas to win. FC Barcelona Bàsquet attempted to buy his contract out, but he remained with Lietuvos Rytas.

He was named the MVP of the Eurocup for the Eurocup 2008-09 season,^[1] was a member of the all-Eurocup First team and became Eurocup champion. In the BBL Final against BC Žalgiris, Chuck Eidson scored a career high 41 points and was named the MVP. In 2009, he moved to the Israeli League club Maccabi Tel Aviv,^[2] signing a two year contract.^[2]. In 2011 he left Maccabi Tel Aviv and signed a two-year contract with FC Barcelona Bàsquet.^[3]

Personal

• He is married to his college sweetheart Samantha. A fellow Gamecock alum, Sam played middle blocker for the Kim Hudson-coached women's volleyball team throughout her college career. His twin children are named Charles III (Tripp) and Maddie.
• Fellow 2008-09 Eurocup teammate Marijonas Petravičius was a teammate of his at South Carolina; their future wives were both on the women's volleyball team there.
• When asked if he missed America and his family, he intelligently responded: "Of course. I love when I go home and get to see my family and get a break, but that is how everyone feels when they go on vacation. I consider myself as living in Europe. I am always excited and ready to come back."
• The fifth game of the quarterfinals series between Giessen vs Köln in 2005, where Eidson scored 40 points, was later portrayed in a documentary movie called "FÜNF (5)" (FIVE).

Notes

1. ^ 2008-09 Eurocup MVP: Chuck Eidson, Lietuvos Rytas.
2. ^ ^{a b} MACCABI: Eurocup MVP Eidson comes aboard.
3. ^ FC Barcelona, Official Site. "Eidson, el primer fitxatge 2011/12" (in Catalan). FC Barcelona. http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web/catala/noticies/basquet/temporada10-11/06/22/n110622118111.html. Retrieved 22 June 2011. 

External links

• Euroleague.net Profile
• Draftexpress.com Profile
• NBA.com Profile
• Basketpedya.com Profile
• South Carolina Gamecocks Profile

Persondata
Name	Edison, Chuck
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	October 10, 1980
Place of birth	Summerville, South Carolina, USA
Date of death
Place of death