Von Wafer

Von Wafer is a former basketball player. Von Wafer was a member of the NBA Development League as a professional basketball player. During his NBA career, he also represented notable teams such as the Westchester Knicks (National Basketball Association).

In the 2005 NBA Draft, the Lakers selected Von with the 39th overall choice. During his stint in the NBA, he earned the moniker “The Dutch Cookie.”

Early Childhood & Education

Von Wafer was born in Homer, Louisiana, on July 21, 1985.

Unfortunately, little is known about his parents or personal life.

Ray P. Johnson, his father, has appeared in a few interviews.

On the other side, there is no information regarding his mother or siblings.

Wafer was a student at Lisbon, Louisiana’s Pineview High School.

He also enrolled in Cleveland, Texas’ Heritage Christian Academy.

Moreover, during the 2003–04 season, he enrolled at Florida State University.

Body Measurements

Von Wafer is a chocolatey-skinned man with a muscular physique. Additionally, Von flexed his trimmed black hair.

Likewise, his body measurement towers at the height of 6 feet 5 inches (1.96m) while weighing 220 lb (100 kg).

At present, Wafer frequently trains, which helps him with sport-specific strength & conditioning.

Facts of Von Wafer

Net Worth & Salary

Von Wafer has an estimated net worth of $15 million.

He has accumulated a fortune from his days as a professional basketball player on numerous teams.

Basketball player in high school

Wafer started as a freshman and a sophomore in high school, and in his junior year, he had 10 rebounds, 32 points, and seven assists.

He was no longer a national recruiting prospect at this moment. Nonetheless, Wafer’s talent was noticed by Tim Loring, the coach of the Aransas Wings AAU team.

Following that, he invited Wafer to train with him over the summer before his senior year began. It gave him the opportunity to show off his abilities on a larger scale.

Wafer became one of the top ten seniors on the recruitment lists by the end of summer training.

Von also attended R.L. Paschal High School and Laurinburg Institute. He went on to Heritage Christian Academy, where he played for the college team.

Wafer averaged eight rebounds, 26 points, four blocks, and four steals a game during his stint there.

College Information

Von had a fantastic freshman season at Florida State University in 2003-2004. He also played for the Florida State Seminoles basketball team, where he averaged 7.0 points in 17.6 minutes a game.

Wafer was also the third-best ACC freshman of the year. The American native made 43 three-point field goals and scored in double figures 12 times.

Wafer was suspended for two games in that year, aside from his consecutive runs. In addition, he was benched on multiple occasions.

Wafer’s suspension, according to the Tallahassee Democrat, was caused by his missing study and training sessions.

Von was, nevertheless, considered one of the favorites to play for Florida State University. He also placed second in the McDonald’s All-American slam-dunk competition.

Enter His Name In The NBA Draft In 2005

Wafer informed Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton of his desire to play in the NBA during his sophomore year.

As a result, Hamilton processed his request to enter his name into the 2005 NBA Draft.

Wafer’s father also informed Hamilton of his son’s plan to enter the NBA Draft, according to Hamilton.

“He has made remarkable improvement in the last two years, and we are confident in his potential to play at the next level,” Hamilton continues.

They also expressed their pride and support for Wafer’s decision.

Wafer’s father, Ray P. Johnson, on the other hand, described Wafer’s goal as “the family’s dream.” He even thanked Coach Hamilton and his crew for everything they had done for their family.

Professional Career in the NBA

His frustration nearly put an end to his career.

Von declared himself an early-entry candidate for the 2005 NBA draft. Despite the criticism, he decided against being drafted.

Wafer, on the other hand, did not let it worry him and overcame various obstacles. He progressed to the point where he could play for any NBA team.

He also did not receive an invitation to the Chicago pre-draft camp. The event allowed athletes to show off their skills to NBA team personnel.

Wafer became enraged as a result of the encounter. As a result, he committed a foul against Jan Jagla during a Phoenix practice session.

Wafer was also irritated by Jagla’s rough play, prompting him to strike him with an elbow to the nose. He also walked away from the workout session after incurring the infraction.

Los Angeles Lakers

Irving Thomas, a scout with the Lakers, kept track of Wafer’s development. As a result, he arranged for Wafer to practice with the Lakers.

In addition, Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers general manager, was impressed by his abilities.

As a result, they selected Von in the second round. In addition, on October 26, 2006, the Los Angeles Lakers placed him on waivers.

Von also made many appearances with the Lakers throughout the preseason. Due to a bruised left heel, he spent the majority of his time on the bench.

Nonetheless, he continued his development by playing with the Colorado 14ers in the 2006-07 season. Von was also named the 14ers’ ‘Player of the Month’ in January 2007.

On February 21, Wafer also signed a ten-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. Wafer, on the other hand, went scoreless during his stint and was released a week later.

Wafer also signed a new contract with the Denver Nuggets on April 12, 2007, and played the remainder of the 2006-07 season with them.

Furthermore, the Nuggets traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers for Taurean Green on February 21, 2008.

He also switched from number 22 (his former Nuggets number) to number 24. In honor of Clyde Drexler, the Trail Blazers retired the number 22 jersey.

Rockets of Houston

Von inked a deal with the Houston Rockets in 2009. Because of his shooting ability, he was a hot prospect.

He also set a new career-high with 23 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. Wafer also had consistent starts with the Rockets, unlike his prior teams.

He was also a fill-in for Tracy McGrady, who was injured. Wafer made an impression despite being a late replacement, scoring 21 points against the Jazz.

Wafer would also lead his squad to an 89-85 triumph over Boston. He averaged 14.3 points per game throughout that month.

He would also relocate to Greece for the upcoming season. Midway through the season, the Rockets offered him a lucrative contract.

Despite signing the contract, Von was unable to join the Rockets due to his poor physical results.

A Cinderella “fella” Story

Wafer shone in his matchups with NBA powers like Los Angeles and Boston. He became an overnight sensation after his performance against the top team.

Fans adored his lethal strike, crazy hairstyle, and stunning mid-air acrobatics as a result.

Wafer also set a career-high with 23 points in a loss to the Lakers. During the match against Boston, he also shows off his incredible long-range shot.

His breakthrough performance was enjoyed and loved by many. Von was an underdog who rose from the ranks to become a Houston household name.

Moreover, Wafer’s incredible progress made the opposition develop new strategies to contain his exceptional form and energy.

Numerous commentators stated that they would not be able to witness such a story again. Additionally, critics claim Wafer Miracle is a mystery and a rare unscripted journey of fate.

One would require tremendous dedication and passion to experience what Von has achieved.

Piraeus Olympiacos

Wafer’s journey would not end in the NBA as he proceeded towards the Euroleague. In August 2009, Olympiacos Piraeus signed Wafer on a two-year contract worth $10 million.

However, Waver left Olympiacos in December of the same year.

During his time with the Olympiacos, he recorded 36.4 percent shot, 1.3 rebounds, and 3.0 points per game.

In addition, Waver recorded 7.7 points in the Euroleague play, 50 percent shot, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.

Mavericks of Dallas

Wafer signed a contract that would last ten days with the Dallas Mavericks on February 24, 2010.

Despite his signing, Wafer did not crack the rotation of the team during his tenure.

Further, he completed his contract without playing a minute despite being eligible to play for six games.

Celtics of Boston

After Mavericks, Wafer was signed to Boston Celtics as a free agent on July 3, 2020.

During his time with the Celtics, he got involved in an altercation within a locker room with Delonte West.

Cremona Vanoli-Braga

Von continued his basketball venture in Italy. Wafer signed a one-year contract with Vanoli-Braga Cremona starting in August 2011.

Magic of Orlando

Moreover, Von was traded on December 12, 2011, to the Orlando Magic with Glen Davis.

The two players were traded for Brandon Bass. Von was waived shortly after by the magic after the 2011-12 season.

Move to CBA

At the start of 2012, Wafer signed a one-year contract with the Chinese side Xinjiang Flying Tigers. The agreement was worth $2 million.

Wafer started 34 games for Xinjiang with an average of 26.4 points and a 55.4 percent shooting percentage.

In addition, he recorded 3.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. Moreover, he signed with Shanghai Sharks in October 2013.

The Sharks is owned by one of his former teammates Yao Ming from the Houston Rockets. Besides, Wafer left the Sharks by the end of the 2013 season.

Apart from playing in the NBA, Italy, and China, Wafer made his way to Russia. BC Krasny Oktyabr signed Wafer on February 3, 2014, for the rest of the 2013-2014 season.

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87ers of Delaware

Von made his initial return to the United States.

He signed with the Delaware 87ers on November 26, 2016, only to be traded to the Westchester Knicks a month later.

Social Media Presence

Similar to his personal life, Von Wafer’s social media presence is entirely private as well.

Thus, Von is not active on any platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.