MIKE CHAPPELL
Michael Lawrence Chappell is an American professional basketball player. Chappell is known worldwide for his silky smooth style and finesse on the basketball court. As a swingman, he excels both in the guard and forward positions. Chappell has exceptional range and is well respected for his excellent sense of sportsmanship on and off the court. He attended Southfield Lathrup High School, where he gained notoriety for his clean 3-point shots and intrinsic knowledge of the game.
CHAPPELL'S ECLECTIC COLLEGE CAREER
After being recruited heavily by top universities across America, Mike Chappell attended college at prestigious Duke University from 1996-1998 guided by the famous "Coach K" Mike Krzyzewski. At Duke, Chappell started in over half of their games in 1998. Foreseeing challenges in playing time due to recruitment choices, Chappell transferred to Michigan State University in the fall of 1998. Under the leadership of Tom Izzo, Chappell contributed to a dynamic team that won the NCAA National Title in 2001, made it to the NCAA Final Four in 2001. By the time he graduated, Mike Chappell won regular season championships each year of his college career.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Upon graduation from Michigan State University, Mike Chappell joined the rosters of the Wollongong Hawks (2001-2002) and Canberra Cannons (2002-2003) in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). His popularity within the NBL brought him back to star for the New Zealand Breakers in 2003. In 2004, Chappell set a new NBL record after scoring an explosive 44-points in a game against the Perth Wildcats. Word of Chappell's success on the court reached the NBA, and he was selected to play for the Toronto Raptors in the 2004 NBA Summer League in Minnesota.
After his stint in the Australian NBL, Mike Chappell ventured out into Europe where he starred for Queluz in Portugal. He also played basketball professionally in Lebanon (Champville). In 2006, Chappell added his scoring ability and talents to the Sendai 89ers team in the Basketball Japan league. In May 2007, he signed a deal with the Adelaide 36ers and decided to return the the Australian NBL once again. In Spring 2008, Mike Chappell stepped into the Puerto Rican league with the Bayamon Cowboys. For the 2008/2009 season he accepted an offer to return to Europe to play as a swingman for Budivelnik in Ukraine. Chappell is currently a free agent. Mike returned to Japan for the 2009-2010 season to join Tokyo Apache. When he arrived Tokyo Apache was in last place in their conference, and Chappell helped lift his team to the 2010 BJ League playoffs.
FAMILY MAN
When he isn't playing basketball, Mike Chappell enjoys spending time with his son, Isaiah Chappell, who was born in Auckland, New Zealand on March 16, 2005 and consequently holds dual citizenship. The New Zealand National basketball team, the Tall Blacks, has jokingly extended an open invitation for young Chappell to join their roster one day.
