Lance Allred

Lance Allred
Lance Allred
Born	February 2, 1981 (age 45); Pinesdale, Montana, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Professional basketball player, motivational speaker, author
Known for	First deaf player in an NBA game
Notable work	Longshot: The Adventures of a Deaf Fundamentalist Mormon Kid and His Journey to the NBA

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Lance Allred, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 2025

Lance Collin Allred (born February 2, 1981) is a former American professional basketball athlete, recognized as the first deaf individual to compete in an NBA game. He experiences hearing loss ranging from 75% to 80% due to complications from Rh at birth. Beyond his sports endeavors, Allred is an accomplished motivational speaker and author; his autobiography, Longshot: The Adventures of a Deaf Fundamentalist Mormon Kid and His Journey to the NBA, was released by HarperCollins in 2009.

Early years

Allred’s birthplace is Pinesdale, Montana, a community known for its fundamentalist Mormon polygamist roots. His father worked as a high school history instructor. He is the grandson of Rulon C. Allred, who served as the prophet of the Apostolic United Brethren, a fundamentalist polygamous group. Rulon was born in Colonia Dublán, Chihuahua, Mexico, which granted Lance Allred eligibility for Mexican citizenship.

At age seven, his family relocated to Salt Lake City. He began playing organized basketball in eighth grade through a local league affiliated with LDS Church.

Standing nearly seven feet tall, Allred’s height contributed significantly to his rapid growth as a basketball player. While attending East High School, he posted averages of 17.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game during his senior year. His performance earned him accolades such as the 1999 Gatorade Player of the Year for Utah and First Team All-State honors in Class 4A by both The Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News. He was also named the "Best in the West" center by Pac-West Hoops and ranked among the Top 100 recruits by CNN/Sports Illustrated. Ultimately, he committed to the University of Utah.

College career

During his freshman year at Utah, Allred appeared in 17 games, averaging 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds over 5.6 minutes per contest. His playing time increased somewhat in his sophomore season; however, he encountered difficulties and subsequently transferred to Weber State University in Ogden. Following his transfer, Allred accused Utah coach Rick Majerus of verbal mistreatment related to his deafness. Majerus denied these allegations, and an investigation concluded no discrimination had taken place.

At Weber State, Allred’s role expanded considerably, averaging 11.7 points and 6.0 rebounds as a junior. He also enhanced his physical strength, increasing his weight from 240 to approximately 270 pounds. In his senior season (2004–05), he led the team with averages of 17.7 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, ranking third nationally in rebounding behind Paul Millsap and Andrew Bogut. Weber State advanced to the Big Sky Conference Tournament final but fell short by two points. Allred received First Team All-Big Sky honors as well as First Team All-Utah recognition from the Deseret News.

Professional career

Allred commenced his professional journey as an injury replacement for French LNB side SPO Rouen Basket, where he averaged 5.5 points and 3.9 rebounds across 11 games. In January 2006, he signed with another LNB club, JL Bourg Basket, recording averages of 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds over four contests. Subsequently, he played for Spain’s Club Bàsquet Llíria in the LEB2 league, contributing 15.0 points (with a shooting percentage of 60.2%) and 7.2 rebounds in ten games.

While with the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede, Allred appeared in 43 games (starting 19), averaging 10.1 points (.524 shooting) and 5.7 rebounds during 20.9 minutes per game. The next season saw further improvement: across 38 starts, he posted averages of 16.2 points (51.2% shooting), 10 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over nearly 30 minutes per game. His performance earned him selection to the 2008 D-League Red All-Star Team and victory in the inaugural D-League's Dream Factory Friday night H.O.R.S.E competition, where he showcased expert bank shots.

On March 13, 2008, Allred signed a ten-day contract with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, becoming the first legally deaf player in league history. He made his debut on March 17, playing briefly for eighteen seconds without scoring. The Cavaliers extended his contract twice before signing him for the remainder of the 2007–08 season on April 4.

After participating in Cleveland’s training camp and preseason for the following season (2008–09), Allred was waived and returned to play for Idaho Stampede during that regular season. In summer 2009, he inked a deal with Italian club NSB Napoli, later securing a short-term (60-day) contract with Scavolini Pesaro. By January of 2010, he rejoined Idaho Stampede to complete that season.

In 2011, Allred competed for New Zealand’s Otago Nuggets in their National Basketball League before signing with Japan’s Kyoto Hannaryz for the subsequent season (2011–12). The following year saw him join Mexican team Fuerza Regia.

National team career

Allred represented the Deaf team)\Mexico national team during the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Speaker

Following his concluding season with the Leones de Ponce in Puerto Rico, Allred retired from professional basketball and established L Squared Productions LLC. He then pursued a career as a motivational keynote speaker and sports commentator based in Utah. In August 2015, he became affiliated with the American Program Bureau, recognized as the world's longest-standing speakers' bureau.

In 2016, Allred published his second book, Basketball Gods: The Transformation of the Enlightened Jock, available on Amazon. His speaking engagements include corporate events, conventions, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions, focusing on themes such as leadership, resilience, and determination. On September 17, 2016, he delivered the opening talk at TEDxSaltLakeCity titled "What is your Polygamy?", which amassed over one million views within two months. Subsequently, in March 2017, he released his third book, How to Give the Million View TEDx Talk: What is Your Polygamy?

Currently, Allred is working on two more literary projects: a historical novel set in the 14th century and a satirical work inspired by Victorian-era themes. His fifth publication, The New Alpha Male: How to Win the Game When the Rules are Changing, was issued in March 2020 by Sounds True Publishers.

Personal life

Allred's 2009 autobiography, Longshot: The Adventures of a Deaf Fundamentalist Mormon Kid and His Journey to the NBA, chronicles his early life within a polygamous religious community, his battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and his determination to succeed despite profound hearing loss culminating in an NBA career.

He captained Team USA to a silver medal at the 2002 World Deaf Basketball Championship held in Athens, Greece.

Regular season

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