Christen Guilford Dudley (born February 22, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player and politician. He played 886 games across 16 seasons in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, and Phoenix Suns. A journeyman center, he was known primarily for his defensive skill as a rebounder and shot blocker. In his second season with the Knicks, he played in the 1999 NBA Finals. In 2010, he was the Republican nominee for Governor of Oregon; he lost the election to Democrat John Kitzhaber. Early life and education Dudley was born in Stamford, Connecticut, the son of Elizabeth Josephine (née Kovacs, c.1941–present), a teacher, and Guilford Dudley III (c. 1932–present), a minister. His maternal grandfather, also a minister, immigrated from Hungary, and his maternal grandmother's parents were also Hungarian. His paternal grandfather was Guilford Dudley, who was U.S. ambassador to Denmark under the Nixon and Ford presidential administrations. Dudley played high school basketball at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, California. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 16. Like his parents, grandfather, and uncle, Dudley attended Yale University. At Yale he played NCAA basketball for the Bulldogs from 1983 to 1987, was a member of Timothy Dwight College, and earned a degree in political science and economics. NBA career Cleveland Cavaliers (1987–1990) Dudley began playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 1987–88 NBA season. During his rookie season, he played in 55 of 82 games, averaging three points per game. New Jersey Nets (1990–1993) During the 1989–1990 season, he was traded to the New Jersey Nets for a 1991 second-round pick and a 1993 second-round pick. He played three years with the Nets, including the 1990–91 season, in which he produced a career-best 7.1 points per game in 61 contests. The 1991–1992 season marked the first time he played all 82 games in a season, a feat he would replicate three seasons later with the Blazers. In the 1992–1993 season, he was a bench contributor as the Nets went to their second playoff spot in two years. On June 7, 1993, Dudley's teammate Dražen Petrović died in a car accident in Germany. Portland Trail Blazers (1993–1997) During the 1993 offseason, Dudley signed as a free agent with the Portland Trail Blazers. An injury kept Dudley out of all but six games during his first season in