Charles Minlend

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Charles Arnaud Minlend (born May 15, 1973) is a Cameroonian-Canadian former professional basketball player. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing about 215 pounds, he played as a forward. He spent four years of college basketball at St. John’s, from 1992 to 1997, and then began a pro career that lasted from 1997 to 2008.

Early life and college
Minlend was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He lived in West Germany as a child and later moved to Montreal, Canada. For high school he spent his senior year at St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Connecticut, where he averaged about 24 points and 14 rebounds per game. He drew interest from several colleges but chose St. John’s, where he majored in pharmacy. At St. John’s he served as a team captain in his later years and finished his college career with 1,349 points and 784 rebounds.

Professional career
After going undrafted in the 1997 NBA draft, Minlend began his pro career in Europe:
- France: Poissy-Chatou (Pro B), then ASVEL Basket (Pro A), and Montpellier Paillade.
- Israel: Maccabi Givat Shmuel (top league), where he became a top scorer and earned league-wide recognition.
- South Korea: Jeonju KCC Egis, followed by Changwon LG Sakers, where he continued to be a prolific scorer.
- Ukraine: Cherkaski Mavpy, his final stop before retiring.

Key achievements
- Israel: 2003 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP and top scorer (25.3 ppg). Named to the Premier League Quintet in 2002-03.
- South Korea: Led the Korean Basketball League in scoring in 2004, with about 27 points per game, and earned multiple All-Star selections. Won a KBL championship in 2004 and was a three-time All-Star from 2004 to 2006.
- Overall: A long, productive international career before retiring in 2008.

Personal life
Minlend has deep family roots in his adopted countries. He is married to Tracey and has four children: three sons—Charles Jr., Jordan, and James—and a daughter, Ashley. His son Charles Alexander Minlend Jr. played college basketball at Louisville and San Francisco. His brother Raymond also played college basketball at Davidson and St. Francis (NY).