Carl Landry
An undersized power forward who carved out a decade-long NBA career through sheer grit, relentless rebounding, and a reliable mid-range touch.
Born 1983 (age 43)·American basketball player·Birthday: September 19·Millennials
Biography
Carl Landry’s path to the NBA was not paved with lottery-pick hype. A junior college transfer who blossomed at Purdue, he became the heart of a Boilermakers team that clawed its way to the NCAA tournament. Drafted in the second round in 2007, the 6'9" Landry faced a league of taller, more athletic fours. He responded with a brand of basketball built on fundamentals and force. He had a knack for positioning, using a strong base to secure offensive rebounds and finish through contact. His reliable face-up jumper from the elbow made him a consistent pick-and-pop threat. Over ten seasons with six teams, including impactful stints in Houston and Sacramento, Landry was the quintessential professional role player—a blue-collar contributor whose effort never fluctuated, earning him the respect of teammates and a lasting place in the league.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Carl was born in 1983, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carl Was Born
The biggest hits of 1983
#1 Movie
Return of the Jedi
Best Picture
Terms of Endearment
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Carl's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1983Born
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1988Started school
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1996Became a teenager
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Could drive
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2001Could vote
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2004Turned 21
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2013Turned 30
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 40
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 43 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named First Team All-Big Ten and an AP Honorable Mention All-American in his senior season at Purdue.
- Finished his NBA career averaging 10.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game over 10 seasons.
- Played a key reserve role for the 2008-09 Houston Rockets team that pushed the eventual champion Lakers to seven games in the second round.
- Signed a multi-year contract with the Sacramento Kings in 2013 after a career-best scoring season.
Did You Know?
He played his first two years of college basketball at Vincennes University, a junior college, before transferring to Purdue.
He is the older brother of Marcus Landry, who also played in the NBA.
In 2009, he was shot in the leg during a carjacking incident in Houston but made a full recovery and returned to play that same season.
He led the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage during the 2009-10 season.
“They said I was too small, so I just outworked them in the paint.”
