A. J. Guyton facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | February 12, 1978 Peoria, Illinois, U.S. |
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| High school | Central (Peoria, Illinois) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Indiana (1996–2000) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2000 / Round: 2 / Pick: 32nd overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2000–2010 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Chicago Bulls | |||||||||||||
| 2002 | Golden State Warriors | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Huntsville Flight | |||||||||||||
| 2003 | Fortitudo Bologna | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | Fortitudo Bologna | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Virtus Bologna | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Viola Reggio Calabria | |||||||||||||
| 2007 | Cedevita Zagreb | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | Olimpia Larissa | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | Sundsvall Dragons | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | Al Rayyan Club | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Illinois Central College (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | Central Illinois Drive / Bloomington Flex | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Windy City Bulls (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Northwestern (dir. of player development) | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Loyola (Maryland) (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Arthur James "A. J." Guyton (born February 12, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who is now a basketball coach. He is best known for his amazing college career playing for the Indiana Hoosiers.
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College Basketball Star
From 1996 to 2000, Guyton played for Indiana University Bloomington under the famous coach Bob Knight. He was a key player for the team, starting in every single game for four years. By the time he graduated, Guyton had set a new record for the most three-point shots in the school's history, with 283. He also scored a total of 2,100 points, making him the fourth-highest scorer ever at Indiana.
Major Accomplishments in College
In his first year, Guyton became only the second freshman at Indiana to score over 400 points, make 100 assists, and get 100 steals in one season. The only other player to do this was the legendary Isiah Thomas. Because of his great playing, Guyton was chosen for the All-Big Ten Team in his second year.
During his senior year, Guyton had an incredible season, averaging 19.7 points per game. He later said, "Those are nights you live for. I felt back then I couldn't be guarded." His hard work paid off when he was named the Big Ten Co-MVP and a first-team All-American in 2000. This means he was recognized as one of the best college players in the entire country.
Supporting His Coach
Near the end of Guyton's time at Indiana, there was a difficult situation involving Coach Knight. A former teammate accused the coach of acting inappropriately during a practice years earlier. Guyton and another teammate, Michael Lewis, held a press conference to support their coach. Guyton felt the timing of the accusation was unfair to the team during their senior year.
Despite the drama, Guyton remembered his college years as a great time. "Those were the best four years of my life," he said. "I wouldn't change a thing." In 2014, his amazing career was honored when he was inducted into the Indiana University Basketball Hall of Fame.
Professional Career
After college, Guyton was chosen by the Chicago Bulls in the 2000 NBA draft. He played for the Bulls for two seasons and then had a short time with the Golden State Warriors. In his NBA career, he played in 80 games, averaging 5.5 points and 1.8 assists per game.
After the NBA, Guyton's basketball journey took him around the world. He played on teams in Italy, Israel, Croatia, and Sweden.
In 2006, Guyton faced a health challenge. He was diagnosed with glaucoma, an eye condition that can affect vision. "One day in Italy, I looked up for a rebound and lost sight of the ball," he explained. He received treatment for the condition.
A New Chapter as a Coach
After his playing days were over, Guyton decided to share his knowledge of basketball by becoming a coach.
- 2010: He started as an assistant coach at Illinois Central College.
- 2012-2015: He became the head coach of the Bloomington Flex, a minor league team. He led the team to three championships in a row (2012, 2013, and 2014) and was named Coach of the Year twice.
- 2016: Guyton became an assistant coach for the Windy City Bulls, a team in the NBA Development League.
- 2017: He took a job at Northwestern University as the director of player development, helping college players improve their skills.
- 2018: He became an assistant coach for the Loyola (Maryland) college basketball team.
Through coaching, A. J. Guyton continues to be a part of the game he loves, helping to shape the next generation of players.
See also
In Spanish: A.J. Guyton para niños
