Al-Farouq Aminu facts for kids
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Aminu with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019
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| Free agent | ||||||||||||||
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| Small forward / power forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | September 21, 1990 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Nationality | American / Nigerian | |||||||||||||
| High school | Norcross (Norcross, Georgia) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Wake Forest (2008–2010) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2010 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2010–present | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Los Angeles Clippers | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Portland Trail Blazers | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Orlando Magic | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | Chicago Bulls | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Al-Farouq Ajadi Aminu (born September 21, 1990) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player. He used to play for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Al-Farouq also played for the Nigeria national basketball team. He was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers as the eighth pick in the 2010 NBA draft. He has also played for the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Orlando Magic. His nickname is "The Chief."
Contents
High School Basketball Career
Al-Farouq Aminu attended Norcross High School. He was considered one of the best young basketball players in the country in 2008.
He transferred to Norcross High School during his sophomore year. However, he had to play on the junior varsity (JV) team that year. In his junior year, Al-Farouq and his teammate Gani Lawal helped Norcross achieve a 30–3 record.
He led Norcross to win two Georgia 5A state championships in a row, in 2007 and 2008. In his senior year, he averaged 23.1 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Norcross finished that year with a 29–2 record. Al-Farouq was also part of the 2008 McDonald's All-American Team. He played in the Jordan Brand Classic game, where he scored 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
College Basketball Career
In July 2007, Al-Farouq Aminu decided to play basketball for Wake Forest University. He officially signed with them in November 2007. He chose Wake Forest over Georgia Tech.
During his first year (freshman season) in 2008–09, he was chosen for the ACC All-Freshman Team. This means everyone agreed he was one of the best new players. He achieved 10 "double-doubles" that year. A double-double is when a player gets 10 or more in two different stats, like points and rebounds. He led all freshmen in the ACC conference with 8.3 rebounds per game. He was also second among new players with 13.0 points per game.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Los Angeles Clippers (2010–2011)
On April 1, 2010, Al-Farouq Aminu decided to enter the 2010 NBA draft. He was picked eighth overall by the Los Angeles Clippers. In only his eighth game with the Clippers, on November 9, 2010, he scored 20 points and had 8 rebounds. This was his highest score at the time.
Playing for the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (2011–2014)
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On December 14, 2011, the Clippers traded Aminu to the New Orleans Hornets. He was traded along with Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon in exchange for Chris Paul.
On April 17, 2013, in the last game of the season, Al-Farouq had 16 points and a career-high 20 rebounds. The next day, the New Orleans Hornets changed their team name to the New Orleans Pelicans. On December 4, 2013, he again tied his career high with 16 points and 20 rebounds against the Dallas Mavericks.
Playing for the Dallas Mavericks (2014–2015)
On July 29, 2014, Aminu signed a contract to play for the Dallas Mavericks. On February 20, 2015, he had a great game with 17 points and 12 rebounds in a win against the Houston Rockets.
Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers (2015–2019)
On July 9, 2015, Al-Farouq Aminu signed a four-year contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. He played his first game for the Trail Blazers on October 28, scoring 9 points and getting 8 rebounds.
On March 26, 2016, he scored 20 points, matching his career high. Five days later, he set a new career high by scoring 28 points and making six three-pointers in a game against the Boston Celtics. On April 6, he scored 27 points, helping the Trail Blazers make it to the playoffs.
In the playoffs, the Trail Blazers played against the Los Angeles Clippers. In one game, Al-Farouq scored a career-high 30 points and had 10 rebounds. This helped his team tie the series. The Trail Blazers won that series and moved on to play the Golden State Warriors.
During the 2016–17 season, Al-Farouq missed some games due to a calf injury and later a sore back. On February 9, 2017, he scored a season-high 26 points. In November 2017, he missed more games because of an ankle injury. On January 1, 2018, he scored a season-high 24 points in a win against the Chicago Bulls.
Playing for the Orlando Magic (2019–2021)
On July 6, 2019, Aminu signed with the Orlando Magic. On December 1, 2019, the team announced that he had a knee injury (torn meniscus) and would be out for a long time.
Playing for the Chicago Bulls (2021)
On March 25, 2021, Al-Farouq Aminu was traded to the Chicago Bulls. He was traded along with Nikola Vučević. In return, the Magic received Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr., and future draft picks.
On August 11, 2021, Aminu was traded again, this time to the San Antonio Spurs. He was later waived (released) by the Spurs in October. On December 25, he signed a short contract with the Boston Celtics, but he did not play in any games for them.
International Basketball Career
Al-Farouq Aminu plays for the Nigerian national basketball team. He played in the 2012 Summer Olympics. On August 30, 2015, Al-Farouq and the Nigerian team, called the D'Tigers, won the 2015 FIBA Africa Championship (AfroBasket) in Tunisia. They beat Angola 74–65. He was also named one of the top five players in the 2015 Afrobasket tournament.
Personal Life
Al-Farouq Aminu is married to Helina Tekeste Aminu. They have a daughter together. His father is from the Yoruba group in Nigeria, and his mother is African American from New York. Al-Farouq is a Muslim.
His name, Al-Farouq, means "the chief has arrived." This is why his nickname is "The Chief." His brother, Alade Aminu, is also a professional basketball player. Since 2016, Al-Farouq and his wife's foundation, Aminu Good Works Foundation, holds a basketball camp every year in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Awards
College Awards
- 2009 Sporting News All-Freshman Team
- 2009 ACC All-Freshman Team (everyone agreed on this choice)
- 2009 Runner-up for ACC Freshman of the Year
- 2009 ACC Freshman of the Week (five times)
High School Awards
- 2008 Named Mr. Georgia Basketball by the Atlanta Tipoff Club
- 2008 Named to the first team all-state by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- 2008 McDonald's All American East Squad
- 2008 First-team Parade All-American
- 2008 Jordan Brand All-American Classic
See also
In Spanish: Al-Farouq Aminu para niños
