Brian Cook (basketball) facts for kids
Cook with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011
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| Power forward / center | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | December 4, 1980 Lincoln, Illinois, U.S. |
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| High school | Lincoln (Lincoln, Illinois) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 234 lb (106 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Illinois (1999–2003) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2003–2015 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2003–2007 | Los Angeles Lakers | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Orlando Magic | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Los Angeles Clippers | |||||||||||||
| 2012 | Washington Wizards | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | Piratas de Quebradillas | |||||||||||||
| 2014 | Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | Atlético Aguada | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | Chiba Jets | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 2,312 (5.5 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 1,115 (2.6 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Assists | 252 (0.6 apg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Brian Joshua Cook (born December 4, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. He was chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2003 NBA draft. He was the 24th player picked overall.
In 2004, Brian was named to the University of Illinois All-Century Team. This team honors the best players from the university's history.
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High School Basketball Star
Brian Cook played high school basketball at Lincoln Community High School in Illinois. He was a very talented player. In 1999, he helped his team reach the state tournament quarterfinals. He scored 38 points in two tournament final games. That's an average of 19 points per game!
Brian was also named to the 1998 State Farm Holiday Classic all-tournament team. In 1999, he was chosen as a McDonald's All-American. This means he was one of the best high school players in the country. He was also named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 1999. During his senior year, he averaged 21.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. In 2016, Brian was honored by being added to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
College Career at Illinois
Brian Cook played for the University of Illinois for four years. He played 132 games for the team. He was the top rebounder for the Illini every season. Brian was a great scorer, able to shoot from far away or score close to the basket. Because of his skills, he was named co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
In 2001, Brian helped the Illini become a top team in the NCAA Tournament. They made it to the Elite 8, which is the round before the Final Four. As a senior in the 2002–03 season, Brian led his team in scoring. He averaged 20 points per game. He won the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball award. This award is for the best player in the Big Ten Conference.
Brian was also named a second-team All-American by The Sporting News. He was a third-team All-American by other groups. He was named Big Ten Player of the Year. He also led the Illini to win the Big Ten men's basketball tournament championship. Brian left Illinois as the school's third-highest scorer ever. He scored 1,748 points in total.
Playing Professional Basketball
The Los Angeles Lakers picked Brian Cook in the 2003 NBA draft. He was the 24th player chosen. In his first year, he played as a backup. He mostly played close to the basket.
Later, Brian became a player who could shoot from far away. He was often used as a three-point specialist. This means he was good at shooting from behind the three-point line. When Phil Jackson became the Lakers' coach again in 2005, Brian started shooting fewer three-pointers. This helped him make more of his shots overall. His playing time also increased.
Brian was traded to the Orlando Magic in 2007. In 2009, he was traded again to the Houston Rockets. He later played for the Los Angeles Clippers starting in 2010. In 2012, Brian was traded to the Washington Wizards.
Brian's last NBA game was on April 26, 2012. He played for the Wizards in a game against the Miami Heat. After his time in the NBA, Brian played basketball in other countries. He played for teams in Puerto Rico, Lebanon, Uruguay, and Japan. He finished his professional career in 2015.
Brian's Family Life
Brian Cook is the son of Norman and Joyce Cook. He has two younger sisters, Kristina and Natasha. Brian's father, Norman Cook, was also a basketball player. He played for the University of Kansas and briefly for the Boston Celtics. Brian's uncle, Joe Cook, played basketball for Duke University.
Brian married Victoria Velasquez on July 4, 2009. Brian has also played in the BIG3 basketball league. This league features former NBA players. He was a member of the Killer 3's team.
Awards and Achievements
High School Honors
- 1998 – State Farm Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team
- 1999 – McDonald's All-American
- 2016 – Inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame
College Honors
- 2000 – Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year
- 2000 – Big Ten tournament All-Tournament Team
- 2001 – 2nd Team All-Big Ten
- 2002 – 2nd Team All-Big Ten
- 2003 – Team Co-Captain and Team MVP
- 2003 – 1st Team All-Big Ten
- 2003 – Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
- 2003 – Chicago Tribune's Silver Basketball award
- 2003 – Big Ten tournament All-Tournament Team
- 2003 – Big Ten tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 2003 – 3rd Team All American
- 2004 – Elected to the "Illini Men's Basketball All-Century Team"
- 2008 – Honored with a jersey hanging in the State Farm Center. This shows he is one of the most famous players in University of Illinois history.
College Statistics Summary
Brian Cook played 132 games in college. He scored 1,748 points, averaging 13.2 points per game. He also had 815 rebounds, averaging 6.2 rebounds per game. He was known for his good free throw shooting, with a career average of 79.3%.
Images for kids
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Cook with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011
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Cook with the Los Angeles Lakers
See also
In Spanish: Brian Cook para niños
