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. Brian played college basketball at the University of Illinois.
In 2004, Brian was honored by being named to the University of Illinois All-Century Team. This team celebrates the best players in the school's history.
Contents
High School Basketball Star
Brian Cook played high school basketball at Lincoln Community High School in Illinois. He was a key player for his team, the Railsplitters. In 1999, he led them to the quarterfinals of the state basketball tournament.
He scored 38 points in two state tournament final games. This means he averaged 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 is a big honor for high school players. He was also named Illinois Mr. Basketball that same year. As a senior, he averaged 21.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Brian was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2016.
College Career Highlights
Brian Cook played 132 games over four years for the University of Illinois. He was coached by Bill Self for most of his time there. Brian was the top rebounder for the Illini every season he played.
He was a very flexible scorer. He could score close to the basket using his height. He could also make three-point shots when he was open. Because of his great play, he was named co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
In 2001, Brian helped the Illini become a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. They made it to the Elite 8, which is the final eight teams. However, they lost a close game to the Arizona Wildcats.
During his senior year in the 2002–03 season, Brian was the top scorer for the Fighting Illini. He averaged 20.0 points per game. He won the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball award. This award is for the Most Outstanding Player in the Big Ten Conference.
That same season, Brian was named an All-American by several groups. He was also named Big Ten Player of the Year. He led the Illini to win the Big Ten men's basketball tournament championship. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of that tournament. Brian finished his college career as the third all-time leading scorer for Illinois. He scored 1,748 points in total.
Professional Basketball Journey
Brian Cook was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2003 NBA draft. He was the 24th player chosen overall. In his first year, he played as a backup to Shaquille O'Neal. He mostly played close to the basket.
Later, Brian started to shoot more from outside. He became known as a three-point specialist. He shot almost half of his field goals from beyond the three-point line. When coach Phil Jackson returned to the Lakers in 2005, Brian started shooting fewer three-pointers. This helped him improve his overall shooting percentage. His playing time also increased.
On November 20, 2007, Brian was traded to the Orlando Magic. He played there for a while. Then, on February 19, 2009, he was traded again to the Houston Rockets. He was released by the Rockets in February 2010.
Brian then signed with the Los Angeles Clippers on July 9, 2010. On March 15, 2012, he was traded to the Washington Wizards. His last NBA game was with the Wizards on April 26, 2012. He scored 4 points in that game. He later signed with the Wizards again but was released in October 2012.
After the NBA, Brian played for teams in other countries. In March 2013, he played for Piratas de Quebradillas in Puerto Rico. He also played for teams in Lebanon and Uruguay in 2014 and 2015. In June 2015, he signed with the Chiba Jets in Japan.
Family and Life Off the Court
Brian Cook is the son of Norman and Joyce Cook. He has two younger sisters named Kristina and Natasha. His 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, also played basketball for Duke University.
On July 4, 2009, Brian married his long-time girlfriend, Victoria Velasquez.
More recently, Brian has played in the BIG3 basketball league. This league features former NBA players playing 3-on-3 basketball. He was a member of the Killer 3's team.
Awards and Recognitions
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 – Won the Chicago Tribune's Silver Basketball award
- 2003 – Big Ten tournament All-Tournament Team and Most Outstanding Player
- 2003 – 3rd Team All American
- 2004 – Chosen for the "Illini Men's Basketball All-Century Team".
- 2008 – His jersey was honored and hangs in the State Farm Center. This shows he is one of the most famous players in University of Illinois history.
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
