Darren Collison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Darren Collison

Collison with the Indiana Pacers in 2019
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1987-08-23) August 23, 1987 (age 37) Rancho Cucamonga, California, U.S.
High school	Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga, California)
Listed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight	160 lb (73 kg)
Career information
College	UCLA (2005–2009)
NBA Draft	2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21st overall
Selected by the New Orleans Hornets
Pro career	2009–2019, 2021–2022
Career history
2009–2010	New Orleans Hornets
2010–2012	Indiana Pacers
2012–2013	Dallas Mavericks
2013–2014	Los Angeles Clippers
2014–2017	Sacramento Kings
2017–2019	Indiana Pacers
2021–2022	Los Angeles Lakers
2022	South Bay Lakers
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie First Team (2010) Third-team All-American – NABC (2009) Third-team All-American – AP (2008) Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (2009) 2× First-team All-Pac-10 (2007, 2009) Second-team All-Pac-10 (2008) Fourth-team Parade All-American (2005)
Career NBA statistics
Points	8,857 (12.5 ppg)
Rebounds	1,885 (2.7 rpg)
Assists	3,543 (5.0 apg)

Darren Michael Collison (born August 23, 1987) is an American retired basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for many years. Collison played four seasons of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He was recognized as one of the best players in his college conference multiple times. He also won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award in his final year. This award goes to the top college player who is 6 feet (1.83 m) tall or shorter.

In the 2009 NBA draft, Collison was chosen by the New Orleans Hornets. He was the 21st player picked in the first round. Throughout his career, he also played for the Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Lakers.

Early Life and Family

Darren Collison was born in Rancho Cucamonga, California. His parents, Dennis and June Griffith, were both amazing track and field athletes. His mother even represented Guyana in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

When Collison was a senior at Etiwanda High School, he was named a fourth-team Parade All-American. This means he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Scouting experts also rated him as a top point guard in 2005.

College Basketball Career

Darren Collison playing for UCLA in 2008

Collison started his college career at UCLA in the 2005–06 season. He was a backup player to Jordan Farmar. The next season, he became the main starting point guard. A point guard is like the team's leader on the court. They bring the ball up and set up plays.

In December 2006, Collison was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Maui Invitational Tournament. He also won the Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Week award twice. During the 2006–07 season, Collison was great at stealing the ball. He averaged 2.2 steals per game, which was the most in the Pacific-10 Conference. He also averaged 5.7 assists per game. An assist is when a player passes the ball to a teammate who then scores. He also shot very well from three-point range, making 44.7 percent of his shots.

Collison stayed at UCLA for all four years of college. He played in 142 games, which is tied for the most games ever played by a UCLA player. In his final year (2008–09), he was named to the All-Pac-10 team again. He averaged 14.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He was also the best in the conference at free throws. Collison and his senior teammates, Josh Shipp and Alfred Aboya, became the winningest class in UCLA history. They won 123 games together.

Professional Basketball Career

New Orleans Hornets (2009–2010)

After college, many experts thought Collison was one of the best point guards available in the 2009 NBA Draft. The New Orleans Hornets picked him as the 21st overall player.

During the 2009–10 season, the Hornets' main point guard, Chris Paul, was injured. This gave Collison a chance to start many games. On January 30, 2010, Collison set a Hornets rookie record with 18 assists and scored 17 points. Later, on March 8, 2010, he broke his own record with 20 assists in a game against the Golden State Warriors. He also had 16 points in that game.

Collison also achieved a "triple-double" on February 19, 2010. This means he had double-digit numbers in three different stats: 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists. He was only the second rookie that season to get a triple-double. Collison finished fourth in the voting for NBA Rookie of the Year.

Indiana Pacers (2010–2012)

On August 11, 2010, Collison was traded to the Indiana Pacers. This was a big trade involving four teams and five players. He played for the Pacers for two seasons.

Dallas Mavericks (2012–2013)

Collison was traded again on July 12, 2012, this time to the Dallas Mavericks. He became the Mavericks' starting point guard, taking over from Jason Kidd. Collison helped the Mavericks start the 2012–13 season with a strong record of 4 wins and 1 loss.

Los Angeles Clippers (2013–2014)

On July 10, 2013, Collison signed a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. Here, he was again a backup to Chris Paul. When Paul was out for 18 games with a shoulder injury, Collison stepped up. He started those games and played very well, averaging 13.3 points and 6.5 assists. The Clippers won 12 of those 18 games. Their coach, Doc Rivers, said Collison's play was "the key" to the team's success during that time.

In the 2014 NBA Playoffs, Collison had a great game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Clippers were down by 22 points, but they came back to win. Collison scored 12 of his 18 points in the final quarter, helping his team tie the series.

Sacramento Kings (2014–2017)

On July 12, 2014, Collison signed a three-year deal with the Sacramento Kings. The Kings offered him a starting position as their point guard.

On December 27, 2014, Collison had one of his best games with the Kings. He scored 27 points and had 10 assists in an overtime win against the New York Knicks.

Return to Indiana (2017–2019)

On July 7, 2017, Collison signed with the Indiana Pacers again. This was his second time playing for the team. In the 2017–18 season, Collison led the entire league in three-point shooting percentage. He made an amazing 47% of his three-point shots, which was the best of his career.

On December 10, 2018, Collison had 17 assists in a game against the Washington Wizards. This was his highest number of assists in a single game with Indiana. He finished the 2018–19 season averaging 11 points and 6 assists per game.

On June 28, 2019, Collison announced he was retiring from the NBA. He said his decision was for religious reasons, as he is a Jehovah's Witness. Many teams were expected to offer him large contracts, but he chose to retire.

Los Angeles Lakers (2021–2022)

After retiring, Collison made a brief return to basketball. On December 24, 2021, he signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

South Bay Lakers (2022)

On March 24, 2022, Collison signed with the South Bay Lakers. This team plays in the NBA G League, which is like a development league for the NBA.

Career Statistics

Here are some of Darren Collison's career statistics from his time in the NBA and college. These tables show how well he played in different areas of the game.

NBA Regular Season

NBA Playoffs

College Statistics

Awards and Recognition

Darren Collison received many awards and honors throughout his basketball career:

• 2004 CIF Southern Section I-AA Player of the Year
• 2005 CIF Southern Section I-AA Player of the Year
• 2007 All-Pac-10 First Team
• 2008 All-Pac-10 Second Team
• 2008 Pac-10 Conference tournament Most Valuable Player
• 2008 Associated Press Third Team All-American
• 2008 Collegeinsider.com All-Defensive Team (with teammate Russell Westbrook)
• 2009 All-Pac-10 First Team
• 2009 honorable mention in the AP All-America basketball teams
• 2009 UCLA Bruins co-MVP (with Josh Shipp)

See also

In Spanish: Darren Collison para niños

• List of NBA annual three-point field goal percentage leaders