Darren Collison facts for kids
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Collison with the Indiana Pacers in 2019
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| Point guard | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 23, 1987 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 | |
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| 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 former professional basketball player. He played as a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Collison played four seasons of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He was recognized three times with All-Pac-10 conference honors. In his senior year, he won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the best college player who was 6 feet tall or shorter. The New Orleans Hornets drafted him in the first round as the 21st overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. Collison also played for the Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Lakers.
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Early Life and High School Basketball
Darren Collison was born in Rancho Cucamonga, California. His parents, Dennis and June Griffith, were both amazing track and field athletes for Guyana. When Darren was a senior at Etiwanda High School, his coach was Dave Kleckner. During this time, Collison was named a fourth-team Parade All-American.
He was considered a top player by Rivals.com. In 2005, he was ranked as the 16th best point guard and the 100th best player in the entire nation.
College Career at UCLA
Collison started his college career as a backup player for Jordan Farmar during the 2005–06 season at UCLA. The next season, he became the main starting point guard. In December 2006, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Maui Invitational Tournament. He also earned the Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Week award twice in the 2006–07 season.
During that season, Collison was excellent at stealing the ball, averaging 2.2 steals per game. This was the most in the Pacific-10 Conference. He also averaged 5.7 assists, which was second in the Pac-10. His three-point field goal percentage was very good at 44.7 percent.
Collison continued playing for UCLA for his junior and senior years. He played in a total of 142 games, which was tied for the most games ever played by a UCLA player. In his senior year (2008–09), he was named to the All-Pac-10 team. He averaged 14.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He was the best in the conference at free throw percentage. He also ranked third in assists, steals, and his assists-to-turnover ratio.
That year, Collison won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award. This award goes to the best college player who is 6 feet tall or shorter. He was also named the Bruins' co-Most Valuable Player (MVP) along with Josh Shipp. Collison and his senior teammates, Shipp and Alfred Aboya, finished their college careers with 123 wins. This made them the winningest class in UCLA history.
Professional NBA Career
New Orleans Hornets (2009–2010)
Many experts thought Collison was one of the best point guards in the 2009 NBA Draft. The New Orleans Hornets chose him as the 21st overall pick in the first round.
During the 2009–10 season, the Hornets' star player, Chris Paul, was injured. This gave Collison a chance to become the starting point guard. On January 30, 2010, Collison set a new record for Hornets rookies with 18 assists. He also scored 17 points in a win against the Memphis Grizzlies. Later, on March 8, 2010, Collison broke his own record with 20 assists, along with 16 points, in a victory over the Golden State Warriors.
On February 19, 2010, Collison achieved a "triple-double" against the Indiana Pacers. 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 do this. He finished fourth in the voting for NBA Rookie of the Year. As a starter, he averaged 18.8 points and 9.1 assists per game.
Indiana Pacers (2010–2012)
On August 11, 2010, Collison was traded to the Indiana Pacers. This was part of a big trade involving four teams and five players. He played for the Pacers for two seasons.
Dallas Mavericks (2012–2013)
On July 12, 2012, Collison was traded 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 4–1 record.
Los Angeles Clippers (2013–2014)
On July 10, 2013, Collison signed a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was again a backup for Chris Paul, who was also on the Clippers team. When Paul was out for 18 games with a shoulder injury, Collison stepped up. He started those games and averaged 13.3 points and 6.5 assists. The Clippers did very well during this time, winning 12 out of 18 games. Coach Doc Rivers said Collison's play was "the key" to the team's success without their All-Star point guard.
In Game 4 of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Collison helped the Clippers make an amazing comeback. They were down by 22 points but tied the series. Collison scored 12 of his 18 points in the last quarter, helping his team win 101–99.
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 of the season. He scored 27 points and had 10 assists in a 135–129 overtime win against the New York Knicks. In February 2015, he had to miss several weeks of games due to a hip injury.
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 early February 2018, he had knee surgery. He returned to play for the Pacers in mid-March. Collison had been improving his three-point shooting throughout his career. In the 2017–18 season, he led the entire league with an amazing 47% three-point percentage.
On December 10, 2018, Collison had 17 assists in a 109–101 win over 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 six assists per game.
On June 28, 2019, Collison announced that he was retiring from the NBA. As a Jehovah's Witness, he said his decision was for religious reasons. Many teams expected to offer him large contracts, around $10 million per season.
Los Angeles Lakers (2021–2022)
On December 24, 2021, Collison decided to come out of retirement. 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.
Personal Life
Darren Collison's parents are June and Dennis Collison. Both of his parents were excellent track and field athletes. His mother, June Griffith, even represented Guyana at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Collison is also the founder and CEO of ProsVision. This is a basketball training center located in Orange County, California.
See also
In Spanish: Darren Collison para niños
