Elton Brand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Elton Brand

Brand with the 76ers in 2010
Philadelphia 76ers
General manager
Personal information
Born	(1979-03-11) March 11, 1979 (age 46) Cortlandt Manor, New York, U.S.
High school	Peekskill (Peekskill, New York)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	254 lb (115 kg)
Career information
College	Duke (1997–1999)
NBA Draft	1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career	1999–2016
League	NBA
Career history
1999–2001	Chicago Bulls
2001–2008	Los Angeles Clippers
2008–2012	Philadelphia 76ers
2012–2013	Dallas Mavericks
2013–2015	Atlanta Hawks
2016	Philadelphia 76ers
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA All-Star (2002, 2006) All-NBA Second Team (2006) NBA Rookie of the Year (2000) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2000) National college player of the year (1999) Consensus first-team All-American (1999) ACC Athlete of the Year (1999) ACC Player of the Year (1999) First-team All-ACC (1999) USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (1998) McDonald's All-American (1997) First-team Parade All-American (1997) Mr. New York Basketball (1997)
Career NBA statistics
Points	16,827 (15.9 ppg)
Rebounds	9,040 (8.5 rpg)
Blocks	1,828 (1.7 bpg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States FIBA World Championship Bronze 2006 Japan USA FIBA Americas Championship Gold 1999 San Juan USA Gold 2003 San Juan USA Goodwill Games Gold 1998 New York USA

Elton Tyron Brand (born March 11, 1979) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He is currently the general manager for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Elton Brand was the very first player chosen in the 1999 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. He also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, and Atlanta Hawks. He was chosen as an NBA All-Star twice and made the All-NBA Second Team in 2006.

Elton Brand's High School Basketball Journey

Elton Brand went to Peekskill High School and immediately joined the varsity basketball team. He was an amazing player, averaging 40 points and 20 rebounds per game. He even played AAU basketball with future NBA stars like Lamar Odom and Ron Artest. By his senior year, Elton was one of the best high school players in the country. He was named New York State Mr. Basketball. He became a local hero in Peekskill, helping his team win two state championships. After high school, Elton chose to attend Duke University with other talented players, including Shane Battier.

Elton Brand's College Career at Duke

As a sophomore, Elton Brand was a key player for the Duke Blue Devils. Many people consider that Duke team one of the most talented in recent college basketball history. Elton led the Blue Devils to the championship game of the Final Four. Even though they lost to the Connecticut Huskies, Elton was named the National Player of the Year. After this successful season, he decided to leave Duke early and enter the 1999 NBA draft. Elton, along with William Avery and Corey Maggette, were the first players under coach Mike Krzyzewski to leave Duke before their senior year.

College Statistics for Elton Brand

Here are Elton Brand's college basketball statistics:

Elton Brand's NBA Career

Playing for the Chicago Bulls (1999–2001)

On June 30, 1999, the Chicago Bulls chose Elton Brand as the very first pick in the 1999 NBA draft. In just his ninth game, he scored 29 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots. During the NBA All-Star Weekend, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Rookie Challenge. He finished his first season averaging 20.1 points and 10 rebounds per game. He even shared the NBA Rookie of the Year award with Houston Rockets guard Steve Francis. Despite his great individual performance, the Bulls had a tough season, finishing with a 17–65 record.

In the 2000–01 season, many thought Elton Brand would lead the Bulls to a new era of success. On December 31, he scored a season-high 31 points and had 16 rebounds. He averaged 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game that season. His 3.9 offensive rebounds per game were the second-best in the NBA. However, the Bulls still struggled as a team, finishing with a 15–67 record.

Time with the Los Angeles Clippers (2001–2008)

Brand played with the Clippers for seven seasons

After two good seasons with the Bulls, Elton Brand was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in June 2001. In 2002, he became the first Clippers player since 1994 to be chosen for the All-Star team.

In 2003, the Miami Heat offered Elton a large contract. The Clippers, in a rare move by their owner Donald Sterling, matched the offer to keep Brand. This was the biggest contract Sterling had ever approved for a player.

The 2006 NBA season was a fantastic year for Elton Brand. He achieved career-highs in points per game (24.7) and shooting percentage (52.7%). He led the Clippers to a 47–35 record, which was their best record in team history at that time. This earned them the sixth spot in the Western Conference playoffs. Elton was selected for the 2006 NBA All-Star Game and was even considered for the NBA MVP award. He led the Clippers to their first playoff series win since 1976. Although they lost in the second round to the Phoenix Suns, it was the best season the Clippers franchise had ever seen. Elton also won the NBA Sportsmanship Award that year.

After his amazing 2005–06 season, Elton's performance dropped a bit in the next season. His scoring average went down, and the Clippers missed the playoffs. He missed most of the 2007–08 season because of a serious injury to his left Achilles tendon. Elton returned to play in April 2008, scoring 19 points in his first game back. He only played in eight games that season. Elton then decided to end his contract early to help the Clippers get more money to sign other players. This helped the Clippers sign star player Baron Davis.

Playing for the Philadelphia 76ers (2008–2012)

Brand boxing out vs the Golden State Warriors

On July 9, 2008, Elton Brand signed a five-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. He wanted to return to the East Coast, and Philadelphia was the closest team to his hometown of Peekskill, New York.

On February 5, 2009, it was announced that Elton would need surgery on his shoulder, which he injured in December 2008. He had dislocated his shoulder while going for a rebound. After trying to play through the injury, the team decided surgery was the best option. The surgery was successful on February 9.

On February 4, 2012, Elton scored a career-high 33 points for the Sixers in a win against the New York Knicks. He finished his first time with the Philadelphia 76ers averaging 11 points and over 8 rebounds per game during the 2011–12 season. In the 2012 NBA Playoffs, he averaged 8.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 13 games. The Sixers lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Boston Celtics. On July 11, 2012, the 76ers released Elton Brand.

Time with the Dallas Mavericks (2012–2013)

Brand with the Mavericks

On July 13, 2012, the Dallas Mavericks signed Elton Brand. The 76ers still had to pay him the rest of his contract money. In the 2012–13 season, he averaged 7.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 assists per game. He played 72 games and started 18 of them. The Mavericks finished with a 41–41 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 1999–2000 season.

Atlanta Hawks and First Retirement (2013–2015)

On July 15, 2013, Elton Brand signed with the Atlanta Hawks. On September 23, 2014, he re-signed with the Hawks and changed his jersey number from 42 to 7. On August 11, 2015, Elton Brand announced that he was retiring from professional basketball for the first time.

Return to the 76ers and Second Retirement (2016)

On January 4, 2016, Elton Brand decided to come out of retirement and play in the NBA again. He said that his college coach, Mike Krzyzewski from Duke, helped convince him to return. Later that day, he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, returning to the team for a second time. On March 4, he played in his first NBA game since May 20, 2015. He scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds in 13 minutes. On March 12, he scored 10 points against the Detroit Pistons. On March 29, he grabbed a season-high nine rebounds. This made him the 51st player in NBA history to reach 9,000 career rebounds.

On September 7, 2016, Brand re-signed with the 76ers again. However, on October 20, 2016, he announced his second retirement from basketball.

Elton Brand's Post-Playing Career

After retiring from playing, Elton Brand continued his career in basketball management. On December 6, 2016, he was named a player development consultant for the Philadelphia 76ers. This role helps players improve their skills. On August 28, 2017, he became the general manager of the Delaware 87ers (now called the Delaware Blue Coats), which is the 76ers' minor league team.

On September 20, 2018, Elton Brand was promoted to the general manager position for the Philadelphia 76ers. During the 2018-19 season, he made big trades to bring in players like Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris.

After the Sixers lost in the playoffs in 2019, Brand made some important decisions. He re-signed Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons to large contracts. He also signed Al Horford. However, he allowed Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick to leave the team. Some people, including star player Joel Embiid, believe these decisions hurt the team. For example, Jimmy Butler led the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023 after leaving the Sixers.

In late 2020, the 76ers hired Daryl Morey as President of Basketball Operations. Elton Brand's contract was extended, but he has mostly worked behind the scenes since then.

Elton Brand's Player Profile

Brand with the Dallas Mavericks

Early in his career, Elton Brand was known as one of the best power forwards in the NBA. Over his 1,058 career games, he averaged 15.9 points, 8.5 rebounds (with 3.1 being offensive rebounds), and 1.7 blocks per game.

Elton used his strong build and surprising quickness to outplay opponents. His long arms also helped him block many shots. In his first years, he had powerful moves near the basket that made him a great scorer. Before the 2005–06 season, he lost some weight to become faster. He also added more skillful moves to score without always relying on power. Most importantly, he improved his shooting range and developed a reliable 18-foot jump shot. This helped him increase his scoring by 4.7 points that season.

Elton Brand's Accomplishments

• 2× NBA All-Star: 2002, 2006
• All-NBA:
  • Second Team: 2006
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2000
• NBA co-Rookie of the Year: 2000 (with Steve Francis)
• 2× NBA regular-season leader, offensive rebounds: 2000 (348), 2002 (396)

Elton Brand's NBA Career Statistics

Here are Elton Brand's NBA regular season and playoff statistics:

Regular Season Statistics

Playoff Statistics

Elton Brand's Personal Life

Elton Brand started the Elton Brand Foundation in the spring of 2000. This foundation helps good causes in Chicago, Illinois; Peekskill, New York; and Durham, North Carolina. In the summer of 2006, Elton married his longtime girlfriend, Shahara Simmons, who also went to Duke. Elton also played for Team USA in the 2006 FIBA World Basketball Championships. He averaged 8.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in that tournament.

Elton Brand had a small role in the movie Just Wright. He is also a founder and president of Gibraltar Films. This company invests in, buys, produces, and distributes movies. Their first project was the movie Rescue Dawn, directed by Werner Herzog. Elton attended the movie's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

See also

In Spanish: Elton Brand para niños

• List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders