Terrell Brandon facts for kids

Terrell Brandon (born May 20, 1970) is a former American professional basketball player. He played for 11 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Terrell was a two-time All-Star player. He was a key starter for three different NBA teams. Injuries caused him to stop playing at age 31.

Terrell Brandon's Early Life & School

Terrell Brandon was born in Portland, Oregon. He went to Grant High School. In 1988, he led his team to win the Oregon high school basketball championship. He was also named Oregon's high school player of the year. When he was a child, he had a foot condition.

College Basketball Career

Brandon went to the University of Oregon. In 1989–90, he led his team to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). He set several school records during his time there. These records included career and single-season scoring averages. He also had the most assists in one game (13). He set records for steals in a season (twice) and in one game (eight). Brandon was named team MVP in 1990 and 1991. He was the first Oregon player to leave college early for the NBA.

Terrell Brandon's NBA Journey

Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers (1991–1997)

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked Brandon 11th in the 1991 NBA draft. He had a great first year and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. For his first three and a half seasons, he was the backup point guard. The main starter was All-Star player Mark Price. On December 21, 1993, Brandon scored 18 points. He also had 14 assists in a win against the Utah Jazz.

During the 1994–95 season, Price was injured. Brandon stepped in and led Cleveland to an 11-game winning streak. After that season, Price was traded. On February 15, 1995, Brandon scored 31 points. He made 12 of 15 shots and had 8 assists. This helped Cleveland win 100–99 against the Orlando Magic.

As Cleveland's starting point guard, Brandon became an All-Star. He was chosen for the All-Star Game in 1996 and 1997. Cleveland hosted the game in 1997. On December 22, 1996, Brandon scored 33 points. He also had nine assists, six rebounds, and four steals. This was in a 100–94 win over the Utah Jazz. He was guarded by the famous player John Stockton. Sports Illustrated magazine called him "The Best Point Guard in the NBA" in 1997. That year, he led the Cavaliers in points, assists, and steals. He also won the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 1997. This award recognized his work helping kids who needed support.

Time with the Milwaukee Bucks (1997–1999)

In September 1997, Cleveland traded Brandon to the Milwaukee Bucks. In this trade, Cleveland also sent Tyrone Hill to the Bucks. Milwaukee sent Sherman Douglas to Cleveland and Vin Baker to the Seattle SuperSonics. The SuperSonics then sent Shawn Kemp to Cleveland. Cleveland wanted to get a superstar like Kemp.

On December 7, 1997, Brandon scored 20 points. He also had 13 assists and seven rebounds. This helped the Bucks win 97–91 against the SuperSonics. On January 5, 1998, Brandon again helped the Bucks win. He scored 16 points and had 15 assists. This was in a 98–92 win against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Even though he played well, injuries kept him from playing many games. He played only 50 games in his first season with the Bucks. Milwaukee struggled when he was not playing. Brandon was among the league leaders in steals. He also led the team in assists during his two years with the Bucks. He wanted to stay in Milwaukee with Ray Allen. However, the Bucks worried about his injuries. They traded him to avoid losing him without getting anything in return.

Playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves (1999–2003)

On March 12, 1999, Brandon was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. This was a big trade involving three teams and nine players. Sam Cassell went to Milwaukee, and Stephon Marbury went to the New Jersey Nets.

Brandon teamed up with Kevin Garnett in Minnesota. He helped the Timberwolves win 50 games for the first time in 1999–2000. He averaged 17 points, 9 assists, and 2 steals per game. However, he often had injuries. On February 13, 2002, the Timberwolves put him on the injury list. He did not play again after that. During his time with the Timberwolves, Brandon played with and helped mentor Chauncey Billups.

On July 23, 2003, Brandon was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. This trade was for salary cap reasons. The Hawks released him on February 19, 2004. This was two years after his last game. He then announced his retirement from basketball.

Brandon finished his career with great numbers. He averaged 13.8 points, 3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. He also averaged 1.6 steals per game. He scored almost 10,000 points in his career. His highest number of assists in one game was 16. He did this five times. In 2006, he was honored and added to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.

Terrell Brandon's Life After Basketball

Today, Terrell Brandon owns the Terrell Brandon Barber Shop. It is located on Portland's Northeast Alberta Street. Many NBA players visit his shop. He also works in real estate. He is the CEO of Tee Bee Enterprises and Tee Bee Enterprise Music.

Brandon has two sons, Trevor and Terrell Jr. His father, Charles, worked at Oregon Health Sciences University. He was also an assistant pastor at a church. Brandon's mother, Charlotte, helped start an organization. It is called Mothers of Professional Basketball Players. Even though Brandon was not the highest-paid player, he told his mom to retire right after he signed his first contract.

Career Statistics

Regular Season Games

Playoff Games

See also

In Spanish: Terrell Brandon para niños

• List of National Basketball Association career free throw percentage leaders