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Aaron Brooks (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Aaron Jamal Brooks is an American basketball
player who is currently a point guard
for the Guangdong Southern Tigers
. He was selected 26th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft
. He won the NBA Most Improved Player Award
for the 2009-2010 season.
and NBA player Adam Morrison
. Brooks finished with 38 points in the 67-55 win. Morrison finished with 37 in the loss but was still named Tournament MVP after matching the then four-game scoring total.
career at the University of Oregon
in 2007. He was a four-year starter for the Ducks
, and finished his career with 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. In his first year at Oregon, Brooks took over the starting point guard role previously occupied by current NBA
guard Luke Ridnour
. Despite missing 10 games with a broken bone in his wrist, Brooks earned Pac-10 All-Freshman honors. Brooks was named honorable mention all-Pac-10 for his efforts as a sophomore, a season which included a 34 point effort against USC
. After a disappointing junior year at Oregon culminating in a suspension during a game against Washington, Brooks rebounded to become one of the leading candidates for Pac-10 Player of the Year. He led the Ducks to a number of key victories, including game winners over then #1 ranked UCLA
and then #10 Arizona in Tucson
. Brooks scored a team high 31 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in an overtime road win against then top 25 ranked Washington State
, helping to hand the Cougars their first home loss of the 2006-07 season. At the half-way mark of Pac-10 conference play, Brooks was averaging 19.1 points and 4.5 assists per game in leading Oregon to a top 10 ranking and a 19-2 overall record. The Ducks went on to finish in a tie for third place in the Pac-10, and won the Pac-10 Championship tournament following an impressive three day run over Arizona, Cal
and USC. Oregon advanced to the Midwest Regional Final where they lost to defending champion Florida
. On March 5, Brooks was announced as one of 22 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award
, which is given to the top college basketball player in the nation. On March 28, Brooks was one of 10 players named to the Wooden All-American Team. He won the men's three point shootout on March 29, 2007, to finish off his NCAA career, but lost the "battle of the sexes" to Katie Gearlds of Purdue University
. His major was political science.
by the Houston Rockets
.
On February 19, 2009, Rafer Alston
, the Rockets' starting point guard at the time, was traded to the Orlando Magic
minutes before the trading deadline, making way for Brooks to become the starter. As a starter, he averaged around 14.0 Points and 4.5 assists per game. On April 21, 2009, Brooks scored 11 points in 27 seconds in a Game 2 First Round 107-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers
, in which Brooks played a huge part in Houston's rally, scoring three 3-pointers and a fast break lay-up. While the Rockets lost that game, they were able to eliminate Portland in six games. Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 34 points in Game 4 of the 2009 Western Conference semi-finals
as the Rockets, without Yao Ming
, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers
to even the series at 2-2. However, the Los Angeles Lakers
eventually won the series in 7 games.
On January 13, 2010, Brooks scored a new career high of 43 points in a triple overtime win against the Minnesota Timberwolves
. On March 15, 2010, Brooks scored the game winning shot against the Denver Nuggets with 2.9 seconds left in the game. On March 17, 2010, Brooks shot 7-7 from behind the three arc against the Memphis Grizzlies
, setting a new franchise record. On April 11, 2010, Brooks became only the sixth player in NBA history to make over 200 3-pointers and over 400 assists in a single season.
On April 23, 2010 he was named NBA Most Improved Player of the 2009/2010 NBA season averaging 19.6 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game.
On November 6, 2010, Brooks suffered a sprained ankle. He returned on December 19, 2010 in a 102-93 win over the Sacramento Kings
, in which he came off the bench for 15 minutes and recorded 9 points (all 3-pointers). In his first start since return from his injury, on January 10, 2011, he tied his season-high 24 points, in a win over the Boston Celtics
.
On February 24, 2011, Brooks was traded to the Phoenix Suns
for Goran Dragic and a first round pick.
, Brooks signed to play for the Guangdong Southern Tigers
.
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Houston
| 51 || 0 || 11.9 || .413 || .330 || .857 || 1.1 || 1.7 || .2 || .1 || 5.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Houston
| 80 || 35 || 25.0 || .404 || .366 || .866 || 2.0 || 3.0 || .6 || .1 || 11.2
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Houston
| 82 || 82 || 35.6 || .432 || .398 || .822 || 2.6 || 5.6 || 1.0 || .2 || 19.6
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Houston
| 34 || 7 || 23.9 || .346 || .284 || .940 || 1.5 || 3.8 || .6 || .1 || 11.6
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 25 || 5 || 18.9 || .430 || .328 || .807 || 1.1 || 4.2 || .5 || .0 || 9.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 272 || 129 || 25.0 || .411 || .363 || .850 || 1.9 || 3.6 || .6 || .1 || 12.5
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Houston
|6 || 0 || 8.3 || .320 || .000 || .818 || 1.0 || .5 || .0 || .0 || 4.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Houston
| 13 || 13 || 34.2 || .453 || .422 || .804 || 2.6 || 3.4 || .4 || .2 || 16.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 19 || 13 || 25.9 || .436 || .365 || .807 || 2.1 || 2.5 || .3 || .2 || 12.8
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who is currently a point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
for the Guangdong Southern Tigers
Guangdong Southern Tigers
Guangdong Winnerway Southern Tigers or Guangdong Southern Tigers or Guangdong Winnerway is a basketball team owned by the Guangdong Winnerway Group. The team is one of the best-performing teams in the Chinese Basketball Association, or CBA...
. He was selected 26th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft
2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
. He won the NBA Most Improved Player Award
NBA Most Improved Player Award
The National Basketball Association's Most Improved Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1985–86 NBA season, to the most improved player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada,...
for the 2009-2010 season.
High school
Brooks, a high profile recruit out of Franklin High School in Seattle, "earned just about every honor possible" while leading his team to the Washington 4A State Championship as a senior. As a high school senior he averaged 24.3 points, 7.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. In that championship game, Brooks went head-to-head with future Gonzaga BulldogGonzaga Bulldogs
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the athletic teams at Gonzaga University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Gonzaga University is a member of the West Coast Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...
and NBA player Adam Morrison
Adam Morrison
Adam John Morrison is an American basketball player who is currently free agent after being released from KK Crvena zvezda....
. Brooks finished with 38 points in the 67-55 win. Morrison finished with 37 in the loss but was still named Tournament MVP after matching the then four-game scoring total.
College
Brooks finished his collegeCollege basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
career at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in 2007. He was a four-year starter for the Ducks
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
, and finished his career with 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. In his first year at Oregon, Brooks took over the starting point guard role previously occupied by current NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
guard Luke Ridnour
Luke Ridnour
Lucas Robin "Luke" Ridnour is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was born in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho and grew up in Blaine, Washington.- High school career :...
. Despite missing 10 games with a broken bone in his wrist, Brooks earned Pac-10 All-Freshman honors. Brooks was named honorable mention all-Pac-10 for his efforts as a sophomore, a season which included a 34 point effort against USC
USC Trojans Basketball
The University of Southern California Trojans men's basketball program is the college basketball team that competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and represents the University of Southern California on the court.The program began playing...
. After a disappointing junior year at Oregon culminating in a suspension during a game against Washington, Brooks rebounded to become one of the leading candidates for Pac-10 Player of the Year. He led the Ducks to a number of key victories, including game winners over then #1 ranked UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
and then #10 Arizona in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. Brooks scored a team high 31 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in an overtime road win against then top 25 ranked Washington State
Washington State Cougars
The Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams at Washington State University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Washington State University is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...
, helping to hand the Cougars their first home loss of the 2006-07 season. At the half-way mark of Pac-10 conference play, Brooks was averaging 19.1 points and 4.5 assists per game in leading Oregon to a top 10 ranking and a 19-2 overall record. The Ducks went on to finish in a tie for third place in the Pac-10, and won the Pac-10 Championship tournament following an impressive three day run over Arizona, Cal
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and USC. Oregon advanced to the Midwest Regional Final where they lost to defending champion Florida
Florida Gators basketball
The Florida Gators have two Gator basketball programs:*Men's*Women's...
. On March 5, Brooks was announced as one of 22 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award
John R. Wooden Award
The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los...
, which is given to the top college basketball player in the nation. On March 28, Brooks was one of 10 players named to the Wooden All-American Team. He won the men's three point shootout on March 29, 2007, to finish off his NCAA career, but lost the "battle of the sexes" to Katie Gearlds of Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
. His major was political science.
NBA
On June 28, 2007, Brooks was taken 26th overall in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
by the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
.
On February 19, 2009, Rafer Alston
Rafer Alston
Rafer Jamel Alston is an American former professional basketball player who last played with Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association. He previously played for six NBA teams...
, the Rockets' starting point guard at the time, was traded to the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
minutes before the trading deadline, making way for Brooks to become the starter. As a starter, he averaged around 14.0 Points and 4.5 assists per game. On April 21, 2009, Brooks scored 11 points in 27 seconds in a Game 2 First Round 107-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
, in which Brooks played a huge part in Houston's rally, scoring three 3-pointers and a fast break lay-up. While the Rockets lost that game, they were able to eliminate Portland in six games. Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 34 points in Game 4 of the 2009 Western Conference semi-finals
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
as the Rockets, without Yao Ming
Yao Ming
Yao Ming is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
to even the series at 2-2. However, the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
eventually won the series in 7 games.
On January 13, 2010, Brooks scored a new career high of 43 points in a triple overtime win against the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
. On March 15, 2010, Brooks scored the game winning shot against the Denver Nuggets with 2.9 seconds left in the game. On March 17, 2010, Brooks shot 7-7 from behind the three arc against the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
, setting a new franchise record. On April 11, 2010, Brooks became only the sixth player in NBA history to make over 200 3-pointers and over 400 assists in a single season.
On April 23, 2010 he was named NBA Most Improved Player of the 2009/2010 NBA season averaging 19.6 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game.
On November 6, 2010, Brooks suffered a sprained ankle. He returned on December 19, 2010 in a 102-93 win over the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, in which he came off the bench for 15 minutes and recorded 9 points (all 3-pointers). In his first start since return from his injury, on January 10, 2011, he tied his season-high 24 points, in a win over the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
.
On February 24, 2011, Brooks was traded to the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
for Goran Dragic and a first round pick.
China
During the 2011 NBA lockout2011 NBA lockout
The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . The owners began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players are revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap...
, Brooks signed to play for the Guangdong Southern Tigers
Guangdong Southern Tigers
Guangdong Winnerway Southern Tigers or Guangdong Southern Tigers or Guangdong Winnerway is a basketball team owned by the Guangdong Winnerway Group. The team is one of the best-performing teams in the Chinese Basketball Association, or CBA...
.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
| 51 || 0 || 11.9 || .413 || .330 || .857 || 1.1 || 1.7 || .2 || .1 || 5.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | Houston
| 80 || 35 || 25.0 || .404 || .366 || .866 || 2.0 || 3.0 || .6 || .1 || 11.2
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | Houston
| 82 || 82 || 35.6 || .432 || .398 || .822 || 2.6 || 5.6 || 1.0 || .2 || 19.6
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | Houston
| 34 || 7 || 23.9 || .346 || .284 || .940 || 1.5 || 3.8 || .6 || .1 || 11.6
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Phoenix
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
| 25 || 5 || 18.9 || .430 || .328 || .807 || 1.1 || 4.2 || .5 || .0 || 9.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 272 || 129 || 25.0 || .411 || .363 || .850 || 1.9 || 3.6 || .6 || .1 || 12.5
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2007–08
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
|6 || 0 || 8.3 || .320 || .000 || .818 || 1.0 || .5 || .0 || .0 || 4.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Houston
| 13 || 13 || 34.2 || .453 || .422 || .804 || 2.6 || 3.4 || .4 || .2 || 16.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 19 || 13 || 25.9 || .436 || .365 || .807 || 2.1 || 2.5 || .3 || .2 || 12.8
Awards
- 2010 NBA Most Improved Player
- 2007 APAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-American (Third Team) - 2007 John WoodenJohn WoodenJohn Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
All-American Team - 2007 NCAA 3-Point-Shootout Champion
- 2007 All-Pac-10 Team
- 2005 Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 Team
- 2004 All-Pac-10 Freshman Team