Raymond Felton
Encyclopedia
Raymond Bernard Felton, Jr. (born June 26, 1984 in Marion, South Carolina
) is an American professional basketball
player who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers
of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). A point guard
, Felton is listed at 6'1 and 205 lbs. Felton played college basketball for the North Carolina
under head coach Roy Williams
. At North Carolina, Felton led the Tar Heels to a national championship
before declaring for the NBA Draft
. Felton was drafted 5th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft
. Over his career, Felton has been a member of the Charlotte Bobcats
, New York Knicks
, Denver Nuggets
, and Portland Trail Blazers.
. There he led his high school to two state championships and a career record of 104–9. In the process, he set state scoring records with 2,992 points and 117 3 pointers.
Felton won the South Carolina Mr. Basketball award as both a junior and senior, and was named Naismith Prep Player of the Year in 2002. He was MVP of the 2002 Roundball Classic at the United Center
in Chicago
, and was named to the 2002 McDonald's All-American Team. Felton played in the McDonald's All-American game with two future Tar Heel teammates, Sean May and Rashad McCants
.
year, he was voted Carolina Player of the Year and ACC
Freshman of the Week three times. He had 236 assists, and averaged 12.0 points a game. During his sophomore year, he was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year
Award, had 213 assists, and led the Tar Heels in steals (63) and free throw percentage (81%) while averaging 11.5 points per game. Also notable in his second year, Felton set a school-record single-game 18 assists against George Mason on Dec. 7, 2003.
In his third and final season at North Carolina, Felton led the Tar Heels along with fellow juniors Rashad McCants
and Sean May and freshman Marvin Williams
to the 2005 National Championship
over the University of Illinois
Fighting Illini
on April 4, 2005 in St. Louis
. This was the fourth men's basketball championship in UNC's history ( 1957
, 1982
, 1993
, 2005). Felton hit a key three-pointer over Deron Williams
to break a 65–65 tie late in the game, and then came up with a crucial steal in the final seconds when Illinois had a chance to either tie the game or take the lead. His two free throws after the steal provided the final scoring in the game.
Felton averaged 12.9 points and 6.9 assists per game during his junior season and showed a much-improved shooting touch. In recognition of his efforts, he was voted to the All-ACC First Team that season. Felton also won the Bob Cousy Award
that honors the best collegiate point guard.
Due to his excellent junior campaign EA Sports
awarded Felton the cover of NCAA March Madness 06
.
by the Charlotte Bobcats
. Felton was drafted after point guards Chris Paul
and Deron Williams
. University of North Carolina
teammates Marvin Williams
, Rashad McCants
and Sean May were also selected in the draft. Felton showed promise right out of college, having his breakout game scoring 31 points against the Phoenix Suns
in a Bobcats loss. Felton's best all-around game of his rookie year occurred January 28, 2006, when he recorded 18 points and 13 assists against the Washington Wizards
. Felton started 54 of 82 games for the Bobcats and averaged 11.9 points per game, 5.6 assists per game, and 3.3 rebounds per game. In his rookie year, Felton recorded 13 double-doubles. Felton was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Felton came into his second year as the Bobcats' starting point guard. Felton improved in mostly every statistic category, raising his assist per game tally from 5.6 to 7.0. Instrumental in the increase was the improved play of teammates Gerald Wallace
, Sean May, and Emeka Okafor
and the addition of then-rookies Adam Morrison
and Walter Herrmann
. Despite Felton's solid season, the Bobcats missed the playoffs. Coming into his third year, the Bobcats looked for more talent for Felton to distribute to, bringing in popular scoring shooting guard Jason Richardson
. The 2007–08 season was still, however, a season of rebuilding for the Bobcats; several players took a step back instead of a step forward. May, Morrison and Herrmann took steps back and the Bobcats were plagued with injuries. The Bobcats once again missed the playoffs. Felton improved on his sophomore campaign, putting up 14.4 points per game, 7.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. Felton also became more efficient, raising his shooting percentage from 38 % to 41 %. Felton still, however, struggled shooting from three-point range, one of his biggest deficiencies coming out of college. In his fourth season in the NBA, the Bobcats had big expectations for Felton and expected him to take a big leap. The Bobcats even put more pressure on Felton by drafting DJ Augustin in the 2008 draft. The Bobcats hired coach Larry Brown
to be their head coach. However Felton regressed in scoring, assists and FG%. The Bobcats dealt Richardson and began to rebuild once again. The Bobcats missed the playoffs and hadn't made the playoffs since being created in 2004. During the 2009 off-season, Felton was a restricted free agent. However, he did not sign a contract offer with another team and returned to Charlotte for one more season after signing the qualifying offer on September 23, 2009. During the 2009 season, the Bobcats had their most successful year. However, Felton did not; he saw his assist and scoring numbers drop to their lowest point since his rookie season. Felton however raised his FG% to a career-high 46% and improved his stroke from the three-point line, shooting 38.5%. In March, Michael Jordan
became the majority owner of the Bobcats. The Bobcats added Stephen Jackson
and Tyson Chandler
via trades, and Tyrus Thomas
and Larry Hughes
late in the season. The Bobcats made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In the playoffs, Felton averaged 11.8 points per game, 2.5 rebounds per game and 5 assists per game. The Bobcats were swept out of the playoffs, and Felton became a free agent at the end of the season.
.
On July 11, 2010, the deal was finalized for two years and $15.8 million.
Felton was selected as co-captain for the 2011 season alongside fellow free agent signee Amar'e Stoudemire. Early in the year, Felton had trouble working the pick-and-roll with Stoudemire. But after a few games, Felton gained confidence and in no time was a fan-favorite in New York
. Felton hit a number of clutch shots, including a step-back fade-away three-pointer that pinballed into the net against the Toronto Raptors
. The change of scenery seemed to be helping Felton; his play also saw the Knicks in playoff contention for the first time since 2004. Felton's time in New York, however, would not last long. On February 22, 2011, Felton was traded to the Denver Nuggets
in a three-way deal which also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves
that brought Carmelo Anthony
to New York. The deal sent Felton along with teammates Wilson Chandler
, Danilo Gallinari
, and Timofey Mozgov
to the Denver Nuggets
. With the Knicks, Felton was on pace to have his best season ever. Felton also registered a fair number of All-Star votes by fans. Felton averaged 17.1 points, 9.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game in 38.4 minutes a game. In Denver, Felton was utilized mostly off the bench behind fellow University of North Carolina
guard Ty Lawson. Felton and the Nuggets made it to the playoffs where the Nuggets went up against Kevin Durant
, Russell Westbrook
and the Oklahoma City Thunder
. Felton averaged 11.6 points, 6.5 assists and 1.8 rebounds in the postseason. As a whole, 2010–11 was Felton's best season; he averaged 15.5 points per game and 8.6 assists per game.
On June 23, 2011, during the 2011 NBA Draft
, Felton was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for veteran point guard Andre Miller
and the #26 overall selection in the draft, Jordan Hamilton
from the University of Texas. In the deal, the Trail Blazers also dealt Rudy Fernandez
and the rights to Finnish guard Petteri Koponen
.
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Charlotte
| 80 || 54 || 30.1 || .391 || .358 || .725 || 3.3 || 5.6 || 1.3 || .1 || 11.9
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Charlotte
| 78 || 75 || 36.3 || .384 || .330 || .797 || 3.4 || 7.0 || 1.5 || .1 || 14.0
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Charlotte
| 79 || 79 || 37.6 || .413 || .280 || .800 || 3.0 || 7.4 || 1.2 || .2 || 14.4
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Charlotte
| 82 || 81 || 37.6 || .408 || .285 || .805 || 3.8 || 6.7 || 1.5 || .4 || 14.2
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Charlotte
| 80 || 80 || 33.0 || .459 || .385 || .763 || 3.6 || 5.6 || 1.5 || .3 || 12.1
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | New York
| 54 || 54 || 38.4 || .423 || .328 || .867 || 3.6 || 9.0 || 1.8 || .2 || 17.1
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Denver
| 21 || 0 || 31.6 || .431 || .459 || .617 || 3.6 || 6.5 || 1.3 || .0 || 11.5
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 474 || 423 || 35.2 || .412 || .333 || .786 || 3.4 || 6.7 || 1.5 || .2 || 13.7
| align="left" | 2010
| align="left" | Charlotte
| 4 || 4 || 32.5 || .405 || .308 || .750 || 2.5 || 5.0 || .5 || .0 || 11.8
|-
| align="left" | 2011
| align="left" | Denver
| 5 || 0 || 30.4 || .360 || .250 || .750 || 1.8 || 4.2 || 1.2 || .0 || 11.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 9 || 4 || 31.2 || .380 || .276 || .750 || 2.1 || 4.6 || .9 || .0 || 11.7
Marion, South Carolina
Marion is a city in Marion County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,042 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marion County...
) is an American professional basketball
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 currently plays for 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...
of the National Basketball Association
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...
(NBA). 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...
, Felton is listed at 6'1 and 205 lbs. Felton played college basketball for the North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
under head coach Roy Williams
Roy Williams
-Sports:*Roy Williams , New Zealand athlete*Roy Williams , 1952 Summer Olympics Canadian team member...
. At North Carolina, Felton led the Tar Heels to a national championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
before declaring for the NBA Draft
NBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
. Felton was drafted 5th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft
2005 NBA Draft
The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...
. Over his career, Felton has been a member of the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
, New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
, and Portland Trail Blazers.
High school career
Felton began his basketball career at Latta High School in Latta, South CarolinaLatta, South Carolina
Latta is a town in Dillon County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,410 at the 2000 census. This small town also contains one of the many libraries that were started with funds given by Andrew Carnegie, which is located in the center of town....
. There he led his high school to two state championships and a career record of 104–9. In the process, he set state scoring records with 2,992 points and 117 3 pointers.
Felton won the South Carolina Mr. Basketball award as both a junior and senior, and was named Naismith Prep Player of the Year in 2002. He was MVP of the 2002 Roundball Classic at the United Center
United Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and was named to the 2002 McDonald's All-American Team. Felton played in the McDonald's All-American game with two future Tar Heel teammates, Sean May and Rashad McCants
Rashad McCants
Rashad Dion McCants is an American professional basketball player.-High school career:...
.
College career
In his freshmanFreshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
year, he was voted Carolina Player of the Year and ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Freshman of the Week three times. He had 236 assists, and averaged 12.0 points a game. During his sophomore year, he was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year
Naismith College Player of the Year
The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
Award, had 213 assists, and led the Tar Heels in steals (63) and free throw percentage (81%) while averaging 11.5 points per game. Also notable in his second year, Felton set a school-record single-game 18 assists against George Mason on Dec. 7, 2003.
In his third and final season at North Carolina, Felton led the Tar Heels along with fellow juniors Rashad McCants
Rashad McCants
Rashad Dion McCants is an American professional basketball player.-High school career:...
and Sean May and freshman Marvin Williams
Marvin Williams
Marvin Gaye Williams, Jr. is an American professional basketball player. He currently is playing for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association and is listed at 6' 9" and 240 pounds...
to the 2005 National Championship
2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...
over the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
on April 4, 2005 in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. This was the fourth men's basketball championship in UNC's history ( 1957
1957 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1957 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1957, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Kansas City, Missouri...
, 1982
1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1982, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, 1993
1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, 2005). Felton hit a key three-pointer over Deron Williams
Deron Williams
Deron Michael Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American basketball player currently with the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association . Williams has also played for the Utah Jazz of the NBA and Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League...
to break a 65–65 tie late in the game, and then came up with a crucial steal in the final seconds when Illinois had a chance to either tie the game or take the lead. His two free throws after the steal provided the final scoring in the game.
Felton averaged 12.9 points and 6.9 assists per game during his junior season and showed a much-improved shooting touch. In recognition of his efforts, he was voted to the All-ACC First Team that season. Felton also won the Bob Cousy Award
Bob Cousy Award
The Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate point guard. It is named after six-time National Basketball Association champion Bob Cousy, who played point guard for the Boston Celtics...
that honors the best collegiate point guard.
Due to his excellent junior campaign EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
awarded Felton the cover of NCAA March Madness 06
NCAA March Madness 06
NCAA March Madness 06 was the 2005 installment in the NCAA March Madness series. It was released on October 11, 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. Former North Carolina and current Portland Trail Blazers player Raymond Felton is featured on the cover....
.
2005–2010: Charlotte Bobcats
Felton was selected 5th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft2005 NBA Draft
The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...
by the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
. Felton was drafted after point guards Chris Paul
Chris Paul
Christopher Emmanuel Paul is an American professional basketball point guard for the New Orleans Hornets.Paul was born and raised in North Carolina. Despite only playing two varsity basketball seasons in high school, he was a McDonald's All-American and accepted a scholarship with nearby Wake...
and Deron Williams
Deron Williams
Deron Michael Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American basketball player currently with the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association . Williams has also played for the Utah Jazz of the NBA and Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League...
. University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
teammates Marvin Williams
Marvin Williams
Marvin Gaye Williams, Jr. is an American professional basketball player. He currently is playing for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association and is listed at 6' 9" and 240 pounds...
, Rashad McCants
Rashad McCants
Rashad Dion McCants is an American professional basketball player.-High school career:...
and Sean May were also selected in the draft. Felton showed promise right out of college, having his breakout game scoring 31 points against 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...
in a Bobcats loss. Felton's best all-around game of his rookie year occurred January 28, 2006, when he recorded 18 points and 13 assists against the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. Felton started 54 of 82 games for the Bobcats and averaged 11.9 points per game, 5.6 assists per game, and 3.3 rebounds per game. In his rookie year, Felton recorded 13 double-doubles. Felton was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Felton came into his second year as the Bobcats' starting point guard. Felton improved in mostly every statistic category, raising his assist per game tally from 5.6 to 7.0. Instrumental in the increase was the improved play of teammates Gerald Wallace
Gerald Wallace
Gerald Jermaine Wallace is an American professional basketball forward for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA.- High school :Wallace attended Childersburg High School in Childersburg, Alabama, where he had a very successful career...
, Sean May, and Emeka Okafor
Emeka Okafor
Chukwuemeka Ndubuisi Okafor, abbreviated as Emeka Okafor , is an American basketball power forward and center for the New Orleans Hornets of the National Basketball Association. Prior to the NBA, Okafor attended Houston's Bellaire High School, and the University of Connecticut.-Early life:Okafor...
and the addition of then-rookies Adam Morrison
Adam Morrison
Adam John Morrison is an American basketball player who is currently free agent after being released from KK Crvena zvezda....
and Walter Herrmann
Wálter Herrmann
Walter Herrmann Heinrich is an Argentine professional basketball player. He is listed at 6'9" and 225 lbs. He was a key member of the Argentinian national basketball team that won the gold medal during the 2004 Olympic Basketball Tournament...
. Despite Felton's solid season, the Bobcats missed the playoffs. Coming into his third year, the Bobcats looked for more talent for Felton to distribute to, bringing in popular scoring shooting guard Jason Richardson
Jason Richardson
Jason Anthoney "J-Rich" Richardson is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association.A 6'6", 225 lb...
. The 2007–08 season was still, however, a season of rebuilding for the Bobcats; several players took a step back instead of a step forward. May, Morrison and Herrmann took steps back and the Bobcats were plagued with injuries. The Bobcats once again missed the playoffs. Felton improved on his sophomore campaign, putting up 14.4 points per game, 7.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. Felton also became more efficient, raising his shooting percentage from 38 % to 41 %. Felton still, however, struggled shooting from three-point range, one of his biggest deficiencies coming out of college. In his fourth season in the NBA, the Bobcats had big expectations for Felton and expected him to take a big leap. The Bobcats even put more pressure on Felton by drafting DJ Augustin in the 2008 draft. The Bobcats hired coach Larry Brown
Larry Brown
-Athletes:* Larry Brown , former NHL ice hockey player* Larry Brown , , NCAA, ABA and NBA player and coach-American football:* Larry Brown , NFL cornerback and Super Bowl MVP...
to be their head coach. However Felton regressed in scoring, assists and FG%. The Bobcats dealt Richardson and began to rebuild once again. The Bobcats missed the playoffs and hadn't made the playoffs since being created in 2004. During the 2009 off-season, Felton was a restricted free agent. However, he did not sign a contract offer with another team and returned to Charlotte for one more season after signing the qualifying offer on September 23, 2009. During the 2009 season, the Bobcats had their most successful year. However, Felton did not; he saw his assist and scoring numbers drop to their lowest point since his rookie season. Felton however raised his FG% to a career-high 46% and improved his stroke from the three-point line, shooting 38.5%. In March, Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
became the majority owner of the Bobcats. The Bobcats added Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jesse Jackson is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. Jackson is a 6'8" guard-forward.-Early life, high school, and college:Jackson was born in Houston and grew up in Port Arthur, Texas...
and Tyson Chandler
Tyson Chandler
Tyson Cleotis Chandler is an American professional basketball center who most recently played for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. He was also a member of the United States men's national basketball team.-High school:...
via trades, and Tyrus Thomas
Tyrus Thomas
Tyrus Wayne Thomas is an American professional basketball player who played one season of college basketball at Louisiana State University and is a member of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.-High school career:...
and Larry Hughes
Larry Hughes
Larry Darnell Hughes is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Charlotte Bobcats. He is a and shooting guard. Hughes attended Saint Louis University and was the eight pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, selected by the Philadelphia 76ers...
late in the season. The Bobcats made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In the playoffs, Felton averaged 11.8 points per game, 2.5 rebounds per game and 5 assists per game. The Bobcats were swept out of the playoffs, and Felton became a free agent at the end of the season.
2010–2011: New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets
On July 9, 2010, Felton agreed to a contract with the New York KnicksNew York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
On July 11, 2010, the deal was finalized for two years and $15.8 million.
Felton was selected as co-captain for the 2011 season alongside fellow free agent signee Amar'e Stoudemire. Early in the year, Felton had trouble working the pick-and-roll with Stoudemire. But after a few games, Felton gained confidence and in no time was a fan-favorite in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Felton hit a number of clutch shots, including a step-back fade-away three-pointer that pinballed into the net against the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
. The change of scenery seemed to be helping Felton; his play also saw the Knicks in playoff contention for the first time since 2004. Felton's time in New York, however, would not last long. On February 22, 2011, Felton was traded to the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
in a three-way deal which also involved 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...
that brought Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Kiyan Anthony , nicknamed "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association...
to New York. The deal sent Felton along with teammates Wilson Chandler
Wilson Chandler
Wilson Chandler is an American basketball player currently with Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association. He previously played in the National Basketball Association with the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets...
, Danilo Gallinari
Danilo Gallinari
Danilo Gallinari is an Italian professional basketball player with Olimpia Milano of the Italian basketball league. He is also under contract with the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, and is expected to return to that team when the 2011 NBA lockout ends. He is 2.08 m in height and 102.1 kg in...
, and Timofey Mozgov
Timofey Mozgov
Timofey Pavlovich Mozgov is a Russian professional basketball player for Khimki Moscow Region of the Russian Professional Basketball League. He is tall and he weighs . He plays at the center position.-Pro career:Mozgov began his professional career with LenVo St...
to the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
. With the Knicks, Felton was on pace to have his best season ever. Felton also registered a fair number of All-Star votes by fans. Felton averaged 17.1 points, 9.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game in 38.4 minutes a game. In Denver, Felton was utilized mostly off the bench behind fellow University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
guard Ty Lawson. Felton and the Nuggets made it to the playoffs where the Nuggets went up against Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association . A 6'9" small forward/shooting guard who is also capable of playing power forward, Durant was the consensus 2007 National College Player of the Year and the...
, Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. He was drafted by the Thunder's former incarnation, the Seattle SuperSonics, which relocated from Seattle, Washington to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...
and the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
. Felton averaged 11.6 points, 6.5 assists and 1.8 rebounds in the postseason. As a whole, 2010–11 was Felton's best season; he averaged 15.5 points per game and 8.6 assists per game.
On June 23, 2011, during the 2011 NBA Draft
2011 NBA Draft
The 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
, Felton was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for veteran point guard Andre Miller
Andre Miller
Andre Lloyd Miller is an American professional basketball player, currently with the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association.- College career :...
and the #26 overall selection in the draft, Jordan Hamilton
Jordan Hamilton
Jordan Christian Hamilton is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the NBA. He was a forward for the Texas Longhorns.As a sophomore he was a second team All-American by the USBWA...
from the University of Texas. In the deal, the Trail Blazers also dealt Rudy Fernandez
Rudy Fernandez
Rodolfo Fernandez commonly known as Rudy and referred as the "Iron Man of Asia", is a multi-awarded, one-legged Filipino triathlete who had finished a degree in Physical Education at the University of Baguio.-Sports career:Fernandez had competed in running, swimming and cycling, and prides himself...
and the rights to Finnish guard Petteri Koponen
Petteri Koponen
Petteri Koponen is a Finnish professional basketball player. He currently plays for Virtus Bologna. He is a point guard, weighs 195 pounds and is 6 feet 4.5 inches tall . He played for Virtus Bologna in Italian Lega Basket Serie A basketball league...
.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Charlotte
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
| 80 || 54 || 30.1 || .391 || .358 || .725 || 3.3 || 5.6 || 1.3 || .1 || 11.9
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Charlotte
| 78 || 75 || 36.3 || .384 || .330 || .797 || 3.4 || 7.0 || 1.5 || .1 || 14.0
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Charlotte
| 79 || 79 || 37.6 || .413 || .280 || .800 || 3.0 || 7.4 || 1.2 || .2 || 14.4
|-
| 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" | Charlotte
| 82 || 81 || 37.6 || .408 || .285 || .805 || 3.8 || 6.7 || 1.5 || .4 || 14.2
|-
| 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" | Charlotte
| 80 || 80 || 33.0 || .459 || .385 || .763 || 3.6 || 5.6 || 1.5 || .3 || 12.1
|-
| 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" | New York
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 54 || 54 || 38.4 || .423 || .328 || .867 || 3.6 || 9.0 || 1.8 || .2 || 17.1
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 21 || 0 || 31.6 || .431 || .459 || .617 || 3.6 || 6.5 || 1.3 || .0 || 11.5
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 474 || 423 || 35.2 || .412 || .333 || .786 || 3.4 || 6.7 || 1.5 || .2 || 13.7
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2010
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Charlotte
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
| 4 || 4 || 32.5 || .405 || .308 || .750 || 2.5 || 5.0 || .5 || .0 || 11.8
|-
| align="left" | 2011
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 5 || 0 || 30.4 || .360 || .250 || .750 || 1.8 || 4.2 || 1.2 || .0 || 11.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 9 || 4 || 31.2 || .380 || .276 || .750 || 2.1 || 4.6 || .9 || .0 || 11.7
Awards
- All-NBA Rookie Second Team 2005–06
- No. 2 jersey is honored in the rafters of the Dean DomeDean Smith CenterThe Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, usually called simply the Smith Center and popularly referred to as the Dean Dome is a multi-purpose arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The arena is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels men's basketball team, and temporary...
at UNCUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States... - NCAA All-Tournament Team: 2005
- Associated Press Men's Basketball Third Team: 2004–05
- First Team All-ACC: 2004–05
- Voted Carolina's Most Valuable Player: 2002–03, 2004–05 (Shared with Sean May)
- Winner of Bob Cousy AwardBob Cousy AwardThe Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate point guard. It is named after six-time National Basketball Association champion Bob Cousy, who played point guard for the Boston Celtics...
: 2005 - First Team All-ACC: 2004–05
- Third Team All-ACC: 2002–03, 2003–04
- First Team All-ACC Tournament: 2003
- ACC All-Defensive Team Honorable Mention: 2004–05
- ACC All-Freshmen Team: 2002–03
- Naismith Prep Player of the Year: 2002