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Darren Collison

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Darren Collison
Collison with the Indiana Pacers in 2019
Personal information
Born (1987-08-23) August 23, 1987 (age 37)
Rancho Cucamonga, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight160 lb (73 kg)
Career information
High schoolEtiwanda
(Rancho Cucamonga, California)
CollegeUCLA (2005–2009)
NBA draft2009: 1st round, 21st overall pick
Selected by the New Orleans Hornets
Playing career2009–2019, 2021–2022
PositionPoint guard
Career history
2009–2010New Orleans Hornets
2010–2012Indiana Pacers
2012–2013Dallas Mavericks
2013–2014Los Angeles Clippers
2014–2017Sacramento Kings
2017–2019Indiana Pacers
2021–2022Los Angeles Lakers
2022South Bay Lakers
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points8,857 (12.5 ppg)
Rebounds1,885 (2.7 rpg)
Assists3,543 (5.0 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Darren Michael Collison (born August 23, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Collison played four seasons of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He earned All-Pac-10 conference honors three times, and won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award his senior year as the top college player standing 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) or under. He was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets in the first round with the 21st overall pick of the 2009 NBA draft. Collison also played for the Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Lakers.

Early life

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Collison was born in Rancho Cucamonga, California to parents Dennis and June Griffith, who were both elite track and field athletes for Guyana. As a senior at Etiwanda High School under coach Dave Kleckner, Collison was named a fourth-team Parade All-American.[1]

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Collison was listed as the No. 16 point guard and the No. 100 player in the nation in 2005.[2]

College career

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Collison with UCLA in 2008

He was a backup to Jordan Farmar in the Bruins' 2005–06 season, becoming the starting point guard the following season. He was awarded the MVP of the Maui Invitational Tournament in December 2006 and was named the Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Week on December 4, 2006, and again on February 18, 2007.[1] During the 2006–07 season, Collison averaged 2.2 steals per game—the most in the Pacific-10 Conference.[1] He also averaged 5.7 assists (2nd in the Pac-10), as well as a three-point field goal percentage of 44.7 percent.[3]

Collison returned to UCLA for his junior and senior years and ended up playing in a total of 142 games at UCLA, tied for the most ever. In his senior year in 2008–09, he was named to the All-Pac-10 team after averaging 14.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He led the conference in free throw percentage, and was third in assists, steals, and assists-to-turnover ratio. Collison won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award that year, awarded to the best college player 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) or shorter.[4] He was also named the Bruins' co-Most Valuable Player (MVP) along with Josh Shipp.[5] Collison and fellow senior teammates Shipp and Alfred Aboya finished their careers as the winningest class in UCLA history with 123 wins.[6][7][8] The distinction was relative, as John Wooden's legendary teams played shorter seasons and freshmen were ineligible.[7]

Professional career

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New Orleans Hornets (2009–2010)

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Collison was widely considered to be one of the top point guard prospects in the 2009 NBA Draft coming out of UCLA.[9] He was selected in the first round with the 21st overall pick by the New Orleans Hornets.[10]

With Chris Paul out for months at two separate times during the 2009–10 season, Collison became the starting point guard. Collison handed out a Hornets rookie-record 18 assists and scored 17 points on January 30, 2010, when New Orleans ended Memphis's 11-game home winning streak with a 113–111 overtime victory. Later on March 8, 2010, Collison broke his own record with a Hornets rookie-record 20 assists (along with 16 points) in a 135–131 victory over the Golden State Warriors. In a game against the Indiana Pacers on February 19, 2010, Collison became only the second rookie of the 2009–10 season to get a triple-double with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists. He finished 4th in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting and averaged 18.8 points and 9.1 assists in the 37 games as a starter, but had four turnovers a contest as a starter in his first NBA season.

Indiana Pacers (2010–2012)

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Collison with the Pacers in May 2012

On August 11, 2010, the Hornets traded Collison and James Posey to the Indiana Pacers in a four-team, five-player deal that also sent Troy Murphy to the New Jersey Nets, Trevor Ariza to the New Orleans Hornets and Courtney Lee to the Houston Rockets.[11]

Dallas Mavericks (2012–2013)

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On July 12, 2012, Collison and Dahntay Jones were traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Ian Mahinmi.[12] Collison became the Mavericks' starting point guard, replacing Jason Kidd who left as a free agent. Collison was a key player in Dallas' 4–1 start in 2012–13, but he struggled as they lost 8 of their next 11.[13] After starting the team's first 14 games, Collison came off the bench for one game.[14] He missed the next game with a sprained right middle finger, prompting Dallas to sign Derek Fisher.[13] Fisher started in his first game with the Mavericks, while Collison remained a reserve.[15] 14 games later, on December 27, 2012, he regained the starting job.

Los Angeles Clippers (2013–2014)

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Collison with the Clippers in 2013

On July 10, 2013, Collison signed a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.[16] He again backed up Chris Paul, who was also on the Clippers. When Paul was out 18 games with an injured shoulder, Collison started and averaged 13.3 points and 6.5 assists in 32.6 minutes. The Clippers went 12–6 in that span, and coach Doc Rivers said the team "weathered the storm" without their All-Star point guard; he called Collison's play "the key."[17] In Game 4 of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Clippers overcame a 22-point deficit to tie the series at 2–2, as Collison scored 12 of his 18 points in the final quarter to help lead the team to a 101–99 win.[18]

Sacramento Kings (2014–2017)

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On July 12, 2014, Collison signed a three-year, $16 million deal with the Sacramento Kings.[19][20] The Kings offered him a starting job at point guard, and the Clippers were unable to match either the deal or the playing time.[19]

On December 27, 2014, Collison had a season-best game with 27 points and 10 assists in a 135–129 overtime win over the New York Knicks.[21] On February 26, 2015, he was ruled out for three to six weeks with a right hip flexor.[22][23] Collison was suspended for the first eight games of the 2016–17 season after pleading guilty on a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery.[24]

Return to Indiana (2017–2019)

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On July 7, 2017, Collison signed with the Indiana Pacers, returning to the franchise for a second stint.[25] He had knee surgery in early February 2018, returning to the Pacers' line-up in mid-March.[26] After gradually improving his three-point shooting throughout his career, Collison led the league with a career-best 47% 3-point percentage in 2017–18.[27][28]

On December 10, 2018, in a 109–101 win over the Washington Wizards, Collison had 17 assists, his highest single-game total with Indiana.[29] He ended the 2018–19 season with averages of 11 points and six assists.[27]

On June 28, 2019, Collison announced his retirement from the NBA. As a Jehovah's Witness, he cited religious reasons for retiring.[27][30] He had been expected to draw multiple contract offers for around $10 million per season.[27]

Los Angeles Lakers (2021–2022)

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On December 24, 2021, Collison came out of retirement, signing a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.[31]

South Bay Lakers (2022)

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On March 24, 2022, Collison signed with the South Bay Lakers.[32]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
* Led the league

NBA

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2009–10 New Orleans 76 37 27.8 .477 .400 .851 2.5 5.7 1.0 .1 12.4
2010–11 Indiana 79 79 29.9 .457 .331 .871 2.8 5.1 1.1 .2 13.2
2011–12 Indiana 60 56 31.3 .440 .362 .830 3.1 4.8 .8 .2 10.3
2012–13 Dallas 81 47 29.3 .471 .353 .880 2.7 5.1 1.2 .1 12.0
2013–14 L.A. Clippers 80 35 25.9 .467 .376 .857 2.4 3.7 1.2 .2 11.4
2014–15 Sacramento 45 45 34.8 .473 .373 .788 3.2 5.6 1.5 .3 16.1
2015–16 Sacramento 74 15 30.0 .486 .401 .858 2.3 4.3 1.0 .1 14.0
2016–17 Sacramento 68 63 30.3 .476 .417 .860 2.2 4.6 1.0 .1 13.2
2017–18 Indiana 69 64 29.2 .495 .468* .882 2.6 5.3 1.3 .2 12.4
2018–19 Indiana 76 76 28.2 .467 .407 .832 3.1 6.0 1.4 .1 11.2
2021–22 L.A. Lakers 3 0 12.3 .286 .000 – 1.3 .7 .3 .0 1.3
Career 711 518 29.3 .471 .394 .853 2.7 5.0 1.2 .1 12.5

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2011 Indiana 5 5 29.2 .391 .667 .636 2.6 4.0 1.0 .4 9.4
2012 Indiana 11 0 18.6 .514 .364 .870 1.3 3.0 1.3 .0 8.7
2014 L.A. Clippers 13 0 19.2 .389 .083 .867 2.1 2.4 .5 .1 8.5
2018 Indiana 7 7 30.6 .456 .348 .750 3.0 4.7 1.0 .0 11.3
2019 Indiana 4 4 29.3 .422 .364 1.000 3.0 4.0 .5 .0 12.0
Career 36 12 22.6 .438 .327 .824 2.1 3.3 .9 .1 9.2

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2005–06 UCLA 39 2 19.2 .402 .328 .784 1.8 2.3 .9 .1 5.5
2006–07 UCLA 35 35 33.0 .478 .447 .810 2.3 5.7 2.2 .1 12.7
2007–08 UCLA 33 32 34.7 .481 .525 .872 2.6 3.8 1.8 .1 14.5
2008–09 UCLA 35 35 31.5 .509 .394 .897 2.4 4.7 1.6 .1 14.4
Career 142 104 29.2 .475 .435 .851 2.3 4.1 1.6 .1 11.5

Personal life

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Collison is the son of June and Dennis Collison. His parents were elite track and field athletes. His mother represented Guyana at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.[1]

Collison is the founder and CEO of ProsVision, an Orange County-based basketball training facility.

Awards and recognition

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Player Bio: Darren Collison". UCLA. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  2. ^ Darren Collison Recruiting Profile
  3. ^ "UCLA Official Athletic Site – Men's Basketball". Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
  4. ^ Rose, Adam (April 1, 2009). "UCLA's Darren Collison receives Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Finney, Ryan (2010). "2010–11 UCLA Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). UCLA Athletic Department. p. 110. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011.
  6. ^ "Pac-10 Conference". USA Today. April 6, 2009. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Wharton, David (March 8, 2009). "Seniors honored after winning careers". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012.
  8. ^ "No. 20 UCLA 94, Oregon 68". CBSSports.com. March 7, 2009. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
  9. ^ "Draft Watch: Getting to the point". ESPN.go.com. ESPN. January 15, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
  10. ^ "Collison Picked 21st by the New Orleans Hornets in the NBA draft". Pac-12.com. Pac-12 Conference. June 25, 2009. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  11. ^ "Pacers get Collison from Hornets in 4-team trade". NBA.com. August 11, 2010. Archived from the original on May 30, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  12. ^ "It's Official: Pacers Trade Mahinmi for Collison, Jones". NBA.com. July 12, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  13. ^ a b MacMahon, Tim (November 28, 2012). "Signing Derek Fisher a sign of desperation". ESPN.com. ESPN. Archived from the original on November 29, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  14. ^ Caplan, Jeff (November 29, 2012). "Adding Fisher Illustrates Mavs' Deep Flaws At Point Guard". NBA.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  15. ^ MacMahon, Tim (December 2, 2012). "Derek Fisher's Dallas debut a success despite stats". ESPN.com. ESPN. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  16. ^ "CLIPPERS SIGN MATT BARNES, DARREN COLLISON, RYAN HOLLINS AND CHRIS PAUL". NBA.com. July 10, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  17. ^ Turner, Broderick (February 9, 2014). "Darren Collison kept Clippers on track while Chris Paul was out". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 11, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  18. ^ Pincus, Eric (May 11, 2014). "Chris Paul: 'Game ball goes to Darren Collison' in win over Thunder". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
  19. ^ a b Markazi, Arash (January 28, 2015). "Austin Rivers hitting his stride for Clippers". ESPN.com. ESPN. Archived from the original on February 7, 2015.
  20. ^ "Kings Sign Darren Collison". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 12, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  21. ^ "Cousins leads Kings past Knicks 135-129 in OT". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. December 27, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  22. ^ "Darren Collison Injury Update". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  23. ^ "Darren Collison to have surgery". ESPN.com. February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  24. ^ Stein, Marc (October 2, 2016). "Kings PG Darren Collison suspended 8 games for domestic violence incident". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  25. ^ "Pacers Sign Collison". NBA.com. July 7, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  26. ^ "Oladipo helps Pacers rally past Lakers 110-100". ESPN.com. March 19, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  27. ^ a b c d Wojnarowski, Adrian (February 10, 2020). "Sources: Darren Collison won't return to NBA this season despite interest from Lakers, Clippers". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  28. ^ "2017-18 NBA Leaders". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  29. ^ "Turner helps Pacers escape with 109-101 victory over Wizards". ESPN.com. December 10, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  30. ^ "Darren Collison: 'I have decided to retire from the NBA'". Andscape. June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  31. ^ "Lakers Sign Darren Collison to 10-Day Contract". NBA.com. December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  32. ^ "Darren Collison signs with Lakers' G League affiliate with hopes of getting call-up to NBA team, per report". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  33. ^ a b Finney 2010, p.105
  34. ^ [1] Archived March 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  35. ^ [2] Archived March 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  36. ^ "2008 CollegeInsider.com Defensive All-America Team". College Insider. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
  37. ^ 2008–09 AP All-America Basketball Teams
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