On April 22, 2006, Brand made his playoff debut scoring 21 points against the Denver Nuggets. As a result of his individual prowess and the Clippers' recent success, many analysts believed that he was a strong candidate for Most Valuable Player for the 2006 season however, Steve Nash went on to win the award. In February 2006, Brand was selected to the 2006 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve forward for the West. He posted career-highs in points per game (24.7) and field-goal percentage (52.7), while leading the Clippers to a 47–35 record, good enough for the sixth seed in the Western Conference. In the 2005-06 season, Brand experienced a personal renaissance. Prior to this, the biggest contract Sterling had approved to that point was a five-year, $15 million deal for Eric Piatkowski in 1998. In what was an unprecedented move by team owner Donald Sterling, the Clippers matched Miami's offer and managed to keep Brand a Clipper. When Brand became a restricted free agent in 2003, the Miami Heat made an offer worth $82 million over six years. In 2002, Brand became the first Clipper since Danny Manning (in 1994) to be selected to the All-Star team. Brand averaged 20.1 points-per-game and 10.1 rebounds per game his 3.9 offensive rebounds per game were the second-best in the NBA.īrand played with the Clippers for seven seasons.Īfter two successful seasons with the Bulls, Brand was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2001 for Brian Skinner and the draft rights to Tyson Chandler. Through much of the 2000–01 season, Brand was hailed as the linchpin of a possible new Chicago dynasty. In May 2000, Brand shared NBA Rookie of the Year honors with Houston Rockets guard Steve Francis. His only frustrations came as a result of the Bulls' losing record - he had come out on the losing end of very few basketball games before coming to Chicago. In his rookie season, Brand averaged 20.1 points and 10 rebounds per game. All three entered the NBA draft instead of returning to Duke. Brand, along with William Avery and future teammate Corey Maggette, was one of the first players under Mike Krzyzewski in Duke basketball history to leave school early for the NBA Draft. He subsequently decided to leave Duke after his sophomore season and apply for the 1999 NBA Draft, where he was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the first pick. After leading the Blue Devils to the championship game of the Final Four-where they were upset by the Connecticut Huskies-Brand was named the consensus National Player of the Year. Recruited heavily after his successful high school career, Brand decided to enroll at Duke University alongside a cluster of other high school stars, including Shane Battier.Īs a sophomore, Brand was the dominant inside presence for a Duke team that is widely regarded as one of the most talented teams in recent NCAA history. The former Governor of New York, fellow Peekskill native George Pataki, was once asked about being the town's favorite son, and he answered that he was not the favorite, but Brand was. At the same time, he became something of a cult hero in Peekskill, helping his team win two state championships while demonstrating a humble calm and intelligence. He averaged 40 points and 20 rebounds per game, played AAU basketball with future NBA players Lamar Odom and Ron Artest, and by his senior year he was consistently ranked among the top high school basketball players in the country and was selected as New York State Mr. At the age of thirteen, he enrolled in Peekskill High School, where he was immediately added to the varsity basketball roster.
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