Gregory Alan Grant (born August 29, 1966) is a retired American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player.
Growing up in a broken home, Grant worked in a fish market while in high school. After being discovered at the local playground, the 5'7" (1.70 m)
point guard
The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
enrolled at Trenton State College (now
The College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is a public university in Ewing Township, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Established in 1855 as the New Jersey State Normal School, TCNJ was the first normal school, or ...
, or TCNJ for short) in 1986, and led
Division III
In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below.
Association football
*Belgian Thir ...
in scoring in 1989.
That same year he was selected with the 52nd overall pick by the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
in the
NBA Draft. He spent nine years in the NBA, playing for six different teams. Grant now runs a sports academy in
Trenton. He also offers one-on-one instructions and clinics.
With the help of writer (and fellow Trenton native) Martin Sumners, Grant detailed his unlikely journey from the playgrounds to college and all the way to the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
in his autobiography, ''94 Feet and Rising: The Journey of Greg Grant to the NBA and Beyond'', released on July 17, 2009.
Grant was named head coach of
Trenton Central High School
Trenton Central High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Trenton, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Trenton Public Schools.
As ...
in 2010. He implemented initiatives that included a larger focus on education and better performances on court. In the 2013–14 school year, he coached Trenton to a 27–3 record en route to the Mercer County division title, and the school's first ever Colonial Valley Conference Championship (they lost to
Linden in the state championship). He retired after five years, compiling a 100–32 record over that time, and a 100 percent graduation rate from his players.
Greg Grant steps down as head basketball coach at Trenton High
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See also
*
References
External links
94 Feet and Rising: The Journey of Greg Grant to the NBA and Beyond
"What Greg has Granted" by Rob Anthes on TrentonDowntowner.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Greg
1966 births
Living people
African-American basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in Hungary
American expatriate basketball people in Italy
American expatriate basketball people in Mexico
American men's basketball players
Atlantic City Seagulls players
Basketball coaches from New Jersey
Basketball players from Trenton, New Jersey
Capitanes de Arecibo players
Charlotte Hornets players
Connecticut Pride players
Denver Nuggets players
Grand Rapids Hoops players
International Basketball League (1999–2001) coaches
Mexico Aztecas players
Morris Brown College alumni
New York Knicks players
Philadelphia 76ers players
Phoenix Suns draft picks
Phoenix Suns players
Point guards
Rapid City Thrillers players
San Diego Wildcards players
Shreveport Storm players
Sioux Falls Skyforce (CBA) players
S.L. Benfica basketball players
TCNJ Lions men's basketball players
Trenton Central High School alumni
Washington Bullets players
United States Basketball League coaches
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople