Brandan Keith Wright (born October 5, 1987) is an American former 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

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

, Wright fast became a standout at his high school

Brentwood Academy Brentwood Academy is a coeducational Christian independent college preparatory school located in Brentwood, Tennessee, for grades 6–12. History The charter of Brentwood Academy was signed on November 20, 1969, after ten acres of land on Gra ...

, earning three "Mr. Basketball" titles, a feat no player at any level had ever done in Tennessee. After leading his high school team to four consecutive state championships, Wright was eventually recruited by the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...

basketball team Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's ...

. In his lone season as a Tar Heel, Wright was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year, and earned All-ACC Second Team honors. In the 2007 NBA draft, Wright was chosen eighth overall by the

Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most popu ...

, and in a draft-night trade was dealt to the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

for guard Jason Richardson.

Early years

Wright was born and raised in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

. In high school, Wright became a two-time first-team ''Parade'' All-American selection at

. As a senior, Wright averaged 22.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 5.1 blocks per contest, and also recorded four

triple-doubles In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

(points, rebounds, assists). Wright earned Tennessee's Division II Mr. Basketball title in 2004, 2005, and 2006, becoming the first player ever to win the award three times at any level of Tennessee high school basketball. Wright led his Brentwood Academy team to four consecutive Tennessee state championships and was a four-time MVP of the Tennessee Division II private school state championship tournament. Wright led Brentwood Academy to four consecutive state titles, a first in Tennessee high school basketball history. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Wright was listed as the No. 1 power forward and the No. 3 player in the nation in 2006.

College career

Wright appeared in thirty-seven games in his lone season at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC S ...

, starting all and averaging 14.7 points on 64.6% field goal shooting, 6.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.76 blocks per game. His .646 field goal percentage led the

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...

(ACC) and was the best ever by an ACC freshman. Wright led the North Carolina team in blocks (sixty-five, sixth in the ACC), and finished second on the team in scoring (14.7 ppg, thirteenth in the ACC) and rebounding (6.2 rpg, fourteenth in the ACC). He was also able to score 20-or-more points on eight occasions. Wright was able to score in double digits in his first eighteen games as a Tar Heel, making

Rashad McCants Rashad Dion McCants (born September 25, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as well as overseas. He played for Trilogy in the BIG3 three-on-three league. High scho ...

and himself the only freshman Tar Heels to accomplish the feat in the last twenty years. Wright was named to the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

All-East Regional Team after averaging 12.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in four Tournament contests. Eventually, Wright was named MVP of the ACC Tournament, becoming just the fifth freshman in conference history to win the award. Wright was also named Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year (the third straight Tar Heel to earn the honor) and earned All-ACC Second Team honors.

College statistics

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2006–07 , style="text-align:left;",

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

, 37 , , 37 , , 27.4 , , .646 , , .000 , , .567 , , 6.2 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.8 , , 14.7 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", Career , 37 , , 37 , , 27.4 , , .646 , , .000 , , .567 , , 6.2 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.8 , , 14.7

Professional career

Golden State Warriors (2007–2011)

Wright became an early candidate for the 2007 NBA draft after his freshman year at the University of North Carolina. In the draft, Wright was selected by the

with the eighth overall pick. Wright was then acquired by the

in a draft-night trade in exchange for shooting guard Jason Richardson and the draft rights to

Jermareo Davidson Jermareo Davidson (born November 15, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Alabama. High school Jermareo Davidson attended Wheeler High School in Marietta, Ga. College ...

, whom Golden State chose with the 36th overall pick. Due to an injured hip flexor, Wright was unable to participate in summer league play during his rookie season. Of the thirty-eight games Wright played during his rookie season, he started in six. Wright entered the 2008–09 season with career averages of 4.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 9.9 minutes over thirty-eight games in his rookie season. In January 2009, Wright partially dislocated his left shoulder late in the first half of a game against the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

. On October 14, 2009, the Warriors extended Wright's contract until the end of the 2010–11 NBA season. Wright damaged his left shoulder capsule during practice on October 2, 2009. He underwent shoulder surgery and missed the 2009–10 season.

New Jersey Nets (2011)

On February 23, 2011, Wright was traded to the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

along with

Dan Gadzuric Daniel Gadzuric (born February 2, 1978) is a Dutch- Serbian former professional basketball player. Gadzuric, a center, attended preparatory school at The Governor's Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts, before playing college basketball for the Br ...

in exchange for Troy Murphy and a second round pick.

Dallas Mavericks (2011–2014)

On December 9, 2011 he signed a deal with the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. Th ...

. Wright recorded a career-high seven blocked shots in a win at

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

on March 24, 2012. He became the eighth player in Mavericks history to record seven blocks in a game and the first since

Erick Dampier Erick Travez Dampier (born July 14, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks. ...

in 2008. Wright matched the block total posted by the entire Rockets’ team. Wright averaged 6.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 16.1 minutes per game in the 2011–12 NBA season. Wright scored in double figures 13 times and shot a team-high 61.8 percent from the field. Wright made his NBA Playoff debut in Game 1 at

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

on April 28. Wright scored his 1st career playoff point on a free throw attempt in Game 2 against the Thunder. On July 25, 2013, Wright re-signed with the Mavericks.

Boston Celtics (2014–2015)

On December 18, 2014, Wright was traded, along with

Jameer Nelson Jameer Lamar Nelson Sr. (born February 9, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player who serves as assistant general manager for the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Saint Joseph's H ...

, Jae Crowder, a 2015 first-round pick, a 2016 second-round pick and a $12.9 million trade exception, to the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

in exchange for

Rajon Rondo Rajon Pierre Rondo (, born February 22, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Rondo played two years of college basketball for ...

and

Dwight Powell Dwight Harlan Powell (born July 20, 1991) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal and is a member of the Canadian ...

Phoenix Suns (2015)

On January 9, 2015, Wright was traded to 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 exchange for a protected 2015 first-round pick via the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

. Wright would get 16 points, 8 rebounds, and tied a career-high 7 blocks while starting in a close 74-72 victory over the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

Memphis Grizzlies (2015–2018)

On July 9, 2015, Wright signed a three-year, $17.1 million contract the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

. After injuring his right knee on November 7, 2015, Wright missed the rest of the 2015–16 season bar a five-game stint in February. Wright returned to the Grizzlies' line-up during the 2016 preseason, but after injuring his left ankle, he was sidelined for the start of the 2016–17 season. On November 16, 2016, he underwent a successful arthroscopic debridement of his left ankle after non-surgical interventions failed to eliminate his posterior tibialis tendinopathy. He was subsequently ruled out for two months. He made his season debut on January 30, 2017 against the

. Wright missed the majority of December 2017 with a groin injury. On February 10, 2018, he was waived by the Grizzlies.

Houston Rockets (2018)

On February 12, 2018, Wright signed with the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

. On March 23, 2018, he was waived by the Rockets.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" , Golden State , 38 , , 6 , , 9.9 , , .554 , , .000 , , .675 , , 2.6 , , .2 , , .2 , , .6 , , 4.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Golden State , 39 , , 23 , , 17.6 , , .528 , , .000 , , .741 , , 4.0 , , .5 , , .6 , , .9 , , 8.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Golden State , 21 , , 1 , , 9.3 , , .603 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.0 , , .2 , , .1 , , .5 , , 4.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

, 16 , , 1 , , 11.5 , , .407 , , .000 , , .824 , , 3.0 , , .4 , , .5 , , .4 , , 3.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, 49 , , 0 , , 16.1 , , .618 , , .000 , , .634 , , 3.6 , , .3 , , .4 , , 1.3 , , 6.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 64 , , 16 , , 18.0 , , .597 , , .000 , , .615 , , 4.1 , , .6 , , .4 , , 1.2 , , 8.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 58 , , 0 , , 18.6 , , .677 , , .000 , , .726 , , 4.2 , , .5 , , .6 , , .9 , , 9.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 27 , , 0 , , 18.7 , , .748 , , .000 , , .750 , , 4.1 , , .4 , , .6 , , 1.6 , , 8.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, 8 , , 0 , , 10.8 , , .571 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , .6 , , 3.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, 40 , , 7 , , 21.5 , , .580 , , .000 , , .667 , , 4.9 , , .6 , , .8 , , 1.2 , , 7.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, 12 , , 2 , , 17.7 , , .673 , , .000 , , .542 , , 3.6 , , .5 , , .4 , , 1.3 , , 6.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 28 , , 5 , , 16.0 , , .615 , , .000 , , .657 , , 2.8 , , .5 , , .4 , , .7 , , 6.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 27 , , 1 , , 13.6 , , .576 , , .000 , , .636 , , 3.4 , , .5 , , .5 , , .9 , , 5.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 1 , , 0 , , 15.0 , , .667 , , .000 , , .000 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.0 , , 4.0 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", Career , 428 , , 62 , , 16.2 , , .607 , , .000 , , .674 , , 3.6 , , .5 , , .5 , , 1.0 , , 7.0

Playoffs

, - , align="left" ,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, align="left" ,

, 4 , , 0 , , 6.8 , , .400 , , .000 , , .500 , , 1.3 , , .0 , , .3 , , .3 , , 1.3 , - , align="left" ,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...

, align="left" ,

, 6 , , 0 , , 15.0 , , .833 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.0 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 1.0 , , 5.5 , - , align="left" ,

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

, align="left" ,

, 2 , , 0 , , 6.0 , , .400 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.0 , , 2.0 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", Career , 12 , , 0 , , 10.8 , , .679 , , .000 , , .500 , , 1.6 , , .7 , , .3 , , .8 , , 3.5

Player profile

Wright himself has said that growing up, his favorite player was

Kevin Garnett Kevin Maurice Garnett ( ; born May 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played for 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed KG by his initials, and the "Big Ticket" for his emphatic dunki ...

and that he is also a fan of

Chris Bosh Christopher Wesson Bosh (born March 24, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. A Texas Mr. Basketball in high school, he played one season of college basketball for Georgia Tech before declaring for the 2003 NBA draft. Bo ...

's game and models some of his playing style from the two. He is considered to be a superior finisher from within twelve feet and especially at the rim. Wright's biggest weakness seemed to be his strength, as well as his sporadic defensive efforts.

Personal life

Wright has two younger brothers, Brian and Trevor. The former played basketball at

Lipscomb University Lipscomb University is a private university in Nashville, Tennessee. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, between Belmont Boulevard to the west and Granny White Pike ...

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...

from 2007 to 2011. Wright has participated in various community

outreach Outreach is the activity of providing services to any population that might not otherwise have access to those services. A key component of outreach is that the group providing it is not stationary, but mobile; in other words, it involves meetin ...

projects associated with the Golden State Warriors, including the opening of a new Reading and Learning Center at Megan Furth Academy in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

. Wright has also taken part in the team's

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...

Food Distribution event, made a visit to Children's Hospital in

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...

, and visited sessions of the Warriors Basketball Camp. Wright enjoys

bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

ing, and playing

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedba ...

s. Wright's favorite actor is

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...

and favorite movie ''

Bad Boys II ''Bad Boys II'' is a 2003 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. The sequel to the 1995 film '' Bad Boys'' and the second film in the ''Bad Bo ...

''. Wright was a

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...

when he played

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

in his youth. He has said his favorite foods are

fried chicken Fried chicken, also known as Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating o ...

and

steak A steak is a thick cut of meat generally sliced across the muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally grilled or fried. Steak can be diced, cooked in sauce, such as in steak and kidney pie, or minced and formed into patti ...

. His favorite teams in other sports are the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...

( MLB),

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...

( NHL), and the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...

( NFL). He wears a size fourteen shoe.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Brandan 1987 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Nashville, Tennessee Boston Celtics players Centers (basketball) Charlotte Bobcats draft picks Dallas Mavericks players Golden State Warriors players Houston Rockets players McDonald's High School All-Americans Memphis Grizzlies players New Jersey Nets players North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Phoenix Suns players Power forwards (basketball) 20th-century African-American people

Early years

College career

College statistics

Professional career

Golden State Warriors (2007–2011)

New Jersey Nets (2011)

Dallas Mavericks (2011–2014)

Boston Celtics (2014–2015)

Phoenix Suns (2015)

Memphis Grizzlies (2015–2018)

Houston Rockets (2018)

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Player profile

Personal life

See also

References

External links