Darren Michael Collison (born August 23, 1987) is an American professional

basketball 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 h ...

player who is a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. Collison played four seasons of

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

UCLA Bruins The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) ...

. 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 or under. He was drafted by the

New Orleans Hornets 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 ...

in the first round with the 21st overall pick of the

2009 NBA draft The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other e ...

. Collison also played for the Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks,

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

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

, and Los Angeles Lakers.

Early life

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. Considered a four-star recruit by

Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...

, Collison was listed as the No. 16 point guard and the No. 100 player in the nation in 2005.

College career

He was a backup to

Jordan Farmar Jordan Robert Farmar (born November 30, 1986) is an Israeli-American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In high school, he was named the ''Los Angeles Times'' High School Player of the Y ...

in the Bruins' 2005–06 season, becoming the starting point guard the following season. He was awarded the MVP of the

Maui Invitational Tournament The Maui Invitational, currently known as the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, is an annual early-season college basketball tournament that takes place Thanksgiving week, normally in Lahaina, Hawaii, at the Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui. ...

in December 2006 and was named the Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Week on December 4, 2006, and again on February 18, 2007. During the 2006–07 season, Collison averaged 2.2 steals per game—the most in the Pacific-10 Conference. He also averaged 5.7 assists (2nd in the Pac-10), as well as a

three-point field goal A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or trey) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two poi ...

percentage of 44.7 percent. 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. He was also named the Bruins' co- Most Valuable Player (MVP) along with Josh Shipp. Collison and fellow senior teammates Shipp and Alfred Aboya finished their careers as the winningest class in UCLA history with 123 wins. The distinction was relative, as John Wooden's legendary teams played shorter seasons and freshmen were ineligible.

Professional career

New Orleans Hornets (2009–2010)

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

. With

Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...

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 The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottl ...

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)

On August 11, 2010, the Hornets traded Collison and

James Posey James Mikely Mantell Posey Jr. (born January 13, 1977) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played the small forward pos ...

to the Indiana Pacers in a four-team, five-player deal that also sent

Troy Murphy Troy Brandon Murphy (born May 2, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Murphy was born in Morristown, New Jersey but grew up in Sparta Township. He at ...

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 ...

Trevor Ariza Trevor Anthony Ariza (born June 30, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won an NBA championship in his first stint with the Lakers in 2009 ...

to the New Orleans Hornets and

Courtney Lee Courtney Lee (born October 3, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Western Kentucky University. Lee was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 22nd overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft and wa ...

to the Houston Rockets.

Dallas Mavericks (2012–2013)

On July 12, 2012, Collison and Dahntay Jones were traded to the Dallas Mavericks for

Ian Mahinmi Ian Mahinmi (born November 5, 1986) is a French former professional basketball player. At 6'11" and 250 lb, he played the center position and was selected with the 28th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs. Early life ...

. Collison became the Mavericks' starting point guard, replacing

Jason Kidd Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as one of the greatest point guards a ...

who left as a free agent. Collison was a key player in Dallas' 4–1 start in

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

, but he struggled as they lost 8 of their next 11. After starting the team's first 14 games, Collison came off the bench for one game. He missed the next game with a sprained right middle finger, prompting Dallas to sign

Derek Fisher Derek Lamar Fisher (born August 9, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. Fisher played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 18 seasons, spending the majority of his career with the Los A ...

. Fisher started in his first game with the Mavericks, while Collison remained a reserve. 14 games later, on December 27, 2012, he regained the starting job.

Los Angeles Clippers (2013–2014)

Darren Collison 20131118 Clippers v Grizzles

On July 10, 2013, Collison signed a deal with the

. 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 Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers (born October 13, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing for Marquette Universit ...

said the team "weathered the storm" without their All-Star point guard; he called Collison's play "the key." In Game 4 of the second round of the

2014 NBA Playoffs The 2014 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2013–14 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeating the defending NBA champion and Eastern ...

against the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

, 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.

Sacramento Kings (2014–2017)

On July 12, 2014, Collison signed a three-year, $16 million deal with the

. The Kings offered him a starting job at point guard, and the Clippers were unable to match either the deal or the playing time. 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. On February 26, 2015, he was ruled out for three to six weeks with a right hip flexor. Collison was suspended for the first eight games of the 2016–17 season after pleading guilty on a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery.

Return to Indiana (2017–2019)

On July 7, 2017, Collison signed with the Indiana Pacers, returning to the franchise for a second stint. He had knee surgery in early February 2018, returning to the Pacers' line-up in mid-March. 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. On December 10, 2018, in a 109–101 win over the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

, Collison had 17 assists, his highest single-game total with Indiana. He ended the 2018–19 season with averages of 11 points and six assists. On June 28, 2019, Collison announced his retirement from the NBA. A Jehovah’s Witness, he cited religious reasons for retiring. He had been expected to draw multiple contract offers for around $10 million per season.

Los Angeles Lakers (2021–2022)

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

South Bay Lakers (2022)

On March 24, 2022, Collison signed with the

South Bay Lakers The South Bay Lakers are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Los Angeles. Founded in 2006 as the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the team is owned by the Los Angeles Lakers, who were the first National Basketball Associa ...

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 76 , , 37 , , 27.8 , , .477 , , .400 , , .851 , , 2.5 , , 5.7 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 12.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, 79 , , 79 , , 29.9 , , .457 , , .331 , , .871 , , 2.8 , , 5.1 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 13.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 60 , , 56 , , 31.3 , , .440 , , .362 , , .830 , , 3.1 , , 4.8 , , .8 , , .2 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, 81 , , 47 , , 29.3 , , .471 , , .353 , , .880 , , 2.7 , , 5.1 , , 1.2 , , .1 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 80 , , 35 , , 25.9 , , .467 , , .376 , , .857 , , 2.4 , , 3.7 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 11.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 45 , , 45 , , 34.8 , , .473 , , .373 , , .788 , , 3.2 , , 5.6 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , 16.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 74 , , 15 , , 30.0 , , .486 , , .401 , , .858 , , 2.3 , , 4.3 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 14.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 68 , , 63 , , 30.3 , , .476 , , .417 , , .860 , , 2.2 , , 4.6 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 13.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 69 , , 64 , , 29.2 , , .495 , , style="background:#CFECEC;", .468* , , .882 , , 2.6 , , 5.3 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , 12.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 76 , , 76 , , 28.2 , , .467 , , .407 , , .832 , , 3.1 , , 6.0 , , 1.4 , , .1 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

L.A. 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 ...

, 3 , , 0 , , 12.3 , , .286 , , .000 , , – , , 1.3 , , .7 , , .3 , , .0 , , 1.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 711 , , 518 , , 29.3 , , .471 , , .394 , , .853 , , 2.7 , , 5.0 , , 1.2 , , .1 , , 12.5

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2011 , style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 29.2 , , .391 , , .667 , , .636 , , 2.6 , , 4.0 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , 9.4 , - , style="text-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 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 0 , , 18.6 , , .514 , , .364 , , .870 , , 1.3 , , 3.0 , , 1.3 , , .0 , , 8.7 , - , style="text-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 wat ...

, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 13 , , 0 , , 19.2 , , .389 , , .083 , , .867 , , 2.1 , , 2.4 , , .5 , , .1 , , 8.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 7 , , 30.6 , , .456 , , .348 , , .750 , , 3.0 , , 4.7 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 4 , , 29.3 , , .422 , , .364 , , 1.000 , , 3.0 , , 4.0 , , .5 , , .0 , , 12.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 36 , , 12 , , 22.6 , , .438 , , .327 , , .824 , , 2.1 , , 3.3 , , .9 , , .1 , , 9.2

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2005–06 , style="text-align:left;",

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

, 39 , , 2 , , 19.2 , , .402 , , .328 , , .784 , , 1.8 , , 2.3 , , .9 , , .1 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2006–07 , style="text-align:left;",

, 35 , , 35 , , 33.0 , , .478 , , .447 , , .810 , , 2.3 , , 5.7 , , 2.2 , , .1 , , 12.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2007–08 , style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 32 , , 34.7 , , .481 , , .525 , , .872 , , 2.6 , , 3.8 , , 1.8 , , .1 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;",

, 35 , , 35 , , 31.5 , , .509 , , .394 , , .897 , , 2.4 , , 4.7 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , 14.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 142 , , 104 , , 29.2 , , .475 , , .435 , , .851 , , 2.3 , , 4.1 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , 11.5

Personal life

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 The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...

in Los Angeles. Collison is the founder and CEO of ProsVision, an Orange Country-based basketball training facility.

Awards and recognition

* 2004

CIF Southern Section The California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section (CIF-SS) is the governing body for high school athletics in most of Southern California and is the largest of the ten sections that comprise the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF ...

I-AA Player of the Year * 2005 CIF Southern Section I-AA Player of the Year * 2007 All-Pac-10 First Team Finney 2010, p.105 * 2008 All-Pac-10 Second Team * 2008 Pac-10 Conference tournament Most Valuable Player * 2008 Associated Press Third Team All-American * 2008 Collegeinsider.com All-Defensive Team (along with teammate

Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and ...

) * 2009 All-Pac-10 First Team * 2009 honorable mention in the AP All-America basketball teams.2008–09 AP All-America Basketball Teams
/ref> * 2009 UCLA Bruins co-MVP (along with Josh Shipp)

References

External links

UCLA Bruins bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collison, Darren 1987 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American Jehovah's Witnesses American men's basketball players American sportspeople of Guyanese descent Basketball players from California Dallas Mavericks players Indiana Pacers players Los Angeles Clippers players Los Angeles Lakers players New Orleans Hornets draft picks New Orleans Hornets players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Rancho Cucamonga, California Point guards Sacramento Kings players Sportspeople from San Bernardino County, California UCLA Bruins men's basketball players

Early life

College career

Professional career

New Orleans Hornets (2009–2010)

Indiana Pacers (2010–2012)

Dallas Mavericks (2012–2013)

Los Angeles Clippers (2013–2014)

Sacramento Kings (2014–2017)

Return to Indiana (2017–2019)

Los Angeles Lakers (2021–2022)

South Bay Lakers (2022)

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

Personal life

Awards and recognition

See also

References

External links