Sports
Peekskill's Elton Brand Retires from Pro Basketball
The NBA veteran is known for his skill and his sportsmanship on the court, and for his support for youth programs in his hometown.
PEEKSKILL, NY — Basketball star Elton Brand, Peekskill High School Class of 1997, has retired after a 17-year career in the NBA.
The Philadelphia 76ers forward has been playing in the National Basketball Association since 1999. That's when the Chicago Bulls made him the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Brand justified that pick when he was named NBA Co-Rookie of the Year, along with Steve Francis.
Brand started his road to fame by being the state tournament MVP for the Red Devils during the 1994-95 and '95-96 seasons, his sophomore and junior years, when the Red Devils won their first two state championships, the former in Class C and latter in Class B, in school history. They were also the first team in state history to win back-to-backstate titles after moving up a class.
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Individually, in his junior year, Brand was named a Con Ed Scholar Athlete award winner, a rarity for someone who was a junior, and as a senior, he earned the Mr. New York Basketball award.
Before going onto the NBA, Brand played at Duke University, where he was named the John R. Wooden National Player of the Year in '98-99, leading the Blue Devils to the National Title Game.
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According to nba.com:
Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand previously announced his intention to retire following the team's final preseason game at Miami on Friday evening. Accordingly, as a matter of procedure, the Sixers have requested waivers on Brand.
Over 17 NBA seasons, Brand appeared in 1,058 career games with 868 starts for Chicago, the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia, Dallas and Atlanta. The 6’ 8” Brand posted career averages of 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks per game. His 1,828 blocks rank him 20th all-time in NBA history. He played 34,910 career minutes, which ranks him 67th all-time. Brand was also the recipient of the 2005-06 Joe Dumars Trophy, presented each season to the player who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.
He and the entire 1994-95 team were inducted into the Peekskill High School Hall of Fame in 2012.
He has long been a strong supporter of youth programs in his hometown.
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