Athletes - Elton Brand

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	Athletes - Elton Brand

Elton Tyron Brand (born March 11, 1979 in Peekskill, New York), is an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers. One of the more underrated players in the league, the Clippers' recent success in the 2005-06 season has established to some extent the public's perception of Brand as one of the premier power forwards in the game today.

Early life

At the age of thirteen, Brand enrolled in Peekskill High School, where he was immediately added to the varsity basketball roster. He played AAU basketball with future NBA player Ron Artest and, by his senior year, he was consistently ranked among the top high school basketball players in the country. 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 an articulate intelligence. Another native of Peekskill, George Pataki was once asked about being the town's favorite son, and he answered that Peeksill's favorite son was not the Governor but, in fact, Elton Brand. 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.

College

As 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. After leading the Blue Devils to the championship game of the Final Four–where they were upset by the University of Connecticut–Brand was named the consensus National Player of the Year. He subsequently decided to leave Duke after his sophomore season and apply for the NBA draft, where he was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the first pick.

NBA

After two successful seasons with the Bulls, during which he received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2000, Brand was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2001 for Tyson Chandler. In Los Angeles, Brand became the first Clipper since Danny Manning (in 1994) to be selected to the All-Star team. As much as Brand shined through his first years in Los Angeles, however, the Clippers still remained one of the worst franchises in sports.

In the 2006 NBA season, Brand is currently experiencing a personal renaissance. He is posting a career-low in turnovers per game (2.1) and career-highs in points per game (25.6) and field-goal percentage (52.6), while leading the Clippers to an impressive 36-25 record, good enough for fifth seed in the Western Conference. This can be attributed partly to his losing 12 lb. and improving his face-up jumper in the off-season, as well as the additions of guards Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley and the emergence of young center Chris Kaman. In February 2006, Brand was fittingly selected to the 2006 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve forward for the West. As a result of his individual prowess and the Clippers' recent success, many analysts believe that he is a strong candidate for Most Valuable Player for the 2006 season, along with the likes of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and Dirk Nowitzki.

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Athletes - Elton Brand

Early life

College

NBA

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