Nick Collison
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Power forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Team | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | October 26, 1980 Orange City, Iowa |
| College | Kansas |
| Draft | 12th overall, 2003 Seattle SuperSonics |
| Pro career | 2004–present |
Nicholas John Collison (born 26 October 1980 in Orange City, Iowa) is an American professional basketball player.
Currently a power forward for the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association, and is well known in basketball circles for his accomplishments at the University of Kansas (KU). Teaming with fellow Iowan Kirk Hinrich for one of the best duos in college basketball, he helped KU reach two consecutive Final Fours (2002, 2003). Collison finished his college career as the leading scorer in the history of the Big 12 Conference (Since passed by Andre Emmett). Perhaps his best performance, at least in college, was in the 2003 NCAA tournament, in which he scored 33 points and grabbed 19 rebounds for a thrilling victory over the Duke University Blue Devils. In 2003, his Jayhawks lost to the Syracuse University Orangemen in the National Championship game, 78-81. During his time in college, he also played for the Dream Team basketball squad in 2002.
Like his KU teammate Kirk Hinrich, Collison played for four years in college. He was selected by the Sonics with the 12th pick of the 2003 NBA Draft, but missed the 2003-04 season with injuries to both shoulders. He made his regular season NBA debut on November 3, 2004 against the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 3 points in an 84-114 loss.
Nick Collison's #4 jersey was retired by the Kansas Jayhawks at halftime of a 2004 match between Kansas and Michigan State University in recognition of his achievements (2002-03 NABC Player of the Year, consensus First-Team All-American, Big 12 Player of the Year).
Nick Collison was a 1999 McDonald's All-American in high school while attending Iowa Falls High School.
Collison has emerged as a valuable and solid player during the 2006-2007 season, averaging double figures in points and rebounds since being added to the starting lineup. He has since regressed with the return of star forward Rashard Lewis.
| 2003 NBA Draft | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Round LeBron James | Darko Miličić | Carmelo Anthony | Chris Bosh | Dwyane Wade | Chris Kaman | Kirk Hinrich | T. J. Ford | Michael Sweetney | Jarvis Hayes | Mickaël Piétrus | Nick Collison | Marcus Banks | Luke Ridnour | Reece Gaines | Troy Bell | Žarko Čabarkapa | David West | Aleksandar Pavlović | Dahntay Jones | Boris Diaw | Zoran Planinić | Travis Outlaw | Brian Cook | Carlos Delfino | Ndudi Ebi | Kendrick Perkins | Leandro Barbosa | Josh Howard |
||
| Second Round Maciej Lampe | Jason Kapono | Luke Walton | Jerome Beasley | Sofoklis Schortsianitis | Szymon Szewczyk | Mario Austin | Travis Hansen | Steve Blake | Slavko Vraneš | Derrick Zimmerman | Willie Green | Zaza Pachulia | Keith Bogans | Malick Badiane | Matt Bonner | Sani Bečirovič | Maurice Williams | James Lang | James Jones | Paccelis Morlende | Kyle Korver | Remon Van de Hare | Tommy Smith | Nedžad Sinanović | Rick Rickert | Brandon Hunter | Xue Yuyang | Andreas Glyniadakis |
||
