| SCM CSU Craiova | |
|---|---|
| Point guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Date of birth | April 26, 1983 |
| Place of birth | United States |
| Nationality | United States |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Career information | |
| College | Rice |
| Pro career | 2005–present |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
Brock Andrew Gillespie is an American professional basketball player. He has played in the United States (NBA and NBA Development League) and in various countries abroad. He was named as a high school All-American by USA Today, Street & Smith's and McDonald's while he was attending Clarksville High School in Tennessee. He had a standout college career as one of Rice University's all-time leading scorers with 1,007 points, while playing in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). He also appeared in the Walt Disney movie, Glory Road.
Contents |
Gillespie played for the Auckland Stars in New Zealand in the 2005–06 National Basketball League (New Zealand) season and won the NBL championship title. He was selected in the 3rd round of the 2006 NBA Development League Draft by the Austin Toros with the 34th overall selection and played the 2006–07 season under the legendary Dennis Johnson, for the Toros in the NBA Development League. He spent the final part of 2007 playing for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. He also was a member of the Bobcats' NBA Summer League and training camp rosters the following summer. He played the 2007–08 season in Europe for Plus Pujol Lleida in the Liga Española de Baloncesto of Spain and BK SPU Nitra in the ExtraLiga of Slovakia. In 2008, he was selected again in the NBA D-League Draft by the Sioux Falls Skyforce and finished the 2008–09 season in the ULEB Cup with Benetton Fribourg Olympic of Switzerland. He led Benetton to the 2009 Swiss Cup Championship. Later in 2009, he participated in training camp with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and soon after joined Xacobeo Obradoiro CAB of the ACB League in Spain. On March 19, 2010 he was assigned to the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League for the playoff stretch.[1] In 2010-2011, he played briefly for the Cuxhaven BasCats in the Basketball Bundesliga of Germany and on January 5, 2011 he moved up to join SCM CSU Craiova in the Romanian Basketball Division A of Romania.
Gillespie leads a busy life away from basketball. He has been very proactive in the political arena. He has stated publicly that he plans to run for political office at some point after his playing career finishes in his home state of Texas and prides himself as a supporter of the Republican Party. He has met and discussed policy with many key political figures, including President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, among others. In 2005, he received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the City of Houston's Mayor's Office. In 2006, he was cast by producer Jerry Bruckheimer and appeared in the Walt Disney movie, Glory Road. He was chosen to speak at Dennis Johnson's funeral in 2007, after playing for Johnson with the Austin Toros. Prior to coaching the Toros, Johnson was most known for his success with the Boston Celtics, guiding them to three NBA Championships in the 1980s and in 2010 he was inducted to the NBA Hall of Fame. He looked at Johnson as not only a mentor, but like a second father. In the summer of 2010, he was a guest speaker at the NBA Players Association Top-100 Camp, for the top high school players in America. A former camper himself, he lectured the kids on life choices and career paths. He is the son of notable long-time college coach, Marty Gillespie, whom had his own standout athletic career as a two-sport athlete (baseball/basketball) at Iowa State University in the 1970s and was drafted in the Major League Baseball Draft twice; once by the St. Louis Cardinals and once by the Minnesota Twins. Due to his father's coaching career, he spent the majority of his childhood on the move, but credits his most memorable places of residence were Peoria, Illinois; Racine, Wisconsin; and Clarksville, Tennessee. The city of Clarksville regularly claims him on the internet and in their local media as one of the famous persons from the area. He has stated in various interviews that some of his influences and inspirations include Jesus Christ, Niccolò Machiavelli, George W. Bush, Bill O'Reilly, Tupac Shakur, Shawn Respert, Pete Maravich, Dennis Johnson, Stan Albeck, Jerry Tarkanian and Larry Gillespie (grandfather and World War II hero).