The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall. The small forward position is considered to be perhaps the most versatile of the five main basketball positions, due to the nature of its role. Current NBA small forwards are between 6' 6" and 6' 10" (1.98 - 2.09 m) in height. The typical placement for a small forward would be between the key and three-point line. Most small forwards are highly versatile and highly essential in a line-up.

Famous small forwards include Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkins, LeBron James, Scottie Pippen, Rick Barry, John Havlicek, Grant Hill, James Worthy, Bernard King, Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Jackson, Peja Stojakovic, Kevin Durant, Ron Artest, and many others.

Small forwards are primarily responsible for scoring points and also often as secondary or tertiary rebounders behind the power forwards and centers, although a few, such as Hedo Turkoglu, who play as point forwards have considerable passing responsibilities. Many small forwards in professional basketball, however, are prolific scorers. The styles with which small forwards amass their points vary widely, as some players at the position like the Raptors' Peja Stojaković are very accurate straight up shooters, while others like the Los Angeles Lakers' Ron Artest prefer to "bang inside", initiate and/or not shy away from physical contact with opposing players, while others are primarily slashers such as Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. One common thread between all kinds of small forwards is an ability to "get to the line", that is have opposing players called for committing shooting fouls against them, as fouls are frequently called on the defense when offensive players "take the ball hard" to the basket, that is, aggressively attempt post-up plays, lay-ups, or slam dunks. Therefore, accurate foul shooting is an imperative skill for small forwards, many of whom record a large portion of their points from the foul line.

Defense is often a major priority for small forwards, who are often counted on using their athleticism and size as defensive advantages. Shawn Marion of the Dallas Mavericks, Tayshaun Prince of the Detroit Pistons and Trevor Ariza of the New Orleans Hornets, with their length and athleticism, are able to guard at many positions on the floor and are often called upon to do so. In 2009 the Orlando Magic acquired small forward Matt Barnes, primarily with the intention of guarding prolific swingmen such as Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant. Former small forwards known for their defensive abilities include Scottie Pippen and Michael Cooper, both of whom won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

References

Category:Basketball positions Category:Basketball terminology

Name	Toni Kukoč
Position	Small forward
Height ft	6 |height_in =11
Weight lbs	235
Number	7
Birth date	September 18, 1968
Birthplace	Split, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Career start	1987
Career end	2006
Draft year	1990
Draft round	2
Draft pick	29
Draft team	Chicago Bulls
Teams
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	9,810
Stat2label	Rebounds
Stat2value	3,555
Stat3label	Assists
Stat3value	3,119
Letter	k
Bbr	kukocto01
Highlights

}} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}

Toni Kukoč () (born September 18, 1968 in Split, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a retired Croatian professional basketball player. He was renowned for his versatility and passing ability; although his natural position was small forward, he played all five positions on the court with equal prowess and demonstrated court vision and an outside shooting touch that were seldom found in players of his height. Kukoč was one of the first established European stars to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

European career

Kukoč played for Jugoplastika Split and won the Euroleague with the team three years in a row. Afterwards he played for Benetton Treviso, winning the title of Player of the Year three times. He has won the Italian Championship in 1992 and Italian Cup in 1993, and played in the European Champions' Cup final in 1993. He has been nicknamed "the white Magic", "the spider from Split", "the Pink Panther", "the waiter","the European Jordan", and was known as "the Croatian Sensation" when he played in the NBA. He was also on teams that won the FIBA World Junior Championship (1987 for Yugoslavia), two Olympic silver medals (1988 for Yugoslavia and 1992 for Croatia), and the FIBA World Championship (1990 for Yugoslavia), in which he was selected the tournament MVP.

So great was Kukoc's fame, even before playing in the NBA, Kukoc was earning $13 million over five years for a contract with the Italian clothier Benetton. He had a $5 million deal with Microsoft and Apple.

NBA career

Having been drafted by the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1990, he continued to play in Europe, until finally reporting to the Bulls in 1993, when the team had just finished its first three-peat and had lost Michael Jordan to retirement. Kukoč was disappointed that he couldn't play with Jordan, although Jordan returned to the Bulls in 1995.

The 6'11" (2.11 m) Kukoč came off the bench in 1993–94 behind small forward Scottie Pippen and power forward Horace Grant, though Kukoč could play shooting guard and center as well. Kukoč put up a solid rookie campaign, averaging double-digit scoring and earning a berth on the All-Rookie Second Team.

On May 13, 1994, at the end of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Bulls and the New York Knicks were tied 102-102. With 1.8 seconds left and the score tied, Bulls coach Phil Jackson designed the last play for rookie Kukoč, with Scottie Pippen charged with inbounding the basketball. Pippen was so angered by Jackson's decision to not let him take the potential game-winner that he refused to leave the bench and re-enter the game when the timeout was over. Kukoč did hit the game-winner, a 23-foot fadeaway jumper at the buzzer, though the Bulls eventually lost the series.

After Grant left in the offseason, Kukoč moved into the starting lineup and finished the 1994–95 season second on the Bulls in scoring, rebounds and assists behind Pippen.

In the 1995–96 season, Michael Jordan had returned, and the Bulls had acquired an exceptional rebounder, Dennis Rodman, in the offseason. With Pippen still at small forward, coach Phil Jackson saw it best to have Kukoč continue to be a bench player. Toni was third on the team in scoring (behind Jordan and Pippen) and was rewarded for his efforts with the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. He also assisted the Bulls to a 25-game turnaround and the best record in league history at 72–10, as well as the fourth championship in team history. Kukoč is currently the last player to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award on a championship team in the same year.

In 1997 and 1998, Kukoč again came off the bench as sixth man as the Bulls won their fifth and sixth NBA titles. Once again, he was the team's third-leading scorer.

In early 1999, the team was broken up, and Kukoč was one of the only players from their championship years that the Bulls retained. In the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, he led the team in scoring, rebounding, and assists. During the 1999–2000 season as Chicago continued their rebuilding scheme, Kukoč was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for whom he played briefly before he was soon traded again to the Atlanta Hawks. After a short stint with the Hawks, he finally found himself in a more suitable fit with the Milwaukee Bucks via a third trade.

Retirement

On September 12, 2006, Kukoč indicated that he would retire from professional basketball if he could not be signed by either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Chicago Bulls for the 2006-07 NBA season. Although various NBA teams had shown interest in his services, Kukoč expressed a desire to be close to his residence in the town of Highland Park, Illinois. His son, Marin Kukoč, played for Highland Park High School's varsity basketball team and committed to play basketball for the University of Pennsylvania.

Notes

External links

FIBAEurope.net Profile

Toni Kukoc @ Basketpedya.com

Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:Atlanta Hawks players Category:Chicago Bulls draft picks Category:Chicago Bulls players Category:KK Split players Category:Yugoslav basketball players Category:Croatian basketball players Category:Croatian expatriate basketball people in the United States Category:Expatriate basketball people in Italy Category:Milwaukee Bucks players Category:Olympic basketball players of Yugoslavia Category:Olympic basketball players of Croatia Category:Basketball players at the 1988 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic silver medalists for Yugoslavia Category:Olympic silver medalists for Croatia Category:People from Highland Park, Illinois Category:People from Split Category:Philadelphia 76ers players Category:Small forwards Category:Eurobasket-winning players Category:Pallacanestro Treviso players

Name	Rodney McKinnie Alexander
Image name	Rodney Alexander.jpg
Date of birth	December 05, 1946
Place of birth	Bienville, Bienville Parish, Louisiana, USA
State	Louisiana
District	5th
Term start	January 3, 2003
Preceded	John Cooksey
Succeeded	Incumbent
State house2	Louisiana
State2	Louisiana
District2	13th
Term start2	1988
Term end2	2002
Preceded2	Mike Tinnerello
Succeeded2	James R. Fannin
Office3	Jackson Parish Police Juror
Term start3	1972
Term end3	1988
Party	Democratic (1988–2004) Republican (2004– present)
Religion	Baptist
Spouse	Nancy Sutton Alexander
Children	three
Residence	Quitman, Jackson Parish, Louisiana
Alma mater	Jonesboro-Hodge High School
Occupation	Insurance agent
Branch	United States Air Force
Serviceyears	1965-1971
Unit	Reserves

Rodney McKinnie Alexander (born December 5, 1946) is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district covers twenty-two parishes in roughly the northeast quadrant of the state. As of the start of the 112th Congress, he is the senior member of Louisiana's House delegation.

Early life, education and career

Alexander was born in the village of Bienville in Bienville Parish to the former Mary Crawford and James Earl Alexander. In 1964, he graduated from Jonesboro-Hodge High School in Jonesboro in Jackson Parish. He then attended Louisiana Tech University.

Alexander was an insurance agent prior to entering Congress. He also owned a construction company from 1964-1981. He served his country in the U.S. Air Force Reserve from 1965-1971. He was a member of the Jackson Parish Police Jury (equivalent to county commission in other states) from 1972-1988.

Alexander left the police jury to represent District 13 in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1988 until his election to Congress. While in the House, he served as the chairman of the House Health and Welfare Committee. In this position, Alexander shepherded through the Louisiana Children’s Health Insurance Program (LaCHIP) legislation, which assists mothers and children with basic health care and insurance needs.

U.S. House of Representatives

At the commencement of the 111th Congress, Alexander received new subcommittee assignments including the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS), and he retained his seat on the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administrations, and Related Agencies (Agriculture). Alexander’s Inetrest group ratings are high in areas life anti-abortion and pro-life, agriculture, budgeting and business. He has very low ratings in areas of NAACP and ACLU and other civil rights oriented groups or groups for minorities. Alexander also has low ratings by environmental groups. His recent speeches include “Party of Paychecks” were he speaks on the nations food-stamp necessity increase and speaks against out-of-control government spending and unemployment. Many of Alexander’s other speeches include warning against tax increases, as well as, freedoms to practice religion and prayer in public. Alexander is endorsed by groups such as Americans for Legal Immigration, Louisiana National Federation of Independent Business, National Federation of Independent Business and National Rifle Association. Alexander’s voting record shows a history of voting against tax law amendments on a variety of matters. He also votes “Nay” on extensions for relief or aid and regulations of many kinds. Many times Alexander votes “Yay” to prohibition of tax increase, aid extensions and the like. He also supports authorizations and appropriations.

Political campaigns

Alexander was first elected to Congress in 2002. In 2004, he defeated fellow Republican Jock Scott of Alexandria. In 2006, he defeated the Democrat Gloria Williams Hearn, wife of the psychologist George E. Hearn of Pineville, Louisiana.

2010

Alexander defeated Richard Todd Slavant of Monroe in the Republican closed primary by a margin of nearly 9-1. He will face Independent Tom Gibbs, Jr., of Ouachita Parish in the November 2 general election. No Democratic candidate filed for the position, once held by such long-serving members as Jerry Huckaby and Otto Passman.

Alexander joined the Tea Party Caucus during this campaign.

Personal life

Alexander's wife, the former Nancy Sutton, is a long-time educator. They have three children and several grandchildren.

On January 30, 2010, Alexander, along with the late Charlton Lyons of Shreveport, former state Representative Risley C. Triche of Napoleonville, and former State Senator Randy Ewing, also of Jackson Parish, was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield.

References

External links

Congressman Rodney Alexander official U.S. House site

Profile at SourceWatch

Story on Alexander's Party Switch

http://www.enlou.com/officeholders/housedistrict13.htm

http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070103/NEWS01/701030329

http://www.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcms2&rqsdta;=110502

Category:Louisiana Tech University alumni Category:Members of the Louisiana House of Representatives Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana Category:Louisiana Republicans Category:People from Bienville Parish, Louisiana Category:United States Air Force personnel Category:Baptists from the United States

Rickey Paulding (born October 23, 1982 in Detroit, Michigan) is a former college basketball player for the University of Missouri. In his collegiate career he scored 1,200 points and grabbed 300 rebounds. Remembered by his fans for scoring 37 points and making an astounding nine threes against Dwyane Wade, Travis Diener and the Marquette Golden Eagles in the Tigers' loss in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament his junior year, he opted to return for his senior season. He was drafted 54th overall in the second round by the Detroit Pistons. In his first year of pro ball, he played for Hapoel Jerusalem of Israel after averaging 12.2 points per game for the Detroit Pistons in the summer leagues. However, he was waived by the Pistons the following year and tried out for the Sacramento Kings, but failed to make the roster. He has played for Lyon Villeurbanne, France and BCM Gravelines Dunkerque Grand Littoral. For the 2007/08 season, he has signed with the German Bundesliga team EWE Baskets Oldenburg.

High school

He attended Renaissance High School in Detroit. In his senior season, he averaged 15.3 points per game, and 12 rebounds per game, and led his team to a 27-3 record. He was an honorable mention All-USA selection during that season as well.

Awards and honors

2003 Wooden Award pre-season finalist

2003 Second Team All Big 12

Scored 36 points in the NCAA Tournament against Marquette.

Made 9 three-point field goals against Marquette

7th Highest all time scorer at Mizzou.

Most points ever scored on current NBA player Dwyane Wade in a single NCAA game.

Starter for the Northern All-Star Team in the Basketball Bundesliga All-Star Games 2009 and 2010.

2009 BBL Finals MVP after leading EWE Baskets Oldenburg to the league title.

Most Likeable Player of the 2008/2009 Basketball Bundesliga Season

References

External links

Player profile

Category:1982 births Category:African American basketball players Category:American basketball players Category:Detroit Pistons draft picks Category:Detroit Pistons players Category:Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. players Category:Israeli Basketball Super League players Category:Living people Category:Missouri Tigers men's basketball players Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:University of Missouri alumni Category:Basketball players at the 2003 Pan American Games

Name	Perry Jones
College	Baylor
Conference	Big 12
Sport	Basketball
Jersey	5
Position	Small Forward
Class	Freshman
Career start	2010
Height ft	6
Height in	11
Weight lb	220
Nationality	American
Birth date	September 24, 1991
Birth place	Winnsboro, Louisiana
Highschool	Duncanville

Perry James Jones III (born September 24, 1991) is an American college basketball player. He is a freshman at Baylor, and was one of the top rated basketball players in the class of 2010.

High school career

He was the #7 player in the ESPNU 100, the #9 player in the class of 2010 by Scout.com, and also rated as the #9 player by Rivals.com. In his junior year, Jones, along with current Texas forward Shawn Williams led Duncanville to the Texas 5A championship game where they lost to Cedar Hill High School 59–51. Duncanville finished with a 23-9 record for the season.

In recognition of his outstanding career, Jones was named to the 2010 McDonald's All-American team.

AAU

Jones' AAU team was the LBA Seawolves. In July 2009, he helped lead them to the semifinals in the Star Vision Sports Center Stage tournament in Las Vegas.

College recruitment

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Jones committed to Baylor on April 17, 2007, and started playing for them in the 2010–11 NCAA season.

College career

Jones had 11 points and 8 rebounds in his Baylor debut.

References

External links

Baylor Bears bio

NBADraft.net Profile

Scout.com Profile

Rivals.com Profile

Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:American basketball players Category:Basketball players from Louisiana Category:Basketball players from Texas Category:Baylor Bears basketball players Category:People from Duncanville, Texas Category:People from Franklin Parish, Louisiana Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:Small forwards

Name	Patrick Sanders
League	NBL
Team	Sydney Kings
Height ft	6
Height in	6
Weight lbs	205
Position	Small forward
Birth date	August 27, 1985
Highschool	Orange Grove
College	UC-Irvine
Nationality	American
Career start	2008

Patrick Sanders (born August 27, 1985) is an American professional basketball player. He is a forward currently with Australian club, the Sydney Kings. He played for UC-Irvine.

College career

Sanders arrived at UC-Irvine after averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds per game in high school. His freshman year saw him receive minimal playing time, with Sanders averaging 1.7 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, he broke into the starting lineup in the second part of the year. He would go onto to start 19 of the final 20 games for the Anteaters.

As a junior, he led the Anteaters in scoring and was named honorable mention All-Big West for an effort that saw him average 11.9 points and 1.6 blocks (ranking second in the league) per game. As a senior, he was named first-team All-Big West after leading the Anteaters with 15.8 points per game. He would finish sixth in the conference in scoring, third in three-point field goal percentage, sixth in field-goal percentage, and seventh in free-throw percentage.

In Big West conference play Sanders ranked 4th in scoring at 17.8pts per game, 7th in field goal percentage shooting at .486, 4th in free throw percentage at .861, and 6th in 3-point percentage at .463.

Professional career

Despite finishing as the sixteenth-ranked scorer in school history, Sanders was not drafted out of college. He would sign with the local D-League franchise, the Los Angeles D-Fenders; however, he was traded to Iowa during training camp for D-League All-Star Dwayne Mitchell.

In his rookie season with the Iowa Energy, Sanders played in 41 games and was a starter in 36 of those games. He averaged 13.9pts, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists, while shooting .417 percent from the 3 point line, in 30.7 minutes of playing time per game. On January 22, 2009, he broke the Iowa Energy franchise scoring record by tallying 43pts and 5 rebounds in a double overtime victory against the Dakota Wizards. On February 16, 2009, he had a perfect shooting performance against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants inking 11-11 from the field for 29pts, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. After one season in D-League Sanders decided to go overseas and signed with EclipseJet MyGuide Amsterdam for 2009-10 season. On July 30, 2010 Sanders signed with Latvian club VEF Riga.

On the 25th of November 2010, after a couple of days trialling, Sanders was signed by the Sydney Kings of the Australian National Basketball League.

References

External links

NBA Development League: Patrick Sanders Playerfile

Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:American basketball players Category:Basketball players from California Category:People from Corona, California Category:UC Irvine Anteaters men's basketball players Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Iowa Energy players Category:Sydney Kings players

Name	Jalen Rose
Position	SG, PG, SF
Number	5, 8
Height ft	6
Height in	8
Weight lbs	215
Birthdate	January 30, 1973 Detroit, Michigan
Debutyear	1994
Finalyear	2007
Draftyear	1994
Draftround	1
Draftpick	13
Draftteam	Denver Nuggets
College	Michigan
Teams
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	13,220
Stat2label	Rebounds
Stat2value	3,193
Stat3label	Assists
Stat3value	3,527
Letter	r
Bbr	roseja01
Highlights

Jalen Anthony Rose (born January 30, 1973 in Detroit, Michigan) is a retired American professional basketball player. In college, he was a member of the University of Michigan Wolverines' "Fab Five" (along with Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson) that reached the 1992 and 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship games as both Freshmen and Sophomores. Rose's biological father Jimmy Walker was a former #1 overall pick who started in the backcourt alongside Jerry West in an NBA All-Star game at one point in his career. Walker died in July 2007 of lung cancer. Although they eventually spoke several times over the phone, Rose never met his father in person.

College career

's Fab Five (left to right) Jimmy King, Rose, Chris Webber, Ray Jackson and Juwan Howard|alt=five Black males in gold athletic uniforms in the foreground on the sidelines of an athletic court while a few opposing athletes in green wait in the middle of the court.]] As a star at Southwestern High School in Detroit, Rose obtained a high profile and can even be seen at a high school All-American camp in the documentary film, Hoop Dreams. Rose attended the University of Michigan where the Wolverines reached two NCAA Finals games in 1992 and 1993, finishing as national runners up both times. Rose was a part of Wolverines coach Steve Fisher's legendary 1991 recruiting class, dubbed the "Fab Five". He led the Fab Five in scoring his freshman year averaging 19 points per game and set the school freshman scoring record with 597 total points. Aside from being the most outspoken of the Fab Five, Rose was also their point guard and leader. During his career, he racked up over 1700 points, 400 rebounds, 400 assists, and 100 steals. Of the players called before the grand jury (Robert Traylor, Webber, Rose, Maurice Taylor, and Louis Bullock) in the University of Michigan basketball scandal, he was the only one not listed as having received large amounts of money.

NBA career

Rose has played for six different NBA teams, forging a solid pro career after skipping his senior season at Michigan. He was selected 13th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1994 NBA Draft. After two years with Denver, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers, along with Reggie Williams and a future first round draft pick, for Mark Jackson, Ricky Pierce, and a 1st round draft pick.

Despite his successes in Indiana, he was never readily accepted early on. Rose logged a lot of DNPCD's (Did Not Play - Coach's Decision) under Coach Larry Brown. Rose also often spoke out about the fact he was being used as a backup two-guard and small forward over his preference, which was point guard. It was not until Larry Bird took over coaching duties did Rose finally begin to blossom, eventually realizing he was most effective at small forward.

Rose's greatest moments as a pro occurred as a member of the Indiana Pacers, as he helped the team get back on its feet after a disastrous 1996–97 season and make it to three consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances. Rose became the first player in eight years other than Reggie Miller to lead the Pacers in scoring in the 1999–2000 season when he averaged 18.2 points per game for the eventual Eastern Conference Champions. He helped lead them to the Eastern Conference Championship in 2000 (though Indiana would ultimately lose the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games). Rose averaged 25 points per game in the six game Finals series, including a 32-point effort in a game five win.

During the 2001–02 season, Rose was traded to the Chicago Bulls along with Travis Best, Norman Richardson, and a future second round draft pick in exchange for Brad Miller, Ron Mercer, Ron Artest and Kevin Ollie.

After 16 games in the 2003–04 season, Rose was traded to the Toronto Raptors, along with power forwards Donyell Marshall and Lonny Baxter. Jalen Rose found moderate success with the Raptors, but the team soon decided to rebuild.

On February 3, 2006, midway through the 2005–06 campaign, he was traded, along with a first-round draft pick, and an undisclosed sum of cash (believed to be around $3 million), to the New York Knicks for Antonio Davis, where he was reunited with Larry Brown, his coach for one year with the Indiana Pacers. The motivation behind this trade was apparently to free up cap space (Rose earned close to $18 million a year) as well as for the Raptors to acquire an experienced center who could relieve some of Chris Bosh's rebounding duties. Rose's final game and contribution for the Raptors was a home win against the Sacramento Kings, where he scored the winning basket in overtime.

Rose's tenure with the Knicks was uneventful and prior to the start of the 2006–07 NBA season on October 30, 2006, the Knicks cut ties with Rose by waiving him. He was courted by several teams including the Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat. On November 3, 2006, Rose announced he would sign with the Suns on his blog at jalenrose.com. On November 7, it was officially announced that Rose had signed a $1.5 million one-year deal with Phoenix.

As a member of the Phoenix Suns, Rose did not play very many minutes. The fast-paced Suns offense was too fast for the aging swingman and his knees became a liability on defense. Upon the Suns' elimination from the 2007 NBA Playoffs, he became a regular commentator for ESPN giving regular insider perspective on games from both a player's and analyst's perspective. Rose has also been a courtside reporter for TNT during the playoffs.

Player profile

A left-handed player, Rose was known to have a smooth and versatile offensive game. Jalen was particularly gifted as a scorer from the perimeter or the post, capable of putting up 20 points most any night. Jalen was used throughout his career at three different positions. He began his career as a point guard for the Denver Nuggets and became a shooting guard/small forward for the Indiana Pacers. He then returned to the point guard position briefly with the Toronto Raptors. However, during his career he was most effective as a small forward or swingman. Jalen was also a good passer, especially for his height, and Indiana often employed him as a point forward. Not known for his defense, Rose's best moment defensively came during the 1997–1998 season, when Rose emerged as a defensive stopper on Michael Jordan in the Eastern Conference Finals, though the Bulls pulled out the series in seven games. Rose has sometimes been regarded as a team leader, particularly under head coach Larry Bird, though he reportedly was a disruptive force in the Pacers' locker room during his feud with the coach at that time Isiah Thomas, after Thomas cut former Fab Five teammate Jimmy King on the final day to do so before the 2000–2001 season.

While he showed a willingness in Toronto to work harder than ever (particularly on defense), Rose also frequently clashed with Raptors coach Sam Mitchell, who benched a struggling Jalen early in the 2005–06 season in favor of rookie Joey Graham.

In the following months, Rose at least raised his play to a more acceptable level. He increased his Player Efficiency Rating more than three whole points (to 13.7) while averaging 12.1 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game. However, he only shot 40.4% from the field and 27% from three-point range (including a 51.4 true shooting percentage) through 46 games.

Off the court

Rose is a supporter of his alma mater and was seen rooting for Michigan's basketball team during the 2006 NIT Final Four with fellow ex-Wolverine, Maurice Taylor. Rose is also known for his philanthropic efforts. He contributes to inner city youth by helping to build reading centers. He has also given Dikembe Mutombo a check for $100,000 to help with the construction of an operating room for the hospital Mutumbo built in the Congo.

Rose is the owner of Three Tier Entertainment, an independent, LA based management and production company. Created in 2007, Three Tier Entertainment is heavily involved in the development of television and film projects and also manages talent including directors, actors and screenplay writers.

In recent years Rose has become a community activist and a contributing editor of the Huffington Post.

In 2006, while Jalen was sideline reporting for the NBA playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs' Nick Van Exel launched a towel at him from the Spurs' bench about 15 feet away, which ended up draped over Rose's head in a hilariously candid TV moment.

See also

List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game

References

External links

Official Jalen Rose player profile at NBA.com

ESPN.com

Jalen Rose at basketball-reference.com

Jalen Rose at basketballreference.com

Official Website

SI.com

Yahoo Sports

University of Michigan Basketball Statistical Archive

YouTube page

Three Tier Entertainment

TheRoseBlog.com (Jalen Rose's official blog site)

Category:1973 births Category:African American basketball players Category:American expatriate basketball people in Canada Category:Denver Nuggets draft picks Category:Chicago Bulls players Category:Denver Nuggets players Category:Indiana Pacers players Category:Living people Category:Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players Category:National Basketball Association broadcasters Category:New York Knicks players Category:Basketball players from Michigan Category:People from Detroit, Michigan Category:Phoenix Suns players Category:Toronto Raptors players Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:Point guards Category:Shooting guards Category:Small forwards