LaMarcus Aldridge
From Hoopedia
LaMarcus Nurae Aldridge (born July 19, 1985, in Dallas, Texas) is an American professional basketball player with the Portland Trail Blazers. He is a 6'11" (2.11 m) power forward.
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Playing Career
Aldridge attended Seagoville High School prior to attending the University of Texas at Austin. On April 11, 2006, Aldridge announced that he would leave the University of Texas to enter the 2006 NBA Draft.
NBA Draft
Aldridge was drafted 2nd overall in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, only to have his draft rights traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for their pick, Tyrus Thomas, shortly after. The Bulls acquired the pick from the New York Knicks in the 2005 Eddy Curry trade.
Rookie Season
Aldridge missed the first 7 games of the 2006-07 season due to off-season shoulder surgery, but returned ahead of schedule due in part due to an injury to fellow rookie teamate Brandon Roy. Aldridge made an immediate impact on offense, averaging 8.4 points on 54% shooting from the field through his first 14 games. After the loss of starting centerJoel Przybilla in February of 2007 to season-ending knee surgery, Aldridge was awarded the starting center position and improved his scoring to 14.7 points alongside 8.0 rebounds per game in the month of March. This placed him second in the voting for the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award to Roy. On March 31st, 2007 in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers, Aldridge was taken to Providence Hospital in Portland for shortness of breath and irregular heartbeat. He did not play in the final 8 games of the season.
Trivia
- According to one report, Aldridge (who was seriously considering bypassing college for the pro ranks directly) was advised by Shaquille O'Neal to attend college, on the grounds that not only would his game improve, but that he would also have a lot of fun in the process.
