Arron Afflalo
Encyclopedia
Arron Agustin Afflalo is an American professional basketball
player, currently with the Denver Nuggets
of the NBA
. He completed a three-year career at University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA) in the Pacific-10 Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
as the starting shooting guard
.
, only a few minutes' walk from Pauley Pavilion
, where the UCLA Bruins play their home games. His parents are Benjamin Afflalo and Gwendolyn Washington. He has a younger sister named Paris. Afflalo majored in sociology at UCLA and was on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll
for Spring 2005. Afflalo declared for the 2006 NBA Draft, but pulled his name out before the deadline, opting to return to UCLA for his junior season. Afflalo has been one of the top players in the country as a junior earning a spot on the Associated Press
All-America team. This honor makes Afflalo UCLA's first consensus All-American since Ed O'Bannon
in the 1994–95 season. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 1st round of the 2007 NBA Draft, making him the 27th pick overall.
to play for Howland at UCLA, Afflalo, who helped lead Compton Centennial High School to a California
Division-III title in 2003–2004, his senior year of high school, started 29 games the next season for the UCLA Bruins as a freshman, averaging 10.8 points per game and playing the role of a defensive stopper.
With the graduation of leading scorer Dijon Thompson
, Afflalo shouldered more of the offensive load in his second year on the team, averaging a team-high 15.8 points per game. He also continued to guard some of the Bruins' opponents' top scorers.
His defensive dominance throughout the 2006–2007 season
(one example being holding Cal's Ayinde Ubaka to zero points in one of the two teams' matchups), and his 17.4 ppg led to him being voted the Pac-10 Player of the Year
by the other coaches in the conference. Commenting on the award, Afflalo said, "It is good that contributions on both ends of the floor are recognized ... If you truly have a love and passion for the game, then you should work at every aspect of it, not just the part that gives you (attention), that being scoring."
, Afflalo hit the game-winning three-point shot and also defended Alabama point guard Ronald Steele
on his errant three-point attempt which would have given Alabama the lead.
In the Bruins' 2006 Sweet Sixteen comeback victory over Gonzaga
, Afflalo and teammate Ryan Hollins
, in what was later widely hailed as a classy move, helped the distraught Gonzaga star Adam Morrison
off the court after the final buzzer sounded. Against Memphis
in the Elite Eight
, Afflalo was noted by many to be largely responsible for stopping Rodney Carney
and helping UCLA advance to the Final Four
.
In the 2007 NCAA Tournament
he was named the West Regional's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 24 points and making several big plays in a 68–55 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks
. However, his quick foul trouble against the Florida Gators cost his team the ability to successfully compete and the Bruins ended up bowing out of the tournament.
by the Detroit Pistons.
On July 13, 2009, he was traded along with Walter Sharpe
to the Denver Nuggets
in exchange for a second round pick in the 2011 NBA Draft
.
On November 10, 2009, he was inserted into the Denver Nuggets
starting lineup. On January 25, 2010, he made six three-point baskets against the Charlotte Bobcats
, setting a new career high in three-point baskets made in one game.
On February 10, 2011 Afflalo made a 20-foot jump shot at the buzzer over Shawn Marion as Denver beat Dallas 121–120. The Nuggets trailed by as many as 13 in the 4th and were down 119–110 with under 2 minutes to play before pulling off a miraculous upset victory. Afflalo had 19 points in the fourth quarter alone to almost single-handedly power Denver to the win.
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Detroit
| 75 || 9 || 12.9 || .411 || .208 || .782 || 1.8 || .7 || .4 || .1 || 3.7
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Detroit
| 74 || 8 || 16.7 || .437 || .402 || .817 || 1.8 || .6 || .4 || .2 || 4.9
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Denver
| 82 || 75 || 27.1 || .465 || .434 || .735 || 3.1 || 1.7 || .6 || .4 || 8.8
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Denver
| 69 || 69 || 33.7 || .498 || .423 || .847 || 3.6 || 2.4 || .5 || .4 || 12.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 300 || 161 || 22.5 || .464 || .408 || .802 || 2.6 || 1.3 || .5 || .3 || 7.4
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Detroit
| 12 || 0 || 7.0 || .389 || .000 || .000 || .4 || .5 || .3 || .0 || 1.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Detroit
| 4 || 0 || 16.5 || .476 || .200 || .600 || .8 || .3 || .0 || .5 || 6.3
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Denver
| 6 || 6 || 20.0 || .625 || .429 || .818 || 2.0 || 1.2 || .2 || .3 || 9.2
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Denver
| 3 || 3 || 28.3 || .353 || .250 || .875 || 3.0 || 2.3 || .0 || .0 || 11.3
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 25 || 9 || 14.2 || .467 || .289 || .792 || 1.2 || .8 || .2 || .2 || 5.1
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, currently with the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. He completed a three-year career at University of California, Los Angeles
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
(UCLA) in the Pacific-10 Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
as the starting shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
.
Biography
Afflalo was born at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, only a few minutes' walk from Pauley Pavilion
Pauley Pavilion
Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion, commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located in the Westwood Village district of Los Angeles, California, on the campus of UCLA. It is home to the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams...
, where the UCLA Bruins play their home games. His parents are Benjamin Afflalo and Gwendolyn Washington. He has a younger sister named Paris. Afflalo majored in sociology at UCLA and was on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll
Honor Roll
Honor Roll may refer to: HIGH GRADE STUDENT* Grade Point Average over 3.5* A list of honors students.* A similar academic honor, such as a Dean's List.* Honor Rolls of Baseball* Honour Roll Clasp of the Army – A decoration of Nazi Germany...
for Spring 2005. Afflalo declared for the 2006 NBA Draft, but pulled his name out before the deadline, opting to return to UCLA for his junior season. Afflalo has been one of the top players in the country as a junior earning a spot on the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-America team. This honor makes Afflalo UCLA's first consensus All-American since Ed O'Bannon
Ed O'Bannon
Edward Charles O'Bannon, Jr. is a retired American basketball player, who was a power forward for the UCLA Bruins men's basketball team on their 1995 NCAA championship team, where he was known as "Ed-O"...
in the 1994–95 season. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 1st round of the 2007 NBA Draft, making him the 27th pick overall.
College career
Noted for being the first player recruited by current UCLA coach Ben HowlandBen Howland
Ben Howland is an American college head coach of men's basketball.He has been the head coach of the University of California, Los Angeles since 2003, and in 2008 signed an extension of his contract to run through 2015. Aggressive man-to-man defense is the trademark of Ben Howland-coached...
to play for Howland at UCLA, Afflalo, who helped lead Compton Centennial High School to a California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Division-III title in 2003–2004, his senior year of high school, started 29 games the next season for the UCLA Bruins as a freshman, averaging 10.8 points per game and playing the role of a defensive stopper.
With the graduation of leading scorer Dijon Thompson
Dijon Thompson
Dijon Lynn Thompson is an American professional basketball player. While he played mainly at the shooting guard position in his early career, he proved he can also play as a small forward, during his European years.-College:Thompson was a standout at UCLA having an all time scoring average of 15.6...
, Afflalo shouldered more of the offensive load in his second year on the team, averaging a team-high 15.8 points per game. He also continued to guard some of the Bruins' opponents' top scorers.
His defensive dominance throughout the 2006–2007 season
2006-07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2006–07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 7, 2006, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2007 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
(one example being holding Cal's Ayinde Ubaka to zero points in one of the two teams' matchups), and his 17.4 ppg led to him being voted the Pac-10 Player of the Year
Pac-10 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Pacific-12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Pacific-12 Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1975–76 season. There have been two players honored multiple times: David Greenwood of UCLA and Sean Elliott of...
by the other coaches in the conference. Commenting on the award, Afflalo said, "It is good that contributions on both ends of the floor are recognized ... If you truly have a love and passion for the game, then you should work at every aspect of it, not just the part that gives you (attention), that being scoring."
NCAA tournament
In a 2006 NCAA tournament game against AlabamaUniversity of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, Afflalo hit the game-winning three-point shot and also defended Alabama point guard Ronald Steele
Ronald Steele
Ronald Steele is an American former college basketball player for the University of Alabama. He currently plays with Tofaş Bursa in Turkey.-High school:...
on his errant three-point attempt which would have given Alabama the lead.
In the Bruins' 2006 Sweet Sixteen comeback victory over Gonzaga
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
, Afflalo and teammate Ryan Hollins
Ryan Hollins
Ryan Kenwood Hollins is an American professional basketball player who is currently a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. He is a 7-foot center who played collegiately for the UCLA Bruins.-High school:...
, in what was later widely hailed as a classy move, helped the distraught Gonzaga star Adam Morrison
Adam Morrison
Adam John Morrison is an American basketball player who is currently free agent after being released from KK Crvena zvezda....
off the court after the final buzzer sounded. Against Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
in the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
, Afflalo was noted by many to be largely responsible for stopping Rodney Carney
Rodney Carney
Rodney Dion Carney is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of Memphis and was selected in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and shortly afterwards traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.-Early college career:Carney made the Conference USA...
and helping UCLA advance to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
.
In the 2007 NCAA Tournament
2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season...
he was named the West Regional's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 24 points and making several big plays in a 68–55 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawks
The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
. However, his quick foul trouble against the Florida Gators cost his team the ability to successfully compete and the Bruins ended up bowing out of the tournament.
Professional career
On June 28, 2007, Afflalo was drafted with the 27th overall pick in the NBA Draft2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
by the Detroit Pistons.
On July 13, 2009, he was traded along with Walter Sharpe
Walter Sharpe
Walter L. Sharpe III is an American professional basketball player.-Early career:Sharpe played his prep basketball at Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama, his place of birth. He was later signed by Mississippi State University...
to the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
in exchange for a second round pick in the 2011 NBA Draft
2011 NBA Draft
The 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
.
On November 10, 2009, he was inserted into the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
starting lineup. On January 25, 2010, he made six three-point baskets against the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
, setting a new career high in three-point baskets made in one game.
On February 10, 2011 Afflalo made a 20-foot jump shot at the buzzer over Shawn Marion as Denver beat Dallas 121–120. The Nuggets trailed by as many as 13 in the 4th and were down 119–110 with under 2 minutes to play before pulling off a miraculous upset victory. Afflalo had 19 points in the fourth quarter alone to almost single-handedly power Denver to the win.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
| 75 || 9 || 12.9 || .411 || .208 || .782 || 1.8 || .7 || .4 || .1 || 3.7
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
| 74 || 8 || 16.7 || .437 || .402 || .817 || 1.8 || .6 || .4 || .2 || 4.9
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 82 || 75 || 27.1 || .465 || .434 || .735 || 3.1 || 1.7 || .6 || .4 || 8.8
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 69 || 69 || 33.7 || .498 || .423 || .847 || 3.6 || 2.4 || .5 || .4 || 12.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 300 || 161 || 22.5 || .464 || .408 || .802 || 2.6 || 1.3 || .5 || .3 || 7.4
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2007–08
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
| align="left" | Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
| 12 || 0 || 7.0 || .389 || .000 || .000 || .4 || .5 || .3 || .0 || 1.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
| 4 || 0 || 16.5 || .476 || .200 || .600 || .8 || .3 || .0 || .5 || 6.3
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 6 || 6 || 20.0 || .625 || .429 || .818 || 2.0 || 1.2 || .2 || .3 || 9.2
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 3 || 3 || 28.3 || .353 || .250 || .875 || 3.0 || 2.3 || .0 || .0 || 11.3
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 25 || 9 || 14.2 || .467 || .289 || .792 || 1.2 || .8 || .2 || .2 || 5.1