Brock Gillespie
Encyclopedia
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
.
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. 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
.
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).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
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. He has played in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(NBA and NBA Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
) and in various countries abroad. He was named as a high school All-American by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, Street & Smith's and McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
while he was attending Clarksville
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
High School in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. He had a standout college career as one of Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
's all-time leading scorers with 1,007 points, while playing in the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
(WAC). He also appeared in the Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
movie, Glory Road
Glory Road (film)
Glory Road is an American sports film directed by James Gartner, based on a true story dealing with the events leading to the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, in which the late Don Haskins – played by Josh Lucas – head coach of the Texas Western College led a team...
.
Professional career
Gillespie played for the Auckland StarsAuckland Stars
The Auckland Pirates are a New Zealand professional basketball team that represents the Auckland region in the New Zealand National Basketball League. They play their home games at the ASB Stadium in Kohimarama, Auckland, New Zealand....
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in the 2005–06 National Basketball League (New Zealand)
National Basketball League (New Zealand)
The National Basketball League, often abbreviated to the NBL, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in New Zealand.There were 10 teams in the 2010 season with teams based in Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Invercargill, Nelson, New Plymouth, North Shore, Palmerston North,...
season and won the NBL
National Basketball League (New Zealand)
The National Basketball League, often abbreviated to the NBL, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in New Zealand.There were 10 teams in the 2010 season with teams based in Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Invercargill, Nelson, New Plymouth, North Shore, Palmerston North,...
championship title. He was selected in the 3rd round of the 2006 NBA Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
Draft by the Austin Toros
Austin Toros
The Austin Toros are a NBA Development League minor league basketball team based in Cedar Park, Texas, United States.The team plays home games at Cedar Park Center.Their logo is the design of a bull and basketball with the state of Texas in the background...
with the 34th overall selection and played the 2006–07 season under the legendary Dennis Johnson
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
, for the Toros in the NBA Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
. He spent the final part of 2007 playing for the NBA's 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...
. He also was a member of the Bobcats' NBA Summer League
NBA Summer League
The NBA Summer League is a period during which NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups. Typically, there is a mix of rookies and some of the younger bench players to see how well some players work with others...
and training camp rosters the following summer. He played the 2007–08 season in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for Plus Pujol Lleida in the Liga Española de Baloncesto
Liga Española de Baloncesto
Liga Española de Baloncesto is the second league of the Spanish basketball league system behind the ACB. It is run by the FEB. The Liga Española de Baloncesto is divided into two categories and they are sponsored by Adecco. The names of the two leagues are Adecco Oro and Adecco Plata.The LEB league...
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and BK SPU Nitra in the ExtraLiga
Extraliga
The Extraliga may refer to any of the top-division ice hockey leagues in former Czechoslovakia:* Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League, which in 1993 was divided to:** Czech Extraliga** Slovak Extraliga* Belarusian ExtraligaIt may also refer to:...
of Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. In 2008, he was selected again in the NBA D-League Draft by the Sioux Falls Skyforce
Sioux Falls Skyforce
The Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989...
and finished the 2008–09 season in the ULEB Cup
ULEB Cup
Eurocup Basketball is the second-tier level transnational professional basketball competition in Europe. The Eurocup is the level that is one tier below the Turkish Airlines Euroleague level...
with Benetton Fribourg Olympic
Fribourg Olympic
Fribourg Olympic is a Swiss professional basketball club based in Fribourg, and a 14-time Swiss champion . Its current sponsorship name is Benetton Fribourg...
of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He led Benetton to the 2009 Swiss Cup Championship. Later in 2009, he participated in training camp with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
and soon after joined Xacobeo Obradoiro CAB
Obradoiro CAB
Obradoiro Clube de Amigos do Baloncesto , also known as Blu:sens Monbús by sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team based in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, that is part of the ACB League...
of the ACB League in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. On March 19, 2010 he was assigned to the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
for the playoff stretch. In 2010-2011, he played briefly for the Cuxhaven BasCats in the Basketball Bundesliga
Basketball Bundesliga
The Basketball Bundesliga — commonly abbreviated BBL — is the highest level league of club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season is split into a league stage and a playoff stage...
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and on January 5, 2011 he moved up to join SCM CSU Craiova
SCM CSU Craiova
SCM Universitatea Craiova is a Romanian professional basketball club, based in Craiova, Romania. The club competes in the Romanian Basketball Division A. Over the last few years, the team has also been named CSM Universitatea Craiova and CSU Craiova...
in the Romanian Basketball Division A
Romanian Basketball Division A
The Divizia A is the top-tier professional basketball league of Romania. There are 16 teams in Men's Division A.The regular season begins in October and is played over a normal round-robin home-and-away basis. The first 8 clubs qualify for the play-offs. The play-offs are played using the knock-out...
of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
Personal
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 TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and prides himself as a supporter of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. He has met and discussed policy with many key political figures, including President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, 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
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
and appeared in the Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
movie, Glory Road
Glory Road (film)
Glory Road is an American sports film directed by James Gartner, based on a true story dealing with the events leading to the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, in which the late Don Haskins – played by Josh Lucas – head coach of the Texas Western College led a team...
. He was chosen to speak at Dennis Johnson
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
's funeral in 2007, after playing for Johnson with the Austin Toros
Austin Toros
The Austin Toros are a NBA Development League minor league basketball team based in Cedar Park, Texas, United States.The team plays home games at Cedar Park Center.Their logo is the design of a bull and basketball with the state of Texas in the background...
. Prior to coaching the Toros, Johnson was most known for his success with the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. 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
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
in the 1970s and was drafted in the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Draft twice; once by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and once by the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. 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
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
; Racine, Wisconsin
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
; and Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
. 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
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
, Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
, Shawn Respert
Shawn Respert
Shawn Christopher Respert is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'1", 195 lb. shooting guard, he attended Bishop Borgess High School, and he came to prominence while playing college basketball at Michigan State University where his jersey is now retired...
, Pete Maravich
Pete Maravich
Peter "Pistol Pete" Press Maravich was an American professional basketball player. Born and raised in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Maravich starred in college at Louisiana State University and played for three NBA teams until injuries induced him to retire in 1980...
, Dennis Johnson
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics and coach of the Los Angeles Clippers...
, Stan Albeck
Stan Albeck
Stan Albeck is a former professional basketball coach. Albeck has coached for several teams in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association , including the Denver Rockets, the San Diego Conquistadors, , the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Antonio Spurs, the New Jersey...
, Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian , also known as "Tark the Shark", is a retired college basketball coach known as one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history...
and Larry Gillespie (grandfather and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
hero).
Player history
- 2005/06
Auckland StarsAuckland StarsThe Auckland Pirates are a New Zealand professional basketball team that represents the Auckland region in the New Zealand National Basketball League. They play their home games at the ASB Stadium in Kohimarama, Auckland, New Zealand.... - 2006/07
Austin TorosAustin TorosThe Austin Toros are a NBA Development League minor league basketball team based in Cedar Park, Texas, United States.The team plays home games at Cedar Park Center.Their logo is the design of a bull and basketball with the state of Texas in the background... - 2006/07 Charlotte BobcatsCharlotte BobcatsThe 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...
- 2007/08
Plus Pujol Lleida - 2007/08
BK SPU Nitra - 2008/09 Sioux Falls SkyforceSioux Falls SkyforceThe Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989...
- 2008/09
Benetton Fribourg OlympicFribourg OlympicFribourg Olympic is a Swiss professional basketball club based in Fribourg, and a 14-time Swiss champion . Its current sponsorship name is Benetton Fribourg... - 2009/10 Xacobeo Obradoiro CABObradoiro CABObradoiro Clube de Amigos do Baloncesto , also known as Blu:sens Monbús by sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team based in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, that is part of the ACB League...
- 2009/10 Maine Red Claws
- 2010/11
Cuxhaven BasCats - 2010/11
SCM CSU CraiovaSCM CSU CraiovaSCM Universitatea Craiova is a Romanian professional basketball club, based in Craiova, Romania. The club competes in the Romanian Basketball Division A. Over the last few years, the team has also been named CSM Universitatea Craiova and CSU Craiova...