Jordan Farmar
Encyclopedia
Jordan Robert Farmar is an American professional basketball
point guard
for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Super League and Euroleague
. He is also under contract with the New Jersey Nets
, and is expected to return to the team after the 2011 NBA lockout
ends.
In high school, he was the Los Angeles Times
High-School Player of the Year in 2003–04. Playing for UCLA in college, he was the Rivals.com
National Freshman of the Year in 2004–05. A first round draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers
, he was named to the NBA Rookie Team in 2006–07 and to the NBA Sophomore Team in 2007–08. He played for the Lakers from 2006–10, winning NBA Championships with them in 2009 and 2010.
outfielder who was a second round draft pick in both 1982 and 1983), and mother, Melinda. His parents divorced when he was 2, and he went to live with his mother, who soon met and married her current husband (Farmar's stepfather), Israel
i Yehuda Kolani from Tel Aviv
. Farmar and his mother and stepfather are Jewish. His father is African-American.
Farmar started playing basketball at age 4. Farmar inherited his competitive drive from his father and mentor, Damon Farmar, who played football and baseball at University High and baseball in the minor leagues. The younger Farmar spent hours in his father's clubhouses, with his father's teammates, and watching his father play. He learned from his stepfather what persistence and obligation are all about, noting that "I never met a person who worked so hard." Farmar has a half-sister, Shoshana Kolani. Farmar's godfather is former major league baseball player Eric Davis.
in Van Nuys, before transferring his sophomore year to Taft High School
in Woodland Hills
, a suburb
an community of the San Fernando Valley
within Los Angeles.
At Taft High School
, Farmar scored a record 54 points in a single game. As a junior, he averaged 28.5 points per game, 8.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 4.5 steals. As a senior, he averaged 27.5 points and 6.5 assists, and led Taft to the school's first Los Angeles City title. He had over 2,000 points in two seasons at Taft. Farmar was named the Los Angeles Times
Player of the Year, LA City Co-Player of the Year, and California Interscholastic Federation
Los Angeles City Section High School Player of the Year. He earned USA Today
Super 25 selection, Parade Magazine 2nd-team All-American, Slam Magazine Honorable Mention All-American, CalHi Sports All-State honors, and the Southern California
Jewish Athlete of the Year. He was a teammate with Philadelphia Eagles
wide receiver
Steve Smith
. Additionally, he was selected to play in the McDonald's
High School All American game, where he scored 6 points and had 3 assists and 7 steals in 19 minutes of playing time.
Considered one of the elite point guard
s in the nation at UCLA, Farmar was named to the all Pac-10 team and the all Pac-10 Tournament team. As a freshman in 2004–05, Farmar was the Rivals.com
National Freshman of the Year, and Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. He averaged 34.3 minutes (No. 2 on the team), 13.2 points (No. 2; No. 1 among freshman guards), a team-high 5.28 assists, and a team-high .801 (109–136) from the foul line. He led all Pac-10 freshmen in scoring, assists, free throw percentage and minutes played, and was second in steals.
In the 2006 NCAA Tournament
, Farmar led the UCLA Bruins
to the National Championship game against the Florida Gators
, which they lost by a score of 73–57. Farmar led all scorers with 18 points, and finished with 2 rebounds
, 4 assists
, and 2 steals
. Farmar made a notable steal and assist at the end of UCLA's Sweet Sixteen matchup with the Gonzaga Bulldogs
, giving his team the lead for good after an impressive comeback effort. On April 20, 2006, he declared for the NBA Draft
.
, which was acquired from Miami in a trade for Shaquille O'Neal
. On July 8, 2006, he made his debut at the Summer Pro League
, which was held at the Walter Pyramid
. His final game totals were 17 points and 3 assists in 31 minutes of play.
For most of the 2006-07 NBA season
, Farmar played backup to Smush Parker
. On March 31, 2007, Farmar was assigned to the Lakers' D-League
team, the Los Angeles D-Fenders
. On April 1, Farmar scored 18 points in a 109–101 home loss against the Anaheim Arsenal
. Later on that afternoon, he was re-called by the Lakers to play against the visiting Sacramento Kings
. Farmar added 4 points and 4 rebounds in 7:38 minutes playing time, helping the Lakers take a home victory, thereby making history by becoming the first player ever to participate in both a D-League and an NBA game on the same day. On April 15, 2007 against the Seattle SuperSonics
, Farmar got his first professional career start, replacing Smush Parker
in the starting lineup. Along with two starts in the regular season, Farmar started all five playoff games at point guard
. In those games against first round opponent the Phoenix Suns
, he averaged 6.4 ppg and 1.2 spg against Steve Nash
.
With the departure of Smush Parker
, Aaron McKie
, and Shammond Williams
, the Lakers lacked a point guard. Therefore, with their 1st selection in the 2007 NBA Draft
the Los Angeles Lakers selected point guard Javaris Crittenton
, who was later traded to the Memphis Grizzlies
. As a result, during the summer and fall of 2007 Farmar became a denizen of the team training facility, working on his shot from June through September. He knew his job was in jeopardy with a new point guard in town, and knew he had to work to keep his position within the organization. His hard work paid off, and he averaged 9.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, in 20.6 minutes per game, as the backup to veteran point guard Derek Fisher
, who made his return to the Lakers. He played in all 82 games in the 2007–08 season, and shot 46.1% from the field, 3.9% up from the prior season, as well as 37.1% from three-point range, 4.3% up from the prior season. "I'm just trying to shorten [my shot], square my shoulders up and just knock it down," Farmar said. "It's all hand-eye coordination, and I believe in my ability." He had a career high of 24 points in a game against the Miami Heat.
On December 24, 2008, Farmar underwent surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus
in his left knee after suffering an injury in a game against the Miami Heat. He was expected to miss 8 weeks. Farmar was averaging 7.9 points and 2.4 assists before his injury. On January 25, 2009, Farmar returned to action nearly a month earlier than expected, recording 14 points and 2 assists against San Antonio.
i champion basketball team Maccabi Tel Aviv, in the wake of the 2011 NBA lockout
. Farmar was very excited to go to Tel Aviv
, because his step-father is from the city, he spent time there as a child, and he said it is a beautiful beach city.
Because Farmar is Jewish, he is eligible to obtain Israeli citizenship, which he indicated he would apply for. If he becomes an Israeli citizen, he will be considered an Israeli player, and thereby avoid being counted against the Israeli league's limit of four non-Israeli players per team. He would also be eligible to play for the Israel national basketball team
in the Olympics
and other international competitions.
Farmar began playing for the team when its season began on October 1, and will play for it as long as the lockout continues. His teammates include former All-American Duke
guard Jon Scheyer
, who joined the team in June. In the first week of November 2011, he won Euroleague Player of the Week honors after a 27-point game against Real Madrid
.
| style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 72 || 2 || 15.1 || .422 || .328 || .711 || 1.7 || 1.9 || .6 || .1 || 4.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2007–08
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 82 || 0 || 20.6 || .461 || .371 || .679 || 2.2 || 2.7 || .9 || .1 || 9.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2008–09
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 65 || 0 || 18.3 || .391 || .336 || .584 || 1.8 || 2.4 || .9 || .2 || 6.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 82 || 0 || 18.0 || .435 || .376 || .671 || 1.6 || 1.5 || .6 || .1 || 7.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11
| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
| 73 || 18 || 24.6 || .392 || .359 || .820 || 2.4 || 5.0 || .8 || .1 || 9.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 374 || 20 || 19.4 || .421 || .359 || .698 || 1.9 || 2.7 || .8 || .1 || 7.4
| style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 5 || 5 || 22.8 || .429 || .200 || .857 || 2.8 || 1.6 || 1.2 || .2 || 6.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2007–08
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 21 || 0 || 17.1 || .383 || .386 || .875 || 1.6 || 1.3 || .3 || .2 || 5.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2008–09
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 20 || 1 || 13.0 || .391 || .308 || .737 || 1.6 || 1.7 || .4 || .2 || 4.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 23 || 0 || 13.1 || .404 || .400 || .692 || 1.2 || 1.4 || .7 || .0 || 4.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 69 || 6 || 15.0 || .395 || .357 || .782 || 1.5 || 1.4 || .6 || .1 || 5.1
on his left arm of him with his arm around his little half-sister, while the words "just the two of us" surround them. He also has a tattoo across his back that reads "Farmar." He is a Barack Obama
supporter, and attended a fundraiser for Obama in Orange County, California
.
children, getting them to play on the same team and to, at least for a few moments, leave all their differences aside.
Farmar started Hoop Farm, a basketball camp he leads at UCLA
that encourages children to be eco-friendly.
Farmar joined the Chabad
Telethon in September 2008, and shot free-throws as a fundraiser. “Jordan is a real mensch
,” said Rabbi Chaim Cunin, executive producer of the telethon and CEO of Chabad of California. “He raised $66,600 in 90 seconds. He made 37 free throws in 90 seconds.
In the summer of 2009 he hosted the first annual Jordan Farmar Celebrity Golf Classic at Sherwood Country Club
in Thousand Oaks, with proceeds benefiting the Jordan Farmar Foundation, which is run by his mother and primarily helps at-risk youths and children undergoing cancer treatment at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA.
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...
point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Super League and Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
. He is also under contract with the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, and is expected to return to the team after the 2011 NBA lockout
2011 NBA lockout
The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . The owners began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players are revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap...
ends.
In high school, he was the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
High-School Player of the Year in 2003–04. Playing for UCLA in college, he was the Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
National Freshman of the Year in 2004–05. A first round draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, he was named to the NBA Rookie Team in 2006–07 and to the NBA Sophomore Team in 2007–08. He played for the Lakers from 2006–10, winning NBA Championships with them in 2009 and 2010.
Early life and heritage
Farmar was born in Los Angeles, California, to his father Damon Farmar (a former minor league baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
outfielder who was a second round draft pick in both 1982 and 1983), and mother, Melinda. His parents divorced when he was 2, and he went to live with his mother, who soon met and married her current husband (Farmar's stepfather), Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Yehuda Kolani from Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. Farmar and his mother and stepfather are Jewish. His father is African-American.
Farmar started playing basketball at age 4. Farmar inherited his competitive drive from his father and mentor, Damon Farmar, who played football and baseball at University High and baseball in the minor leagues. The younger Farmar spent hours in his father's clubhouses, with his father's teammates, and watching his father play. He learned from his stepfather what persistence and obligation are all about, noting that "I never met a person who worked so hard." Farmar has a half-sister, Shoshana Kolani. Farmar's godfather is former major league baseball player Eric Davis.
High school
Farmar attended Portola Middle School and Temple Judea in Tarzana and Birmingham High SchoolBirmingham High School
Birmingham Community Charter High School is a public coeducational high school in the neighborhood/district of Lake Balboa in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles, California, United States...
in Van Nuys, before transferring his sophomore year to Taft High School
Taft High School (Los Angeles)
William Howard Taft High School is a public school located on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, USA, within the Los Angeles Unified School District.-History:Taft opened in 1960....
in Woodland Hills
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
Woodland Hills is a district in the city of Los Angeles, California.Woodland Hills is located in the southwestern area of the San Fernando Valley, east of Calabasas and west of Tarzana, with Warner Center in its northern section...
, a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an community of the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
within Los Angeles.
At Taft High School
Taft High School (Los Angeles)
William Howard Taft High School is a public school located on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, USA, within the Los Angeles Unified School District.-History:Taft opened in 1960....
, Farmar scored a record 54 points in a single game. As a junior, he averaged 28.5 points per game, 8.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 4.5 steals. As a senior, he averaged 27.5 points and 6.5 assists, and led Taft to the school's first Los Angeles City title. He had over 2,000 points in two seasons at Taft. Farmar was named the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
Player of the Year, LA City Co-Player of the Year, and California Interscholastic Federation
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
Los Angeles City Section High School Player of the Year. He earned 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...
Super 25 selection, Parade Magazine 2nd-team All-American, Slam Magazine Honorable Mention All-American, CalHi Sports All-State honors, and the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
Jewish Athlete of the Year. He was a teammate with Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Steve Smith
Steve Smith (New York Giants)
Steve Smith is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. Additionally, he was selected to play in the 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...
High School All American game, where he scored 6 points and had 3 assists and 7 steals in 19 minutes of playing time.
UCLA
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
s in the nation at UCLA, Farmar was named to the all Pac-10 team and the all Pac-10 Tournament team. As a freshman in 2004–05, Farmar was the Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
National Freshman of the Year, and Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. He averaged 34.3 minutes (No. 2 on the team), 13.2 points (No. 2; No. 1 among freshman guards), a team-high 5.28 assists, and a team-high .801 (109–136) from the foul line. He led all Pac-10 freshmen in scoring, assists, free throw percentage and minutes played, and was second in steals.
In the 2006 NCAA Tournament
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 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 2005–06 basketball season...
, Farmar led the UCLA Bruins
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,...
to the National Championship game against the Florida Gators
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
, which they lost by a score of 73–57. Farmar led all scorers with 18 points, and finished with 2 rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
, 4 assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
, and 2 steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
. Farmar made a notable steal and assist at the end of UCLA's Sweet Sixteen matchup with the Gonzaga Bulldogs
Gonzaga Bulldogs
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the athletic teams at Gonzaga University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Gonzaga University is a member of the West Coast Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...
, giving his team the lead for good after an impressive comeback effort. On April 20, 2006, he declared for the NBA Draft
NBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
.
Los Angeles Lakers (2006–2010)
Farmar impressed NBA scouts at the pre-draft combine with a 42 inches (1,066.8 mm) vertical leap, the highest of any player there. Later, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 26th pick in the NBA draft2006 NBA Draft
The 2006 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2006 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players,...
, which was acquired from Miami in a trade for Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
. On July 8, 2006, he made his debut at the Summer Pro League
Summer Pro League
The Summer Pro League, officially known as The Southern California Summer Pro League is a basketball league held every summer in Long Beach, California where first and second round draft picks in the NBA are able to improve their skills. It is also a place where undrafted players are able to...
, which was held at the Walter Pyramid
Walter Pyramid
Walter Pyramid, formerly known as Long Beach Pyramid, is a 5,000-seat, indoor multi-purpose stadium on the campus of California State University, Long Beach in Long Beach, California.-History:...
. His final game totals were 17 points and 3 assists in 31 minutes of play.
For most of the 2006-07 NBA season
2006-07 NBA season
The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 31, 2006 and ran through April 18, 2007. The league fielded 30 teams, each playing an 82 game regular season schedule. The top eight seeds from each conference reached the NBA...
, Farmar played backup to Smush Parker
Smush Parker
William Henry "Smush" Parker is an American professional basketball player. Parker played shooting guard in college but moved to point guard in the NBA...
. On March 31, 2007, Farmar was assigned to the Lakers' 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...
team, the Los Angeles D-Fenders
Los Angeles D-Fenders
The Los Angeles D-Fenders are a NBA Development League team based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2006, the team is owned by the Los Angeles Lakers, which became the first National Basketball Association franchise to own a D-League team...
. On April 1, Farmar scored 18 points in a 109–101 home loss against the Anaheim Arsenal
Anaheim Arsenal
The Anaheim Arsenal was a professional basketball team which played in NBA Development League from 2006-2009. They played their home games at the Anaheim Convention Center, in Anaheim, California....
. Later on that afternoon, he was re-called by the Lakers to play against the visiting Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. Farmar added 4 points and 4 rebounds in 7:38 minutes playing time, helping the Lakers take a home victory, thereby making history by becoming the first player ever to participate in both a D-League and an NBA game on the same day. On April 15, 2007 against the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
, Farmar got his first professional career start, replacing Smush Parker
Smush Parker
William Henry "Smush" Parker is an American professional basketball player. Parker played shooting guard in college but moved to point guard in the NBA...
in the starting lineup. Along with two starts in the regular season, Farmar started all five playoff games at point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
. In those games against first round opponent the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
, he averaged 6.4 ppg and 1.2 spg against Steve Nash
Steve Nash
Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...
.
With the departure of Smush Parker
Smush Parker
William Henry "Smush" Parker is an American professional basketball player. Parker played shooting guard in college but moved to point guard in the NBA...
, Aaron McKie
Aaron McKie
Aaron Fitzgerald McKie is an American former professional basketball player in the NBA and currently an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers...
, and Shammond Williams
Shammond Williams
Shammond Omar Williams is a naturalized Georgian professional basketball player who grew up in the United States . The 6'1" combination point guard/shooting guard is known for his long-range shooting accuracy...
, the Lakers lacked a point guard. Therefore, with their 1st selection in the 2007 NBA Draft
2007 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...
the Los Angeles Lakers selected point guard Javaris Crittenton
Javaris Crittenton
Javaris Cortez Crittenton is an American professional basketball player who has most recently played for the Dakota Wizards of the NBA D-League. He was previously the starting point guard for the Georgia Tech men's basketball team....
, who was later traded to the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
. As a result, during the summer and fall of 2007 Farmar became a denizen of the team training facility, working on his shot from June through September. He knew his job was in jeopardy with a new point guard in town, and knew he had to work to keep his position within the organization. His hard work paid off, and he averaged 9.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, in 20.6 minutes per game, as the backup to veteran point guard Derek Fisher
Derek Fisher
Derek Lamar Fisher is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His NBA career has spanned more than 14 years, during which he has won five NBA Championships...
, who made his return to the Lakers. He played in all 82 games in the 2007–08 season, and shot 46.1% from the field, 3.9% up from the prior season, as well as 37.1% from three-point range, 4.3% up from the prior season. "I'm just trying to shorten [my shot], square my shoulders up and just knock it down," Farmar said. "It's all hand-eye coordination, and I believe in my ability." He had a career high of 24 points in a game against the Miami Heat.
On December 24, 2008, Farmar underwent surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus
Lateral meniscus
The lateral meniscus, also called the external semilunar fibrocartilage, is a fibrocartilaginous band that spans the lateral side of the interior of the knee joint. It is one of two menisci of the knee, the other being the medial meniscus. It is nearly circular and covers a larger portion of the...
in his left knee after suffering an injury in a game against the Miami Heat. He was expected to miss 8 weeks. Farmar was averaging 7.9 points and 2.4 assists before his injury. On January 25, 2009, Farmar returned to action nearly a month earlier than expected, recording 14 points and 2 assists against San Antonio.
New Jersey Nets (2010–present)
After winning two championship rings with his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, Farmar agreed to a three-year, $12 million contract with the New Jersey Nets on July 14, 2010.Maccabi Tel Aviv (2011–present)
On August 3, 2011, Farmar signed a one-year contract with the IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i champion basketball team Maccabi Tel Aviv, in the wake of the 2011 NBA lockout
2011 NBA lockout
The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . The owners began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players are revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap...
. Farmar was very excited to go to Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, because his step-father is from the city, he spent time there as a child, and he said it is a beautiful beach city.
Because Farmar is Jewish, he is eligible to obtain Israeli citizenship, which he indicated he would apply for. If he becomes an Israeli citizen, he will be considered an Israeli player, and thereby avoid being counted against the Israeli league's limit of four non-Israeli players per team. He would also be eligible to play for the Israel national basketball team
Israel national basketball team
The Israeli national basketball team is the basketball team that represents Israel in international competition.The Israeli team has participated 25 times in the European championship tournament. Their best achievements were a silver medal in Eurobasket 1979, and 5th place in 1953 and 1977...
in the Olympics
Basketball at the Summer Olympics
Basketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
and other international competitions.
Farmar began playing for the team when its season began on October 1, and will play for it as long as the lockout continues. His teammates include former All-American Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
guard Jon Scheyer
Jon Scheyer
Jonathan James "Jon" Scheyer is an American-Israeli professional basketball player. He plays shooting guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Super League in that competition, the Adriatic League, and the Euroleague...
, who joined the team in June. In the first week of November 2011, he won Euroleague Player of the Week honors after a 27-point game against Real Madrid
Real Madrid Baloncesto
Real Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team founded in 1932 as a division of the Real Madrid club. They play in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto ....
.
Awards and recognition
- Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
High-School Player of the Year: 2003–04 - Rivals.comRivals.comRivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
National Freshman of the Year : 2004–05 - Pac-10 Freshman of the Year: 2004–05
- All-Pac-10 Freshman First Team: 2004–05
- All-Pac-10 First Team: 2005–06
- Pac-10 All-Tournament Team: 2005–06
- NBA Rookie Team 2006–07
- NBA Sophomore Team 2007–08
- Euroleague Player of the Week (November 2011)
Regular season
|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 72 || 2 || 15.1 || .422 || .328 || .711 || 1.7 || 1.9 || .6 || .1 || 4.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2007–08
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 82 || 0 || 20.6 || .461 || .371 || .679 || 2.2 || 2.7 || .9 || .1 || 9.1
|-
| style="text-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...
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 65 || 0 || 18.3 || .391 || .336 || .584 || 1.8 || 2.4 || .9 || .2 || 6.4
|-
| style="text-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....
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 82 || 0 || 18.0 || .435 || .376 || .671 || 1.6 || 1.5 || .6 || .1 || 7.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11
| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 73 || 18 || 24.6 || .392 || .359 || .820 || 2.4 || 5.0 || .8 || .1 || 9.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 374 || 20 || 19.4 || .421 || .359 || .698 || 1.9 || 2.7 || .8 || .1 || 7.4
Playoffs
|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 5 || 5 || 22.8 || .429 || .200 || .857 || 2.8 || 1.6 || 1.2 || .2 || 6.4
|-
| style="text-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....
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 21 || 0 || 17.1 || .383 || .386 || .875 || 1.6 || 1.3 || .3 || .2 || 5.7
|-
| style="text-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...
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 20 || 1 || 13.0 || .391 || .308 || .737 || 1.6 || 1.7 || .4 || .2 || 4.7
|-
| style="text-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...
| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers
| 23 || 0 || 13.1 || .404 || .400 || .692 || 1.2 || 1.4 || .7 || .0 || 4.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 69 || 6 || 15.0 || .395 || .357 || .782 || 1.5 || 1.4 || .6 || .1 || 5.1
Personal
Farmar has a tattooTattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
on his left arm of him with his arm around his little half-sister, while the words "just the two of us" surround them. He also has a tattoo across his back that reads "Farmar." He is a 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...
supporter, and attended a fundraiser for Obama in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
.
Philanthropy
In August 2008 Farmar spent a week in Israel leading a basketball camp for Israeli and PalestinianPalestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
children, getting them to play on the same team and to, at least for a few moments, leave all their differences aside.
Farmar started Hoop Farm, a basketball camp he leads at UCLA
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
that encourages children to be eco-friendly.
Farmar joined the Chabad
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
Telethon in September 2008, and shot free-throws as a fundraiser. “Jordan is a real mensch
Mensch
Mensch means "a person of integrity and honor". The opposite of a "mensch" is an "unmensch" . According to Leo Rosten, the Yiddish maven and author of The Joys of Yiddish, "mensch" is "someone to admire and emulate, someone of noble character...
,” said Rabbi Chaim Cunin, executive producer of the telethon and CEO of Chabad of California. “He raised $66,600 in 90 seconds. He made 37 free throws in 90 seconds.
In the summer of 2009 he hosted the first annual Jordan Farmar Celebrity Golf Classic at Sherwood Country Club
Sherwood Country Club
Sherwood Country Club is a private, member owned golf and country club set at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains in Thousand Oaks, California. Sherwood is home to a championship 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, driving range and Georgian architecture golf clubhouse...
in Thousand Oaks, with proceeds benefiting the Jordan Farmar Foundation, which is run by his mother and primarily helps at-risk youths and children undergoing cancer treatment at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA.