Morris Peterson
Encyclopedia
Morris Peterson, Jr. is an American
professional basketball
player who is currently a free agent
.
at Michigan State University
, and helped lead them to the 2000 NCAA title
. He was selected 21st overall by the Raptors in the 2000 NBA Draft
, and was a starter in the majority of their games during his first three seasons.
In his senior year at MSU, Peterson led the team in scoring, field goal percentage, and free throw
percentage. He had a team-high 30 double-digit scoring efforts. He was voted Big Ten
Player of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten, and he placed as first or second team All-American on five different polls.
On January 17, 2009, MSU retired his number 42 with MSU's other all time greats before their game against the Illinois Fighting Illini.
While enjoying some early success in his professional career, Peterson's production faced a steady decline, before stepping up in the wake of the new era of Raptor youngsters being ushered in, taking on a more expansive leadership role and transforming himself into an elite perimeter defender, a clutch performer and consistent scorer. He is known for his three-point shooting, acrobatic shots, defense, and fearless driving to the basket.
On December 28, 2005, Peterson set a record for career games played as a Raptor, surpassing Alvin Williams
with 418 games played. Peterson also leads the NBA in longest consecutive games played, appearing in 371 straight until November 22, 2006, when he missed his first game in over four years.
Peterson posted career highs in points and rebounds averaging 16.8 points and 4.6 rebounds and threw in 2.3 assists per game through 82 games played in the 2005–06 season.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of his career occurred against the Washington Wizards
on March 30, 2007 in a game that helped determine the two teams' playoff seeding. The Raptors trailed 109–106 with only 3.8 seconds left and no timeouts remaining. The Wizards' Michael Ruffin
intercepted the full-court pass and tried to toss the ball away in a celebration of an apparent win. But the ball slipped from his hands and was not thrown high enough. There was still enough time on the clock as Peterson grabbed the ball out of thin air and launched a "Hail Mary" three-pointer and sank it to send the game into overtime. The Raptors went on to defeat the Wizards, 123–118.
After signing Bryan Colangelo, it became apparent that the re-building process of the Raptors would not include Peterson. It was only a matter of time before his contract expired in the summer of 2007 that he would be gone.
Peterson remains a fan favorite in Toronto, with his #24 jersey still seen often at the Air Canada Centre.
According to his twitter.com account, Peterson has decided to switch back to wearing #24 for the 09-10 season with the Hornets.
Peterson is represented by professional sports agent Rob Pelinka
.
to the Oklahoma City Thunder
for two 2010 first-round draft picks (#21 and #26).
along with D.J. White in exchange for Nazr Mohammed
. He was waived four days later when his contract was bought out by the Bobcats.
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | Toronto
| 80 || 49 || 22.6 || .431 || .382 || .717 || 3.2 || 1.3 || .8 || .2 || 9.3
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Toronto
| 63 || 56 || 31.6 || .438 || .364 || .751 || 3.5 || 2.4 || 1.2 || .2 || 14.0
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Toronto
| 82 || 80 || 36.0 || .392 || .337 || .789 || 4.4 || 2.3 || 1.1 || .4 || 14.1
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Toronto
| 82 || 29 || 26.2 || .405 || .371 || .809 || 3.2 || 1.4 || 1.1 || .2 || 8.3
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Toronto
| 82 || 61 || 30.6 || .420 || .385 || .832 || 4.1 || 2.1 || 1.1 || .2 || 12.5
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Toronto
| 82 || 77 || 38.3 || .436 || .395 || .820 || 4.6 || 2.3 || 1.3 || .2 || 16.8
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Toronto
| 71 || 12 || 21.3 || .429 || .359 || .683 || 3.3 || .7 || .6 || .2 || 8.9
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | New Orleans
| 76 || 76 || 23.6 || .417 || .394 || .765 || 2.7 || .9 || .6 || .1 || 8.0
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | New Orleans
| 43 || 9 || 12.0 || .399 || .388 || .632 || 2.0 || .4 || .3 || .1 || 4.4
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | New Orleans
| 46 || 39 || 21.2 || .385 || .363 || .611 || 2.7 || .9 || .5 || .1 || 7.1
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 4 || 0 || 5.8 || .400 || .000 || .000 || .8 || .3 || .0 || .0 || 1.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 711 || 488 || 27.2 || .418 || .373 || .773 || 3.5 || 1.5 || .9 || .2 || 10.7
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | Toronto
| 8 || 3 || 13.8 || .514 || .444 || .750 || 1.5 || 1.9 || .8 || .0 || 5.4
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Toronto
| 5 || 5 || 30.8 || .367 || .118 || .800 || 2.8 || 2.2 || 1.0 || .6 || 9.2
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Toronto
| 6 || 2 || 30.5 || .517 || .500 || .833 || 4.5 || .3 || .3 || .3 || 6.8
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | New Orleans
| 12 || 12 || 23.1 || .485 || .471 || .667 || 2.6 || .6 || .5 || .2 || 7.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | New Orleans
| 2 || 0 || 10.5 || .200 || .333 || .750 || 1.5 || .5 || .5 || .0 || 3.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 33 || 22 || 22.6 || .457 || .387 || .767 || 2.6 || 1.1 || .6 || .2 || 6.7
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 who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
College career
Peterson played collegiate basketballCollege basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, and helped lead them to the 2000 NCAA title
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. He was selected 21st overall by the Raptors in the 2000 NBA Draft
2000 NBA Draft
The 2000 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2000 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Until 2011, it was the last draft held at the home arena of an NBA team; the following and subsequent drafts have all taken place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. This draft is...
, and was a starter in the majority of their games during his first three seasons.
In his senior year at MSU, Peterson led the team in scoring, field goal percentage, and free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
percentage. He had a team-high 30 double-digit scoring efforts. He was voted Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
Player of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten, and he placed as first or second team All-American on five different polls.
On January 17, 2009, MSU retired his number 42 with MSU's other all time greats before their game against the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Toronto Raptors
Drafted in the first round by the Raptors in 2000, Peterson was a fan favorite from the moment he stepped on the floor.While enjoying some early success in his professional career, Peterson's production faced a steady decline, before stepping up in the wake of the new era of Raptor youngsters being ushered in, taking on a more expansive leadership role and transforming himself into an elite perimeter defender, a clutch performer and consistent scorer. He is known for his three-point shooting, acrobatic shots, defense, and fearless driving to the basket.
On December 28, 2005, Peterson set a record for career games played as a Raptor, surpassing Alvin Williams
Alvin Williams
Alvin Leon Williams is a retired American professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association, and current Director of Player Development of the Toronto Raptors.-Basketball career:...
with 418 games played. Peterson also leads the NBA in longest consecutive games played, appearing in 371 straight until November 22, 2006, when he missed his first game in over four years.
Peterson posted career highs in points and rebounds averaging 16.8 points and 4.6 rebounds and threw in 2.3 assists per game through 82 games played in the 2005–06 season.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of his career occurred against the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
on March 30, 2007 in a game that helped determine the two teams' playoff seeding. The Raptors trailed 109–106 with only 3.8 seconds left and no timeouts remaining. The Wizards' Michael Ruffin
Michael Ruffin
Michael David Ruffin is an American professional basketball player who plays for Obradoiro CAB in Spain. At 6'8" and 248 lbs, he plays as a forward/center....
intercepted the full-court pass and tried to toss the ball away in a celebration of an apparent win. But the ball slipped from his hands and was not thrown high enough. There was still enough time on the clock as Peterson grabbed the ball out of thin air and launched a "Hail Mary" three-pointer and sank it to send the game into overtime. The Raptors went on to defeat the Wizards, 123–118.
After signing Bryan Colangelo, it became apparent that the re-building process of the Raptors would not include Peterson. It was only a matter of time before his contract expired in the summer of 2007 that he would be gone.
New Orleans Hornets
On July 13, 2007, the New Orleans Hornets signed Peterson to a four-year contract, worth $23 million. Although he has seen a smaller role in New Orleans,Peterson remains a fan favorite in Toronto, with his #24 jersey still seen often at the Air Canada Centre.
According to his twitter.com account, Peterson has decided to switch back to wearing #24 for the 09-10 season with the Hornets.
Peterson is represented by professional sports agent Rob Pelinka
Rob Pelinka
Robert Todd Pelinka, Jr. is an American lawyer, National Basketball Association sports agent and former college basketball player from Lake Bluff, Illinois . He is best known as Kobe Bryant's agent and President and CEO of The Landmark Sports Agency, LLC...
.
Oklahoma City Thunder
On July 8, 2010, the Hornets traded Peterson along with #11 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Cole AldrichCole Aldrich
Cole David Aldrich is an American basketball player who is currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the National Basketball Association . He completed his junior year at the University of Kansas in March 2010. Aldrich was selected as a McDonald's All American in 2006. He attended...
to the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
for two 2010 first-round draft picks (#21 and #26).
Charlotte Bobcats
On February 24, 2011, Peterson was traded to the Charlotte BobcatsCharlotte 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...
along with D.J. White in exchange for Nazr Mohammed
Nazr Mohammed
Nazr Tahiru Mohammed [NAW-zee] is an American professional basketball player with the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. He plays the center position. He is 6 ft 10 in and 250 lb...
. He was waived four days later when his contract was bought out by the Bobcats.
Accolades
- Career-high: March 31, 2006 Peterson scored a career-best 38 points vs. the Phoenix SunsPhoenix SunsThe 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...
. - First-round draft choice (21st overall) by TorontoToronto RaptorsThe Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
in 2000. - Recorded his 800th career three-point field goal April 3, 2005 vs. the Detroit PistonsDetroit PistonsThe 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...
. - Had a career-high 14 rebounds April 8, 2005.
- Started the Toronto Raptors' active streak for three-point field goals made consecutively as a team.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | Toronto
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
| 80 || 49 || 22.6 || .431 || .382 || .717 || 3.2 || 1.3 || .8 || .2 || 9.3
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Toronto
| 63 || 56 || 31.6 || .438 || .364 || .751 || 3.5 || 2.4 || 1.2 || .2 || 14.0
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Toronto
| 82 || 80 || 36.0 || .392 || .337 || .789 || 4.4 || 2.3 || 1.1 || .4 || 14.1
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Toronto
| 82 || 29 || 26.2 || .405 || .371 || .809 || 3.2 || 1.4 || 1.1 || .2 || 8.3
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Toronto
| 82 || 61 || 30.6 || .420 || .385 || .832 || 4.1 || 2.1 || 1.1 || .2 || 12.5
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Toronto
| 82 || 77 || 38.3 || .436 || .395 || .820 || 4.6 || 2.3 || 1.3 || .2 || 16.8
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Toronto
| 71 || 12 || 21.3 || .429 || .359 || .683 || 3.3 || .7 || .6 || .2 || 8.9
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | New Orleans
| 76 || 76 || 23.6 || .417 || .394 || .765 || 2.7 || .9 || .6 || .1 || 8.0
|-
| 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" | New Orleans
| 43 || 9 || 12.0 || .399 || .388 || .632 || 2.0 || .4 || .3 || .1 || 4.4
|-
| 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" | New Orleans
| 46 || 39 || 21.2 || .385 || .363 || .611 || 2.7 || .9 || .5 || .1 || 7.1
|-
| 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" | Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
| 4 || 0 || 5.8 || .400 || .000 || .000 || .8 || .3 || .0 || .0 || 1.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 711 || 488 || 27.2 || .418 || .373 || .773 || 3.5 || 1.5 || .9 || .2 || 10.7
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2000–01
2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000–01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers winning their second consecutive championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers...
| align="left" | Toronto
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
| 8 || 3 || 13.8 || .514 || .444 || .750 || 1.5 || 1.9 || .8 || .0 || 5.4
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
2002 NBA Playoffs
The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...
| align="left" | Toronto
| 5 || 5 || 30.8 || .367 || .118 || .800 || 2.8 || 2.2 || 1.0 || .6 || 9.2
|-
| 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...
| align="left" | Toronto
| 6 || 2 || 30.5 || .517 || .500 || .833 || 4.5 || .3 || .3 || .3 || 6.8
|-
| 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" | New Orleans
| 12 || 12 || 23.1 || .485 || .471 || .667 || 2.6 || .6 || .5 || .2 || 7.2
|-
| 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" | New Orleans
| 2 || 0 || 10.5 || .200 || .333 || .750 || 1.5 || .5 || .5 || .0 || 3.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 33 || 22 || 22.6 || .457 || .387 || .767 || 2.6 || 1.1 || .6 || .2 || 6.7
Personal life
- His father, Morris, played basketballBasketballBasketball 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...
and footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
at Alcorn State while his mother, Valerie, competed on the volleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, basketball and trackTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
teams at Mississippi Valley State. His cousin, Jonathan BenderJonathan BenderJonathan Rene Bender is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association .-Career:...
, played power forwardPower forward (basketball)Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
most recently for the New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. He is currently a free agent. - Two sisters, Tonda and Trina, played basketball at Alabama State.
- Established Mo's Maniacs, inviting 24 at-risk youth to each of the last eight home games of the 2002–03 season.
- Majored in child developmentChild developmentChild development stages describe theoretical milestones of child development. Many stage models of development have been proposed, used as working concepts and in some cases asserted as nativist theories....
at Michigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. - Morris started the Morris Peterson Foundation as an opportunity to give back to underprivileged youth in his hometown of Flint, Michigan and New Orleans, Louisiana.