Elton Brand Retires from the NBA

[mkwest]

One of the best to ever wear a Clipper uniform has apparently retired from the NBA.

Elton Brand, the franchises leading rebounder and third-leading scorer, is walking away after 16 seasons in the NBA.

“I could get in shape if I got the call but this looks like the end of the run for me, right now it is family time,” Brand told The Examiner News during his annual Youth Day at Peekskill High School in New York.

Brand played seven seasons with the Clippers after being acquired for Tyson Chandler on the night of the 2008 NBA Draft. Brand made two all-star teams with the Clippers, averaging 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds, helping the Clippers make a deep run in the 2006 playoffs.

Dan Woike, OC Register

NSFW
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NBA Stats/Records
16 Seasons (7 as a Clipper)
2x All-Star (Both as a Clipper)
16,757 Total Points (89th All-Time in NBA History; 94th in All-Time NBA/ABA History)
8,977 Total Rebounds (49th All-Time in NBA History; 56th in All-Time NBA/ABA History)
3,295 Total Offensive Rebounds (19th All-Time in NBA History; 22nd in All-Time NBA/ABA History)
1,820 Total Blocks (20th All-Time in NBA History; 24th in All-Time NBA/ABA History)

Clipper Franchise Stats/Records
Clipper Career
7th in Games Played - 459
2nd in Minutes Played - 17,595
1st in Offensive Rebounds - 1,769
1st in Total Rebounds - 4,710
7th in Steals - 438
2nd in Blocks - 1,039
3rd in Total Points - 9,336
5th Highest Scoring Average - 20.3
5th Highest Rebounding Average - 10.3
4th Highest Block Average - 2.3
2nd Highest Cumulative Player Efficiency Rating - 23.4

Clipper Season
2nd in Offensive Rebounds - 396 (2001-02)
10th in Offensive Rebounds - 296 (2004-05)
7th in Blocks - 201 (2005-06)
7th in Points - 1953 (2005-06)
6th Highest Scoring Average - 24.7 (2005-06)
2nd Highest Player Efficiency Rating - 26.5 (2005-06)
9th Highest Player Efficiency Rating - 23.6 (2001-02)

Clipper Game
Most Points in a Playoff Game - 40 (5/8/06 vs Phoenix)
Tied for Most Blocks in a Playoff Game - 5 (3 times)
Career High in Points - 44 (2/10/06 vs Memphis)
Career High in Rebounds - 23 (twice)
Career High in Blocks - 8 (3 times)

[mkwest]

Elton has been discussed countless times by Clipper fans on message boards, blogs, Twitter, in person, etc. Opinions greatly vary. Some hold no grudge, while some will hate him until death.

When he left the way that he left, I was heartbroken and dealt with all of the emotions that go along with that. There was anger, confusion, frustration, and so on. It didn't have to be that way even if his decision remained the same.

I found it easier to get over it after the following season. We sucked, but won the number 1 pick in the draft. If Brand doesn't leave, then we don't get Blake....or Paul....or Doc...or Ballmer. We're not where we are right now. There's a possibility that things could have eventually turned around, but we probably wouldn't be in as good of a spot right now and heading into the future had he stayed. Did he leave so that we could become better? No, of course not. However, where we are at now is the silver lining.

Watching games of him in Philadelphia was harsh. It got a little easier as time went on. Occasionally an NBA Classic game would come on and feature the 2005-06 team. I'm watching the game and loving every minute of Brand being that work horse for us during that special season, but feeling a little conflicted knowing that he would spurn us a couple years later. As I reminisced, I acknowledged that he spent the prime years of his career with the Clippers. He gave his all every night on the court. He didn't dog it. Nobody wanted to be a Clipper during those days. It was either a place you were trying to escape or a place where you went to watch your basketball career die. A true laughing stock and snakebitten franchise in perpetual misery. Brand was Mr. Consistent, but often overlooked because of the likes of Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Webber, etc. Now, what many of us were so quick to point out and defend then, many of us choose to overlook and disregard now. I think that he was underappreciated by the casual NBA fan during his time and what he did for us has been underappreciated because of what he did to us.

As I said, it's all water under the bridge to me now. Earlier this summer, we had a close call with DeAndre Jordan. Like Elton Brand, there was probably some heavy agent manipulation involved. This time it was Dan Fegan, but then it was David Falk. That's just another reason for me not to harbor in any will. Many players have said/done things in the heat of the moment, but it can all change when they have time to reflect. They don't necessarily continue to view their time here as time served in a prison sentence, but maybe as the good old days.

I enjoyed watching him and rooting for him and I wish him nothing but the best in his post-NBA career.

[thanumba2clippersfan]

Well said MK. I actually thought Brand would try to play one more season. Even though he spurned us it didn't take me long to get over it. (Probably because he's from the same area in NY that I'm from.) It hurt that he left us but as MK said we never would have got Blake Griffin if Brand had stayed. Looking back on it now I'm glad we had him for his prime years. He was pretty much a shell of himself in Philly. I don't know if the Clippers will retire his jersey one day, but I think it's deserved. It's hard for me to say if more Clipper fans will ever forgive him.

[nickhx2]

the feelings for some are probably still strong. but it's the equivalent of your ex-wife leaving you for another guy and you finding a younger, way prettier, way more fun girl who is a way better match for you.

i hated him for a while, but really it's all just business. i think if possible, make peace with it and don't hold onto any hate because we're all in a pretty good place now.

[Quake Griffin]

Good for him.

He should have retiring as a Sixer

[mkwest]

I don't know if the Clippers will retire his jersey one day, but I think it's deserved. It's hard for me to say if more Clipper fans will ever forgive him.

I still feel that Bob McAdoo and Randy Smith should get some kind of acknowledgement from the organization. With Brand, if something were to be done, I think it would have to be further on down the line. I think he would have to reingratiate himself to the fanbase.

[Quake Griffin]

I don't know if the Clippers will retire his jersey one day, but I think it's deserved. It's hard for me to say if more Clipper fans will ever forgive him.

I still feel that Bob McAdoo and Randy Smith should get some kind of acknowledgement from the organization. With Brand, if something were to be done, I think it would have to be further on down the line. I think he would have to reingratiate himself to the fanbase.

He's a Judas bruh.
How you gon leave us high and dry like that and then try to come back and be treated like royalty without any rites of passage (meaning I agree with you)?

I can't even remember everything that far back….but I do remember Mike Dunleavy going on ESPN and saying he told his agent to write up the language they wanted in the contract and the Clips would sign it. I've never forgiven Brand since.


He can't walk back here just because we got lucky with the lotto and Stern saw the Laker deal was some bull.
Nah. Sell some ticket packages at $8/hr bruh. Do some scouting for the Clips. Recruit for the squad like Chandler Parsons. But you can't come back here just because we got lucky. hell nah. foh.

[mkwest]

He's a Judas bruh.
How you gon leave us high and dry like that and then try to come back and be treated like royalty without any rites of passage (meaning I agree with you)?

I can't even remember everything that far back….but I do remember Mike Dunleavy going on ESPN and saying he told his agent to write up the language they wanted in the contract and the Clips would sign it. I've never forgiven Brand since.


He can't walk back here just because we got lucky with the lotto and Stern saw the Laker deal was some bull.
Nah. Sell some ticket packages at $8/hr bruh. Do some scouting for the Clips. Recruit for the squad like Chandler Parsons. But you can't come back here just because we got lucky. hell nah. foh.

From my recollection, Brand told Dunleavy that he wanted $75M with an ETO on the final year. That along with BD and it was a done deal. Dunleavy had basically bypassed David Falk and was communicating directly with Brand. Falk already had a vendetta against the organization and then was being pushed out of these negotiations. He wasn't having that. Once he really got involved, he cut off communication between Dunleavy and Brand. Dunleavy said that it was silent afterward. Dunleavy voiced his side and was never shot down from Brand or Falk in interviews. That would lead me to believe his version was accurate for the most part.

[Ranma]

From my recollection, Brand told Dunleavy that he wanted $75M with an ETO on the final year. That along with BD and it was a done deal. Dunleavy had basically bypassed David Falk and was communicating directly with Brand. Falk already had a vendetta against the organization and then was being pushed out of these negotiations. He wasn't having that. Once he really got involved, he cut off communication between Dunleavy and Brand. Dunleavy said that it was silent afterward. Dunleavy voiced his side and was never shot down from Brand or Falk in interviews. That would lead me to believe his version was accurate for the most part.

So Brand was Falk's beyotch? I thought the agent was supposed to represent his client's wishes and not push for his own agenda. As the Dallas-DJ situation showed, if a player truly wants to stick with his convictions and go with his heart, he'll find a way even if it means circumventing his own agent. So DJ, the mental midget, has more of a spine than Benedict Brand? Yeah, that is something worthy of respect. Brand showed he was nothing more than a tool used to further someone else's agenda instead of his own best interest.

He worked an arrangement with Dunleavy so that the Clippers had to also commit to Baron Davis presumably so the two could work movie deals together more so than to create some chemistry on the court. He left the organization high and dry for less money to play elsewhere. Seriously, why sign with an agent with a known vendetta against the Clips if you're going to leave money on the table?

If a guy stabs you in the back--either literally or figuratively--then walks away, I for one, wouldn't forgive him or welcome him back into my house just because I survived the experience and went on to have a better life without him.

[playaloc916]

I guess I've mostly forgiven him. I agree that the way he left was pretty bad, but he did have some special years with us. The guy was an MVP candidate at one point, and was solid for us during that playoff run. I guess any grudge gradually disappeared as his career went on a pretty sharp decline after he left. There wasn't enough time to really harbour that much of a grudge. And of course, with no Brand departure, there is no Blake, CP3, etc...

Somewhat similar is the Vince Carter situation. The only difference was that Carter still had quite a few productive years with the Nets, and even was a big part in eliminating his former team during the playoffs. He was booed pretty badly whenever he returned to Toronto. But I think it was last year, the Raptors had some ex-Raptors appreciation night, and there was a little promo of Carter (they were playing the Grizzlies that night). He mostly had pleasant things to say about his time in Toronto. First the crowd mostly booed, but then they started cheering, and Carter actually started to cry. The point is that him still being relevant for a few years allowed strong emotions to continue. But with Brand, his injuries and lack of media attention made him a essentially a non-factor not too long after he screwed us.