LaMarcus Aldridge

At 38 years old, LaMarcus Aldridge has this physical status:

LaMarcus Nurae Aldridge (born July 19, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The power forward played college basketball for two seasons with the Texas Longhorns.

Aldridge was selected second overall in the 2006 NBA draft.

After spending nine seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, he signed with the Spurs in 2015.

He has been selected to five All-NBA teams and is a seven-time NBA All-Star.

He is widely known for his signature fadeaway jump shot.

Personal life

Aldridge and his ex-partner have a son together, who was born in 2009. His second son was born in 2011.

Aldridge's cousin, Marlon Hairston, is a midfielder for Columbus Crew SC of Major League Soccer.

In 2007, Aldridge was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart ailment. He missed the rest of the 2006–07 regular season in order to monitor the problem and correct it. Prior to the 2011–12 season, Aldridge once again underwent surgery to correct complications associated with his heart condition.

Aldridge has appeared in two episodes of Portlandia: season 2 episode 8, attending the 10th anniversary of the bookstore Women and Women First with Penny Marshall, and season 4 episode 7, "Trail Blazers".

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High school career

Aldridge attended Seagoville High School, where he was named second-team Parade All-American and Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. (TABC) Class 4A Player of the Year.

Aldridge, who was described as the No. 1 by Rivals.com, was ranked as the best recruit by that time. The best center and the no. In 2004, the nation's 16 players made the most recognizable appearance.

College career

Aldridge attended the University of Texas at Austin. He registered for the 2004 NBA draft but he later withdrew his name. According to one story, Aldridge's decision to attend college rather than rising to the pro ranks directly from high school was influenced by Shaquille O'Neal's personal instruction that he attend college and analyze his NBA prospects. However, Aldridge, who was also a member of the Longhorns, announced in April 2006 that he would leave college to join the 2006 NBA draft.

Professional career

Aldridge was drafted second overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, only to have his rights transferred to the Portland Trail Blazers for their pick, Tyrus Thomas, and Viktor Khryapa shortly thereafter. In the 2005 Eddy Curry trade, the Bulls obtained the pick from the New York Knicks.

Aldridge missed the first seven games of the 2006–07 NBA season due to off-season shoulder surgery, but he recovered ahead of schedule due in part to an injury to fellow rookie teammate Brandon Roy. Aldridge had an immediate impact on offense, scoring 8.4 percent on 54% shooting from the field for his first 14 games. Starting center Joel Przybilla's absence in February 2007 to season-ending knee surgery, Aldridge was given the starting center position and boosted his scoring to 14.7 points per game during the month of March. Roy was ranked second in the Western Conference Rookie of the Month poll. Aldridge was admitted to Providence Hospital in Portland, Calif., for shortness of breath and irregular heartbeat in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 31, 2007. On April 9, he was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson–White syndrome and missed the remainder of the 2006-07 season. Aldridge played in 22 games in his rookie season.

Aldridge was one of six players selected to the 2007 NBA All-Rookie first team, finishing fifth with Toronto Raptors player Jorge Garbajosa.

Aldridge improved his play in his second season, shootings, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals, finishing third in the NBA Most Improved Player Award poll. Aldridge suffered with plantar fasciitis this season, causing him to miss games from December 11 to 18, 2007. After the time was off, Aldridge had some issues with the foot but was able to play effectively.

Aldridge was inconsistent to start the season, adjusting to more defensive strain. He called the first 15 games "the worst funk" of his life, but the season progressed.

Aldridge's offensive game evolved over the course of the season, but he was still relying heavily on his midrange fadeaway shot. He finished the season with 18.1 points and 7.5 rebounds. In half of the season's last 28 games, Aldridge scored over 20 points in half of the season. Aldridge played a complete season in the league for his first season in the league, missing only one game.

Aldridge signed a five-year, $65 million contract extension with Portland in late October. The Trail Blazers finalized a five-year, $80 million contract with All-Star Brandon Roy before committing to Aldridge.

Aldridge's numbers were similar to those of previous seasons. Greg Oden sustained a season-ending injury early in December. As a result, Aldridge has more minutes and offensive opportunities.

After Brandon Roy went out with knee pains in December 2010, Aldridge began to play both a player and a leader. Despite Portland's "send LA to LA" initiative, Aldridge's nickname is "L-A" – he did not make it to the Western Conference squad, and despite the city's "send LA to LA" scheme – the NBA All-Star game was in Los Angeles, and Aldridge's nickname is "L-A" – Aldridge was unable to be selected to the Western Conference team. He was named NBA Player of the Week for January 17–23 and February 7-13, but he scored a career-high 42 points against the Chicago Bulls on February 7, 2011. He received the NBA Player of the Month award for the first Blazers since Clyde Drexler (1991) and Kelvin Ransey (1981) on March 2. Aldridge finished second behind Kevin Love for the Most Improved Player Award, and he was voted to the All-NBA Third Team with 135 votes.

The 2011–12 season did not begin until Christmas Day 2011, owing to the lockout. Blazer fans were hoping that the three stars in their "Rise With Us" promotional campaign (Aldridge, Roy, and Greg Oden) would finally play together for a "full" season. Roy, who suffered from persistent knee injuries as a result of a lack of cartilage in them, had only played in 82 games in the last four seasons, but Oden, who had only played in 82 games in the previous four seasons, was devastated once more. In 2012, Aldridge was selected as a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star team.

Aldridge lost 95–87 to the Atlanta Hawks on November 12, 2012, recording a career-high eight assists. Aldridge was named an All-Star for the second time in his career in 2013. He averaged 21.1 points per game, a career-high 9.1 rebounds per game, and also posted a career-best 2.6 assists per game in 37.7 minutes per game. For the second year in a row, the Trail Blazers went 33–49 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.

Despite trade rumors during the 2013 offseason, Aldridge expressed his desire to remain in Portland while still calling for changes to the Blazers' roster. Aldridge's eighth NBA season was a success, with five straight double-doubles from November 9 to 17. Aldridge was involved in an altercation with Warriors center Andrew Bogut after being entangled with Joel Freeland on November 23, 2013. He was fined $45,000 for escalating the incident on November 25, according to the newspaper. For the fourth time in his career, Aldridge was named Western Conference Player of the Week on the same day. The award came during Aldridge's 11-game win streak, during which the Blazers gained 21.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game. Aldridge scored 31 points and grabbed a career-high 25 rebounds in a 111-104 victory over the Houston Rockets on December 12, 2013, becoming the first player in Portland Trail Blazers franchise history to have at least 30 points and 25 rebounds in a game. In a 110-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets on January 23, 2014, Aldridge scored a career-high 44 points, as well as 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks.

The Trail Blazers went 31-10 in the first two months of the 2014 season, almost staying near the top of the Western Conference for the first three months of the season and making a push for a return to the playoffs. Damian Lillard, a teammate, was selected as a reserve for the 2014 NBA All-Star Game, his third straight appearance. He came in fifth place in front-court fan voting, receiving over 600,000 votes.

During a game against the San Antonio Spurs on March 12, 2014, Aldridge sustained a lower back contusion during the third quarter. He missed the next seven games but returned in time to help the Blazers win their 30th playoff appearance and first since 2011.

In Game 1 of the playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers, Aldridge set a new career high and franchise playoff record of 46 points, as well as 18 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks, which culminated in a 122–120 overtime victory for the Portland Trail Blazers. Aldridge tallied 43 points and 8 rebounds in Game 2 of the Blazers' series against the Houston Rockets on April 23, 2014. Michael Jordan, Jerry West, Allen Iverson, and Tracy McGrady were the only players in NBA history to score 89 or more points in the first two games of a playoff series. Houston, Aldridge's averaged 29.8 points and more than 2.5 blocks per game over the entire six-game series. In the next series against the Spurs, Aldridge struggled, shooting just 41.7 percent from the field, as the Blazers were humiliated in five games. Aldridge finished 2014 with a winning three Western Conference Player of the Week award, free-throw percentage, defensive rebounds, and double-doubles.

Aldridge defeated Terry Porter for second on the franchise's all-time scoring list with 11,333 career points in a game against the Detroit Pistons on December 9, 2014. Aldridge, who had been leading Portland in the first half of the season with averages of 23.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, was forced to miss six to eight weeks on January 23, 2015. However, he missed just two games after opting against surgery and returning to the starting lineup against the Washington Wizards on January 24, scoring 26 points in a victory that came after two losses with him sidelined. After being selected as a frontcourt reserve for his fourth straight NBA All-Star Game appearance on January 29, Aldridge was named as a starter by Western Conference All-Star head coach Steve Kerr on February 14, replacing the injured Anthony Davis.

Aldridge made history by posting 10 against the Orlando Magic on March 20, 2015. In the meantime, the Blazers were cooling after a 30–11 record in the first 41 games of the season, when shooting guard Wesley Matthews, whom Aldridge referred to as "the center and soul" of the Trail Blazers, tore his Achilles tendon against the Dallas Mavericks on March 5 and missed the remainder of the season and playoffs. The Blazers went 21-20 in their last 41 games, defeating the Blazers. In five games, the short-handed Blazers were outplayed and outmatched by the Memphis Grizzlies. Aldridge averaged 23.4 points per game, made a league-best 659 field goals, and was selected to the All-NBA Second Team in 2016.

Aldridge and the San Antonio Spurs announced on July 9, 2015, a four-year, $80 million contract. Despite Bruce Bowen's exclusion of Aldridge after being acquired by the Spurs, the number 12 jersey was still on display. Bowen allowed Aldridge and the Spurs to unretire the number for him. In the team's season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 28, he made his Spurs debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In a 112–106 loss, he had 11 points and 5 rebounds in less than 32 minutes of action. In a 113-101 victory over his former team, he returned to Portland for the first time as a Spur, scoring 23 points and 6 rebounds. In a 107–92 victory over the Orlando Magic, he scored a season-high 28 points, assisting the Spurs in their 35th straight home game (dating to March 2015), good for their sixth-best streak in league history. In a 110-97 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, he tied for his season-high mark two days later, scoring 36 points. With the win, the Spurs improved to 27-0 at home to start the season, snapping a tie with the 1977–78 Portland Trail Blazers for the best home start among Western Conference teams. He was named Western Conference Player of the Week for Monday, February 1 to Sunday, February 7. While shooting.597 (37–62), he scored 26.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks, the Spurs went 4–0 this week.

After dislocating his right pinkie finger on April 7, it bothered him for the remainder of the season and the playoffs. As the No. 2 in the United States, he is the No. 2. In the first round of the Western Conference, the Spurs faced a depleted Memphis Grizzlies team. Aldridge scored 17 points in a Game 1 win. In the first round, the Spurs defeated the Grizzlies to advance to the conference semi-finals, where they met the Oklahoma City Thunder. Aldridge won by 124–92 after scoring a game-high 38 points on 18-of-23 shooting in Game 1 of the series against the Thunder. In a Game 2 loss, he overtook it by scoring 41 points.

In a 129-100 victory over the Golden State Warriors in the Spurs' season opener on October 25, 2016, Aldridge had 26 points and 14 rebounds. He made his best appearance against the Chicago Bulls on December 25. In a 119-110 victory over the Bulls, Aldridge had his second-highest scoring output as a Spur, earning his second-highest scoring output as a Spur. In the first quarter, he made his first nine attempts while scoring 20 points, his highest in any quarter with the Spurs. Due to the occurrence of a minor heart arrhythmia, he was barred from an indefinite period on March 11, 2017. He was medically cleared to return on March 15. Aldridge lost 110-106 to the Portland Trail Blazers in his first game back that night. As a result, Aldridge scored 1,000 points in their 10th straight season, beating LeBron James and Dwyane Wade as the only active players (at the time) with that streak.

The Spurs eliminated the Houston Rockets 114–75 in Game 6 of their second-round playoff series on May 11, 2017, defeating Aldridge's season-high 34 points. Aldridge had failed to qualify in the second round of his previous six postseason trips. He was also the first Spur to score 34 points with 12 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns in 2008. In the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs continued to lose in a clean sweep. With his second eight-point victory against the Warriors, Aldridge brought an unfortunate run to an end. He started Game 4 averaging 18 points, but in the series finale, he was restricted to 4-for-11 shooting in 22 minutes.

Aldridge signed a three-year, $72.3 million contract extension with the Spurs on October 16, 2017, with only $7 million guaranteed in the final year of the contract extension. In a 107-99 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Aldridge had 25 points and ten rebounds in the Spurs' season opener. In a 97-91 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on November 14, 2017, he scored a season-high 32 points. In a 115-108 victory over the Mavericks on November 27, 2017, he set a new season high with 33 points. In a 104-95 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, he set his San Antonio record with 41 points. He was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve on January 23, 2018, becoming the first Spurs player to play in San Antonio's rookie season to make the All-Star team since Artis Gilmore in 1986. Aldridge recovered from his 7,000th career slump in the Philadelphia 76ers' 97-78 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, becoming the NBA's first player with 16,000-plus rebounds since being drafted in 2006. In a 117-101 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 17, 2018, he had a 39-point effort. Aldridge, the only player to win the Washington Wizards since he started his career in 2006, became the 27th player in league history with 900-plus blocks and 16,000-plus points in his career on March 21, 2018. In a 124-120 overtime victory over the Utah Jazz, he had a career-high 45 points in a career-high victory. Manu Ginóbili had 28 points against Cleveland in 2008, the most by a Spurs in a half since Manu Ginóbili had 28 points against Cleveland. Aldridge scored a game-high 34 points in Game 2 of the Spurs' first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, defeating the 116-101 loss. In five games, the Spurs lost the series.

In a 112-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Spurs' season opener on October 17, Aldridge scored 21 points and 19 rebounds. In a 143-142 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on October 22, he had 37 points and 10 rebounds. In a 122-111 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on December 29, he scored 38 points. In a 154-147 double-overtime victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 10, 2019, he scored a career-high 56 points in a career-high victory. He was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve on January 31, 2019. In a 113-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on February 2, he had 25 points and 14 rebounds, bringing total victory to 18,000 points and 7,500 rebounds since 2006 (the year he was drafted). In a 115-98 victory over the Boston Celtics on March 24, he had 48 points and 13 rebounds.

Aldridge scored his 8,000th career victory in a game against the Golden State Warriors. He was the first NBA player to score 18,000 or more points and pull 8,000 or more rebounds since 2006. In a winning bid, Aldridge scored a season-high 39 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 7, 2019. The San Antonio Spurs announced on June 8, 2020, Aldridge had undergone an arthroscopic subpoena and rotator cuff debridement on his right shoulder, and he will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season.

Aldridge missed eight of San Antonio's final 11 games before the NBA All-Star break due to hip and quadriceps injuries. They were 6–2 in the games he missed, and he was 6–2 in the games he missed. In the three games he played, he was a reserve, the first time he was off the bench since he was a rookie with Portland. Aldridge and the Spurs mutually agreed that he did not return to the team after the break, and that he was given permission to try out other teams. In 25.9 minutes per game, he was averaging 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds. Aldridge and San Antonio signed a labor buyout deal on March 25, 2021.

Aldridge signed with the Brooklyn Nets on March 28, 2021. In a 111-89 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on April 1, he made his Nets debut with 11 points, nine rebounds, and a season-high six assists. Aldridge resigned on April 15, citing health issues as a result of an irregular heartbeat.

Aldridge re-signed with the Nets on September 3, 2021, after being granted medical clearance to return to play professional basketball. In a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on October 22, Aldridge scored a season-high 23 points. In a 105-98 victory over the Indiana Pacers on October 29, Aldridge scored 21 points, his highest mark in his career.

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