Travis Best
Encyclopedia
Travis Eric Best is an American
former professional basketball
player, who played in the NBA
and in Europe
.
in Springfield, Massachusetts and played basketball there. During his senior season, Best scored a state record 81 points in a single game. In the next game, he scored 50 points. With then-sophomore teammate Edgar Padilla, a future UMass
standout, Best led his team to the state championship. After considering both UConn and The University of Virginia, Best chose Georgia Tech
. Best participated in the 1991 McDonald's All-American Game, played at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and featuring NBA players Glenn Robinson
, Chris Webber
, Jalen Rose
, Juwan Howard
, Alan Henderson
, Cherokee Parks
and Donyell Marshall
. He was also named a Parade All-American and participated in that year's McDonald's Capital Classic as a member of the "U.S. All-Stars", alongside Webber and Parks.
(ACC), and helped to lead the Yellow Jackets to the 1993 ACC Tournament Championship
, its first since 1990. He would go on to excel as one of the league's premier players and was named to the ACC's Third Team as a sophomore, earning Second Team honors as both a junior and senior. He also led the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio and free throw percentage as a senior, while capturing ACC Player of the Week honors a league-record five times. Over a stretch of 10 games in 1995, during which Forrest was inactive due to an ankle injury, Best picked up the slack, averaging over 25 points per game. Upon graduation, Best ranked in the top six in Tech history in points, assists, minutes, 3-point field goals made and steals, finishing as one of only three ACC players to score over 2,000 points and tally over 600 assists (UNC's Phil Ford and Maryland's Greivis Vasquez
are the other two) in a career. He also earned honorable mention All-American honors from The Associated Press while also receiving a nomination for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, given to the best player in the nation under 6 feet (1.8 m).
by the Indiana Pacers
. He has played for the Pacers, the Chicago Bulls
, the Miami Heat
, the Dallas Mavericks
and the New Jersey Nets
, averaging 7.6 points and 3.5 assists per game.
After taking several years to adjust to the nightly competition of the NBA, Best found his niche and became a vital back-up at the point guard position on the 1999-2000 Indiana Pacers team that went to the 2000 NBA Finals
. Best hit the game winning 3-pointer in the decisive fifth game against the Milwaukee Bucks
in the first round of the playoffs. During Best's last half season with the Pacers he was unhappy that he was passed over as starting point guard (Jamaal Tinsley
got the spot). During that season he requested a trade and was granted a trade to the Chicago Bulls
. In the trade the Bulls sent Ron Artest
, Brad Miller, Ron Mercer
and Kevin Ollie
to the Pacers for Best, Jalen Rose
and Norman Richardson
, as well as a future second-round pick.
Travis Best was represented by Gary Ebert in his career as a basketball player.
Best had a small role in the 1998 Spike Lee
film He Got Game
, which also featured NBA players Ray Allen
, Walter McCarty
, John Wallace, and Rick Fox
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former 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 played in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
High school career
Best attended Springfield Central High SchoolSpringfield Central High School
Springfield Central High School is a public high school located in Springfield, Massachusetts.[1] The high school is home to grades 9–12. Central High School is the most popular high school in Springfield its has about 2000 and higher students.-History:...
in Springfield, Massachusetts and played basketball there. During his senior season, Best scored a state record 81 points in a single game. In the next game, he scored 50 points. With then-sophomore teammate Edgar Padilla, a future UMass
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
standout, Best led his team to the state championship. After considering both UConn and The University of Virginia, Best chose Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
. Best participated in the 1991 McDonald's All-American Game, played at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and featuring NBA players Glenn Robinson
Glenn Robinson
Glenn A. "Big Dog" Robinson is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He last played during the 2004–05 season.-Early life:...
, Chris Webber
Chris Webber
Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee...
, Jalen Rose
Jalen Rose
Jalen Anthony Rose is a retired American professional basketball player, who currently works as a sports analyst for the sports television network ESPN...
, Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard
Juwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets...
, Alan Henderson
Alan Henderson
Alan Lybrooks Henderson is an American former professional basketball player of the NBA. He stands 6'9" tall. Henderson attended Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Indiana. They lost the Indiana State title game his senior year to Glenn Robinson's Gary Roosevelt squad...
, Cherokee Parks
Cherokee Parks
Cherokee Bryan Parks is an American professional basketball player.A 6' 11" , 240 lbs center, Parks played his college basketball at Duke University under coach Mike Krzyzewski and won the 1992 national title during his freshman year...
and Donyell Marshall
Donyell Marshall
Donyell Lamar Marshall is a retired American professional basketball player, at the small forward and power forward positions. During his extensive NBA career, he played with eight different teams...
. He was also named a Parade All-American and participated in that year's McDonald's Capital Classic as a member of the "U.S. All-Stars", alongside Webber and Parks.
Collegiate career
At Georgia Tech, Best teamed with fellow McDonald's All-American James Forrest for four years, to become one half of a potent inside-outside combo in the always-competitive Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC), and helped to lead the Yellow Jackets to the 1993 ACC Tournament Championship
ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The ACC Men's Basketball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in basketball for the Atlantic Coast Conference . The tournament has been held every year since 1954, one year after the conference's creation. It is a single-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season...
, its first since 1990. He would go on to excel as one of the league's premier players and was named to the ACC's Third Team as a sophomore, earning Second Team honors as both a junior and senior. He also led the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio and free throw percentage as a senior, while capturing ACC Player of the Week honors a league-record five times. Over a stretch of 10 games in 1995, during which Forrest was inactive due to an ankle injury, Best picked up the slack, averaging over 25 points per game. Upon graduation, Best ranked in the top six in Tech history in points, assists, minutes, 3-point field goals made and steals, finishing as one of only three ACC players to score over 2,000 points and tally over 600 assists (UNC's Phil Ford and Maryland's Greivis Vasquez
Greivis Vasquez
Greivis Vásquez is a Venezuelan basketball player with the Memphis Grizzlies, who selected him in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft. He was chosen after a stellar U.S. college career with the University of Maryland men's basketball team...
are the other two) in a career. He also earned honorable mention All-American honors from The Associated Press while also receiving a nomination for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, given to the best player in the nation under 6 feet (1.8 m).
Professional career
Best was drafted 23rd overall in the 1995 NBA Draft1995 NBA Draft
The 1995 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1995 at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It marked the first NBA draft for the two Canadian expansion teams, Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies...
by the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. He has played for the Pacers, the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
, the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
, the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
and 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...
, averaging 7.6 points and 3.5 assists per game.
After taking several years to adjust to the nightly competition of the NBA, Best found his niche and became a vital back-up at the point guard position on the 1999-2000 Indiana Pacers team that went to the 2000 NBA Finals
2000 NBA Finals
The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1999-2000 National Basketball Association season. The Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference took on the Indiana Pacers of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Lakers holding home court advantage...
. Best hit the game winning 3-pointer in the decisive fifth game against the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
in the first round of the playoffs. During Best's last half season with the Pacers he was unhappy that he was passed over as starting point guard (Jamaal Tinsley
Jamaal Tinsley
Jamaal Lee Tinsley is an American professional basketball player. Tinsley was drafted out of Iowa State University by the Vancouver Grizzlies with the 27th pick of the 2001 NBA Draft, and was immediately dealt to the Atlanta Hawks, and then on to the Indiana Pacers on draft night...
got the spot). During that season he requested a trade and was granted a trade to the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
. In the trade the Bulls sent Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
, Brad Miller, Ron Mercer
Ron Mercer
Ronald Eugene Mercer is a former American basketball player at the University of Kentucky who also had a career in the National Basketball Association; the last time he played was for the New Jersey Nets in 2005.-Basketball career:...
and Kevin Ollie
Kevin Ollie
Kevin Jermaine Ollie is an American former professional basketball player. He played for eleven National Basketball Association franchises in thirteen seasons...
to the Pacers for Best, Jalen Rose
Jalen Rose
Jalen Anthony Rose is a retired American professional basketball player, who currently works as a sports analyst for the sports television network ESPN...
and Norman Richardson
Norman Richardson
Charles Norman Richardson is an American professional basketball player. A 6'5" 190/200 lb shooting guard, played college basketball at Hofstra University and had a brief stint in the NBA in 2001-02....
, as well as a future second-round pick.
Travis Best was represented by Gary Ebert in his career as a basketball player.
Best had a small role in the 1998 Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
film He Got Game
He Got Game
He Got Game is a 1998 American sports-drama film written and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as Jake Shuttlesworth, a prison inmate convicted for killing his wife...
, which also featured NBA players Ray Allen
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...
, Walter McCarty
Walter McCarty
Walter Lee McCarty is an American former basketball player who played for the NBA's New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers....
, John Wallace, and Rick Fox
Rick Fox
Ulrich Alexander "Rick" Fox is a Canadian television actor and retired professional basketball player who last played for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in 2004.-Early life:...
.