The Official Site of LaMarcus Aldridge

The Journey

LaMarcus Nurae Aldridge was born July 19th, 1985, in Dallas, Texas. Despite the incredible talent he showcases today, LaMarcus wasn’t always a star on the basketball court. He didn’t start playing basketball until 4th grade, and the game didn’t come easily to him. When he was young, he was usually the tallest kid out on the court, but often times, the last one picked. Standing at 6’7” by the time he was in middle school, LaMarcus relied on his height to make up for his lack of coordination and lack of skill. LaMarcus credits his older brother LaVontae for turning him into the player he is today because LaVontae stressed the importance of fundamentals. He taught him that he couldn’t rely on just his height to be a great basketball player. Taking the advice to heart LaMarcus applied himself to rounding out his game by working on his footwork, post moves, hook shot, jump shot, and defensive skills.

By the time LaMarcus entered Seagoville High School, he had grown into his body and possessed a scary arsenal of moves for a person of his size. The four year starter needed little time to become an impact on his high school team. During his sophomore season, LaMarcus really started turning heads with his performances against current NBA all-star Chris Bosh. During two contests with the Dallas Lincoln senior, LaMarcus averaged 23 points and 13 boards per game. He showed the world that, as a sophomore, he could handle his own against one of the top prep players in the nation.

During his junior season, LaMarcus averaged 27 points, 13.4 boards, and 4.1 blocks per game. LaMarcus’s domination of the Dallas area competition led him to be named to Team USA in the Junior World Championships in Douai, France. Playing on the world stage was a great experience for LaMarcus who carried that momentum into another impressive campaign during his senior season. As a senior, LaMarcus averaged 29 points and 13 rebounds while leading his team to the District 10-4A title and the quarterfinals of the state tournament. He was a McDonald’s All-American, a two-time all state selection, and the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 4A Player of the Year as a senior.

Despite all of his success on the court, LaMarcus remained a strong student. He was a National Honor Society member and was named the Dallas ISD Scholar-Athlete of the Year following his senior season. After finishing up high school, LaMarcus had to decide whether to attend the University of Texas or take his talents to the NBA. After weighing the options with his family, and listening to an endorsement for going to college by Shaquille O’Neal, LaMarcus opted to become a Longhorn.

LaMarcus got off to a strong start at UT, starting in the team’s first 16 games, but suffered a season ending left hip injury against Nebraska. LaMarcus was healthy by his sophomore season and impressed the coaches with his dedication and work. Longhorns coach Rick Barnes commented on LaMarcus’s determination by saying, “I’ve never had a player work harder to get better.” Determined to show what he was capable of, LaMarcus had a solid sophomore season, averaging averaged 15.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. When the NCAA tournament came rolling around, LaMarcus impressed fans everywhere with his best play of the year while leading the 30-7 Longhorns to an Elite Eight appearance. At the year’s end, he was named a third team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

After his sophomore season LaMarcus elected to skip his remaining two years of college and enter the NBA draft. The allure of the 6-11 man with great court vision, a smooth jump shot, and a 7’5” wingspan was too much for the Portland Trailblazers to resist. They traded up to the second spot and chose LaMarcus Aldridge to lead the Blazers back to the promised land. Although the season did not go as well as he would have hoped, LaMarcus developed into the starting center for the Trail Blazers by February. As a starter, he averaged 14.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. His 2007 rookie campaign earned him a spot on the 2007 All-Rookie first team. Shockingly, during the end of the season, LaMarcus was diagnosed with a heart ailment called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. He missed the latter part of his rookie season but responded well in the 2007-08 campaign, establishing himself as one of the premier young bigs in the game today. In 2007-08 LaMarcus raised his minutes per game as well as his points, rebounds, and blocks per game on the way to finishing third in the voting for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. LaMarcus is looking to carry that momentum into the 2008-09 season while carrying the Blazers into the post season.