Cherokee Parks

This article is about the American former professional basketball player. For the park in Louisville, see Cherokee Park. For the neighborhood in Lexington, see Cherokee Park, Lexington.
Cherokee Parks
Personal information
Born (1972-10-11) October 11, 1972 (age 52)
Huntington Beach, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolMarina
(Huntington Beach, California)
CollegeDuke (1991–1995)
NBA draft1995: 1st round, 12th overall pick
Selected by the Dallas Mavericks
Playing career1995–2013
PositionCenter / power forward
Number4, 44, 1, 18
Career history
1995–1996Dallas Mavericks
1996–1998Minnesota Timberwolves
1998–2000Vancouver Grizzlies
2000Washington Wizards
2000–2001Los Angeles Clippers
2001–2002San Antonio Spurs
2002–2003Los Angeles Clippers
2003Golden State Warriors
2011–2013U. S. Aubenas
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
Goodwill Games
Bronze medal – third place 1994 St. Petersburg National team
FIBA U21 World Championship
Gold medal – first place 1993 Valladolid National team
FIBA U19 World Championship
Gold medal – first place 1991 Edmonton National team

Cherokee Bryan Parks (born October 11, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. He played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

A 6 ft 11 in (211 cm), 240 lb (109 kg) center, Parks played college basketball at Duke University under coach Mike Krzyzewski and won the 1992 national title during his freshman year. After college, he was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1st round (12th overall pick) of the 1995 NBA draft. In his nine-season NBA career (1995–2004), he played for the Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Vancouver Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards, and Golden State Warriors. He averaged career-highs of 7.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during the 1997–98 season with Minnesota.[1] Parks came out of retirement in 2011 to play in France.[2]

Parks had a stint as a team liaison for the New Orleans Pelicans, and is now in charge of Player Development in the NBA

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Parks said that his mother named him "Cherokee" because in 1972, when she was pregnant, "she learned that her husband's great-grandmother had been a full-blooded Cherokee."[3] Parks stated, "It was serious stuff...I was politically active then, and the name was a tribute."[3][4][5] His sister was the original bass player for the band Nashville Pussy.[6]

  1. ^ Cherokee Parks' career statistics. NBA.com. Retrieved on September 30, 2008.
  2. ^ Aubenas signs former Duke and NBA player Cherokee Parks
  3. ^ a b "Cherokee Parks". Sports Illustrated Vault | Si.com. Sports Illustrated Vault. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  4. ^ Cherokee Parks biography Archived January 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. NBA.com. Retrieved on September 30, 2008.
  5. ^ "Cherokee Parks' Inspirational Journey Back To Basketball". Slam Online. June 13, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  6. ^ By DBR Archives Jun 26, 2000, 8:00pm EDT (June 26, 2000). "Cherokee's Little Sister Rocks On!". Duke Basketball Report. Retrieved May 29, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)