Sean Rooks

Sean Lester Rooks (September 9, 1969 – June 7, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1992 to 2004, and was an Assistant for Player Development for the Philadelphia 76ers. He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats, earning all-conference honors in the Pac-10 (known later as the Pac-12) as a senior. Rooks died of heart disease on June 7, 2016.

Sean Rooks
Rooks, circa 1987
Personal information
Born(1969-09-09)September 9, 1969
New York City, New York
DiedJune 7, 2016(2016-06-07) (aged 46)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High schoolFontana (Fontana, California)
CollegeArizona (1988–1992)
NBA draft1992 / Round: 2 / Pick: 30th overall
Selected by the Dallas Mavericks
Playing career1992–2012
PositionCenter
Number45
Coaching career2007–2016
Career history
As player:
1992–1994Dallas Mavericks
1994–1996Minnesota Timberwolves
1996Atlanta Hawks
1996–1999Los Angeles Lakers
1999–2000Dallas Mavericks
2000–2003Los Angeles Clippers
2003–2004New Orleans Hornets
2004Orlando Magic
2005Unicaja Málaga
2005Joventut Badalona
2011–2012Los Angeles Slam
As coach:
2007–2008Bakersfield Jam (assistant)
2010–2011New Mexico Thunderbirds (assistant)
2012Sioux Falls Skyforce (assistant)
2012–2013Phoenix Suns (assistant)
2013–2016Sioux Falls Skyforce (assistant)
2014–2016Philadelphia 76ers (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points4,676 (6.2 ppg)
Rebounds2,877 (3.8 rpg)
Blocks499 (0.7 bpg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Early life

Rooks was born in New York, New York and attended Fontana High School in Fontana, California.[1] He played college basketball at the University of Arizona with Brian Williams and Ed Stokes.[2] Rooks was an All-American honorable mention.[3]

Playing career

The 6'10" center was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (30th overall pick) in the 1992 NBA Draft.[4] He was a starter for the Mavericks in his rookie season and then again in 1995 for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He also played for the Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, the New Orleans Hornets, and the Orlando Magic. Rooks played twelve seasons in the NBA between 1992 and 2004.

Coaching career

After retiring, Rooks moved into coaching and served as an assistant coach in the NBA Development League for the Bakersfield Jam (2007–2008), the New Mexico Thunderbirds (2010–2011) and the Sioux Falls Skyforce (from March 2012).[5] In 2012, he joined the Phoenix Suns' player development staff.[6] He resigned from the staff in January 2013 to taking a coaching position overseas.[7] From 2014 until his death, he was an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Personal life

Rooks had 2 children, a daughter Khayla, and a son, Kameron, who was a member of the 2013–14 California Golden Bears men's basketball team recruiting class at the University of California, Berkeley.[8][9]

Death

Rooks died of heart disease in Philadelphia on June 7, 2016,[10] hours after interviewing for a job on the New York Knicks coaching staff.[11]

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References
  1. "Sean Rooks". databaseBasketball.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  2. "#24 Greatest Wildcat of All Time: Sean Rooks". Arizona Wildcats Basketball. Archived from the original on January 5, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  3. "One-on-One with Sean Rooks". DailyWildcat.com. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  4. "Sean Rooks". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  5. "Phoenix Suns add Rooks, Hall-of-Famer Ralph Sampson to player development team". SB Nation. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  6. "Sean Rooks hired as player development coach in Phoenix". SB Nation. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  7. "New Suns coach Lindsey Hunter's staff up in the air". SB Nation. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  8. "Sean Rooks applauds son's choice of Cal". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  9. "#44 Kameron Rooks". Cal Athletics. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  10. "Ex-NBA player Sean Rooks, who interviewed for ass't gig with Knicks, reportedly died of heart disease". NYDailyNews.com.
  11. Schilken, Chuck (June 8, 2016). "Former Laker and Clipper Sean Rooks dies hours after interviewing for a job with the Knicks". LA Times. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
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