Morris Peterson 1345605 222929624 2008-07-01T20:00:15Z LOL 162210 [[WT:NBA#Career player statistics]] {{Cleanup|date=February 2008}} {{Infobox NBA Player | image = morris_peterson_z.jpg | name = Morris Peterson | nickname = Mo Pete, Mo P, Iron Man | position = [[shooting guard|Guard]]-[[small forward|Forward]] | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 7 | weight_lbs = 220 | league = [[NBA]] | team = [[New Orleans Hornets]] | number = 9 | nationality = USA | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|8|26}} | birth_place = [[Flint, Michigan]] | highschool = | college = [[Michigan State University|Michigan State]] | draft = 21st overall | draft_year = 2000 | draft_team = [[Toronto Raptors]] | career_start = 2000 | career_end = | former_teams = [[Toronto Raptors]] (2000–2007) | awards = 2001 [[NBA All-Rookie Team]] }} '''Morris Peterson Jr.''' (born [[August 26]] [[1977]] in [[Flint, Michigan]]) is an [[United States|American]] professional [[basketball]] player who currently plays for the [[New Orleans Hornets]] of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]. == College career == Peterson played [[college basketball|collegiate basketball]] at [[Michigan State University]], and helped lead them to the 2000 [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|NCAA title]]. He was selected 21st overall by the Raptors in the [[2000 NBA Draft]], and was a starter in the majority of their games his first three seasons. In his senior year at MSU, Peterson led the team in scoring, field goal percentage, and [[free throw]] percentage. He had a team-high 30 double-digit scoring efforts. He was voted [[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]] Player of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten, and he placed as first or second team All-American on five different polls. == NBA career == ===Toronto Raptors=== Drafted in the first round by the Raptors in 2000, Peterson was a fan favorite from the moment he stepped on the floor. While enjoying some early success in his professional career, Peterson's production faced a steady decline, before stepping up in the wake of the new era of Raptor youngsters being ushered in, taking on a more expansive leadership role and transforming himself into an elite perimeter defender, a clutch performer and consistent scorer. He is known for his three-point shooting, acrobatic shots, defense, and fearless driving to the basket. Nicknamed "'''Mo Pete'''", the left-hander is a cousin of the Raptors' [[1999 NBA Draft|1999 first-round draft]] pick [[Jonathan Bender]]. On [[December 28]], [[2005]], Peterson set a record for career games played as a Raptor, surpassing [[Alvin Williams]] with 418 games played. Peterson also leads the NBA in longest consecutive games played, appearing in 371 straight until [[November 22]] [[2006]], when he missed his first game in over four years. Peterson posted career highs in points and rebounds averaging 16.8 points and 4.6 rebounds and threw in 2.3 assists per game through 82 games played in the [[2005-06 NBA season|2005–06 season]]. Perhaps the biggest highlight of his career occurred against the [[Washington Wizards]] on [[March 30]] [[2007]] in a game that helped determine the two teams' playoff seeding. The Raptors trailed 109–106 with only 3.8 seconds left and no timeouts remaining. The Wizards' [[Michael Ruffin]] intercepted the full-court pass and tried to toss the ball away in a celebration of an apparent win. But the ball slipped from his hands and was not thrown high enough. There was still enough time on the clock as Peterson grabbed the ball out of thin air and launched a "Hail Mary" three-pointer and sank it to send the game into overtime. The Raptors went on to defeat the Wizards, 123-118.<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=270330027 Peterson's heave helps Raptors top Wiz], March 30, 2007</ref> Another famous moment of his career was the photo taken of him hitting a lay-up blindfolded.<ref>[http://myspace-812.vo.llnwd.net/00441/21/88/441348812_l.jpg], blind lay-up,</ref> After signing Brian Colangelo, it became apparent that the re-building process of the Raptors would not include Peterson. It was only a matter of time before his contract expired in the summer of 2007 that he would be gone. ===New Orleans=== On [[July 13]] [[2007]], the [[New Orleans Hornets]] signed Peterson to a four-year contract, worth $23 million.[http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AgvzB2B2IxmriIZHxXE.6zB30bYF?slug=txhornetspeterson&prov=st&type=lgns] Peterson remains a fan favorite in Toronto, with his #24 jersey still seen often at the Air Canada Centre. ==Awards and honors== *'''[[NBA All-Rookie Team|NBA All-Rookie First Team]]''': 2001 ==Accolades== [[Image:Mo pete figure.JPG|thumb|right|180px|A commemorative figurine of Peterson was given out to Raptors fans during the 2006-07 season.]] * Career-high: [[March 31]], [[2006]] Peterson scored a career-best 38 points vs. the [[Phoenix Suns]]. * First-round draft choice (21st overall) by [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]] in 2000. * Has appeared in 19 playoff games, averaging 6.8 points. * Recorded his 800th career three-point field goal [[April 3, 2005]] vs. the [[Detroit Pistons]]. * Had a career-high 14 rebounds [[April 8]], [[2005]]. * Started the Toronto Raptors' active streak for three-point field goals made consecutively as a team. ==NBA career statistics== {{NBA player statistics legend}} : ''Correct as of 1 July 2008''<ref>[http://www.nba.com/playerfile/morris_peterson/career_stats.html Morris Peterson - Career Stats and Totals], nba.com, accessed [[16 November]] [[2007]].</ref> ==== Regular season ==== {{NBA player statistics start}} |- | align="left" | [[2000–01 NBA season|2000–01]] | align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]] | 80 || 49 || 22.6 || .431 || .382 || .717 || 3.2 || 1.3 || .8 || .2 || 9.3 |- | align="left" | [[2001–02 NBA season|2001–02]] | align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]] | 63 || 56 || 31.6 || '''.438''' || .364 || .751 || 3.5 || '''2.4''' || 1.2 || .2 || 14.0 |- | align="left" | [[2002–03 NBA season|2002–03]] | align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]] | '''82''' || '''80''' || 36.0 || .392 || .337 || .789 || 4.4 || 2.3 || 1.1 || '''.4''' || 14.1 |- | align="left" | [[2003–04 NBA season|2003–04]] | align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]] | '''82''' || 29 || 26.2 || .405 || .371 || .809 || 3.2 || 1.4 || 1.1 || .2 || 8.3 |- | align="left" | [[2004–05 NBA season|2004–05]] | align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]] | '''82''' || 61 || 30.6 || .420 || .385 || '''.832''' || 4.1 || 2.1 || 1.1 || .2 || 12.5 |- | align="left" | [[2005–06 NBA season|2005–06]] | align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]] | '''82''' || 77 || '''38.3''' || .436 || '''.395''' || .820 || '''4.6''' || 2.3 || '''1.3''' || .2 || '''16.8''' |- | align="left" | [[2006–07 NBA season|2006–07]] | align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]] | 71 || 12 || 21.3 || .429 || .359 || .683 || 3.3 || .7 || .6 || .2 || 8.9 |- | align="left" | [[2007–08 NBA season|2007–08]] | align="left" | [[New Orleans Hornets|New Orleans]] | 76 || 76 || 23.6 || .417 || .394 || .765 || 2.7 || .9 || .6 || .1 || 8.0 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 618 || 440 || 28.9 || .421 || .374 || .781 || 3.7 || 1.7 || 1.0 || .2 || 11.5 {{end box}} ==== Playoffs ==== {{NBA player statistics start}} |- | align="left" | [[2000–01 NBA season|2000–01]] | align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]] | 8 || 3 || 13.8 || .514 || .444 || .750 || 1.5 || 1.9 || .8 || .0 || 5.4 |- | align="left" | [[2001–02 NBA season|2001–02]] | align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]] | 5 || 5 || '''30.8''' || .367 || .118 || .800 || 2.8 || '''2.2''' || '''1.0''' || '''.6''' || '''9.2''' |- | align="left" | [[2006–07 NBA season|2006–07]] | align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]] | 6 || 2 || 30.5 || '''.517''' || '''.500''' || '''.833''' || '''4.5''' || .3 || .3 || .3 || 6.8 |- | align="left" | [[2007–08 NBA season|2007–08]] | align="left" | [[New Orleans Hornets|New Orleans]] | '''12''' || '''12''' || 23.1 || .485 || .471 || .667 || 2.6 || .6 || .5 || .2 || 7.2 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 31 || 22 || 23.4 || .464 || .389 || .769 || 2.7 || 1.1 || .6 || .3 || 7.0 {{end box}} ==Personal life== * His father, Morris, played [[basketball]] and [[football]] at [[Alcorn State]] while his mother, Valerie, competed on the [[volleyball]], basketball and [[Athletics (track and field)|track]] teams at Mississippi Valley State. * Two sisters, Tonda and Trina, played basketball at [[Alabama State]]. * Established Mo’s Maniacs, inviting 24 at-risk youth to each of the last eight home games of the [[2002-03 NBA season|2002-03 season]]. * Majored in [[child development]] at [[Michigan State University]]. ==Notes== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.nba.com/playerfile/morris_peterson/index.html NBA.com : Morris Peterson Info Page] {{New Orleans Hornets current roster}} {{2000 NBA Draft}} {{2000 Michigan State basketball}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Peterson, Morris}} [[Category:1978 births]] [[Category:African American sportspeople]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Michigan State Spartans men's basketball players]] [[Category:People from Flint, Michigan]] [[Category:Toronto Raptors players]] [[Category:New Orleans Hornets players]] [[Category:Basketball players from Michigan]] [[Category:Shooting guards]] [[Category:Small forwards]] [[de:Morris Peterson]] [[es:Morris Peterson]] [[ja:モーリス・ピーターソン]]