 Rooks, circa 1987 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1969-09-09)September 9, 1969 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 7, 2016(2016-06-07) (aged 46) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Fontana (Fontana, California) |
| College | Arizona (1988–1992) |
| NBA draft | 1992: 2nd round, 30th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Dallas Mavericks |
| Playing career | 1992–2012 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 45 |
| Coaching career | 2007–2016 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1992–1994 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1994–1996 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 1996 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1996–1999 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1999–2000 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2000–2003 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2003–2004 | New Orleans Hornets |
| 2004 | Orlando Magic |
| 2005 | Unicaja Málaga |
| 2005 | Joventut Badalona |
| 2011–2012 | Los Angeles Slam |
Coaching | |
| 2007–2008 | Bakersfield Jam (assistant) |
| 2010–2011 | New Mexico Thunderbirds (assistant) |
| 2012 | Sioux Falls Skyforce (assistant) |
| 2012–2013 | Phoenix Suns (assistant) |
| 2013–2016 | Sioux Falls Skyforce (assistant) |
| 2014–2016 | Philadelphia 76ers (assistant) |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 4,676 (6.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,877 (3.8 rpg) |
| Blocks | 499 (0.7 bpg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Sean Lester Rooks (September 9, 1969 – June 7, 2016) was an American professionalbasketball player. He played in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) from 1992 to 2004, and was an Assistant for Player Development for thePhiladelphia 76ers. He playedcollege basketball for theArizona Wildcats, earningall-conference honors in thePac-10 (known later as the Pac-12) as a senior. Rooks died of heart disease on June 7, 2016.
Rooks was born inNew York, New York and attendedFontana High School inFontana, California.[1] He playedcollege basketball at theUniversity of Arizona withBrian Williams andEd Stokes.[2] Rooks was an All-American honorable mention.[3]
The 6'10"center was drafted by theDallas Mavericks in the second round (30th overall pick) in the1992 NBA draft.[4] He was a starter for the Mavericks in his rookie season and then again in 1995 for theMinnesota Timberwolves. He also played for theAtlanta Hawks, theLos Angeles Lakers, theLos Angeles Clippers, theNew Orleans Hornets, and theOrlando Magic. Rooks played twelve seasons in the NBA between 1992 and 2004.
After retiring, Rooks moved into coaching and served as an assistant coach in theNBA Development League for theBakersfield Jam (2007–2008), theNew Mexico Thunderbirds (2010–2011) and theSioux Falls Skyforce (from March 2012).[5] In 2012, he joined thePhoenix 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 thePhiladelphia 76ers.
Rooks had 2 children, a daughter Khayla who played for theWashington Huskies women's basketball team, and a son, Kameron, who was a member of the2013–14 California Golden Bears men's basketball team recruiting class at theUniversity of California, Berkeley.[8][9]
Rooks died of heart disease in Philadelphia on June 7, 2016,[10] hours after interviewing for a job on theNew York Knicks coaching staff.[11]
· Basketball Reference