Derek Anderson was born July 18, 1974, in Louisville, Kentucky. Anderson graduated from Doss High School. He is married to his wife, Jamie Anderson. The two met in their hometown
Following his retirement, Anderson transitioned into his role as Mental Health Counselor for The NBPA and has always been an active philanthropist. He and his wife, Jamie Anderson founded The Stamina Foundation.[2] The mission of the organization is to support and empower underserved youth, particularly those facing homelessness or adversity. The foundation provides programs focused on education, mentorship, and wellness, helping young people build the resilience and skills they need to succeed. In January 2023, Anderson also coached the Costa Rica national team in the United Cup of Champions season.[3]
College career
After graduation, Anderson played college basketball at the Ohio State University. He later transferred to the University of Kentucky in 1995. In 1996, Anderson helped the University of Kentucky win the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship[4] as part of a team that featured nine future NBA players under their coach Rick Pitino. Anderson went on to graduate from the University of Kentucky in 1997 with a degree in pharmacy.[5] Anderson was inducted into the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.[6]
Professional career
Cleveland Cavaliers
Despite missing much of his senior season at Kentucky due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), Anderson was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 13th overall pick in to the 1997 NBA draft. In his debut game on October 31, 1997, Anderson recorded 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal as the Cavaliers fell short to the Houston Rockets 86 - 94.[7]
Anderson started the first 10 games of his career and had averages of 10 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 35.2 minutes per game. After that tenth game, however, he started only three of the remaining 56 games of the season, as he lost his starting small forward spot to teammate Cedric Henderson. He was the last Cavalier to wear #23 before LeBron James.
On August 4, 2000, Anderson signed as a free agent with the San Antonio Spurs.[10] Anderson was the starting shooting guard for the Spurs for the entire 2000-2001 season and averaged 15.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 34.9 minutes per game. He helped the Spurs finish with a 58-24 record as they reached the Western Conference Finals that season.
Anderson's NBA career was plagued by injuries.[12] In the 2004–2005 season, Anderson only played in eight of the final 42 games and missed similar numbers of games in prior seasons. On August 3, 2005, he became the first player in the league waived using the so-called "luxury tax amnesty clause" of the 2005 NBA collective bargaining agreement.[13]
Houston Rockets
Anderson signed with the Houston Rockets as a free agent on August 22, 2005. Anderson played 20 games for the Rockets (averaging 13.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists with the team)[14]
Miami Heat
Anderson was traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for Gerald Fitch on February 23, 2006.[15] The Heat had 28 games remaining in the season, with Anderson playing in 23 of them.
The Heat advanced to the 2006 NBA Finals and defeated the Dallas Mavericks in six games to give Anderson his first and only championship.
Anderson was waived by the Heat on September 12, 2006, prior to the beginning of the 2006–07 season.
Charlotte Bobcats
On November 28, he signed with the Charlotte Bobcats; Anderson played the final two seasons of his career for the Bobcats.[16]
Anderson's final NBA game was played on April 5, 2008, in a blowout loss to the Boston Celtics 78 - 101. In his final game, Anderson played for five and half minutes and only recorded one rebound as a statistic.[17]
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