Travis Best

Travis Best
	Best in 2007
Personal information
Born	July 12, 1972 (age 52); Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Listed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight	182 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school	Springfield Central ; (Springfield, Massachusetts)
College	Georgia Tech (1991–1995)
NBA draft	1995: 1st round, 23rd overall pick
	Selected by the Indiana Pacers
Playing career	1995–2009
Position	Point guard
Number	4, 6, 1, 3
Career history
1995–2002	Indiana Pacers
2002	Chicago Bulls
2002–2003	Miami Heat
2003–2004	Dallas Mavericks
2004–2005	New Jersey Nets
2005–2006	UNICS Kazan
2006–2007	Virtus Bologna
2007	Asseco Prokom Gdynia
2007–2008	Virtus Bologna
2008–2009	Air Avellino
2009	NSB Napoli
Career highlights and awards
	Polish League champion (2007); 2× Second-team All-ACC (1994, 1995); Third-team All-ACC (1993); First-team Parade All-American (1991); Second-team Parade All-American (1990);
Career NBA statistics
Points	5,736 (7.6 ppg)
Rebounds	1,249 (1.8 rpg)
Assists	2,444 (3.5 apg)
	Stats at NBA.com
	Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Last updated July 23, 2024

Travis Best (born July 12, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player, who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and in Europe.

High school career

Best attended Springfield Central High School, starring on teams that amassed a 69–4 record in his three seasons, earning the Lahovich Award as the top player in Western Massachusetts from 1989–91. After his junior season, he was named a second-team Parade All-American. During his senior season, Best scored a state-record 81 points in a single game.^[1] With then-sophomore teammate Edgar Padilla, a future UMass standout, Best led his 25–0 team to the 1991 Division I state championship and a No. 15 ranking in the final USA Today Top 25. After earning Gatorade's Massachusetts and New England Player of the Year honors, Best was selected to play in both the McDonald's All-American Game and McDonald's Capital Classic, earning first-team Parade All-American honors and being the only guard chosen for USA Today's All-USA first team. After considering both UConn and the University of Virginia, Best chose Georgia Tech.^[2]

Collegiate career

At Georgia Tech, Best teamed with fellow McDonald's All-American James Forrest for four years. The duo lead the Yellow Jackets to the 1993 ACC tournament championship, their first since 1990. Best was named to the All-ACC third-team as a sophomore, earning second-team honors as a junior and as a senior. Best led the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio and free-throw percentage as a senior, while capturing ACC Player of the Week honors a league-record five times.

Best ranked in the top six in Tech history in points, assists, minutes, 3-point field goals made and steals at the conclusion of his collegiate career. He was one of only three ACC players to score 2,000 points with 600 assists (UNC's Phil Ford and Maryland's Greivis Vasquez are the other two). He earned honorable-mention All-America honors from The Associated Press and was a nominee for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, given to the best player in the nation under 6 feet (1.8 m).

Professional career

Best was drafted 23rd in the 1995 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers.^[2] He played for the Pacers, the Chicago Bulls, the Miami Heat, the Dallas Mavericks and the New Jersey Nets, averaging 7.6 points and 3.5 assists per game.

Best was a vital backup at point guard on the 1999–2000 Indiana team that went to the 2000 NBA Finals. Best hit the game-winning 3-pointer in the decisive fifth game against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. During the 2001–2002 season, he requested a trade and was granted one to the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls traded Ron Artest, Brad Miller, Ron Mercer and Kevin Ollie to the Pacers for Best, Jalen Rose and Norman Richardson, adding a future second-round pick.

NBA career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high
*	Led the league

Regular season


Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1995–96	Indiana	59	1	9.7	.423	.320	.833	.7	1.6	.3	.1	3.7
1996–97	Indiana	76	46	27.2	.442	.368	.756	2.2	4.2	1.3	.1	9.9
1997–98	Indiana	82*	0	18.9	.419	.300	.855	1.5	3.4	1.0	.1	6.5
1998–99	Indiana	49	0	21.3	.416	.373	.843	1.6	3.4	.9	.1	7.1
1999–00	Indiana	82	0	20.6	.483	.376	.821	1.7	3.3	.9	.1	8.9
2000–01	Indiana	77	21	31.9	.440	.381	.827	2.9	6.1	1.4	.1	11.9
2001–02	Indiana	44	3	21.8	.439	.382	.877	1.6	4.0	1.3	.1	6.9
2001–02	Chicago	30	18	26.4	.441	.320	.922	2.7	5.0	1.1	.0	9.3
2002–03	Miami	72	52	25.1	.396	.330	.854	2.0	3.5	.6	.1	8.4
2003–04	Dallas	61	1	12.5	.372	.150	.870	1.1	1.8	.5	.1	2.8
2004–05	New Jersey	76	6	19.2	.420	.306	.885	1.4	1.9	.9	.1	6.8
Career		708	148	21.4	.431	.345	.835	1.8	3.5	.9	.1	7.6

Playoffs


Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1996	Indiana	5	0	16.8	.500	.167	.857	2.2	1.8	1.2	.0	5.8
1998	Indiana	16	0	17.5	.375	.278	.884	1.0	1.9	.7	.2	6.1
1999	Indiana	11	0	13.6	.348	.200	.923	1.5	1.9	.4	.1	4.2
2000	Indiana	23	0	20.1	.430	.433	.841	2.5	2.9	.8	.2	8.9
2001	Indiana	4	4	40.8	.436	.333	1.000	4.8	9.3	1.0	.0	9.8
2005	New Jersey	4	0	20.3	.409	.111	.889	1.5	2.3	.3	.0	6.8
Career		63	4	19.4	.413	.303	.875	2.0	2.7	.7	.1	7.0

Personal life

Best had a small role in the 1998 Spike Lee film He Got Game , which also featured NBA players Ray Allen, Walter McCarty, John Wallace, and Rick Fox.

Best was one of the victims of professional scam artist/fraudster Peggy Ann Fulford (Peggy King, Peggy Williams, Peggy Ann Barard, etc.), losing $1.40 million, amongst the $5.79 million in total she stole from him, Ricky Williams, Dennis Rodman, Rashad McCants, Lex Hilliard and others.^[3] Fulford, who was indicted by the FBI in December 2016, continued her criminal activity until sentenced in February 2018 to 10 years in prison and full financial restitution (unlikely) to her victims.^[3]

Related Research Articles

Andrew Tyler Hansbrough is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for seven seasons, as well as internationally.

Rashad Dion McCants is an American former professional basketball player who has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as well as overseas. He played for Trilogy in the BIG3 three-on-three league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Cota</span> Panamanian-American basketball player

Eduardo Enrique Cota is a Panamanian-American former professional basketball player.

Duane Ferrell is an American retired professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors. He played college basketball at Georgia Tech, where he was twice named All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Thaddeus Charles Young Sr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Georgia Tech, before being drafted 12th overall in the 2007 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Greivis Josué Vásquez Rodríguez is a Venezuelan former professional basketball player, who spent six seasons in the NBA. He is currently a coach, most recently working as the associate head coach for the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League. Vásquez also represented the Venezuela national team in international competitions, as he was born in Caracas and moved to the United States to attend high school at Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland in 2004.

Derrick Bernard Favors is an American professional basketball player for the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League. Favors played college basketball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets for one season before being selected by the New Jersey Nets with the third overall pick of the 2010 NBA draft.

Toney Bernard Douglas is an American professional basketball player for Benfica of the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol. He played college basketball for Auburn for one year, eventually becoming frustrated with his role on the team as a shooting guard. He subsequently transferred to Florida State University for the remainder of his collegiate career, where he switched to the point guard position. Emerging as a defensive force in his junior season, Douglas set school and conference records for steals. He stepped up as a team leader in his final season, breaking personal records in several statistical categories and helped lead the Seminoles to their first NCAA Tournament in 11 years.

Justise Jon Winslow is an American professional basketball player for Raptors 905 of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, with whom he won the 2015 NCAA championship.

Grayson James Allen is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played four years of college basketball at Duke University, where he helped Duke win a national championship in 2015. He has often been called one of Duke's best players of the 2010s. Allen was drafted with the 21st overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz, where he played for one season before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in July 2019. In August 2021, Allen was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he played for two seasons before being traded to the Suns in September 2023.

Joel DeWayne Berry II is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels and led the team to the 2017 national championship. Berry played professionally for two seasons in the NBA G League and one season in Turkey before his retirement in 2021.

Dennis Cliff Smith Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended North Carolina State University for one season of college basketball and earned second-team all-conference honors in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as a freshman as well as ACC Freshman of the Year.

Wendell Andre Carter Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.

Nassir Shamai Little is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Little finished his high school career as one of the top-ranked players in his class, having led Orlando Christian Prep to consecutive Florida state championships. The small forward played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jordan Ifeanyi Nwora is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player who last played for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals. He plays internationally for the Nigeria men's national basketball team. Nwora won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 before being traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2023 and again to the Toronto Raptors in 2024.

Alec Jacoby "Coby" White is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. White was a top high school player in North Carolina, finishing his career as the top prep scorer in state history. After being selected by the Bulls in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft with the seventh overall pick, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020.

Scott Wayne Barnes Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Florida State Seminoles, earning third-team all-conference honors in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as a freshman in 2021 and was selected with the fourth overall pick by the Raptors in the 2021 NBA draft. Barnes was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2022. In 2024, Barnes was named to the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, which was his first All-Star appearance.

Patrick Lee Williams is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Florida State Seminoles. He was the fourth pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

Paolo Napoleon James Banchero is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. Banchero was named the Rookie of the Year of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 2022. Following his freshman season, he declared for the 2022 NBA draft, where he was selected with the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic. Banchero was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2023.

Isaiah Johan-Robert Wong is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Indiana Mad Ants of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Miami Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Wong earned third-team All-American honors as a senior in 2023, when he was also named the ACC Player of the Year. He was selected by the Pacers in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft.

References

↑ Montville, Leigh (March 25, 1991). "Lingering Cheers For A Magic Child". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved June 14, 2011.
1 2 Khona, Chetan (November 10, 1995). "Best makes pro debut in front of familiar crowd". The Technique . Retrieved May 22, 2007.
1 2 Prewitt, Alex (September 19, 2019). "The Peggy Show: Every athlete's worst nightmare" . Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2023.

External links

Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com
Euroleague.net Player Profile
masslive Best, Travis Profile

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[si1991-1] Montville, Leigh (March 25, 1991). "Lingering Cheers For A Magic Child". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved June 14, 2011.

[debut-2] 1 2 Khona, Chetan (November 10, 1995). "Best makes pro debut in front of familiar crowd". The Technique . Retrieved May 22, 2007.

[PeggyTheCrook-3] 1 2 Prewitt, Alex (September 19, 2019). "The Peggy Show: Every athlete's worst nightmare" . Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2023.

[1]

[2]

[3]

Personal information
Best in 2007
Born	(1972-07-12) July 12, 1972 (age 52) Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Listed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight	182 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school	Springfield Central (Springfield, Massachusetts)
College	Georgia Tech (1991–1995)
NBA draft	1995: 1st round, 23rd overall pick
Selected by the Indiana Pacers
Playing career	1995–2009
Position	Point guard
Number	4, 6, 1, 3
Career history
1995–2002	Indiana Pacers
2002	Chicago Bulls
2002–2003	Miami Heat
2003–2004	Dallas Mavericks
2004–2005	New Jersey Nets
2005–2006	UNICS Kazan
2006–2007	Virtus Bologna
2007	Asseco Prokom Gdynia
2007–2008	Virtus Bologna
2008–2009	Air Avellino
2009	NSB Napoli

Career highlights and awards
Polish League champion (2007) 2× Second-team All-ACC (1994, 1995) Third-team All-ACC (1993) First-team Parade All-American (1991) Second-team Parade All-American (1990)

Career NBA statistics
Points	5,736 (7.6 ppg)
Rebounds	1,249 (1.8 rpg)
Assists	2,444 (3.5 apg)

Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com