Brian Cook (basketball)
A reliable stretch forward whose smooth outside shot made him a valuable role player for over a decade in the NBA.
Born 1980 (age 46)·American basketball player·Birthday: December 4·Generation X
Biography
Brian Cook's basketball path was defined by a specific, coveted skill: he could shoot. A standout at the University of Illinois, he was a first-round pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003, joining a team in transition. While not a star, Cook found his niche as a 6'9" power forward who could space the floor, a prototype that would become essential in the modern game. He spent four-plus seasons with the Lakers, providing minutes off the bench and hitting crucial outside shots. Traded to Orlando in 2007, he became part of the Magic team that reached the 2009 NBA Finals. Cook's journeyman career included stops in Houston, Los Angeles again with the Clippers, and Washington, lasting nine seasons in total. His longevity was a testament to the value of a specialist who understood his role and executed it with consistency.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Brian was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected 24th overall in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers after a standout career at the University of Illinois.
- Played a role off the bench for the Orlando Magic team that reached the 2009 NBA Finals.
- Enjoyed a nine-year NBA career with six different teams, utilizing his three-point shooting as a key asset.
- Averaged a career-high 7.9 points per game during the 2006-07 season split between the Lakers and Orlando Magic.
Did You Know?
He won back-to-back Illinois Mr. Basketball awards in high school, a rare feat.
His father, Norm Cook, also played in the NBA briefly in the 1970s.
He was traded from the Lakers to the Magic in a deal that brought Trevor Ariza to Los Angeles.
“My role was to stretch the floor and knock down open shots when they left me.”
