The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2016
- Class:
- 2016
Sport: Basketball
Inducted: 2016
One of the top basketball players in UT history, LaMarcus Aldridge remains tied for the highest NBA Draft selection in school history. He was chosen as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 draft by the Chicago Bulls, before being traded on draft night to the Portland Trail Blazers. A two-year starter in the frontcourt in 2004-05 and 2005-06, he started all 53 games while at Texas and finished his career as the school record holder in career field goal percentage (.586), while ranking 10th in career blocked shots (97). As a freshman in 2004-05, he started the first 16 games of the year before suffering a season-ending left hip injury during a game at Nebraska on Jan. 15, 2005. Aldridge recovered from the injury to earn third-team All-America honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year accolades, while leading Texas to a 30-7 mark, a Big 12 regular season championship and a trip to the NCAA "Elite Eight" as a sophomore in 2005-06. He earned spots on the All-Big 12 First Team, the Big 12 All-Defensive and All-Improved teams and the five-person Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament team. A first-team NABC All-District 9 selection, USBWA All-District VII team choice and NCAA Atlanta Regional All-Tournament Team honoree, he led the team in blocks (73) and field goal percentage (.569) and ranked second in scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (9.2 rpg). Aldridge turned professional after his sophomore season and is beginning his 11th season in the NBA in 2016-17. He spent his first nine years with the Trail Blazers, before playing with the San Antonio Spurs in 2015-16. He has earned All-NBA honors four times in his 10-year career, claiming second-team accolades in 2014 and third-team mention in 2011, 2015 and 2016. He is one of only four players in the league to be named to the All-NBA Team in each of the last three seasons, joining LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Chris Paul. Aldridge also has earned NBA All-Star honors for the last five consecutive seasons (2012-16) and is one of just three players to score 1,000 points or more in each of the last nine years, along with Dwayne Wade and LeBron James.
