Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond: biography

Andre Drummond, hailing from the United States, currently serves as a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During the 2012 NBA draft, he was chosen by the Detroit Pistons as the ninth overall pick in the first round.

Childhood and youth

Andre Drummond was born on August 10, 1993, in Mount Vernon, New York to Jamaican parents, made a significant move to Middletown, Connecticut at the age of seven, accompanied by his mother and sister. He attended Woodrow Wilson Middle School before commencing his high school journey at Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford. Remarkably, during his freshman year, Drummond showcased impressive skills, averaging 12.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 blocks per game. Demonstrating continuous improvement, his sophomore year at Capital Prep witnessed even more remarkable achievements, with averages of 20.2 points, 16.6 rebounds, 7.2 blocks, and 4.5 steals per game.

Following his two-year tenure at Capital Preparatory Magnet School, Drummond made a transfer to St. Thomas More in Oakdale. There, he reclassified and repeated his sophomore year as he recuperated from a stress fracture in his foot. St. Thomas More became witness to Drummond's extraordinary talents, positioning him as one of the most dominant centers in high school basketball. During his time at St. Thomas More, he led the team to victory in the national prep championship of 2011, culminating in his graduation that spring.

Regarded as the top player in the class of 2011 by ESPN and NBADraft.net, and ranked as the second-best player by Rivals.com and Scout.com, Drummond's prowess was widely acknowledged. Furthermore, he achieved a significant milestone in the summer of 2010 when he contributed to the United States team's gold medal triumph at the 2010 FIBA Under-17 World Championship. Drummond's exceptional skills played a pivotal role in leading Team USA to a resounding 111-80 victory over Poland in the gold medal game.

Initially, Drummond planned to attend Wilbraham & Monson Academy for a postgraduate year in 2011-12. However, he surprised many when he changed his mind and announced via Twitter on August 26, 2011, that he would instead reclassify and enroll at the University of Connecticut. This decision caused a media frenzy due to its unexpected nature. Before settling on UConn, Drummond had also considered attending Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown, or West Virginia.

During his freshman year at UConn, Drummond appeared in 34 games, starting in 30 of them. He averaged 28.4 minutes per game, contributing 10.0 points and 7.6 rebounds. Leading the team in rebounds per game, blocks per game (2.7), and field goal percentage (.538), he showcased his skills. He had two games where he scored 20 or more points, including a remarkable 24-point performance against Holy Cross, shooting 11-of-12 from the field. Unfortunately, his collegiate career concluded in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, as UConn, seeded ninth, was defeated by eighth-seeded Iowa State. Drummond fouled out after scoring two points in 26 minutes of play. A month later, he announced his decision to enter the 2012 NBA draft.

Basketball career

Drafted ninth overall by the Detroit Pistons in 2012, Drummond had an impressive rookie season, earning All-Rookie Second Team honors. He recorded a career-high 20 rebounds in 2014 and set a record of 25 rebounds in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge in 2014. Drummond had multiple 20-point, 20-rebound games and a career-high 33 points in the 2015-16 season.

In 2016, Drummond re-signed with the Pistons on a five-year, $130 million contract. He reached career milestones, becoming the sixth Pistons player to reach 5,000 rebounds and moving to sixth place on the team's career rebounding list. Drummond set an NBA record for missed free throws in a game with 23 attempts.

Drummond was named an All-Star reserve, concluding the season with an average of 16 rebounds per game, a feat not achieved since Dennis Rodman in 1997. He had multiple 20/20 games and became the Pistons' all-time leader in offensive rebounds.

In the 2019-20 season, Drummond started with a 32-point, 23-rebound game, joining a select group of players with a 30-point, 20-rebound season opener.

In a trade on February 6, 2020, Drummond was sent from the Pistons to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pistons received Brandon Knight, John Henson, and a 2023 second-round draft pick in exchange for Drummond.

On March 26, 2021, the Cavaliers and Drummond reached a buyout agreement, allowing him to become a free agent and pursue opportunities with other teams.

Following his buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Drummond joined the Los Angeles Lakers on March 28, 2021, signing a one-year contract worth $794,536.

He provided an offensive boost to the team, which was dealing with injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

During his tenure with the Lakers, Drummond played in 21 games, starting in all of them. He averaged 11.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 24 minutes per game.

Unfortunately, despite being healthy, Drummond did not participate in Game 6 of the first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers were ultimately eliminated in a 4-2 series loss.

On August 4, 2021, Drummond signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers worth $2.4 million, which was the veteran's minimum.

However, on February 10, 2022, Drummond was involved in a trade. He, along with Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and two future first-round picks, was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap. Drummond made his debut for the Nets on February 14, recording 11 points and nine rebounds in a 109-85 victory over the Sacramento Kings, helping the team end an 11-game losing streak. Later, on February 23, Drummond changed his jersey number from 4 to 0 after Jevon Carter was waived.

Following his time with the Nets, on July 6, 2022, Drummond signed a two-year contract worth $6.6 million with the Chicago Bulls.

Personal life

Drummond is a father to two children, a son Deon King Drummond and a daughter Aubrey EllaRose Costandoni-Drummond from two different women.

In August 2021, there was an incident where Drummond's son fell into their family pool, leading to a near-drowning incident.

Drummond has shown an active presence on social media platforms, often engaging in conversations and video chats with his fans.

During his rookie year, Drummond was romantically involved with former iCarly star Jennette McCurdy after they hit it off.

Accomplishments and achievements

• Big East All-Freshman Team (2012)
• NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2013)
• 2× NBA All-Star (2016, 2018)
• All-NBA Third Team (2016)
• 4× NBA rebounding leader (2016, 2018–2020)