Portland's ferocious rebounder — played through Parkinson's disease diagnosis and became an advocate.
Brian Wade Grant was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1972. Sacramento Kings selected him eighth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft. His 12-season career produced 10.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. He was a physical force — ferociously competitive on the boards, effective in the post and respected for his toughness throughout. He was part of the Portland Trail Blazers teams that reached the conference finals in 1999 and 2000 — the Jailblazer era that was simultaneously one of the most talented and most controversial rosters in franchise history. He was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's disease shortly after his career ended. He has since become one of sport's most prominent Parkinson's advocates — founding the Brian Grant Foundation, speaking publicly about living with the disease and raising millions for research. His transformation from physical NBA competitor to disease advocate reflects a post-career purpose that has influenced far more people than his playing career alone.
Tenacious defender and rebounder, later Parkinson's disease advocacy
How They Played
Physical defender, strong rebounder, energy player off the bench
Lasting Impact
Defensive specialist who became prominent advocate for Parkinson's disease awareness
All-Rookie Team
Career Honours
- All-Rookie Team
- Portland Trail Blazers cornerstone 1990s
- Parkinson's disease advocate