Topic: Brian Cook

Brian Joshua Cook (born December 4, 1980, in Lincoln, Illinois) is an American professional basketball player. Cook was drafted out of the University of Illinois with the 24th pick of the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He is the son of Norm Cook, an All-American for the Kansas Jayhawks and played briefly for the Boston Celtics, and the nephew of Joe Cook, who played basketball for Duke University from 1988-1990.

Cook was born on December 4, 1980, in Lincoln, Illinois. His father, Norman Cook, played collegiate basketball at the University of Kansas (1974-76) and professionally for the Boston Celtics (1979-80). Cook played high school basketball at Lincoln High School in central Illinois. He led his high school team, the Lincoln Community High School Railsplitters, to the quarterfinals of the Illinois High School Association class AA state boys basketball tournament. He was selected to the 1998 State Farm Holiday Classic all-tournament team.

He was recruited by Lon Kruger to play center for the Illinois Fighting Illini, making him the third consecutive Illinois Mr. Basketball to sign with Illinois, following the lead of Sergio McClain (1997) and Frank Williams (1998).