Bogans was inducted into the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame on September 26, 2014. Bogans was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round with the 43rd selection in the 2003 NBA draft, but was traded to the Orlando Magic on draft day. He played only one season with the Magic before being released.
He then signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he played two seasons before signing with the Atlanta Hawks as a free agent in 2006. Bogans ended his career with the Brooklyn Nets in 2009. The 6'10" center had 12 points and 10 rebounds in his debut for the Nets against the Chicago Bulls on November 1, 2009.
Bogans is the son-in-law of former NBA player Lenny Wilkens. Wilkens married Bogans's mother, Nancy, who was a longtime WNBA star for the Seattle Storm and Detroit Shock.
In addition to playing basketball, Bogans has worked as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets. He has also served as an advance scout for the New Jersey Nets.
Bogans was born on January 4, 1975 in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended Christian Brothers High School in Rochester, New York before going on to play college basketball for the University of Kentucky. As a freshman at Kentucky in 1998-99, Bogans averaged 7.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
He was a Kentucky basketball player in college. Bogans attended The Langley School in McLean, Virginia, and DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he was named to the All-American first team his senior year. Morgan Wootten, who guided DeMatha to a 34-1 record and a third-place national rating in 1999, was his coach. After graduating from high school, Bogans played one season for the UK Wildcats before turning pro.
Bogans' father, John Sr., was an All-America linebacker at West Virginia University. His mother is Carolyn Bogans, a former sprinter who competed in the 1980 Olympics. His older brother, Jason, also plays basketball for the UK Wildcats. As a junior last season, he averaged 14.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.
When you play for UK, you're part of the family. When family members graduate, they usually come back to continue their education at UK's graduate programs. Since John Bogans played only one season for UK, he was not able to apply for graduation clearance. However, as part of the agreement between UK and Morgan Wooten's company, SWV Basketball, if any players on the current UK roster sign with other teams, they can't play again until after their graduation. So, even though Bogans could not apply for graduation clearance, it appears he has now been released from his contract with UK.
On November 1, 2004, the Magic traded Bogans to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Brandon Hunter. Bogans continued to grow as a player with the Bobcats in 2004-05, starting 42 of 76 games and averaging 9.6 points per game. Bogans was dealt to the Rockets for Lonny Baxter on February 9, 2006. He played only five games for Houston before being waived.
In his NBA career, Bogans has played for six teams, including four seasons with the Magic. He has averaged 8.4 points per game.
After playing four years of college basketball at Florida State University, Bogans entered the 2004 NBA Draft after graduating from FSU. The Magic were looking for some scoring off the bench so they took him with the 10th pick. He had some success early in his career with the Magic, but then had difficulties staying healthy. After eight seasons in Orlando, the Magic decided not to re-sign him and he ended up signing with the Brooklyn Nets.
Bogans started this season with the Nets but was later traded to the Hornets in exchange for Jason Terry. He has appeared in 79 games (all starts) over the last two seasons with Charlotte, averaging 14.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
Bogans is married to former volleyball player Michelle Lee. They have one son together named Tatum who was born in 2001.
Muggsy Bogues was selected 12th overall by the Washington Bullets in the 1987 NBA draft. Being chosen 12th overall is quite an accomplishment considering the number of other excellent players in that draft. The fact that Bogues went on to have such a successful career only adds to his prestige.
He began his NBA career with the Bullets, but was traded to the Denver Nuggets at the end of the season. He stayed with the Nuggets for seven seasons, before moving to Israel for two years where he became one of the best foreign players in the league. In 2000, he came back to the United States and joined the Miami Heat, where he ended his career. Throughout his career, Bogues averaged 14.4 points per game.
After graduating from high school in 1986, Bogues attended Louisiana State University for one season before turning pro. In 31 games (all starts) as a rookie, he averaged 20.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. The following year, he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after posting averages of 26.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.
Over his eight-year career, Bogues averaged 14.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.
The New Jersey Nets chose the All-American and 1987 Big Ten Conference Player of the Year as the third overall choice in the 1987 NBA Draft, and he played five seasons in the league. Hopson played basketball overseas for the most of the 1990s until retiring at the end of the decade. He returned to America in 2001 and has been working with young players as a coach since.
Hopson is one of only three players (along with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook) who have won both the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament MVP Award and the NBA Finals MVP Award. The only other player to do so is Bill Walton.
He is also one of four players (the others are Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and LeBron James) to win the NBA Finals MVP Award in their first season with a new team. The last player to do so was Tim Duncan in 2003 after winning his first title with San Antonio Spurs.
Hopson helped lead Maryland to its first National Championship in 1986 before going on to become one of the best college basketball players ever. He was drafted third by the Nets, who were then playing in New Jersey, because no one else wanted him due to him being from out of state. He ended up playing five seasons for them before moving to France where he played for several years before returning home in 2001. Since then, he has been working with youth players as a coach.
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