Derrick Coleman

Derrick Coleman

Derrick D. Coleman (born June 21, 1967) is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. Coleman grew up and attended high school in Detroit, Michigan and attended college at Syracuse University. He was selected first overall in the 1990 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets.

Throughout his career, the left-handed Coleman was an effective low post scorer with a reliable perimeter shooting touch, averaging 16.5 points and 9.3 rebounds. He enjoyed his best years as a member of the New Jersey Nets, where he averaged 19.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. When Coleman entered the NBA, he was compared to elite power forwards such as Karl Malone and Charles Barkley, and expected to put up similar numbers, only with the added ability to shoot from three-point range. Instead, his career was overshadowed by his questionable attitude (lack of work ethic resulting in excessive weight gain, plus alcohol abuse and general disruptive behavior), and his penchant for injury which saw him play 70 or more games in only four of his 15 NBA seasons. Sports Illustrated once remarked that "Coleman could have been the best power forward ever; instead he played just well enough to ensure his next paycheck."

His Syracuse jersey number, 44, was retired on March 5, 2006.

As of 2007, he was working as a developer and entrepreneur in Detroit, Michigan. He has also appeared as an occasional studio analyst for NBATV's "NBA Gametime Live" coverage. In March 2010, Coleman declared for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, owing an estimated $2.19 million to between 50 and 99 different creditors.