NBA: The Story of Quinn Cook

Quinn Cook was born on March 23, 1993 in Washington D.C. He attended high school at DeMatha Catholic High School in Maryland, before transferring to Oak Hill Academy, which is a perennial national title contender, for his senior season. His team compiled an 85-18 record during three seasons at DeMatha. Oak Hill is located in Virginia and has seen NBA players like Carmelo Anthony, Michael Beasley, Kevin Durant, Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson, Rajon Rondo, and Josh Smith, come through the program. Cook joined a long line of talented prospects to join the Oak Hill family. He had a fantastic senior season, averaging 19.1 points and 10.9 assists per game, while helping the team achieve a remarkable 31-4 record.

That's one of the things that consistently makes Cook a special player to watch. He does what he needs to do to make his team win. If you look at his track record, he is always on teams that are contending for banners. Which at the end of the day, is what it's all about. Following his lone season with Oak Hill, Cook was named to the 2011 McDonald's All-American Game. On November 4, 2010, he announced that he was going to attend Duke University for his collegiate career. According to ESPN 100, Cook was the 38th ranked player in the nation. Cook went to Duke alongside one of the highest recruited players in the country: Austin Rivers. In the moment, who would have thought that Cook would have the better career of the two?

In 2012, Cook's freshman year, Duke earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But they came up short in the opening round, losing to No. 15 Lehigh, 75-70, ending what was supposed to be an Elite Eight and beyond team. With aspirations of furthering their March success, Duke defeated Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen to face No. 1 Louisville with a Final Four berth on the line. But they once again fell short, going down 85-63. During Cook's junior campaign, the Blue Devils couldn't get past their tournament struggles, losing in the First Round for the second time in three seasons, allowing Mercer to beat them 78-71. With only one opportunity, Cook and his teammates set out to take the next step and get to the Final Four.

The Blue Devils welcomed one of the best recruiting classes in the country, signing Grayson Allen, Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, and Justise Winslow. The four of them joined an already-talented core of Cook, Amile Jefferson, and Matt Jones. Duke shook their First Round troubles, defeating Robert Morris by 29 points behind Cook's team-high 22 points. The Blue Devils clinched another Sweet Sixteen berth beating San Diego State in Round 2. After beating Utah, Duke clipped Gonzaga by 14 points to earn a berth in the Final Four. In Indianapolis, the national semifinals were a cakewalk, defeating Michigan State 81-61. The national title game was a nail bitter, but the Blue Devils slipped past Wisconsin, 68-63, to win Duke's first title since 2010.

Cook wasn't always the best player on the team, but he played harder than anyone else out there and was a key factor in Duke's success during his career. He helped the Blue Devils achieve a 9-3 record in the tournament during his four-year career, including an Elite Eight appearance and a national championship. Cook will go down as one of the best Blue Devils of the 21st century. After his tenure in Durham, he departed for the 2015 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, he went undrafted. After bouncing around with multiple teams during the NBA Summer League, he joined the Canton Charge in the D-League. Cook was named Rookie of the Year in 2016, as he put up 19.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game.

The following year, Cook was promoted to the NBA, but he failed to find consistent playing time with both the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans. He averaged 5.6 points in 14 games between the two teams, to go along with 2.0 assists. It wasn't the start to his career that Cook hoped for, but it was just more fuel to work harder and find the right place. That fit finally came in October of 2017 as the Golden State Warriors signed him. Cook earned his first career start a couple of months later agains the Charlotte Hornets. He scored eight points and recorded three assists and three rebounds. One of the main reasons the former Blue Devil has seen an uptick in minutes was because of the injury to two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry.

Curry's injury and pending absence opened the door for another guard to earn playing time, and Cook stepped in perfectly. In back to back games in March, Cook combined for 53 points, eight rebounds, and seven dimes, setting a career-high in both games. Later in the year, he has his first 30-point outing against the Milwaukee Bucks. Cook signed a two-year deal with the Warriors in early April, and made his playoff debut in the First Round against the San Antonio Spurs. Cook scored five points in a 113-92 win. He has found a home with the Warriors which is beneficial to both parties. Cook is a perfect example of a player that refuses to give up no matter the obstacles. And now look where he is, playing for a berth in the NBA Finals.

The Warriors will start their quest to reach their fourth consecutive Finals as they face the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals. Game 1 is set to begin on May 14 in Houston. Cook is averaging 9.5 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per night with the Warriors, all of which are career high statistics. He has become a key reserve for Golden State, taking the place of Ian Clark, who helped the Warriors earn two championships. Cook isn't the best player on the team by any stretch of the imagination, but he is a patient and steady guard, which is always welcomed in the NBA. The Warriors are lucky to have a player with as high of a motor as Cook, and with his past of winning, don't be surprised if he adds a NBA Finals ring to his collection.

Photo Credit: NBA.