Omm'A Givens (born 1975) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player. A high school basketball

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n, he was a center for the

UCLA Bruins The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Big Ten Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF ...

on their 1995 national championship team.

High school

Givens attended high school in

Aberdeen, Washington Aberdeen ( ) is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 17,013 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is the most populous in Grays Harbor County and the region's economic center, bordering t ...

, where he was a highly touted

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

recruit. In his junior year he averaged 18.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, while in his senior year he improved his scoring average to 23.4 points per game. He was selected to the

McDonald's All-American Team The McDonald's All-American Game is an American all-star basketball game played each year for boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the hi ...

in his senior year, was the Washington state Gatorade Player of the Year, and was twice selected as a ''Parade'' All-American. He broke the tournament scoring record for boys high school basketball in Washington State.

College

Givens joined

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

in 1994–95, and won a national championship with the team that season. He opted out of his UCLA scholarship in 1996 after having spent the 1995–96 season as a reserve with 20 appearances (0 starts and 11.6 minutes per game) and transferred to

Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private university, private Christianity, Christian research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pepperdine's main campus consists ...

. He was suspended for two games by Pepperdine's coach

Lorenzo Romar Lorenzo Romar (born November 13, 1958) is an American basketball coach and former player. He currently serves as an assistant coach for the Loyola Marymount Lions men's basketball, Loyola Marymount Lions, a position he has held since 2024. He pre ...

in January 1998 after punching and breaking the jaw of teammate Aaron Butler at practice. After being briefly reinstated he was suspended by the school for the rest of the season later that month. He left the Pepperdine basketball team after the season and passed up his final season of eligibility.

Professional career

Givens played for Magic City Snowbears in the International Basketball Association during the 1998–1999 season, averaging 12.9 points and 7.8 rebounds, leading the team to home-court advantage in the IBA playoffs. In 2001 he joined

Roanoke Dazzle The Roanoke Dazzle were an NBA Development League team based in Roanoke, Virginia, U.S. In operation from the inaugural D-League season of 2001–02 through the 2005–06 season, the Dazzle marked the return of professional basketball to Roanoke ...

of the

National Basketball Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...

. In 23 games during the 2001–2002 NBDL season, Givens averaged 3.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game.

References

External links

NCAA statsEuroBasket.com
profile
CBA stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Givens, Omm'a 1975 births Living people Basketball players from Washington (state) Baloncesto Superior Nacional players La Crosse Bobcats players Fort Wayne Fury players McDonald's High School All-Americans Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Pepperdine Waves men's basketball players Roanoke Dazzle players UCLA Bruins men's basketball players American men's basketball players Forwards (basketball) 20th-century American sportsmen