Brian Cook is 28, will make $3.5 million in the final year of his current deal, and he got married earlier this month, with Luke Walton, Blandon Ferguson and Jerrance Howard in the wedding party.

Still, his sixth season in the NBA was one he'd rather forget. Basketball-wise he was traded twice in a year's time (once from the Lakers to the Magic, then from the Magic to the Rockets), and he played in just 30 games, including six in the playoffs with Houston. Personal life-wise, he lost his father, who passed away just before Christmas.

"There were a lot of things that I went through throughout the season. I don't think it was a successful season for myself," Cook said from his home in southern California. "I was dealing with family situations and probably my focus wasn't on basketball. It was dealing with family and family agendas. That wasn't the case in the past when I had successful seasons. That's something I'm looking forward to putting behind me."

Cook's still living in southern California, where he's built two homes and met his wife, Victoria Velasquez. "It's a permanent spot for us," he said. Even so, he'll return to his other home in August for a pair of annual events.

The first is the Brian Cook All-Star Basketball Camp that runs Aug. 3-6 in C-U. The second is the Brian Cook Charity Golf Outing on Aug. 7 at Lake of the Woods Golf Course in Mahomet. The golf outing is a personal favorite. Had a great time last year. The charity outing benefits TALKS Mentoring and Salt & Light Ministries, a pair of local ventures that deserve our time.

Cook's best man was Walton, the Lakers' veteran forward. Cook said the two became friends during their college career, perhaps since Cook's Illinois teams played Arizona four times in two seasons.

"His family became like a family to me," Cook said.

More on Brian Cook in tomorrow's N-G.