64 a decade later. He received the nickname, "The Janitor", due to the way he cleaned the floor diving for loose balls. Brian left Purdue being the only Boilermaker to receive both the "Mr. Hustle" Award (for most determination, drive and leadership) and the "Courage" Award (for most charges taken) four years in a row. While at Purdue, Brian won a gold medal at the 1998 Goodwill games; Team USA went 4–1. He was also a member of the 1997 22-and under National Team coached by Rick Majerus, which finished 5th in a 12-team field. For Majerus' squad, Brian averaged 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds, shooting 53.3% from the field. Professional career Detroit Pistons (2000–2002) Cardinal was selected the 44th overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons. His career debut came on December 9, 2000, in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. During his rookie season, playing in only 15 games, he had his best game against the Toronto Raptors on April 11, 2001, scoring a season-high 9 points, 4 rebounds and a game high three steals in 18 minutes. Playing in a total of 23 games for the Pistons in two seasons, he averaged 2.1 points a game and shot over 80 percent from the free throw line. Washington Wizards (2002) On September 11, 2002, Cardinal was traded to the Washington Wizards along with Jerry Stackhouse and Ratko Varda, for Richard Hamilton, Hubert Davis and Bobby Simmons. Cardinal was waived shortly after playing in only five games for the Wizards. Valencia (2002–2003) Cardinal spent the rest of the 2002–03 season playing in the Spanish league for Pamesa Valencia, winning the ULEB Cup Championship. Golden State Warriors (2003–2004) After returning to the NBA, Cardinal signed with the Golden State Warriors. Cardinal had a breakthrough season with the Warriors, averaging nearly 10 points and 4 rebounds per game, appearing in 76 games. He was a finalist for the NBA Most Improved Player Award, eventually won by Zach Randolph. On February 11, 2004, Cardinal scored a career-high 32 points against the Phoenix Suns and just three weeks later he had his career high of 14 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls on February 28. Memphis Grizzlies (2004–2008) After a breakthrough season in personal numbers and playing time, Cardinal signed as a free agent with the Memphis Grizzlies, where he posted similar numbers from the previous season, averaging almost