Last Updated on April 14, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Cory Hightower is a former American professional basketball player known for his versatility on the court. Here’s a comprehensive overview of his personal and professional details:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Cory Hightower
  • Nationality: American
  • Date of Birth: July 30, 1979
  • Hometown: Flint, Michigan
  • Height: 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters)
  • Weight: Approximately 224 pounds (102 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 9 inches
  • Shoe Size: Size 15 (US)
  • Jersey Number: 5 (Indian Hills)
  • Position: Shooting Guard / Small Forward
  • High School: Flint Northwestern High School (Flint, Michigan); Mount Zion Christian Academy (Durham, North Carolina)
  • College: Indian Hills Community College (1998–2000)
  • NBA Draft: Selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round (54th overall pick) of the 2000 NBA Draft; his draft rights were subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
  • Professional Teams:
    • Gary Steelheads (CBA)
    • Harlem Globetrotters
    • Rockford Lightning (CBA)
    • Great Lakes Storm (CBA)
    • Yakima Sun Kings (CBA)
    • Michigan Mayhem (CBA)
    • Marinos de Anzoátegui (Venezuela)
    • Carolina Cougars
  • Championship Rings: None

Player Archetype / Play Style

Cory Hightower projected as an athletic wing scorer archetype, basically a long 6-foot-8 guard-forward with enough size to slide between shooting guard and small forward while leaning most naturally into a slashing, scoring role rather than pure playmaking. Offensively, he looked like a straight-line attacker and secondary shot-maker, with draft-era reporting noting his ballhandling and shooting flashes and ESPN identifying him as a guard prospect from Indian Hills, while his scoring profile suggested he was most useful pressuring the rim, filling lanes and producing offense in bursts rather than running a team full time. Defensively, his tools pointed to a switchable wing assignment on paper, but that side of the ball was also treated as a proving ground, with ESPN noting that scouts wanted to see whether he could really defend at the next level. Physically, Hightower brought uncommon length for a perimeter player at about 6-8 and around 200 pounds, giving him the frame of a rangy athlete more than a bulky forward. In plain terms, his play style read like an upside wing: long, explosive, aggressive, and intriguing because of his size-skill mix, even if the polish — especially on defense — still needed work.

Sources: The Draft Review — “Cory Hightower”; ESPN — “NBA Draft 2000 Index”; ibiblio Draft Archive — “Cory Hightower, Indian Hills (IA) CC”; ESPN — “Draft: Who’s advising these guys?”