Carlos Boozer

Boozer with the Bulls
No. 5 – Chicago Bulls
Power forward
Personal information
Born	(1981-11-20) November 20, 1981 (age 30) Aschaffenburg, West Germany
Nationality	American
High school	Juneau-Douglas HS (Juneau, Alaska)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	266 lb (121 kg)
Career information
College	Duke (1999–2002)
NBA Draft	2002 / Round: 2 / Pick: 35th overall
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Pro career	2002–present
Career history
2002–2004	Cleveland Cavaliers
2004–2010	Utah Jazz
2010–present	Chicago Bulls
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA All-Star (2007–2008) All-NBA Third Team (2008) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2003) NCAA Champion (2001)
Medals Men’s basketball Competitor for  United States Summer Olympics Gold 2008 Beijing Team competition Bronze 2004 Athens Team competition FIBA U21 World Championship Gold 2001 Saitama Team competition

Carlos Austin Boozer, Jr. (born November 20, 1981) is an American professional basketball player with the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. As a member of the Team USA, Boozer won an Olympic bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Biography[link]

Although born at a military base in Aschaffenburg, West Germany, Boozer grew up in Juneau, Alaska,^[1] in the US. As a child, Boozer and his father practiced outside at his local middle school, throughout the cold Alaska seasons. He attended Juneau-Douglas High School. Boozer was married to his wife CeCe for six years before he filed for divorce in March 2009.^[2] Boozer and CeCe have three children together: Carmani (who had a bone marrow transplant in 2007 to treat sickle-cell disease),^[3] and twins, Cameron and Cayden.^[4][5][6] He also has a younger brother, Charles, who previously played basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones. Boozer was reported as having an affair with actress Michelle Money, which Money later confirmed.^[7]

High school and college basketball[link]

Boozer was a two-time member of the PARADE All-American high school basketball team, leading the Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears to back-to-back state titles. He was recruited by many top-tier collegiate basketball programs,^[5] including St. John's and UCLA, but Boozer elected to play for coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke University, helping the team win the 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship.

In 2001–02, Boozer, Jason Williams, and Mike Dunleavy, Jr. each scored at least 600 points for the season, a feat only matched at Duke by Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Nolan Smith in the 2009–10 season.^[8]

NBA career[link]

Drafted by Cleveland[link]

Boozer declared for the 2002 NBA Draft, relinquishing his final year of NCAA eligibility. He was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the NBA draft. Boozer averaged 10.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg in his rookie campaign, and followed it up with 15.5 ppg and 11.4 rpg his second year while playing alongside LeBron James.

Free agency controversy[link]

After the 2003–04 NBA season, the Cavaliers had the option of allowing him to become a restricted free agent, or keeping him under contract for one more year at a $695,000 salary. The Cavaliers claimed to have reached an understanding with Boozer and his agent on a deal for approximately $39 million over 6 years, which he would have signed if they let him out of his current deal.

Cleveland then proceeded to release him from his contract making him a restricted free agent. During this period, the Utah Jazz offered Boozer a 6-year, $70 million contract that Cleveland chose not to match due to salary cap considerations.^[9] Carlos Boozer signed with Utah on July 24, 2004.^[10]

Boozer denied that he made any commitment to the Cavaliers: "There was no commitment. It's unfortunate how the turn of events went through the media," Boozer said shortly after signing the deal with Utah. "I'm not a guy that gives my word and takes it away. I think I've made that clear."^[11] Boozer's agent, Rob Pelinka, subsequently ceased representation, although Pelinka has resumed representing Boozer as of July 2009, when he was eligible for another contract extension. In addition, former Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund has said, "In the final analysis, I decided to trust Carlos and show him the respect he asked for. He did not show that trust and respect in return."^[12]

Utah Jazz (2004–2010)[link]

Carlos Boozer shooting a free throw while playing with the Utah Jazz.

In his first season with the Jazz (2004–05), Boozer averaged 17 points and 9 rebounds, showing promise and the ability to be the go-to guy, while learning a new system. However, he suffered an injury, missing the later part of the season, which contributed to the Jazz missing the playoffs for only the second time in 22 years, and he was publicly criticized for a lack of effort by team owner Larry Miller.

As the 2005–06 NBA season began, Boozer was still recovering from injury, and then aggravated a hamstring, causing him to miss the first half of that season as well. He returned to action in late February, easing into action by coming off the bench for the Jazz. In the middle of March, he was placed back into the starting lineup. From that point, he finished the season in impressive fashion, averaging over 20 points and almost 10 rebounds per game and firmly establishing himself as the Jazz's starting power forward once again.

Boozer got off to a strong start in the 2006–07 season, winning the Western Conference Player of the Week Award and helping the Jazz to win eleven of their first twelve games. Boozer was named part of the NBA All-Star roster as a reserve, but could not participate because of a hairline fracture in his left fibula.

In an April 23, 2007 game vs. the Houston Rockets (game two of the first round of the 2007 playoffs), Boozer scored 41 points, tying the career high he had set a month earlier on March 26 (vs. the Washington Wizards). He also led the Jazz past the Rockets in game 7 of the first round in the NBA Playoffs, scoring 35 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and two clutch free throws to secure the victory in Boozer's first playoff series.

The Jazz would go on to win their 2nd round series against the upstart Golden State Warriors, 4 games to 1, and advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1998. Even though they lost 4 games to 1 to the more experienced San Antonio Spurs, Boozer proved valuable and durable. He ended the season averaging 20.9 points per game, 11.7 rebounds, and playing in 74 of 82 games. He was even better in the playoffs, increasing his output to 23.5 points and 12.2 rebounds per night and appearing in all 17 Jazz playoff games.

In November, early in the 2007–08 season, Boozer was named Western Conference Player of the Month.^[13] By mid-December, he was among the league's top five performers in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. Although he later slipped in all of these categories, he continued to produce solid numbers. Boozer was again chosen as a backup in the All-Star Game, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes of play.^[14] He registered his first career triple-double against the Seattle SuperSonics on February 13, 2008, with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.^[15]

In the playoffs, the Jazz faced the Houston Rockets in the first round for the 2nd year in a row. Determined to not allow him to beat them, the Rockets geared their defense more to stopping Boozer and his production was somewhat limited (16.0 pts and 11.7 rebounds per game), but the Jazz defeated the Rockets, 4–2. In the second round of the 2008 NBA playoffs the Jazz lost to the top seeded Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games.

During the 2008–09 season, Boozer's ability to stay healthy was questioned by fans and media alike, as he missed 44 games following arthroscopic left knee surgery. He missed time from late November 2008 to late February 2009. When he played, his numbers were 16.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists, in 37 games (all starts). With his possible pending free agency at the end of the season looming, it seemed likely Boozer would leave. However, when the deadline for choosing free agency or opting into the remaining year came, he surprised many by opting in for the 2009–10 season with the Jazz. The Jazz management stated publicly they were happy to have him return and play for them, and Boozer did the same.

For the 2009–10 season, Boozer seemed to avoid distraction about his lame-duck status, with no reports of an extension looming with the Jazz. He played well, averaging 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, and shot 56.2% from the field, a career high. He played in 78 of 82 games and avoided injury, which boded well heading into the 2010 summer, when he would rank as one of the top 5–6 players available.

Chicago Bulls (2010–present)[link]

Boozer joined the Chicago Bulls on July 8, 2010. The deal was brokered as a sign-and-trade with Boozer's former team, the Utah Jazz. Chicago received Boozer and a future second-round pick in exchange for sending Utah a trade exception in the neighborhood of $13–14 million.^[16][17][18] Despite missing 23 games due to injury, Boozer still managed to average 17.5 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game while also helping the Bulls get the first seed in the Eastern Conference.^[19]

USA Basketball[link]

Boozer was selected as a member of the 2004 USA Olympic men's basketball team which won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. He was also named to the 2006–08 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team,^[20] but did not compete in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship due to his wife's pregnancy.^[6] Boozer did participate in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games as the USA went unbeaten en route to the gold medal, defeating 2006 World Champion Spain for their first gold medal since the 2000 Olympics.^[21]

Player profile[link]

Since his 2002–03 rookie year, Boozer has finished the season among the NBA's top ten performers in field goal percentage six times^{[22][23][24][25][26]} and has been among the top ten rebounders twice.^[27][28] He is highly regarded by scouts and sports journalists for his strength, rebounding and offensive skill set. For example, David Thorpe, an analyst for ESPN.com, lists Boozer among the "game's best post players"^[29] and among the best at scoring (or "finishing") under the basket using either hand.^[30] Boozer credits his father for helping him develop his ambidextrous ability.^[1] Boozer is represented by Rob Pelinka.^[31]

Media appearances[link]

In the 2006–07 NBA season, Boozer appeared in the NBA Fundamentals series hosted by TNT, in which NBA players explain certain aspects of basketball. He explained the topic "post play." In this clip, Boozer highlighted the technique of how to establish position in the low post, and how to most effectively score from that position. Boozer showcased his array of ambidextrous slam dunks and hook shots, and reminded viewers to insert an occasional jump shot to confuse the opponent. He also expressed his admiration of retired NBA greats Karl Malone and Charles Barkley, who he sees as masters of low post scoring.

Awards and honors[link]

• 2× NBA All-Star: 2007, 2008
• All-NBA Team:

• Third Team: 2008

• NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 2003
• Bronze medal with Team USA, 2004 Summer Olympic Games
• Gold Medal with Team USA, 2008 Summer Olympic Games

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Video Interview with Carlos Boozer @ fiba.com
• Carlos Boozer at NBA.com
• NBA Life: Carlos Boozer video by TNT

Joel Przybilla

Przybilla with the Trail Blazers
No. 10 – Portland Trail Blazers
Center
Personal information
Born	(1979-10-10) October 10, 1979 (age 32) Monticello, Minnesota
Nationality	American
High school	Monticello (Minnesota)
Listed height	7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Listed weight	245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
College	Minnesota (1998–2000)
NBA Draft	2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall
Selected by the Houston Rockets
Pro career	2000–present
Career history
2000–2004	Milwaukee Bucks
2004	Atlanta Hawks
2004–2011	Portland Trail Blazers
2011	Charlotte Bobcats
2012–present	Portland Trail Blazers
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Joel Przybilla (English pronunciation: /prɨzˈbɪlə/,^[1] born October 10, 1979) is an American professional basketball player. A 7'1" (2.16 m) center, he currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA.

High school career[link]

Przybilla was born in Monticello, Minnesota, and attended Monticello High School, where he was coached by Max LaVelle of the Monticello Magic. He was named 1998 Minnesota Mr. Basketball, along with Darius Lane.^[2]

College career[link]

He played two seasons at the University of Minnesota. He left Minnesota during the middle of his sophomore season, and declared for the NBA Draft.

NBA career[link]

Przybilla was the 9th overall selection in the 2000 NBA Draft, chosen by the Houston Rockets, but traded the same day to the Milwaukee Bucks for their first round pick, Jason Collier, and a future first round pick. After playing for the Bucks for over three seasons, on February 15, 2004, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a three team trade.^[3] Upon free agency, Phoenix and Toronto showed interest but Portland was the only team offering guaranteed money^[4] and he signed for a reported $3.35 million over two years on August 24, 2004.^[5] He made an immediate impact averaging 7.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in that 2004–2005 NBA season.

Przybilla became a free agent again at the end of the 2005–2006 season. After being pursued by several teams, he agreed to re-sign with the Blazers; the contract is reportedly for 5 years and US $32 million.^[6] Among his suitors were the Chicago Bulls, and the Detroit Pistons, seeking to replace the outgoing Ben Wallace.^[6] Bill Duffy, Przybilla's agent, explained his reasons for re-signing with the Blazers this way: "He's extremely loyal, and they gave him an opportunity two years ago when no one else did."^[6] At the same time, the Blazers' offer was the most generous, surpassing the Pistons' $29 million offer and the $24 million offered by the Spurs. On 22 March 2008, Przybilla pulled a career high 25 rebounds, two shy of the franchise record overall and one shy of franchise record in a regulation game.^[7]

On January 2, 2009, he was fined $7,500 and assessed a flagrant foul for striking Tyson Chandler.^[8]

In a game against the Dallas Mavericks on December 22, 2009, he suffered a ruptured patella tendon as well as a dislocated patella after landing awkwardly on his right knee during a rebound. Two days later, he had surgery to repair the tear in the tendon.^[9]

It was reported on March 7, 2010 that Przybilla re-injured his right knee while slipping in the shower. The Trail Blazers said the knee would require more surgery,^[10] and Przybilla missed the rest of the season.

On February 24, 2011 Przybilla was traded along with Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks, and two future first round draft picks to the Charlotte Bobcats for Gerald Wallace.^[11]

On February 27, 2012, Przybilla was re-signed by the Trail Blazers.^[12]

Personal life[link]

Przybilla was born the third of four children of Doug Przybilla, an American Express employee, and Linda, a middle school teacher's assistant.^[13] He is of German (maternally) and Polish descent.^[14] He and wife Noelle have two sons, Anthony and Jayden.^[13][15]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Joel Przybilla

• NBA.com Official Profile
• Tim Davenport, "Przybilla," Blazers Edge. Part I & Part II, Aug. 16 & 17, 2009. - Extensive footnoted biography.

Serge Ibaka

Ibaka (Left) in action for the Oklahoma City Thunder
No. 9 – Oklahoma City Thunder
Power forward
Personal information
Born	(1989-09-18) September 18, 1989 (age 22) Brazzaville, People's Republic of the Congo
Nationality	Congolese/Spanish
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24th overall
Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics
Pro career	2007–present
Career history
2007–2008	CB L'Hospitalet (Spain)
2008–2009	Ricoh Manresa (Spain)
2009–present	Oklahoma City Thunder
2011	Real Madrid (Spain)
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Defensive First Team (2012) NBA blocks leader (2012)
Stats at NBA.com
Medals Medal record Competitor for  Spain Men's Basketball FIBA European Championship Gold 2011 Lithuania National Team

Serge Jonas Ibaka Ngobila^[1][2] (born September 18, 1989), commonly referred to as Serge Ibaka, is a Congolese-Spanish professional basketball player, playing the power forward position for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. Ibaka was drafted by the Thunder's former incarnation, the Seattle SuperSonics with the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He is referred to as Air Congo by his teammates.^[3] Serge is the third youngest among eighteen siblings.^[4] Although born in the Republic of the Congo, Ibaka represents Spain in international competition.

Early life[link]

Ibaka was born in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. Both his mother and his father were basketball players. His father played at the Republic of Congo and with the Congolese national team, and his mother played for the Democratic Republic of Congo. He started playing basketball at a very young age with his first club, Avenir du Rail, using the sport as an escape amongst his mother's untimely death and his father's imprisonment during the Second Congo War.^[5]

Ibaka moved to Spain as a teenager and soon found himself playing with several junior basketball clubs, most notably CB L'Hospitalet, with which he won several tournaments.

NBA career[link]

Transition to the NBA[link]

He was selected by the Seattle Supersonics with the 24th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He became the first player from the Republic of Congo to be selected in the draft, although the Oklahoma City Thunder (the team that inherited the Sonics' place in the NBA) agreed to keep him in Europe. He then signed a three year contract with Ricoh Manresa from the ACB League in Spain, keeping the option to leave for the NBA after each season. In the ACB, he averaged 7.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1 block in 16 minutes per game.

In July 2009, the Oklahoma City Thunder paid the buyout, and signed him to a two year contract with two more optional seasons.

Ibaka, who spoke no English when he first arrived in the NBA, depended on the help of summer league teammate Moses Ehambe to translate for him.^[6] After a lengthy, dedicated year of learning English in addition to the NBA game, Ibaka now speaks a total of five languages: Lingala (native language), French, Catalan, English and Spanish.^[7]

Oklahoma City Thunder (2009–present)[link]

Although coming to the NBA as a raw talent, Ibaka has managed to become a starter in the Thunder rotation. Ibaka is often used for his energy in the paint, whether on defense or rebounding. In his first NBA season, Ibaka played 18.1 minutes per game in 73 games, averaging 6.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. His blocks average led all rookies in the 2009–2010 season, and he ranked number 20 overall. In the first round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, he played in 6 games, averaging 25.5 minutes, 7.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. His 7 blocks in game two in Los Angeles was a record (youngest player to have 7 blocks in playoff game).

On February 19, 2011, Serge Ibaka participated in the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.^[8] He began the contest with a dunk from the free-throw line. In the second round, Ibaka grabbed a stuffed animal from the rim with his mouth and dunked in one motion.

During 2011 NBA lockout he signed a two-month contract with Real Madrid in Spain with an option to return to the NBA at the end of the lockout.^[9][10] Over 6 games in the Euroleague, he averaged 5.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2 blocks in 15 minutes per game.^[11]

After the lockout, Ibaka returned to the NBA after playing in Spain. On February 19, 2012, he recorded his first career triple-double against the Denver Nuggets, scoring 14 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and getting a career-high 11 blocks. Ibaka became the first player in franchise history to record a triple-double with double-digit blocks.^[12] He played all 66 games in the shortened season as a starter, averaging the most blocks in the league, 3.6 per game. In voting for the Defensive Player of the Year, he finished second, in front of Orlando's Dwight Howard, who had won the award each of the previous three seasons, but behind Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks.^[13]

Spanish national team[link]

Ibaka in action for the Spain national basketball team

Internationally, Ibaka plays for the Spain national basketball team as he was granted Spanish citizenship on July 15, 2011.^[14] His team won the gold medal in the Eurobasket 2011, beating France in the final by a score of 98–85.

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

See also[link]

• List of National Basketball Association players with 10 or more blocks in a game

References[link]

External links[link]

• Highlights from a Spanish junior tournament on YouTube
• Serge Ibaka at Adidas Nations on YouTube
• Serge Ibaka wins the 2008 ACB Concurso de mates (Dunk contest)
• NBADraft.net Profile
• DraftExpress Profile