Shawn Marion

Shawn Marion
Shawn Dwayne Marion (born May 7, 1978) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Marion attended high school in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Marion attended the junior college Vincennes University for two years. In 1999, the Phoenix Suns drafted Marion, who was the ninth overall pick and would remain with the Suns until midway through the 2007-2008 season. The Suns traded Marion to the Miami Heat, and Marion joined the Toronto Raptors for the 2008-2009 season. Marion joined the Dallas Mavericks in 2009 and was the team's starting small forward when the Mavericks won the NBA Championship in June, 2011.
Nicknamed "The Matrix" by TNT analyst Kenny Smith during the pre-season of his rookie year for his seemingly bionic athleticism,[1] he is widely regarded as one of the most versatile players in the league thanks to his athleticism and ability to play and defend many positions.

Marion was born in Waukegan, Illinois and played high school basketball in Clarksville, Tennessee at Clarksville High School, where he was a teammate of future NBA player Trenton Hassell of the New Jersey Nets.[2]
After high school he played collegiate basketball at Vincennes University, a junior college in Indiana, for two years before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 1998.[3] In his second year with Vincennes, Marion played 36 games and averaged each game 23.5 points and 13.1 rebounds.[4] He was also the 1998 NJCAA Male Student Athlete of the Year.
Marion was selected by the Suns in the first round and ninth overall in the 1999 NBA Draft. Showing explosive scoring potential and double-digit rebounding ability by his sophomore season, he was selected to the Western Conference All-Star team for the first time in 2002–03 season. In 2004 he was selected to the US Olympic men's basketball team.
In 2005, Marion was named a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star Team and selected to the 2004–05 All-NBA Third Team. That year he became the first player since David Robinson in 1991–92 to average in the top five in rebounding and steals since the league began tracking steals in 1973, a feat he repeated in 2005–06. During the 2005 All-Star Weekend, Marion teamed up with WNBA Rookie of the Year Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury, and Suns legend Dan Majerle in the RadioShack Shooting Stars to run away with the title. Marion was also selected as a Western Conference reserve on the 2006 All-Star team, and the 2007 All-Star team.

The 2005–06 NBA season was perhaps the best season of his career. He was the only player in the NBA ranked in the top 20 in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and minutes. He finished the season leading the Suns in points per game (21.8), rebounds per game (11.8), blocks per game (1.7), and steals per game (2.0). Marion also ranked 3rd in efficiency.[6] He helped fill in the void left by star Amar'e Stoudemire, who missed nearly the entire season due to injury. Marion also earned a spot in the NBA All-Star Game for the third time.
During the 2006–07 season, only Marion and superstar Kevin Garnett ranked in the top 40 in points per game, rebounds per game, field goal percentage, blocks per game, steals per game, and minutes per game.[7] He was named to his fourth NBA All-Star Team and collected 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in 22 minutes in his hometown of Las Vegas at the 2007 contest.
Following a summer filled with rumors and trade speculation involving possible deals with the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and Utah Jazz, Marion requested a move. Citing the rumors and a refusal on the part of Phoenix management to negotiate a contract extension, Marion called his relationship with the Suns a "bad marriage", and stated in September 2007 it was time for him to leave Phoenix.[8] By the start of the season, though, Marion continued to play well for the Suns.
On February 6, 2008, the Phoenix Suns traded Shawn Marion and teammate, Marcus Banks, to the Miami Heat for center Shaquille O'Neal. His last basket with the Heat was a game-winning dunk against the Chicago Bulls
On February 13, 2009, Marion was traded to the Toronto Raptors along with Marcus Banks and cash considerations for Jermaine O'Neal, Jamario Moon and a future conditional draft pick.
On July 9, 2009, Marion signed a five-year $39 million contract and was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks as part of a four-team swap among Raptors, Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic.[11] He won the first championship of his career in the 2010–2011 season by beating the Miami Heat 4–2 in the 2011 NBA Finals.
On April 13, 2011, Marion became the fifth man to compile 1,500 steals and 1,000 blocks in the NBA. He joined Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett and Julius Erving in the exclusive club.
Marion played for the senior United States National Basketball Team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship and the 2004 Athens Olympics. He was named to the 2006 USA men's senior national team but he was forced to withdraw before the tournament began due to a knee injury. The squad finished third in the 2006 FIBA World Championship without him. He has earned 22 total international caps for the United States.

Ron Harper

Ron Harper
Ronald "Ron" Harper (born January 20, 1964) is a retired American professional basketball player whose career spanned from 1986 to 2001 with four teams in the NBA. At 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), his position was shooting guard/point guard.
Harper starred at Miami University in Ohio, where his high flying playing style drew rousing comparisons to Julius Erving. Harper averaged 24.3 points per game, 11.2 rebounds per game, 3.2 steals per game, and 2.4 blocked shots per game.

After Harper's collegiate basketball career he was selected 8th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1986 NBA Draft. He averaged 22.9 points per game in his rookie season, placing second in Rookie of the Year balloting, finishing behind Chuck Person of the Indiana Pacers.[2] After initially spending 3 seasons with the Cavaliers, Harper was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Danny Ferry.
While with the Clippers, Harper sustained a knee injury which robbed him of much of his speed and jumping ability, though he averaged just under 2 steals per game which still remains a team record.

In 1994, he signed a lucrative free agent deal with the Bulls, who were rebuilding following the initial retirement of Michael Jordan. After his first tumultuous season in Chicago, he reinvented himself as a defender and jump shooter. With the return of Jordan in late 1995, Harper remained a key component of the Bulls' perimeter defense and a scoring option on offense. He became a fan favorite in Chicago. Although he suffered an injury late in the Bulls' record-setting 72-win season in 1996, he returned to the starting lineup during the 1996 NBA Finals.
He was a mainstay of five of Phil Jackson's eleven championship teams, following Jackson to Los Angeles to win two more championships (after winning 3 with the Bulls). Along with Harper, Dennis Rodman and Robert Horry are the only players to win consecutive NBA Championships with each of two different teams.
In 2005, Harper signed as an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons.[2] His two-year deal was not renewed in 2007.
On November 1, 1997, Ron Harper appeared in the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel, in the episode titled "Foul Bull". In the episode, Harper, as a Chicago Bull, slips on some orange soda and gets injured, and all of Chicago is angry with Kenan & Kel, who try to apologize.

No. 4, 9
Guard / Small forward
Personal information
Date of birth January 20, 1964 (age 47)
Place of birth Dayton, Ohio
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight 185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
College Miami (Ohio) (1982–1986)
NBA Draft 1986 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8th overall
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Pro career 1986–2001
Career history
1986–1989 Cleveland Cavaliers
1989–1994 Los Angeles Clippers
1994–1999 Chicago Bulls
1999–2001 Los Angeles Lakers

Danny Granger

Danny Granger
Danny Granger, Jr. (born April 20, 1983) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA. He is mainly a small forward, though he does log time at the power forward position. [1] He is also able to initiate the team's offense and so is regarded as one who can play the point forward position. [2] Before his professional career, he went to Grace King High School in Metairie, Louisiana where he was a McDonald's All-American nominee before his senior year.[3] He was a good student who scored a 30 on the ACT[4] and was offered admission to Yale University. He played for Bradley University and then transferred to University of New Mexico before his junior year.
Granger started his collegiate career at Bradley University where he played the 2001–2002 and 2002–2003 seasons.[5] After a lackluster 12–18 season in 2002–2003,[6] he transferred to the University of New Mexico for the 2003–2004 and 2004–2005 seasons. In 2004–2005, he became the first player in school history to get 60 assists, 60 blocks, and 60 steals in a season. He won the Mountain West Conference tournament MVP and led the Lobos to the NCAA tournament.
Granger graduated with a degree in civil engineering.

Granger was selected 17th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers,[7] as the organization included former Lobo Mel Daniels[8] and Hall of Famer Larry Bird, who was coached in college by the father of New Mexico Lobo Basketball, coach Bob King.[9]
In his first NBA season, Granger played in 78 regular season games, averaging 7.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while making the All-NBA Rookie Second Team. He added 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds in 6 playoff games.[5]
With the departure of Peja Stojaković[10] and arrival of Al Harrington[11] during the 2006 offseason, Granger became the Pacers' starting small forward for 2006–07. After the first 15 games, he became the first man off the bench.
Since a January 17, 2007 eight-player trade with the Golden State Warriors,[12] Granger started at the small forward and shooting guard spots, mainly due to the departure of Harrington. With the second and third scoring options (Harrington and Stephen Jackson, respectively) on the team gone, he was given more chances for scoring and averaged 13.9 points per game in 2006–07.[5]
In 2007–08, Granger led the Pacers in scoring for the first time, averaging 19 PPG, while starting all 80 games he appeared in.[13]
On October 31, 2008, Granger and the Pacers agreed on a 5-year contract extension.[14] The contract pays him $9,930,500 starting in 2009–2010 and escalates ten percent each year, ending after the 2013–2014 season.[15] The finalization of the deal was announced that night, mere hours before the midnight deadline which, if passed without any agreement, would have made Granger a restricted free agent the following summer.

In the 2008–2009 season, he scored a career high 42 points against the Detroit Pistons on December 12, 2008[16] and again against the Golden State Warriors on January 11, 2009.[17] On January 29, 2009 Granger was announced as an All-Star reserve for the Eastern conference. On May 12, 2009 Danny Granger was named the Most Improved Player for the 2008-2009 NBA Season.[18] At the end of the 2008-2009 season, Granger had raised his scoring average by at least five points per game each year (7.5, 13.9, 19.6, 25.8) for three consecutive years, becoming the only player in league history to do so.
Following his breakout season in 2008-2009, the next season was a bit of a disappointment, marred by injuries and losses. On March 26, 2010, however, Granger scored a new career-high 44 points against the Utah Jazz.[19]
Medal record
Competitor for United States
FIBA World Championship
Gold 2010 Turkey Team competition
In the summer of 2010, Granger participated in the FIBA World Championships, playing for the US Senior National team. On September 12, the US team won the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, beating host country Turkey 81-64.

Jaycee Carroll

Jaycee Carroll
Jaycee Don Carroll (born April 16, 1983) is an American professional basketball player. While playing for the Utah State University Aggies, he was best known for his scoring prowess, shooting ability, range, and endurance. He has the 4th highest 3 point field goal percentage, 14th most 3 pointers made, and 52nd most points in NCAA history. He is the Aggies' all-time scoring leader and holds 9 other school records. He is currently playing for Real Madrid, a team in the Spanish ACB.

As a sophomore at Evanston High School, in Evanston, Wyoming, Jaycee earned a spot on the varsity squad. During his junior year, he averaged 27.4 points, 3.3 steals and 2.8 assists per game. In his senior year, he set the state record for points per game at 39.4. Additionally, he averaged 9.1 rebounds and 3.6 steals per game. During a game against Green River, Jaycee scored 56 points, making 14 of 16 three-point attempts. Jaycee was named the Wyoming Gatorade Player of the Year as both a junior and senior. Carroll chose to play college ball at Utah State University in nearby Logan, Utah.
As a freshman, after taking a two-year break from basketball to serve an LDS mission in Chile, Carroll was outstanding, breaking many school and league records and earning multiple conference and national honors. Carroll was named a Freshman All-American by CollegeInsider.com and Rivals.com. He finished the year scoring 18 points against ninth-ranked Arizona in the first round of the NCAA tournament. He averaged 14.7 points per game, making 47.5 percent of his three-point shots and 53.2 percent overall. He broke Utah State's freshman single-game scoring record (with 28 points) and season scoring record (with 407 points). Carroll also became the first freshman in the history of the Big West Conference to be named the Most Valuable Player of the league's postseason tournament.

During his sophomore season, Carroll continued to break records. On February 2, 2006 versus New Mexico State, Carroll made 10 three-pointers, which broke both the team and conference records. He averaged 16.3 points per game, converting 45.1 percent of his three-pointers (which led the WAC) and 46.5 percent overall. He scored 21 points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists against Washington in a losing effort in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March. For the second straight season, he earned second-team all-conference honors. By the end of his sophomore year, Carroll was ranked 33rd all-time in career scoring, and 5th all-time in three-pointers made at Utah State.
Carroll continued to increase his scoring in his junior year. His 21.3 points per game led the WAC and was 10th in the nation. He also led the WAC in three-point shooting percentage (43.2 percent), shot 52.7 from the field and pulled down 6.3 rebounds per game. Carroll had a career-high scoring game against New Mexico St. on scoring 44 points in 34 minutes, shooting 12 of 16 from the field, 5 of 7 from three-point range, and 15-15 from the free throw line. The 44-point mark was the most points ever scored by a Utah State Aggie in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in a single game. By the end of his junior season, he ranked 7th all-time at USU for career points with 1,737, needing only 391 points to pass the mark of 2,127 set by Greg Grant in 1986. Carroll was named to the Associated Press All-American Team as an honorable mention.
Carroll spent much of the summer prior to his senior year in the gym practicing his shot. He attempted 23,963 shots, making 20,010 of them.[1] He was named the WAC Preseason player of the year for the 2007-08 season by both the media and WAC coaches, one of the top 15 seniors by SportsIllustrated.com, and a first-team high-major All-American by Collegehoops.net. Amongst all active Division 1 basketball players, Carroll started the season ranked first in career three-point shooting percentage (45.2), third in career scoring and third in career scoring average (17.5) (among returning seniors).[2] Carroll's 32 points versus Utah Valley State on December 20, 2007 propelled him past Wayne Estes to reach second place on USU's all-time scoring list with 2,009. Carroll became Utah State's all-time leading scorer on January 19, 2008 in a game against Idaho in Logan. He passed Greg Grant on his first basket – a three-pointer – which gave him 2,129 career points. After leading his team to a regular-season conference championship, he was named WAC player of the year.
Carroll completed his career at Utah State with a loss to Illinois State in the first round of the NIT. He scored a total 2,507 career points, falling 35 short of breaking the record, at the time held by Keith Van Horn, for all-time leading scorer in the state of Utah. That record is now 2,599 career points, currently held by Jimmer Fredette of BYU. Carroll was selected as one of the best three-point shooters in the nation and along with 7 others competed in the 3-Point Shootout at the 2008 NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, Texas. The final event of his collegiate career was the NABC All-Star Game at the Final Four.

Carroll was one of 64 players in his first NBA pre-draft camp event – the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament – on April 9–12, 2008. Undrafted, he played for the New Jersey Nets in the 2008 Orlando Pro Summer League camp, earning second-team honors. He also signed contracts to play for the Nets in the 2008 Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City and for the Toronto Raptors in the 2008 Las Vegas Summer League.
After the completion of the summer leagues, Carroll signed a contract with Teramo Basket, a team in the Italian first division where, after hitting two three-point shots in less than 7 seconds, he was nicknamed JayCee "Boom-Boom" Carroll. He is also known as "sharp-shooter" and "Wyoming squirrel".
In 2009, he started playing for CB Gran Canaria in the Spanish ACB. According to his agent: "Jaycee hopes to develop his combo guard skills this year and sign a contract with an NBA team in the near future".[3]
Carroll played for the Boston Celtics in the Orlando Pro Summer League in 2010,[4] and later with the New York Knicks in the NBA Summer League.[5]
In July 2011, he signed a three-year contract with Real Madrid.

Juan Ignacio Sánchez

Juan Ignacio Sánchez
Juan Ignacio Sánchez Brown, also known as Pepe Sánchez (born May 8, 1977 in Bahía Blanca), is an Argentine professional basketball player. He is a point guard. He was part of Argentina's 2004 Olympic gold medal team. Pepe Sánchez (1.93 metres, 6 feet 4 inches tall) was the first Argentine to play in the NBA. He played three seasons, with the Atlanta Hawks (5 games) Philadelphia 76ers (24 games), Detroit Pistons (9 games) and the Golden State Warriors, averaging only 5 minutes per game.
At age 12, he began playing for the youth team of Club Bahiense del Norte, together with future NBA star Emanuel Ginóbili. At age 17 he moved to Deportivo Roca for the 1994/95 season of the Argentine League, where he played point guard. The following year, he accepted a scholarship offer from Temple University in Philadelphia, but stayed in Argentina during the 1995/96 season, playing for Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca.
After his participation in the 1996 Youth Panamerican Tournament in Puerto Rico, where he represented Argentina's national basketball team, he moved to Philadelphia where he played for the Temple Owls college team for 4 years under Hall of Fame coach John Chaney, and finished his career as the #2 player in the NCAA in steals. As a junior, the crafty point guard guided the Owls to an appearance in the Elite Eight, where they fell to Duke. Despite averaging only 5.6 points per game as a senior, he was named a Third Team All-American by the Associated Press. He earned a degree in history at Temple in 2000.

In Europe, Sánchez won the Euroleague championship in the Euroleague 2001-02 season while playing with the Greek league club Panathinaikos, and in the Spanish League with Etosa Alicante. He transferred to Spanish Unicaja Málaga in 2004, with whom he won the 2005/06 ACB League; Unicaja's first Spanish League title. After three years at Unicaja, he left as a free agent when his contract expired at the end of the 2006-07 season.[1] On August 13, 2007, he signed with FC Barcelona.[2]
In July 2008, he signed with Real Madrid,[3] but he was released in April 2009.

Sánchez was first called up to the Argentine senior national team in 1998. With Argentina, he played at the World Championships at both the 1998 FIBA World Championship and the 2002 FIBA World Championship (where he won the silver medal), the South American Championship 1999 (where he won the silver medal), and at the 2004 Olympic Basketball Tournament (where he won the gold medal).
Sánchez's performance at the 2006 FIBA World Basketball Championship was quite satisfactory, with the Argentine press choosing him as the most outstanding player in the team.

1994/1995 Deportivo Roca (Argentina)
1995/1996 Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca (Argentina)
1996/2000 Temple Owls (United States)
2000/2001 Philadelphia 76ers (United States)
2001/2001 Atlanta Hawks (United States)
2001/2002 Panathinaikos (Greece)
2002/2003 Detroit Pistons (United States)
2003/2004 Golden State Warriors, pre-season (United States)
2003/2004 Etosa Alicante (Spain)
2004-2007 Unicaja Málaga (Spain)
2007-2008 AXA FC Barcelona (Spain)
2008-2009 Real Madrid (Spain)
2010-present Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca (Argentina)

Richard Hamilton

Richard Hamilton
Richard "Rip" Hamilton (born February 14, 1978) is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons. Hamilton is 6'7" tall, weighs 193 lbs (2.01 m, 87.5 kg), and plays shooting guard. He currently is the Pistons' team captain.
Hamilton played college basketball at the University of Connecticut from 1996–99. He was named the 1999 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after UConn's run to that year's national title.
Hamilton was the 7th pick overall in the 1999 NBA Draft and played for the Washington Wizards for his first three seasons as a professional. Hamilton, Hubert Davis and Bobby Simmons were then traded to the Detroit Pistons for Jerry Stackhouse, Brian Cardinal and Ratko Varda. Since the trade, Hamilton has become one of the NBA's top shooting guards,[1] and was leading scorer on the Pistons 2004 NBA Championship team.

Hamilton began wearing the clear plastic mask that would become his trademark during the 2003–2004 season. His nose had been broken twice that season (it happened once before in 2002) and Hamilton was advised to wear the mask the rest of his career or risk significant nasal reconstructive surgery. Wearing the mask on a nightly basis, Hamilton led the Pistons in scoring as they marched to the NBA title.[2] He has continued to wear the mask, calling it his "Superman cape."[3]
Hamilton is the only player in NBA history to lead his team in scoring in a game despite not making a single field goal. On January 6, 2005, Hamilton was 0-for-10 from the field, but hit 14-of-14 from the line to pace the Pistons in a 101–79 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.[4]
On February 9, 2006, Hamilton earned his first selection to the 2006 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve guard for the Eastern Conference.
On December 27, 2006, Hamilton scored a career-high 51 points with 19-for-37 field goal shooting in a 151–145 triple-overtime Pistons loss to the New York Knicks, becoming the first opposing player since Michael Jordan to score over 50 points at Madison Square Garden.[5][6]
He represented the Eastern Conference for the second time at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.
On February 17, 2008, Hamilton represented the Eastern Conference for the third consecutive season at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. On February 6, Hamilton was selected to be a part of the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, held on February 16 during All Star Weekend in New Orleans. He was defeated, however, by defending champion Jason Kapono.

On May 13, 2008, Hamilton surpassed Isiah Thomas as the Pistons' all-time leading scorer in the playoffs.[7]
On November 3, 2008, Hamilton signed a three-year, $34 million contract extension with the Pistons. The first two years of the contract are guaranteed and the third is partially.
On February 7, 2009, Hamilton scored 38 points off the bench against the Milwaukee Bucks, the most by a Piston reserve in history.
On March 13, 2009, Hamilton posted a career-high 16 assists in a 99–95 overtime win against the Toronto Raptors.

In the 2006–07 NBA season Hamilton appeared in the NBA Fundamentals series, hosted by TNT, where basketball players showcase certain aspects of the game. Hamilton explained the topic "moving without the ball" to shake off your defender. He was also a contestant on an episode of the game show series Wanna Bet?. He has also worked with many charities, including the Read to Achieve* program and reading books to children. As part of his long-time work with children, he has appeared on an episode of Disney Channel's "Imagination Movers". He helped the gang play basketball and learn a lesson of friendship.

Bob Lanier

Bob Lanier
Robert Jerry "Bob" Lanier, Jr. (born September 10, 1948) is a retired American professional basketball player who played for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA.
Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.
Lanier was born in Buffalo, New York. Under coach Irving J. Sarecki, he played at Buffalo's Bennett High School, where he graduated in 1966.[2] He then played collegiately at St. Bonaventure University, in Olean, New York.
Lanier was a three-time Converse All-America selection (1968-1970), and in 1970, he led St. Bonaventure to the NCAA Final Four, however, he was injured late in the regional championship game and did not participate in Bona's national semi-final loss to Artis Gilmore-led Jacksonville University. That year he was named Coach and Athlete Magazine player of the year, and the ECAC Player of the Year.

Lanier was drafted number one overall by the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons and was named to the All-Rookie Team following the 1970-71 season. He starred for Detroit until being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1980. In his five seasons with the Bucks, they won the division championship each year. The same year he retired, in 1984, he was awarded the Oscar Robertson Leadership Award.
In his 14 NBA seasons, Lanier averaged 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting a respectable 51.4 percent from the field. He played in eight NBA All-Star Games, and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1974 game. Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992[1] and had his #16 jersey retired by both the Pistons and the Bucks.

In 1994-95, he became interim head coach of the Golden State Warriors for 37 games after Don Nelson stood down, in which he compiled a 12-25 win-loss record.
At the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, visitors are able to compare the size of their foot to that of Lanier's.
The basketball court at Lanier's alma mater, St. Bonaventure, is named after him.

No. 16
Center
Personal information
Date of birth September 10, 1948 (age 63)
Place of birth Buffalo, New York
Nationality American
High school Bennett (Buffalo, New York)
Listed height 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight 250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
College St. Bonaventure
NBA Draft 1970 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Pro career 1970–1984
Career history
As player:
1970–1980 Detroit Pistons
1980–1984 Milwaukee Bucks
As coach:
1995 Golden State Warriors

Jason Kapono

Jason Kapono
Jason Alan Kapono (born February 4, 1981) is an American professional basketball player who is a free agent. Drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 2003 NBA Draft, Kapono later also played for the Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and Philadelphia 76ers. He twice led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage, and he also won the NBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Shootout twice.
Kapono played college basketball at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He was the first player in the school's history to earn First Team All-Pac-10 honors for four years and was also the first UCLA player to lead the team in scoring four straight years.
Kapono was born in Long Beach, California to Joe and Toni Kapono. Jason prepped at Southern California basketball powerhouse Artesia High School in Lakewood, where he was a McDonald's All-American and won several accolades and titles. After a successful high school career, Jason enjoyed an outstanding college career at UCLA, where he finished as the third all-time leading scorer with 2,095 points,[1] was the first Bruin to earn First Team All-Pac-10 honors all four years, and was the only UCLA player to lead the school in scoring four straight years.[2] He also graduated with a degree in history. Kapono was a second-round draft choice of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft.

Kapono only played 41 games and started 3 in his first NBA season, although he led the team in three-point field goal percent at 47.7%. After his rookie season with Cleveland, he was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2004 expansion draft, where he increased his scoring average from 3.5 to 8.5 points per game. He also made the first block in Bobcats history. Later, he was signed as a free agent by the Miami Heat where he was part of the 2005–06 NBA championship team.
In the 2006–07 season, Kapono's points-per-game average and minutes played significantly increased, and he led the league in three-point percentage with .514, which is close to the all-time single-season three-point percentage record held by Steve Kerr (.524), and is the fourth best percentage in league season history. Kapono also won the 2007 All-Star Weekend three-point shoot-out competition by defeating Dirk Nowitzki and Gilbert Arenas in the final round with a score of 24 points which tied Mark Price's record for most points in a final round of the three-point contest.
Kapono repeated the feat in 2008, having led the league in three-point percentage going into the All-Star weekend. In the final round of the contest, he scored 25 points, tying the all-time single round record set in 1986 and also setting a new finals record.[3] On December 14, 2007, he had a career-high 29 points and pulled down 8 rebounds. He also ended the 2007–08 season as the top three-point shooter in the league.[4]
On June 9, 2009, Kapono was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for Reggie Evans.[5] The Sixers were victims of several starting lineup changes throughout the season. Kapono started the season with sparing minutes off the bench, but was later given the starting SF spot, near the end of the season. However, after losing his starting spot two games into the following season, Kapono is back to coming off the bench for sparing minutes. After the 2010-2011 NBA season came to an end, Kapono's contract with the 76ers expired and he became a free agent.

At one point, Kapono was the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history. On November 25, 2007, he made his 250th three-point shot, qualifying him for the NBA record in 3-point shooting accuracy. He immediately moved into first place with a .461 ratio of 3-point shots made to shots attempted, moving ahead of Steve Kerr, who had the previous lifetime best at .454. Kapono has since dropped behind Kerr and others.
Born to Joe and Joni Kapono, Jason Kapono is of Hawaiian and Portuguese descent.[8] He married on August 28, 2004 to the former Ashley Cline. He has a sister Jillian, his father-in-law Tony Cline played football at the University of Miami and in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, while his brother-in-law Tony Cline Jr. played football at Stanford University and with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers.