Al Jefferson
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| Player information | ||
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| Full name | Al Ricardo Jefferson | |
| Nickname | Big Al | |
| birthday | 4th January 1985 | |
| place of birth | Monticello, United States | |
| size | 208 cm | |
| position |
Power Forward / Center |
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| NBA draft | 2004 , 15th pick , Boston Celtics | |
| Clubs as active | ||
2004–2007 Boston Celtics 2007–2010 Minnesota Timberwolves 2010–2013 Utah Jazz 2013–2016 Charlotte Hornets 2016–2018 Indiana Pacers 2018 Xinjiang Flying Tigers 
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Al Ricardo Jefferson (born January 4, 1985 in Monticello, Mississippi ) is a retired American basketball player who played in the NBA for 15 years . The 2.08 m tall and about 120 kg heavy athlete was deployed in the center position.
Career
Early years
Jefferson, who was born in Monticello, Mississippi, grew up in Prentiss, Jefferson Davis County , a small town of just under 1,500 residents. Since his father died in an industrial accident, young Al Jefferson grew up with his mother and grandmother. After a growth spurt at the age of 12, Jefferson discovered his talent and motivation for basketball. In high school, thanks to his physical superiority, he was quickly able to assert himself against his competition and attracted the attention of various scouts. In his senior year he averaged 42.6 points, 18 rebounds and 7 blocks per game. He was offered a scholarship from the University of Arkansas , but preferred to try the NBA directly .
Boston Celtics (2004-2007)
In the 2004 NBA Draft , Jefferson was elected 15th by the Boston Celtics and thus made the leap into the NBA . He was initially used as a power forward and scored an average of 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game in his first year. For his achievements, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team . His second season was viewed as a failure, mainly due to a series of ankle injuries that severely restricted his style of play.
Before the 2006/07 NBA season , Jefferson hired a chef and lost 15 kilograms. On August 2nd, 2006 he underwent an operation on his ankle in order to be completely fit for the coming season. When Kendrick Perkins , the center on the Celtics' starting line-up, injured himself, Jefferson got more playing time and knew how to use it. In his first seven games on the grid, he impressed with 16.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He then contributed more than 20 points in several Celtics games and even scored 32 points and 18 rebounds in a game on March 3, 2007. However, the Celtics did not make it into the playoffs despite good performances by Jefferson.
Minnesota Timberwolves (2007-2010)
The following summer, Big Al , his nickname, was transferred to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a huge player swap built around Kevin Garnett , where he immediately signed a five-year contract extension worth $ 65 million. Jefferson was so convincing that he was almost called into the NBA All-Star Game . He immediately made his breakthrough with an average of 21 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. Despite good performances from Jefferson, the Wolves could not qualify for the playoffs.
In the 2008-09 NBA season , Jefferson recorded an average of 23.1 points, 11 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in the first 50 games, but then he sustained a serious injury to his right knee in a game against the New Orleans Hornets to. He had to skip the rest of the season. Jefferson was up and running again the following season, but not quite as effectively as last year. He delivered an average of 17.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, but again it was not enough for a place in the playoffs.
Utah Jazz (2010-2013)
In the summer of 2010, Al Jefferson was traded in exchange for Kosta Koufos and future draft picks to the Utah Jazz, where he immediately had a place on the starting grid due to the departure of Carlos Boozer . After 58 games, he had almost the same stats as the previous season. He finished his first season with the Jazz with 18.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 82 games. In these categories he also led jazz as a front runner. The playoffs were just missed, however. Jefferson Utah also led the next two seasons in points and rebounds. In 2012 he reached the playoffs with Utah, but they were eliminated there against the San Antonio Spurs .
Charlotte Bobcats / Hornets (2013-2016)
After his contract in Utah expired, it quickly became known that the Jazz would no longer plan with Jefferson. After Jefferson listened to a few offers, he decided to accept the Charlotte Hornets offer . With Michael Jordan's team , he received a contract worth 41 million US dollars until 2017. In his first year he scored more than 20 points (21.8) and 10 rebounds (10.8) for the first time since his time with the Timberwolves. With the Hornets he also reached the playoffs, but retired in the first round against the Miami Heat . In December 2015, Jefferson was banned from playing five games for an anti- doping rule violation . Jefferson had to sit out more than 30 games in the 2015/16 season due to injuries and came with 12.0 points and 6.4 rebounds, the weakest values since his time in Boston. Nevertheless, the Hornets reached the NBA playoffs, where they again lost the heat after seven games in the first round.
Indiana Pacers (2016-2018)
In the summer of 2016, Jefferson moved to the Indiana Pacers . He signed a three-year contract worth $ 30 million with the Pacers. Jefferson played a minor role in the Pacers, however, and did not get beyond the bank role in the two years and missed many games due to injury. In the 2017/18 season, he only played 36 of a possible 82 season games. On July 2, 2018, he was released from the Pacers.
China (since 2018)
Jefferson then signed a contract in China with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers . Jefferson announced his retirement in March 2019.
Achievements and Awards
- All-NBA Third Team : 2014
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team : 2005
Web links
- Al Jefferson - player profile on NBA.com
- Al Jefferson - player profile on basketball-reference.com
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Departures of Jefferson, Hargrow to go unfilled , June 25, 2004
- ↑ a b c d e nba.com: Career statistics ( Memento from February 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ InsideHoops: Jefferson slims down
- ↑ Celtics vs. Nets , March 3, 2007
- ↑ Jefferson's $ 65M extension isn't max deal, but he's satisfied , November 1, 2007
- ↑ NBA: Charlotte's Jefferson banned for anti-doping offense zeit.de December 9, 2015 ( Memento of the original from December 22, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Pacers reportedly waive veteran center Al Jefferson
- ↑ Al Jefferson Set To Play In China
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Jefferson, Al |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Big Al |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American basketball player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 4th January 1985 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Monticello , Lawrence County (Mississippi) , Mississippi |