Predrag Stojaković
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| Position | Small forward |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Peja |
| Height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Weight | 229 lb (104 kg) |
| Team | New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets |
| Nationality |  Serbia / Greece |
| Born | June 9, 1977 Slavonska Požega,SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Croatia) |
| Draft | 14th overall, 1996 Sacramento Kings |
| Pro career | 1994–present |
| Former teams | PAOK (1994-98) Sacramento Kings (1998-2006) Indiana Pacers (2006) |
| Awards | Three-time All-Star European Player of the Year (2001) Eurobasket MVP (2001) 2002, 2003 All-Star Three-Point Shootout Champion |
Predrag "Peja" Stojaković (Serbian Cyrillic: Предраг "Пеђа" Стојаковић; Romanised: Peđa Stojaković; Greek: Πρέντραγκ "Πέτζα" Στογιάκοβιτς) (born June 9, 1977) is a Serbian basketball player for the NBA's New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets.[1] He is one of the league's top small forwards, particularly known for his prowess from three-point range. Stojaković is one of the most successful basketball players ever to come out of Serbia.
Contents |
[edit] Professional Career
[edit] Early years
Stojaković was born to Serbian parents in Slavonska Požega, Yugoslavia (now a town in Croatia) but his family fled to Belgrade during the Yugoslav wars. In 1993, at age 16, he moved to Greece in order to be able to play professional basketball, and settled in PAOK BC where he spent four seasons. Stojaković also acquired Greek citizenship in 1993. In his final season with PAOK, Stojakovic was named league Most Valuable Player, averaging 23.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals.
[edit] Sacramento Kings
The 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) Stojaković was selected by the Kings in the first round (14th overall pick) of the 1996 NBA Draft while playing in Greece. He continued to play there until the Kings signed him prior to the 1998-99 NBA lockout season. After two seasons on the bench in Sacramento, he had a breakthrough season in 2000-01, averaging 20.4 points and 5.8 rebounds, and shooting .400 from three-point range in his first season as a starter. He finished second in voting for the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
In 2001-02, he played in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time. His scoring average went up to 21.2 ppg, and he reached career highs in shooting percentage (.484) and three-point percentage (.416). His scoring average dropped slightly to 19.2 ppg in 2002-03, but he played again in the All-Star Game. In both seasons, he won the three-point shooting contest conducted during All-Star Weekend.
In 2003-04, Stojaković was again selected as an All-Star, and finished second in the league in scoring with a career-high 24.2 ppg. He finished fourth in MVP voting and was voted on to the All-NBA 2nd Team. He also led the NBA in free-throw percentage (.927) and three-pointers made for the season (240). In 2004-05, he missed 16 games to injury, and was somewhat hampered in several games, but still averaged 20.1 ppg.
[edit] Indiana Pacers
On January 25, 2006, Stojaković was traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for forward Ron Artest, ending his eight-year tenure with the Kings. However, he missed four games of their first round playoff series with the New Jersey Nets, all losses.
[edit] New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets
This offseason, he re-signed with the Pacers, only to be traded to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for the draft rights to Andrew Betts [2]. In the eighth game for his new team on November 14, 2006, he scored a career-high 42 points against the Charlotte Bobcats. He was soon sidelined for several months by injuries, including back surgery.
[edit] International career
As a member of the Yugoslavian national team, he earned gold medals at the 2001 European Championships (Eurobasket), held in Turkey, and the 2002 FIBA World Championships, held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Stojaković was the MVP of Eurobasket 2001, and was a member of the all-tournament team in Indianapolis in 2002, along with fellow NBA stars Manu Ginobili, Dirk Nowitzki, and Yao Ming, as well as New Zealand's Pero Cameron.
[edit] Personal
Stojaković is married to Greek fashion model Aleka Kamila. The couple have one son (Andrej) and one daughter (Mila).
[edit] Trivia
- He is a three-time NBA All-Star (2002, 2003 and 2004) and was All-NBA Second Team in 2003-04.
- He won two consecutive titles in the NBA's Three-point Shootout. (2002 and 2003)
- He ranks 4th in NBA history in free-throw percentage at .894
- He is one of only two NBA players to make at least 100 3-pointers in each of the last seven seasons
- He ranks 24th all-time in 3-point field goal percentage at .399
- He ranks 22nd in 3-pointers made with 1,161 and 31st in 3-pointers attempted with 2,912
- He and Steve Nash of Phoenix were the only players to rank in the top 25 in both free-throw and 3-point percentage during the '04-'05 and '05-'06 seasons.
- He has scored 30 points or more in a game 53 times in his career, including four times in the playoffs.
- He won the 2001 Euroscar, given to the best European basketball player by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Peja Stojakovic Bio at NBA.com
- Peja Stojakovic at ESPN.com
- Peja Stojakovic Profile at InterBasket.net
- Peja Stojakovic Children's Foundation
- Predrag Stojakovic Universe - Fan Site
- 10 Things You Should Know About Peja Stojakovic - NBA.com
- New Orleans Hornets - Official Website
