José Calderón

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José Calderón

Position	Guard
League	NBA
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Team	Toronto Raptors
Nationality	Spain
Born	September 28, 1981 Villanueva de la Serena, Badajoz, Spain
Pro career	2005 – present

José Manuel Calderón (born September 28, 1981, in Villanueva de la Serena, Badajoz) is a Spanish professional basketball player with the NBA's Toronto Raptors. The 6'3", 210 lb guard spent the previous six seasons playing in Europe, where he led the Spanish team TAU Cerámica to an appearance in the 2005 Euroleague Final Four where they finished second. Calderón has also appeared for the Spanish national team several times, including as team captain during the 2004 Summer Olympics. He signed with the Toronto Raptors on August 3, 2005, and in the 2005-06 NBA season ranked third among all rookies in assists with 4.5 per game. He finished the season with 64 played games, having started in 11 of them. He averaged 5.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and an assists-per-turnover ratio of 2.85. He scored a career-high 20 points against the New Jersey Nets and a career-high 13 assists against the Washington Wizards.

A talented playmaker, Calderón struggled with his shooting in his first year in the NBA. Many basketball analysts consider the shooting problems a mental issue, as Calderón was a top shooter in the Spanish League. Calderón is now expected to be a backup for the Raptors this year, following the team's acquisition of point guard T.J. Ford.

On September 3, 2006, Calderón and his Spanish squad defeated Greece, and won the 2006 FIBA World Championship along with NBA teammate, Jorge Garbajosa.