Joel Przybilla
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| Position | Center |
|---|---|
| Height | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) |
| Weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Team | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | October 10, 1979 (age 27) Monticello, Minnesota |
| College | Minnesota |
| Draft | 9th overall, 2000 Houston Rockets |
| Pro career | 2000–present |
| Former teams | Milwaukee Bucks (2000–2004) Atlanta Hawks (2004) |
Joel Anthony Przybilla (October 10, 1979 in Monticello, Minnesota) is a professional basketball player in the NBA. A 7'1" (2.16 m) center, he currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers. He is a team captain.
Przybilla attended high school at Monticello High School and was coached by Max LaVelle when he played for the Monticello Magic. He played two seasons at the University of Minnesota. He left Minnesota during the middle of his sophomore season due to differences with first-year coach Dan Monson. 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 pick, Jason Collier. He has since played for the Bucks, the Atlanta Hawks and the Trail Blazers, where he finally made a significant impact during the 2004-2005 NBA season, averaging 7.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
His nicknames include "The Thrilla", "Joelthrilla", "Joelzilla" and "The Vanilla Gorilla."
Przybilla became a free agent 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.[1] Among his suitors were the Chicago Bulls, and the Detroit Pistons, seeking to replace the outgoing Ben Wallace.[1] Bill Duffy, Przybilla's agent, explained his reasons for re-signing with the Blazers as opposed to likely championship contenders this way: "He's extremely loyal, and they gave him an opportunity two years ago when no one else did."[1] 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.[2]
[edit] References
http://www.nba.com/blazers/features/Joel_Przybilla_Rip_City_Featur-173045-41.html
- ^ a b c Liz Robbins. "Pistons Quickly Plug a Hole in the Middle With Mohammed", New York Times, 2006-07-05. Retrieved on 2006-07-05.
- ^ John Canzano. "'Ours not to reason why' Przybilla stayed", The Oregonian, 2006-07-05. Retrieved on 2006-07-05.
[edit] External links
| 2000 NBA Draft | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Round Kenyon Martin | Stromile Swift | Darius Miles | Marcus Fizer | Mike Miller | DerMarr Johnson | Chris Mihm | Jamal Crawford | Joel Przybilla | Keyon Dooling | Jérome Moïso | Etan Thomas | Courtney Alexander | Mateen Cleaves | Jason Collier | Hidayet Türkoğlu | Desmond Mason | Quentin Richardson | Jamaal Magloire | Speedy Claxton | Morris Peterson | Donnell Harvey | DeShawn Stevenson | Dalibor Bagarić | Jake Tsakalidis | Mamadou N'diaye | Primož Brezec | Erick Barkley | Mark Madsen |
||
| Second Round Marko Jarić | Dan Langhi | A. J. Guyton | Jake Voskuhl | Khalid El-Amin | Mike Smith | Soumaila Samake | Eddie House | Eduardo Nájera | Lavor Postell | Hanno Möttölä | Chris Carrawell | Olumide Oyedeji | Michael Redd | Brian Cardinal | Jabari Smith | DeeAndre Hulett | Josip Sesar | Mark Karcher | Jason Hart | Kaniel Dickens | Igor Rakočević | Ernest Brown | Dan McClintock | Cory Hightower | Chris Porter | Jaquay Walls | Scoonie Penn | Pete Mickeal |
 |
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Categories: Basketball centers | 1979 births | American basketball players | Atlanta Hawks players | Living people | Milwaukee Bucks players | Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball players | People from Minnesota | Polish-Americans | Portland Trail Blazers players | McDonald's High School All-Americans | United States basketball biography stubs
