Richard Jefferson
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| Position | Small forward |
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| Nickname | RJ |
| League | NBA |
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Team | New Jersey Nets |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | June 21, 1980 (age 26) Los Angeles, California |
| College | University of Arizona |
| Draft | 13th overall, 2001 Houston Rockets |
| Pro career | 2001–present |
Richard Alle Jefferson (June 21, 1980, Los Angeles, California) is a 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) American professional basketball player. He plays small forward for the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association.
He is known for his all-around game and superior athleticism, and is one of the preeminent small forwards in the NBA today. Jefferson's nickname is RJ, which is tattooed on his shoulder. Jefferson is originally from Phoenix, Arizona. His parents were both Christian missionaries and he moved around frequently growing up.
[edit] Career
Jefferson played college basketball at the University of Arizona. He was drafted as the 13th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, but was traded to New Jersey along with the draft rights to Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong in exchange for the draft rights to Eddie Griffin. Jefferson is currently in his sixth season with the Nets and was a key element of their back-to-back Eastern Conference Championship teams of 2002 and 2003. In addition, Jefferson was a member of the USA Olympic basketball team in during the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Jefferson began his career as a substitute small forward for Keith Van Horn and showed great defensive skills and all-around ability. He is especially effective at finishing at the rim, which complements Jason Kidd's fast break and alley oop passes. Because of his potential, and Van Horn's conflict with power forward Kenyon Martin, the Nets traded Van Horn to the Philadelphia 76ers and trusted Jefferson as a starter. Jefferson blossomed in the role, becoming a good mid- and long-range shooter in addition to his slashing ability. On August 13, 2004, Jefferson signed a six-year, $78,000,000 contract extension with the Nets.
Jefferson missed the majority of the 2004-05 regular season after rupturing a ligament in his left wrist, an injury he claimed occurred when Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups purposely undercut him on a layup attempt during a game on December 27, 2004. Jefferson ended up missing 49 games, but returned to action for the first round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat. Prior to suffering the injury, Jefferson had missed only five games in his three NBA seasons. Jefferson had been enjoying his best professional season, averaging 22.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. Completely healthy now, except his sore knee, Jefferson remains an integral part of the Nets and one of the "Fantastic 4" along with teammates Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Nenad Krstic. Through the 2005-06 season, Jefferson has continued to perform at a high level and has established himself as one of the NBA's most versatile players. On January 21, 2007, Jefferson knee was injured once again and he decided to have ankle surgery. After missing around 6 weeks, he is now back in the line-up. His absence proved to be a major setback for the struggling nets.
| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's Basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 2004 Athens | United States | |
[edit] External links
| 2001 NBA Draft | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Round Kwame Brown | Tyson Chandler | Pau Gasol | Eddy Curry | Jason Richardson | Shane Battier | Eddie Griffin | DeSagana Diop | Rodney White | Joe Johnson | Kedrick Brown | Vladimir Radmanović | Richard Jefferson | Troy Murphy | Steven Hunter | Kirk Haston | Michael Bradley | Jason Collins | Zach Randolph | Brendan Haywood | Joseph Forte | Jeryl Sasser | Brandon Armstrong | Raul Lopez | Gerald Wallace | Jamaal Tinsley | Tony Parker | |
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| Second Round Trenton Hassell | Gilbert Arenas| Omar Cook | Will Solomon | Terence Morris | Brian Scalabrine | Jeff Trepagnier | Damone Brown | Mehmet Okur | Michael Wright | Earl Watson | Jamison Brewer | Bobby Simmons | Eric Chenowith | Kyle Hill | Sean Lampley | Loren Woods | Ousmane Cisse | Antonis Fotsis | Ken Johnson | Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje | Alton Ford | Andre Huston | Jarron Collins | Kenny Satterfield | Maurice Jeffers | Robertas Javtokas | Alvin Jones | Bryan Bracey |
Categories: 1980 births | Living people | American basketball players | African American basketball players | Small forwards | Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players | Basketball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics | Houston Rockets | New Jersey Nets players | Olympic competitors for the United States | McDonald's High School All-Americans | University of Arizona alumni
