Eduardo Nájera
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| Position | Forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| League | NBA |
| Team | Denver Nuggets |
| Jersey | #21 |
| Born | July 11, 1976 Ciudad Meoqui, Chihuahua, Mexico |
| Nationality | Mexican  |
| College | Oklahoma |
| Draft | 2nd round, 38th overall, 2000 Houston Rockets |
| Pro career | 2000–present |
| Former teams | Dallas Mavericks (2000–2004) Golden State Warriors (2004–2005) |
| Awards | 1996-97 Big 12 All-Freshman Team 1998-99 Second Team All-Big 12 1999-2000 Big 12 All-Defensive Team 1999-2000 First Team All-Big 12 1999-2000 Third Team All-American 2000 Chip Hilton Player of the Year 2006 Chopper Travaglini Award |
| Official profile | Info Page |
Eduardo Alonso Nájera (pronounced NA-he-RAH[1]) Pérez (born July 11, 1976 in Chihuahua, Mexico) is a Mexican professional basketball player in the NBA, currently playing reserve forward for the Denver Nuggets. He is known for his rebounding and his tenacity on defense.
[edit] Basketball career
Najera played college basketball at the University of Oklahoma, in Oklahoma, US, from 1997-2000, becoming a major star there. He helped the team to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances during his college career, as well as finishing in the school's all-time top ten in nine statistical categories. Before being drafted into the NBA in 2000, Najera received rave reviews from scouts, who boasted on Najera's quick first step and extraordinary rebounding ability. He is only the second Mexican-born player to join the NBA.[1]
Najera helped Mexico achieve fourth place finishes in the 1999 World Games and World University Games.
He saw significant action as a member of the Dallas Mavericks in 2000-01 and 2001-02, but recurrent knee injuries limited his action in his last two years in Dallas.
He was then traded to the Golden State Warriors, where he put in modest minutes and was a solid contributor.
He was then sent to the Nuggets, where he has flourished despite injuries.
On April 27, 2006, Najera started his first playoff game for the Nuggets in Game 3 of their first round series facing the Los Angeles Clippers. He replaced Kenyon Martin who was suspended indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the team".
He was partly involved in the December 2006 Knicks-Nuggets brawl. While not involved in the actual fighting, he did try to separate the players. He was ejected from the game.
In a game against the Sacramento Kings on December 8, 2007 in Denver, Najera suffered a knee contusion when he hyperextended when he collided with Kings center Spencer Hawes with 2:23 left in the first quarter. He did not return. [2]
Season Team Salary
2000-01 Dallas Mavericks NBA $316,969
2001-02 Dallas Mavericks NBA $465,850
2002-03 Dallas Mavericks NBA $3,047,620
2003-04 Dallas Mavericks NBA $3,428,572
2004-05 Denver/Golden State NBA $3,809,524
2005-06 Denver Nuggets NBA $4,190,476
2006-07 Denver Nuggets NBA $4,571,428
2007-08 Denver Nuggets NBA $4,952,380
Career (may be incomplete) $24,782,819
[edit] College Career Stats
| Season | Age | College | G | MP | FG | FGA | 3P | 3PA | FT | FTA | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS | FG% | 3P% | FT% | MP | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 20 | Oklahoma | 30 | 739 | 72 | 178 | 3 | 15 | 64 | 92 | 167 | 32 | 38 | 17 | 36 | 87 | 211 | .404 | .200 | .696 | 24.6 | 7.0 | 5.6 | 1.1 |
| 1997-98 | 21 | Oklahoma | 30 | 855 | 119 | 280 | 13 | 49 | 64 | 101 | 163 | 42 | 37 | 20 | 56 | 93 | 315 | .425 | .265 | .634 | 28.5 | 10.5 | 5.4 | 1.4 |
| 1998-99 | 22 | Oklahoma | 32 | 1100 | 187 | 451 | 51 | 149 | 70 | 109 | 266 | 69 | 59 | 27 | 83 | 87 | 495 | .415 | .342 | .642 | 34.4 | 15.5 | 8.3 | 2.2 |
| 1999-00 | 23 | Oklahoma | 34 | 1162 | 234 | 514 | 18 | 82 | 139 | 202 | 314 | 72 | 59 | 25 | 82 | 97 | 625 | .455 | .220 | .688 | 34.2 | 18.4 | 9.2 | 2.1 |
[edit] Off the court
In 2000, Eduardo Najera graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in sociology.
In 2000, Najera received the Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame, an award given to a player who has demonstrated personal character both on and off the court.[1]
In 2001, Najera served as the United Nations Drug Control Programme Goodwill Ambassador for Sports Against Drugs.
In 2004, Najera established the Eduardo Najera Foundation for Latino Achievement, which provides college scholarships for outstanding Latino students facing barriers to their educations.
In 2006, Najera received the Chopper Travaglini Award for demonstrating outstanding charity work in the Denver community.[3]
