Samuel Dalembert

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Samuel Dalembert
Position Center
Height 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Weight 250 lb (110 kg)
League NBA
Team Philadelphia 76ers
Jersey #1
Born May 10, 1981 (1981-05-10) (age 27)
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Nationality Haitian/Canadian
High school Saint Patrick's (New Jersey, USA)
College Seton Hall
Draft 26th overall, 2001
Philadelphia 76ers
Pro career 2001–present
Official profile Info Page

Samuel Davis Dalembert (born May 10, 1981 in Port-au-Prince) is a Haitian-Canadian professional basketball player who plays center for the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. Dalembert began playing in Montreal, Canada and played college basketball at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, US. He is an occasional double-double achiever for the Sixers and averages around 2 blocks per game - placing him among the league's elite in this category. He missed the entire 2002-03 season due to injuries. After a relatively productive 2004-05 season, his 2005-06 season was plagued by more injuries, a diminished role (he lost his job as a starter to Steven Hunter even after returning from injury), and what the media and public perceived to be a decline in both his play and his attitude. He started all 82 games of the 2006-07 season, averaging career-highs of 10.7 points and 8.9 rebounds in 30.9 minutes per game.

Contents

[edit] Professional career

Dalembert is a very athletic player who gets up and down the court unusually well for a center. He's normally described as a rebounder and shot-blocker. He has extreme mobility in the paint but lacks notable post moves and needs to improve his footwork. When playing together, he and Steven Hunter were sometimes referred to as the "Twin Towers"[citation needed], a moniker previously applied to a number of famous front court duos, including Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson in the 1980s and Tim Duncan and David Robinson in the 1990s/2000s. Dalembert's detractors criticize him for being overpaid[citation needed] on account of the $52.6 million he will receive through the 2010-11 season. They also point to his seemingly low "basketball IQ"[citation needed]. Dalembert fouled out of 9 of the 52 games he played during the 2005-06 season and had the dubious distinction of leading the league in goaltending, although this does speak to his aggressiveness at attempting to block shots. Dalembert is particularly regarded for his defense and his aggressive defense allows for some easy baskets on transitions. While his offensive skills may be limited, his defensive energy largely atones for this. Dalembert endures incessant teasing from his teammates on a daily basis. They believe the sixth-year center has All-Star caliber potential. Teammate Willie Green said after a game of the 2007/2008 Season: "At least he's tall."[1]


Dalembert became a Canadian citizen on August 7, 2007 and joined the Canadian national team in hopes of qualifying for the Olympics.[2]

[edit] Highlights

  • Ranked 26th in the NBA in 2006-07 with 23 double-doubles, 17 of which came over the final 46 games.
  • Was the only Sixer to appear in all 82 games in 2006-07, marking the second time in his career he played in every game (2003-04).
  • Scored 20+ points three times in 2006-07, including a career-high tying 24 points (12-15 FGs) at WAS (3/28/07).
  • Over the final 50 games of the 2006-07 season, averaged 11.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.06 blocks after averaging 9.3 points, 7.8 boards and 1.75 blocks the first 32 games.
  • Became the fourth player in Sixers history to have 100+ blocks in four consecutive seasons, joining Julius Erving, Caldwell Jones and Darryl Dawkins.
  • Blocked 159 shots in 2006-07, ranking eighth in the NBA… also ranked 11th in blocks per game (1.94), 10th in field goal percentage (.541) and tied for 12th in rebounds per game (8.9).
  • On April 15, 2007, recorded his 636th career block, surpassing Darryl Dawkins for the fifth most in franchise history.
  • Has the sixth most blocks of any player in the league since the start of the 2003-04 season and he beat the record of all the blockers in the 2002-03 season in the nba.

And he is a great defender.

[edit] Personal

  • Has a wingspan of 90.5 inches
  • Played basketball for the first time competitively as a sophomore at Lucien-Pagé High School in Montreal, Canada in 1996
  • Donates to benefit relief efforts in his native land, Haiti on a regular basis

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ NBA.com Dalembert’s Block Party Lifts 76ers Past T-Wolves
  2. ^ http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Basketball/NCAA/2007/08/07/4400269-cp.html

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Philadelphia 76ers current roster

1 Dalembert | 7 Miller | 9 Iguodala | 12 Ollie | 14 Smith | 20 Amundson | 21 Young | 23 Williams | 25 Carney | 30 Evans | 33 Green | 35 Hill | 42 Randolph | 52 Booth | Coach Cheeks
v • d • e
2001 NBA Draft
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