Nenê
 Nenê with the Wizards | |||||||||||||||||||
| No. 42 – Washington Wizards | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power forward / Center | |||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
September 13, 1982 São Carlos, Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Brazilian | ||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (211 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall | ||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |||||||||||||||||||
| Pro playing career | 1999–present | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | Vasco da Gama (Brazil) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2012 | Denver Nuggets | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–present | Washington Wizards | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||
| Stats at NBA.com | |||||||||||||||||||
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Nenê (Portuguese pronunciation: [neˈne]; born on September 13, 1982) is a Brazilian professional basketball player who plays for the NBA's Washington Wizards. His name at birth was Maybyner Rodney Hilário, but it was legally changed to Nenê in 2003.[1]
Early life
Born in São Carlos, Brazil, he received his nickname Nenê (Brazilian Portuguese for baby) because he was the youngest in both his family and his group of childhood friends. Like most Brazilian children, he started out playing soccer, and played well enough to receive some interest from professional clubs.[2]
He started playing basketball at Escola de Basquete Meneghelli in his hometown.[citation needed]
Professional career
He first came to international attention at the 2001 Goodwill Games as a member of the Brazilian national team. He also played in the Brazilian club Vasco da Gama. Afterward, he excelled at the NBA's predraft camp in Chicago in 2002; the New York Knicks picked him seventh overall in the 2002 NBA Draft and immediately traded him to the Denver Nuggets. He was the first Brazilian ever to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.
He began the 2002–03 season on the bench, but ended it as a starter, averaging 10.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals, and finishing in the league's top ten in shooting percentage (.519).[3] After the season, he was selected to the NBA All-Rookie first team.
On November 1, 2005, against the San Antonio Spurs, Nenê suffered a serious knee injury on an awkward fall consisting of a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a sprained medial collateral ligament and a torn meniscus in his right knee during Denver's first game of the NBA season.[4] He had played just 3 minutes. In the 2010-11 season, he led all players in field goal percentage with nearly 62%.
Nenê re-signed with the Nuggets on December 14, 2011, signing a five-year contract with the team worth up to $67 million.[5]
On March 15, 2012, Nenê was traded to the Washington Wizards in a three-way trade involving the Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers. JaVale McGee and Ronny Turiaf went from the Wizards to the Nuggets, and Nick Young went from the Wizards to the Clippers. The Wizards also received Brian Cook from the Clippers.[6]
Personal life
Nenê married Lauren Prothe on February 14, 2009 (Valentine's Day).[7][8] Nene is a Christian, and has plans to become involved with church activities in Brazil when he retires from basketball.[9]
Cancer scare
On January 11, 2008, Nenê released a statement saying that he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team to take care of a personal medical issue.[10] On January 14, he had a testicular tumor removed at a Denver hospital.[11] He returned to action on March 27, 2008, in a 118-105 Nuggets home win over the Dallas Mavericks.[12] Nenê entered the game with 1:17 left in the fourth quarter to a standing ovation.[12]
NBA career statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | Denver | 80 | 53 | 28.2 | .519 | .000 | .578 | 6.1 | 1.9 | 1.6 | .8 | 10.5 |
| 2003–04 | Denver | 77 | 77 | 32.5 | .530 | .000 | .682 | 6.5 | 2.2 | 1.5 | .5 | 11.8 |
| 2004–05 | Denver | 55 | 18 | 23.9 | .503 | .000 | .660 | 5.9 | 1.5 | .9 | .9 | 9.6 |
| 2005–06 | Denver | 1 | 0 | 3.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| 2006–07 | Denver | 64 | 42 | 26.8 | .570 | .000 | .689 | 7.0 | 1.2 | 1.0 | .9 | 12.2 |
| 2007–08 | Denver | 16 | 1 | 16.6 | .408 | .000 | .551 | 5.4 | .9 | .6 | .9 | 5.3 |
| 2008–09 | Denver | 77 | 76 | 32.6 | .604 | .200 | .723 | 7.8 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 14.6 |
| 2009–10 | Denver | 82 | 82 | 33.6 | .587 | .000 | .704 | 7.6 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 13.8 |
| 2010–11 | Denver | 75 | 75 | 30.5 | .615 | .200 | .711 | 7.6 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 14.5 |
| 2011–12 | Denver | 28 | 27 | 29.5 | .509 | .000 | .677 | 7.4 | 2.2 | 1.3 | .9 | 13.4 |
| 2011–12 | Washington | 11 | 6 | 25.8 | .607 | .000 | .657 | 7.5 | 1.7 | .5 | 1.2 | 14.5 |
| 2012–13 | Washington | 61 | 49 | 27.2 | .480 | .000 | .729 | 6.7 | 2.9 | .9 | .6 | 12.6 |
| Career | 627 | 506 | 29.3 | .552 | .077 | .683 | 6.9 | 1.9 | 1.2 | .9 | 12.4 |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Denver | 5 | 5 | 26.4 | .444 | .000 | .538 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .6 | 7.8 |
| 2005 | Denver | 5 | 0 | 20.2 | .429 | .000 | .652 | 5.0 | .4 | .4 | .4 | 6.6 |
| 2007 | Denver | 5 | 5 | 35.8 | .585 | .000 | .778 | 7.8 | 2.4 | .6 | .6 | 15.2 |
| 2008 | Denver | 3 | 0 | 10.0 | .556 | .000 | 1.000 | 2.3 | .3 | .7 | .3 | 4.3 |
| 2009 | Denver | 16 | 16 | 32.8 | .548 | .000 | .657 | 7.5 | 2.6 | 1.3 | .6 | 11.5 |
| 2010 | Denver | 5 | 5 | 33.8 | .621 | .000 | .583 | 5.8 | 2.2 | 1.2 | .2 | 11.4 |
| 2011 | Denver | 5 | 5 | 32.4 | .478 | .000 | .563 | 9.0 | 1.6 | 1.0 | .8 | 14.2 |
| Career | 44 | 36 | 29.5 | .531 | .000 | .630 | 6.6 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .5 | 10.8 |
References
- ↑ No More Hilário for Nenê, NBA.com, August 6, 2003, retrieved 2008-03-05
- ↑ http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=adande_ja&page=Nene-080116
- ↑ 2002-03 Regular Season Field Goals Percentage, NBA.com, retrieved 2008-03-05
- ↑ Nuggets' Nenê likely out for season with torn ACL, USATODAY.com, November 2, 2005, retrieved 2008-03-05
- ↑ Hochman, Benjamin (December 14, 2011). "Nuggets welcome back Nene as big free-agent signing - The Denver Post". Denver Post. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
- ↑ "WIZARDS ACQUIRE NENE FROM DENVER". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 15, 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
- ↑
- ↑ "Nene savoring the time of his life : Nuggets". The Rocky Mountain News. January 11, 2009. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
- ↑ Brazil's Nene Vows to Retire by 2016 Olympics to Focus on Religion
- ↑ Graham, Pat (January 12, 2008), Nenê leaves team to care for personal medical issue, DenverPost.com, retrieved 2008-03-05
- ↑ Nenê has testicular tumor removed (– Scholar search), Fox Sports, January 15, 2008, retrieved 2008-01-15
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 6:00 PM ET, March 27, 2008Pepsi Center, Denver, CO (March 27, 2008). "ESPN - Dallas vs. Denver - Recap - March 27, 2008". Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved 2012-01-23.