Peja Stojaković

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Predrag Peđa Stojaković

Stojaković with the Mavericks in 2011
No. 16
Small forward
Personal information
Born (1977-06-09) June 9, 1977
Slavonska Požega, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Nationality Serbian / Greek
Listed height 6 ft 10 in (208 cm)
Listed weight 229 lb (104 kg)
Career information
NBA draft 1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall
Selected by the Sacramento Kings
Pro playing career 1992–2011
Career history
1992–1994 Crvena zvezda (FR Yugoslavia)
1994–1998 PAOK (Greece)
1998–2006 Sacramento Kings
2006 Indiana Pacers
2006–2010 New Orleans Hornets
2010–2011 Toronto Raptors
2011 Dallas Mavericks
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points 13,647 (17.0 ppg)
Rebounds 3,782 (4.7 rpg)
3P% .401
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Competitor for  Yugoslavia
FIBA World Championship
Gold 2002 Indianapolis National team
FIBA EuroBasket
Bronze 1999 France National team
Gold 2001 Turkey National team

Predrag Stojaković (Serbian Cyrillic: Предраг Стојаковић, Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [predraːk stojaːkoʋitɕ]; born June 9, 1977), also known by his nickname Peđa (Пеђа), is a Serbian retired professional basketball player who also holds Greek citizenship.[1] He last played for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at 6 ft 10 (2.08 m), Stojaković played the small forward position and was known for his great shooting ability. He was the winner of the NBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Shootout twice, and the first European-born player to win one of the All-Star Weekend competitions. Stojaković is sixth all-time in regular season three-point field goals made in the NBA.

After a career start in Crvena zvezda and while playing for PAOK, Stojaković was drafted fourteenth overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 1996 NBA Draft. In the NBA, he had a breakthrough season in 2000–01 following two seasons on the bench, averaging 20.4 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting .400 from three-point range in his first season as a starter. He finished second in voting for the 2001 Most Improved Player Award. A three-time All-star and a member of the 2004 All-NBA Second Team, Stojaković enjoyed success with the Kings reaching the 2002 Western Conference Finals. He also played for the Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets and Toronto Raptors. Stojaković won an NBA Championship in 2011 as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Stojaković led the Yugoslavian national team to gold medals in the 2001 EuroBasket and the 2002 FIBA World Championship. Often considered to be one of the most successful Serbian basketball players ever, Peđa was named the Euroscar European Basketball Player of the Year by the Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport and the Mister Europa European Player of the Year twice by the Italian sports magazine Superbasket.

On December 19, 2011, he announced his retirement.[2]

Professional career

Stojaković was born to Miodrag and Branka Stojaković[3] in Slavonska Požega, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia but his family fled to Belgrade during the Yugoslav wars. Stojaković played with KK Crvena zvezda for 2 senior seasons, and won a national championship.

PAOK (1994–1998)

Peja, as he was known during his time in PAOK, scored a memorable last-second three-pointer against Olympiacos in Piraeus in the 1998 Greek playoff semi-finals series, winning the match 58–55 for PAOK.[4] That victory, which ended the five-year reign of Olympiacos as Greek Champions, allowed PAOK to face Panathinaikos in the finals series, although the club had a disadvantage in home games and ultimately lost the series (and the league) 3–2. Stojaković was closely guarded throughout the series by his future coach in New Orleans, Byron Scott, who was wrapping up his basketball career as one of Panathinaikos' main stars, and did not play at his normal level.

In his final season with PAOK, Stojaković averaged 23.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals.

Sacramento Kings (1998–2006)

The 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) Stojaković was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the first round (14th overall pick) of the 1996 NBA Draft while playing in Greece. He continued to play there until the Kings signed him prior to the 1998–99 NBA lockout season. After two seasons on the bench with Sacramento, he had a breakthrough season in 2000–01, averaging 20.4 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting .400 from three-point range in his first season as a starter. He finished second in voting for the 2001 Most Improved Player Award.

In 2001–02, he played in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time. His scoring average went up to 21.2 ppg, and he reached career highs in shooting percentage (.484) and three-point percentage (.416). His scoring average dropped slightly to 19.2 ppg in 2002–03, but he played again in the All-Star Game. In both seasons, he won the three-point shooting contest conducted during All-Star Weekend.

In 2003–04, Stojaković was again selected as an All-Star, and finished second in the league in scoring with a career-high 24.2 ppg. He finished fourth in MVP voting and was voted on to the All-NBA 2nd Team. He also led the NBA in free-throw percentage (.933) and three-pointers made for the season (240). In 2004–05, he missed 16 games to injury, and was somewhat hampered in several games, but still averaged 20.1 ppg.

Indiana Pacers (2006)

On January 25, 2006, Stojaković was traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for forward Ron Artest, ending his eight-year tenure with the Kings. However, he missed four games of their first round playoff series with the New Jersey Nets, all losses.

New Orleans Hornets (2006–2010)

During the 2006 offseason, he re-signed with the Pacers, only to be traded to the then-New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for the draft rights to Andrew Betts.[5] On November 14, 2006, Stojaković scored a career-high 42 points against the Charlotte Bobcats, and became the first player in NBA history to open the game with 20 straight points for his team.[6] He was soon sidelined for several months by injuries, including back surgery, as a result missing most of the 2006–07 season.

Toronto Raptors (2010–2011)

On November 20, 2010, Stojaković was traded to the Toronto Raptors along with Jerryd Bayless in exchange for Jarrett Jack, Marcus Banks, and David Andersen.[7]

After appearing in only two games, on January 20, 2011, Stojaković was released by the Raptors. He had missed 26 games due to a left knee injury.[8]

Dallas Mavericks (2011)

On January 24, 2011 he signed a deal with the Dallas Mavericks.[9] The Mavericks won the NBA Championship that year,[10] with Stojaković averaging 7.1 points per game during the Mavericks' playoff run.[11] Stojaković scored more than 20 points in two different playoff games for the Mavericks.[11]

On December 19, 2011, Stojaković announced his retirement, citing ongoing back and neck problems that hindered his play later in his career.[2]

Career transactions

  • June 26, 1996: Drafted 14th overall in 1996 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.
  • June 15, 1998: Signed with Sacramento.
  • January 25, 2006: Traded by Sacramento to the Indiana Pacers for Ron Artest.[12]
  • July 12, 2006: Signed and traded by Indiana to the then-New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for draft rights of Andrew Betts.
  • November 20, 2010: Traded by New Orleans to Toronto along with Jerryd Bayless for Jarrett Jack, Marcus Banks, and David Andersen.
  • January 20, 2011: Released by Toronto.[8]
  • January 24, 2011: Signed by Dallas.[9]
  • December 19, 2011: Announced his retirement.[2]

International career

As a member of the FR Yugoslavia national basketball team, he earned a bronze medal at the 1999 European Championships (EuroBasket), held in France, as well as gold medals at the 2001 European Championships (EuroBasket), held in Turkey, and the 2002 FIBA World Championship, held in Indianapolis, Indiana. He also participated at the 2000 Summer Olympics.[13] Stojaković was the MVP of EuroBasket 2001, and was a member of the all-tournament team in Indianapolis in 2002, along with fellow NBA stars Manu Ginóbili, Dirk Nowitzki, and Yao Ming, as well as New Zealand's Pero Cameron.

Personal life

Stojaković acquired full Greek citizenship when he joined PAOK in Greece.[1] He is married to Greek model Aleka Kamila and the couple have two children.[3] Peja also served in the Greek army, an obligation to be fulfilled by all male Greek citizens.[14][15]

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
1998–99 Sacramento 48 1 21.4 .378 .320 .851 3.0 1.5 .9 .1 8.4
1999–00 Sacramento 74 11 23.6 .448 .375 .882 3.7 1.4 .7 .1 11.9
2000–01 Sacramento 75 75 38.7 .470 .400 .856 5.8 2.2 1.2 .2 20.4
2001–02 Sacramento 71 71 37.3 .484 .416 .876 5.3 2.5 1.1 .2 21.2
2002–03 Sacramento 72 72 34.0 .481 .382 .875 5.5 2.0 1.0 .1 19.2
2003–04 Sacramento 81 81 40.3 .480 .433 .927 6.3 2.1 1.3 .2 24.2
2004–05 Sacramento 66 66 38.4 .444 .402 .920 4.3 2.1 1.2 .2 20.1
2005–06 Sacramento 31 31 37.0 .403 .397 .933 5.3 2.2 .6 .1 16.5
2005–06 Indiana 40 40 36.4 .461 .404 .903 6.3 1.7 .7 .2 19.5
2006–07 New Orleans/Oklahoma City 13 13 32.7 .423 .405 .816 4.2 .8 .6 .3 17.8
2007–08 New Orleans 77 77 35.2 .440 .441 .929 4.3 1.2 .7 .1 16.4
2008–09 New Orleans 61 59 34.2 .399 .378 .894 4.3 1.2 .9 .0 13.3
2009–10 New Orleans 62 55 31.4 .404 .375 .897 3.7 1.5 .8 .1 12.6
2010–11 New Orleans 6 0 14.8 .424 .440 .857 1.0 1.0 .3 .0 7.5
2010–11 Toronto 2 0 11.0 .700 .667 1.000 1.5 .5 .0 .0 10.0
2010–11 Dallas 25 13 20.2 .429 .400 .938 2.6 .9 .4 .1 8.6
Career 804 665 33.5 .450 .401 .895 4.7 1.8 .9 .1 17.0
All-Star 3 0 14.7 .364 .385 .000 2.0 1.0 .3 .0 7.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1999 Sacramento 5 0 21.6 .346 .214 1.000 3.8 .4 .6 .0 4.8
2000 Sacramento 5 0 25.8 .400 .462 .667 3.4 .6 .8 .0 8.8
2001 Sacramento 8 8 38.4 .406 .346 .968 6.4 .4 .6 .4 21.6
2002 Sacramento 10 7 33.8 .376 .271 .897 6.3 1.0 .5 .0 14.8
2003 Sacramento 12 12 40.5 .480 .457 .850 6.9 2.5 .8 .4 23.1
2004 Sacramento 12 12 43.1 .384 .315 .897 7.0 1.5 1.8 .3 17.5
2005 Sacramento 5 5 40.4 .470 .367 .955 5.2 1.4 .8 .2 22.0
2006 Indiana 2 2 25.5 .444 .000 .857 4.5 2.0 .5 .5 11.0
2008 New Orleans 12 12 37.9 .436 .549 .926 5.4 .5 .5 .1 14.1
2009 New Orleans 5 5 32.4 .367 .308 .923 2.8 .4 .8 .2 11.2
2011 Dallas 19 0 18.4 .408 .377 .778 1.7 .4 .6 .1 7.1
Career 95 63 32.7 .418 .376 .900 4.9 1.0 .8 .2 14.4

Awards and achievements

  • NBA Champion: 2011
  • All-NBA Team:
    • Second Team: 2004
  • 3× NBA All-Star: 2002, 2003, 2004
  • 2× NBA Three-point Shootout Champion: 2002, 2003
  • 4th in NBA history in career free-throw percentage at .895[16]
  • 6th in NBA history in 3-pointers made with 1,760[17]
  • 6th in NBA playoff history in free-throw percentage at .900[18]
  • 5th in NBA history in 3-pointers attempted with 4,392[19]
  • First player in NBA history to start a game off by scoring 20 consecutive points for his team.[6]
  • He and Steve Nash of Phoenix were the only players to rank in the top 25 in both free-throw and 3-point percentage during the '04–'05 and '05–'06 seasons.[20]
  • Euroleague Top Scorer: 1998
  • Greek League MVP: 1998
  • Won the 2001 Euroscar Award, given to the best European basketball player by Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.[20]
  • Named Mister Europa Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002 by Italian weekly magazine Superbasket.[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Stojaković's trade demand leaves Kings on verge of breakup". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. 2004-08-11. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Stein, Marc (December 19, 2011). "Peđa Stojaković to retire after 13 years". ESPN. Retrieved December 19, 2011. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Peja Stojakovic Bio". NBA.com. Retrieved December 19, 2011. 
  4. ↑ PAOK @ Olympiacos; the last 4 minutes of the game on YouTube
  5. ↑ July 2006 Transactions, NBA.com, accessed February 1, 2008.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Stojaković feat historic", NOLA.com, November 19, 2006, accessed February 11, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Raptors Acquire Bayless, Stojaković And Cash Considerations From New Orleans". NBA.com. 2010-11-20. Retrieved 2010-11-21. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Raptors Release Peja Stojakovic". NBA.com. 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2011-01-20. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Peja Stojaković signs with Mavs". ESPN. 2011-01-24. Retrieved 2011-01-24. 
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1
  12. ↑ "Kings Acquire Ron Artest for Peđa Stojaković". Nba.com. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  13. ↑ Yugoslav Olympic participants by sports – Basketball, OKS.org.yu, accessed February 1, 2008.
  14. ↑ Sheridan, Chris (2004-07-28). "Stojakovic scratches Olympics". Usatoday.Com. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  15. ↑ "Stojakovic willing to play for Kings if not moved - NBA - ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. 2004-10-01. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  16. ↑ Career Leaders and Records for Free Throw Pct, basketball-reference.com, accessed April 15, 2009.
  17. ↑ Career Leaders and Records for 3-Pt Field Goals, basketball-reference.com, accessed April 15, 2009.
  18. ↑ Career Playoff Leaders and Records for Free Throw Pct, basketball-reference.com, accessed May 25, 2008.
  19. ↑ Career Leaders and Records for 3-Pt Field Goal Attempts, basketball-reference.com, accessed April 15, 2009.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "10 Things You Should Know About Peja Stojaković", Pacers.com, January 25, 2006, accessed February 1, 2008.
  21. ↑ SuperBasket "Mister Europa" honor roll, FIBAEurope.com, accessed February 21, 2008.

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