Al Jefferson

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Al Jefferson bigraphy, stories - American basketball player

Al Jefferson : biography

January 4, 1985 –

Al Ricardo Jefferson (born January 4, 1985) is an American professional basketball center and power forward who last played with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). On July 4, 2013, it was reported that Jefferson had verbally agreed to a deal with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Pro career

Boston Celtics

Al Jefferson was drafted with the 15th pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2004 NBA Draft, becoming the first high school player to be drafted by the Celtics (Kendrick Perkins was drafted by the Grizzlies, then traded to Boston on draft day in the 2003 NBA Draft). He played primarily as a power forward and averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game during his rookie season.

Jefferson’s 2005–06 season was widely considered a disappointment, mostly due to a series of ankle injuries and a torn meniscus in his right knee which limited him to playing in 59 games. He averaged 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game during his sophomore season.

In the off-season prior to the 2006–07 season, Jefferson hired a personal chef and lost about 30 pounds. After experiencing lingering pain after participating in the Las Vegas Summer League, a CAT scan revealed bone spurs. On August 2, 2006, he underwent ankle surgery to remove these bone spurs. On November 8, 2006 prior to the fourth game of the season, Al Jefferson had appendectomy surgery at New England Baptist Hospital. The surgery was performed by Dr. Steven Camer and Dr. Farhat Homsy and assisted by Celtics Team Physician Dr. Brian McKeon. He missed seven games and returned to the lineup on November 23, 2006.

2006–07

While already playing increased minutes (9.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per game over nine games as a reserve), his role expanded due to an injury to starting center Kendrick Perkins. With backup centers Michael Olowokandi and Theo Ratliff already on the injured list, Celtics’ coach Doc Rivers started Al Jefferson at center on December 6, 2006 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Over the next seven games, Jefferson averaged 16.3 points and 11.1 rebounds in 33.7 minutes per game. In what some considered a breakout performance against the New Jersey Nets on December 9, 2006, he scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed 14 rebounds which tied a career-high (set on May 5, 2005 in a playoff game against the Indiana Pacers). It was the second time he had scored more than 20 points in a game. The previous occasion was on December 10, 2005 against the Dallas Mavericks where he scored 21 points. His third and fourth 20-point game came six and seven days after the second, on December 15 and December 16, 2006, when he scored 28 against the Denver Nuggets and 22 against the Charlotte Bobcats. These efforts punctuated a five-game win streak by the Boston Celtics.

On March 3, 2007, Jefferson scored a career-high 32 points to go along with 18 rebounds against the New Jersey Nets, against whom he had previously set his career high in points against earlier in the season. On March 5, Jefferson was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week starting February 26 through March 4.

Minnesota Timberwolves

On July 31, 2007 it was made official that Jefferson was to be traded along with Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, and draft picks, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Garnett.

After landing in Minnesota, Jefferson quickly signed a large contract extension before the season. At $65 million over five years, it was satisfactory but he could have gotten a max deal. Instead he chose not to pursue one, due to "having not really proved myself".

In his first season with the Timberwolves, Jefferson was the team’s scoring leader. Playing in all 82 games, he ranked 20th in the NBA in points per game (11th in total points), averaging 21.0 points per game while shooting .500 from the field. Jefferson also defined himself as one of the premier big men in the NBA by being only one of four players to average 20 points and 10 rebounds (the others being Dwight Howard, Carlos Boozer, and Antawn Jamison). Jefferson ranked 5th in the NBA in rebounding, averaging 11.1 (4th in total rebounds) and 2nd in offensive rebounds per game (3.8), only behind Tyson Chandler (4.1). Jefferson is ranked 12th in the NBA efficiency and is 3rd in the NBA in double-doubles.