Fran Vázquez

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Fran Vázquez bigraphy, stories - Professional basketball player

Fran Vázquez : biography

May 1, 1983 –

Francisco Vázquez González () (born May 1, 1983 in Chantada, Lugo, Spain), commonly known as Fran Vázquez, is a Galician professional basketball center for Unicaja Málaga of the Spanish ACB League. Originally drafted by the Orlando Magic, Vazquez decided to remain in the Spanish ACB League, enraging many Magic fans and reporters.

Awards and accomplishments

Club honours

  • Euroleague (1):
    • 2010
  • ACB League (3)
    • 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12
  • Spanish King’s Cups (4):
    • 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011
  • Spanish Super Cups (3):
    • 2009, 2010, 2011

Spanish national team

  • 2002 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship:

Individual awards

  • Spanish King’s Cup MVP (1):
    • 2010
  • All-time Euroleague leader in blocks (counting only Euroleague Basketball (company) era games)
  • ACB League player of the week (5):
    • Weeks 17 and 27 (2004–05)
    • Weeks 15, 26 and 27 (2008–09)
  • ACB League player of the month (1):
    • March (2009)
  • All-ACB Team (1):
    • 2009

Spanish national team

Vázquez played with the senior men’s Spanish national basketball team at the EuroBasket 2005 and the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

Professional career

Vázquez was selected 11th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. He made headlines when he announced that he would remain playing in the Spanish ACB League for at least the following season. This came as a surprise to the Magic, who expected him to join Dwight Howard in the front court for the 2005-06 season, and it enraged many Magic fans.

Vázquez originally gave no indication that he would be returning to Europe after he was drafted and had indicated that he would like to join the Magic. The Magic retain his NBA rights while he plays in a non-NBA League. In 2010, he signed a one year contract extension with the Euroleague club Barcelona.

In July 2012, Barcelona decided to trade his rights to Unicaja Málaga for the rights of Álex Abrines who moved to FC Barcelona .