Al Jefferson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Al Jefferson

Jefferson with the Hornets in 2014
Personal information
Born	(1985-01-04) January 4, 1985 (age 40) Monticello, Mississippi, U.S.
High school	Prentiss (Prentiss, Mississippi)
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	289 lb (131 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15th overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Pro career	2004–2018
Career history
2004–2007	Boston Celtics
2007–2010	Minnesota Timberwolves
2010–2013	Utah Jazz
2013–2016	Charlotte Bobcats / Hornets
2016–2018	Indiana Pacers
2018	Xinjiang Flying Tigers
Career highlights and awards
All-NBA Third Team (2014) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2005) McDonald's All-American (2004) First-team Parade All-American (2004) Mississippi Mr. Basketball (2004)
Career NBA statistics
Points	14,343 (15.7 ppg)
Rebounds	7,690 (8.4 rpg)
Blocks	1,093 (1.2 bpg)

Al Ricardo Jefferson (born January 4, 1985) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He was a top high school player for Prentiss High School in Mississippi. After high school, he decided to go straight to the National Basketball Association (NBA) instead of college.

The Boston Celtics picked him 15th overall in the 2004 NBA draft. He played for 14 seasons in the NBA. He played for the Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, and Indiana Pacers. In 2014, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team while playing for the Hornets.

High School Basketball Star

Al Jefferson was born in Monticello, Mississippi. He went to Prentiss High School from 2000 to 2004. He became a star player in his junior year, catching the eye of both college and NBA scouts.

In his final year, he averaged an amazing 42.6 points, 18 rebounds, and seven blocks per game. He scored 56 points in one game! Experts like Rivals.com called him the best center and the fourth-best player in the country in 2004. He chose to join the NBA right after high school.

Professional Basketball Career

Boston Celtics (2004–2007)

The Boston Celtics drafted Al Jefferson as the 15th pick in the 2004 NBA draft. He was the first player the Celtics drafted directly from high school. He mostly played as a power forward. In his first year, he averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

His second season was tough due to ankle injuries and a knee injury. He played in 59 games, averaging 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds. Before the 2006–07 season, he lost about 30 pounds. He had surgery for bone spurs in his ankle and later for appendicitis.

Al's role grew when the starting center, Kendrick Perkins, got injured. On December 6, 2006, he started at center. Over the next seven games, he averaged 16.3 points and 11.1 rebounds. On December 9, 2006, he scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. This was seen as a big step forward for him. On March 3, 2007, he scored a new career-high of 32 points and had 18 rebounds. He was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2007–2010)

On July 31, 2007, Al Jefferson was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He signed a large contract extension for $65 million over five years. He felt he hadn't fully proven himself yet, so he didn't ask for the maximum possible deal.

In his first season with the Timberwolves, Al was the team's top scorer. He played all 82 games, averaging 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He was one of only four players that season to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. In January 2008, he won Western Conference Player of the Week. He scored a career-high 40 points twice that season.

Jefferson driving against Chuck Hayes of the Houston Rockets.

In the 2008–09 season, Al was having his best year, averaging 23.1 points and 11.0 rebounds. However, he suffered a serious knee injury, tearing his ACL. This injury ended his season. On January 13, 2010, he set a team record with 26 rebounds in one game. He had a solid season in 2009–10, averaging 17.1 points and 9.3 rebounds.

Utah Jazz (2010–2013)

On July 13, 2010, Al Jefferson was traded to the Utah Jazz. This gave him a chance to play with All-Star point guard Deron Williams. He became a leader for the young Jazz team.

He played all 82 games in his first season with the Jazz. He showed he was fully recovered from his knee injury. He had 37 games where he scored at least 10 points and had at least 10 rebounds (called a "double-double"). He averaged 18.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.

In the shorter 2011–12 season, Al continued to improve. He was a strong leader and played great defense. He finished the season tied for seventh in the league with 31 double-doubles. He led his team back to the playoffs. The Jazz faced the San Antonio Spurs but lost in four games.

During the 2012–13 season, Al was the main player for the Jazz. He led the team in scoring and rebounding again. He had 37 double-doubles that season. He scored a career-high 40 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Jazz just missed the playoffs that year.

Charlotte Bobcats / Hornets (2013–2016)

2013–14 Season

Jefferson takes a shot during his debut game for the Charlotte Bobcats on October 30, 2013.

On July 10, 2013, Al Jefferson signed a three-year contract with the Charlotte Bobcats. An ankle injury made him miss the start of the season. By January, he was healthy and playing very well. On January 31, 2014, he tied his career high with 40 points in a win. He won the Eastern Conference Player of the Month award for March and April 2014. He averaged 24.7 points and 10.6 rebounds in March.

Jefferson with the Bobcats in 2014

On April 20, 2014, Al hurt his foot during the playoffs. He missed a game because of it. On June 4, 2014, he was named to the 2014 All-NBA third team. This was a big honor for him.

2014–15 Season

Al continued to play well for the newly named Charlotte Hornets in 2014–15. On November 7, 2014, he scored a season-high 34 points. The team had a tough stretch, losing 12 out of 13 games. Al helped them break a 10-game losing streak on December 5.

He dealt with a groin injury during the season. He missed nine games but returned in January. He came off the bench for a few games, which was unusual for him. He then returned to his starting spot. On March 22, he had his 20th double-double of the season. In June 2015, he decided to stay with the Hornets for the next season.

2015–16 Season

Al averaged 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds early in the 2015–16 season. On November 5, he scored 31 points. On November 20, he had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and a season-high 5 blocks. He then suffered a calf strain.

On December 9, 2015, Al was suspended for five games by the NBA. He then found out he had a tear in his right knee and missed six weeks. He returned in February 2016. In the last game of the regular season, he scored 26 points off the bench. The Hornets made the playoffs as the sixth seed. In the playoffs, he scored 25 points in one game, but the Hornets lost the series.

Indiana Pacers (2016–2018)

On July 9, 2016, Al Jefferson signed a three-year contract with the Indiana Pacers. He made his debut on October 26, 2016. He scored a season-high 18 points on November 9. On January 18, 2017, he scored 20 points, and then another 20 points two days later. He missed the end of the season with an ankle injury.

On November 8, 2017, he scored 19 points. On March 15, 2018, he scored a season-high 20 points and had 12 rebounds. His final NBA game was on April 10, where he scored 12 points. On July 2, 2018, the Pacers released him.

Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2018)

In July 2018, Al Jefferson signed with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China. He played 10 games, averaging 15.1 points and 7.5 rebounds. He left the team in November 2018.

Retirement and BIG3

On March 23, 2019, Al Jefferson announced he was retiring from the NBA. Earlier that month, he joined the BIG3 basketball league.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Al Jefferson para niños