Alexis Ajinça facts for kids
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Ajinça with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2014
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| Washington Wizards | ||||||||||||||
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| Assistant coach | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 6 May 1988 Saint-Étienne, France |
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| High school | INSEP (Paris, France) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 248 lb (112 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Charlotte Bobcats | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2006–2019 | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2023–present | |||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Pau-Orthez | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Hyères-Toulon | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Charlotte Bobcats | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | →Sioux Falls Skyforce | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | →Maine Red Claws | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||
| 2011 | Toronto Raptors | |||||||||||||
| 2011 | Hyères-Toulon | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | SIG Strasbourg | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2018 | New Orleans Pelicans | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | ASVEL Basket | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Capital City Go-Go (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Washington Wizards (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 1,553 (5.3 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 1,150 (3.9 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Blocks | 181 (.6 bpg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Alexis Ajinça (born May 6, 1988) is a former French professional basketball player. He played as a center for seven seasons in the NBA. He played for teams like the Charlotte Bobcats, Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors, and New Orleans Pelicans. Today, he is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards.
Contents
Early Life and Sports Beginnings
Alexis Ajinça had an interesting start to his sports journey! As a kid, he was a very good BMX rider in France. He often won racing competitions for his age group. He started playing basketball when he was 12 years old. He thought basketball would help him jump higher for his bike tricks. But soon, he loved basketball so much that he focused on it instead of BMX.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting His Pro Journey (2006-2010)
Alexis Ajinça began his professional basketball career in France. He played for Pau-Orthez in the 2006–07 season. Then, he joined Hyères-Toulon for the 2007–08 season.
In 2008, Alexis was picked by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2008 NBA draft. He was the 20th player chosen overall! The Bobcats were looking for a tall player, also known as a "big man," and believed Alexis had a lot of potential. During his time with Charlotte, he also played in the NBA Development League (now called the G League) for the Sioux Falls Skyforce and the Maine Red Claws.
Moving to New Teams (2010-2011)
In July 2010, Alexis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He played there for a short time. In January 2011, he was traded again, this time to the Toronto Raptors.
Return to France (2011-2013)
After playing in the NBA, Alexis returned to France in 2011. He had a short tryout with Paris-Levallois. Then he joined Hyères-Toulon again. Later, he signed with SIG Strasbourg in December 2011. He played with Strasbourg for two seasons, from 2011 to 2013, before getting another chance in the NBA.
Playing for the New Orleans Pelicans (2013-2018)
In December 2013, Alexis signed with the New Orleans Pelicans. He played some of his best games with this team. On April 8, 2016, he had an amazing game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, which were his personal bests in the NBA!
Unfortunately, Alexis missed the entire 2017–18 season due to a knee injury that required surgery. In October 2018, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers but was released right away.
Final Playing Season (2018-2019)
In December 2018, Alexis returned to France one last time to play for ASVEL Basket. He finished his playing career there.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Alexis Ajinça started coaching. In October 2023, he became an assistant coach for the Capital City Go-Go. This team plays in the NBA G League. In July 2024, he moved up to become an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards in the NBA.
Playing for His Country
Alexis Ajinça also proudly represented his home country, France. In September 2013, he played for the French national team at EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia. He helped his team win a gold medal at this important European championship! He also won a gold medal with the U-18 French team in 2006.
Personal Life
Alexis Ajinça is married to his wife, Courtney. They have two sons named Carter and Caysen. His cousin, Melvin Ajinça, is also a professional basketball player.
See also
In Spanish: Alexis Ajinça para niños
- List of European basketball players in the United States
