Andris Biedriņš facts for kids
Biedriņš with the Warriors
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| Center | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 April 1986 Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Nationality | Latvian |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11th overall |
| Selected by the Golden State Warriors | |
| Pro career | 2002–2014 |
| Career history | |
| 2002–2004 | BK Skonto |
| 2004–2013 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2013–2014 | Utah Jazz |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Andris Biedriņš (born April 2, 1986) is a former professional basketball player from Latvia. He was chosen by the Golden State Warriors as the 11th pick in the 2004 NBA draft. Andris played as a center, a position for tall players who usually play close to the basket.
Contents
Professional Career: A Basketball Journey
Starting Strong with Skonto (2002–2004)
Andris Biedriņš began his professional basketball journey at just 16 years old. He joined the Latvian team BK Skonto for the 2002–03 season. He quickly became an important player.
In his first year, he played 41 games. He averaged nearly 3 points, 5 rebounds, and over 1 block per game. He was named the Latvian League Newcomer of the Year for his great start. In his second year, he continued to improve. He averaged 18 points and almost 9 rebounds per game. After this successful season, Andris decided to enter the NBA draft.
Golden State Warriors (2004–2013)
First Steps in the NBA (2004–05)
The Golden State Warriors picked Andris as the 11th player in the 2004 NBA draft. In his first season, called his "rookie" year, he didn't play much. He was also the youngest player in the league at 18 years old. He often got into foul trouble quickly during games.
Learning and Growing (2005–06)
In his second year, Andris played in 68 games. He averaged about 4 points and 4 rebounds per game. He struggled with making free throws and often got fouls. Fans sometimes called him "The One Minute Man" because he seemed to get fouls very quickly. During this season, he was in a car accident but was okay. He missed a couple of games because of back pain.
A Big Breakthrough (2006–07)
Andris got a great chance in his third year. The Warriors got a new coach, Don Nelson, who was known as one of the NBA's "Greatest Coaches." Coach Nelson quickly made Andris the starting center. Andris played much better in this new role. He averaged over 10 points, 9 rebounds, and almost 2 blocks per game. He also shot the ball very well, leading the NBA in field goal percentage.
He had an amazing game against the San Antonio Spurs. He scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. He also blocked six shots, including three in a row from superstar Tim Duncan. This season, he set new personal bests in points, rebounds, blocks, assists, and steals. He even finished fifth in the voting for the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
A New Contract and Strong Play (2008–09)
In 2008, Andris signed a big new contract with the Warriors. It was for six years and $54 million. He was also named a co-captain of the team. On January 27, he had a career-high 26 rebounds against the New York Knicks. He also set a personal best with 6 assists in a game. For the season, he averaged his highest points (11.9), rebounds (11.2), assists (2.0), and blocks (1.6) per game. He started in most of the games he played.
Dealing with Injuries (2009–10)
The 2009–10 season was tough for Andris. He only played in 33 games because of back and groin injuries. He even needed surgery on his groin, which ended his season early. His free-throw shooting also became very difficult. His other stats, like points and rebounds, also dropped.
More Challenges (2010–11)
The next season started with new hope for Andris. The Warriors got a new coach, Keith Smart. Andris had some strong games early on, including one with 20 rebounds and another with 28 points and 20 rebounds. But injuries hit again in December. He struggled to play as well after that. He also continued to have foul trouble. He ended the season with averages of 5 points and 7.2 rebounds.
Changing Roles (2011–12)
After a lockout shortened the NBA season, the Warriors tried to get a new center. They decided to keep Andris on the team. He started the season as the main center but then got an ankle injury. When another player was injured, Andris became the starter again. However, his playing time and stats continued to go down. He averaged 1.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Final Season with Warriors (2012–13)
Andris's struggles continued in the 2012–13 season. He played in 53 games but for very few minutes each time. He took very few shots and made only a few free throws. His averages for the season were 0.5 points and 2.9 rebounds.
Utah Jazz (2013–2014)
In July 2013, Andris was traded to the Utah Jazz. This trade helped the Warriors make space on their team for a new player. Andris played only 6 games for the Jazz in the 2013-2014 season. His last NBA game was on December 16, 2013. He played for 2 minutes and got 1 rebound. The Jazz released him from the team in April 2014.
National Team Career
Andris Biedriņš has played for his home country, Latvia, since he was a teenager.
- In 2001, at age 15, he played in the Euro Cadet Championship. He was 4th in scoring and 3rd in rebounding.
- In 2002, he played in the Euro Junior Championship.
- In 2004, he competed in the Under-18 European Championship. He averaged 21.8 points, 14.4 rebounds, 4.4 blocks, and 3.8 steals. In one game against France, he played against another future NBA player, Johan Petro. Andris scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.
He also played for Latvia in the 2007 EuroBasket and 2009 EuroBasket tournaments.
International Stats
| Tournament | Games played | Points per game | Rebounds per game | Assists per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 EuroBasket | 3 | 15.0 | 10.0 | 0.7 |
| 2009 EuroBasket | 3 | 7.3 | 11.7 | 0.7 |
Personal Life
Andris Biedriņš has a son named Emīls.
He is also known for helping with many charities. During his time with the Warriors, he took part in community programs. He helped serve Thanksgiving food and hosted a holiday party for kids. He also visited injured American troops. When he first came to the U.S., his English was not very good. But he taught himself to speak English in just six months.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | Golden State | 30 | 1 | 12.8 | .577 | .000 | .475 | 3.9 | .4 | .4 | .8 | 3.6 |
| 2005–06 | Golden State | 68 | 2 | 14.7 | .638 | .000 | .306 | 4.2 | .4 | .3 | .7 | 3.8 |
| 2006–07 | Golden State | 82* | 63 | 29.0 | .599 | .000 | .521 | 9.3 | 1.1 | .8 | 1.7 | 9.5 |
| 2007–08 | Golden State | 76 | 59 | 27.3 | .626* | .000 | .620 | 9.8 | 1.0 | .7 | 1.2 | 10.5 |
| 2008–09 | Golden State | 62 | 58 | 30.0 | .578 | .000 | .551 | 11.2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 11.9 |
| 2009–10 | Golden State | 33 | 29 | 23.1 | .591 | .000 | .160 | 7.8 | 1.7 | .6 | 1.3 | 5.0 |
| 2010–11 | Golden State | 59 | 55 | 23.7 | .534 | .000 | .323 | 7.2 | 1.0 | .9 | .9 | 5.0 |
| 2011–12 | Golden State | 47 | 35 | 15.7 | .609 | .000 | .111 | 3.7 | .3 | .5 | 1.0 | 1.7 |
| 2012–13 | Golden State | 53 | 9 | 9.3 | .476 | .000 | .308 | 2.9 | .3 | .3 | .8 | .5 |
| 2013–14 | Utah | 6 | 0 | 7.5 | 1.000 | .000 | .167 | 2.8 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .5 |
| Career | 516 | 311 | 21.6 | .594 | .000 | .500 | 7.0 | .9 | .6 | 1.1 | 6.3 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Golden State | 11 | 8 | 24.3 | .730 | .000 | .533 | 6.3 | .5 | .7 | 1.5 | 6.4 |
| 2013 | Golden State | 3 | 0 | 5.7 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 2.3 | .3 | .0 | .7 | .0 |
| Career | 14 | 8 | 20.3 | .730 | .000 | .533 | 5.4 | .4 | .6 | 1.4 | 5.0 | |
See Also
In Spanish: Andris Biedriņš para niños
- List of National Basketball Association annual field goal percentage leaders
- List of European basketball players in the United States
