DeJuan Blair facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
DeJuan Blair

Blair with the San Antonio Spurs in 2010
Personal information
Born	(1989-04-22) April 22, 1989 (age 36) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
High school	Schenley (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
College	Pittsburgh (2007–2009)
NBA Draft	2009 / Round: 2 / Pick: 37th overall
Selected by the San Antonio Spurs
Pro career	2009–2019
Career history
2009–2013	San Antonio Spurs
2011	Krasnye Krylia
2013–2014	Dallas Mavericks
2014–2016	Washington Wizards
2016	Jiangsu Monkey King
2017	Texas Legends
2017	Los Angeles D-Fenders
2017–2018	San Lorenzo de Almagro
2018–2019	Austin Spurs
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2010) Consensus first-team All-American (2009) Big East co-Player of the Year (2009) First-team All-Big East (2009) Big East co-Rookie of the Year (2008) Big East All-Rookie Team (2008)

DeJuan Lamont Blair (born April 22, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers from 2007 to 2009. Blair entered the 2009 NBA draft where he was selected as the 37th overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 7 seasons with the Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards. Blair also played in the NBA Development League and overseas in Russia, China and Argentina.

DeJuan Blair's Early Life and Family

DeJuan Blair grew up in Pittsburgh's Hill District. He was the oldest of three children. Even though he was the smallest at birth, he became the biggest kid in his class. He went to Manchester Academic Charter School from kindergarten to eighth grade.

Both of DeJuan's parents played basketball at Schenley High School. His uncle also ran the nearby Ammons Recreation Center. This is where DeJuan first learned to play basketball.

High School Basketball Career

Blair went to Schenley High School, just like his parents. He played for the basketball team there. He scored 1,563 points in his high school career. His team had an amazing record of 103 wins and only 16 losses. They were undefeated in the Pittsburgh City League with a 57–0 record.

He was named the AP player of the state. He also made the first-team all-state in his junior and senior years. Blair led Schenley to win the 2007 PIAA Class 4A state championship. This was the first state title for a City League team since 1978. In the final game, he scored 18 points, grabbed 23 rebounds, and blocked 6 shots. He was also named Pittsburgh City League Player of the Year three times.

Blair also played in summer leagues. In one championship game, his team played against a team led by Terrelle Pryor. Pryor was a talented football player who also played basketball.

During high school, Blair had two knee surgeries. These surgeries left him without any anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs) in his knees.

Choosing a College Team

Many colleges wanted Blair to play for them. Some of these schools included Florida, Kansas State, and Indiana. His parents wanted him to go to Tennessee. They liked the coach there and thought it would be good for him to leave Pittsburgh.

Blair found it hard to decide. He had about 18 different scholarship offers. He was so confused that he once broke his cell phone in frustration.

However, Pitt coach Jamie Dixon knew how important Blair's grandmother, Donna Saddler, was to him. She had helped raise him. So, on the first day he could contact Blair, Coach Dixon called Saddler. He asked to visit her house. She invited him to their family reunion that day, and he went.

When Coach Dixon had only one scholarship left, he called her again. He told her Blair needed to take the scholarship then. In the end, Saddler made the choice for him. She told him, "Pitt is it." She liked Coach Dixon and how close the school was to her home. She also knew that Pitt's starting center would be leaving. This meant Blair would likely start if he went to Pitt. He announced his decision at the Ammons Recreation Center. This was the place where his basketball journey began.

College Basketball Career

Freshman Year (2007–08)

DeJuan Blair became a starter in his first year at the University of Pittsburgh. He was named to the All-American Freshman team. He helped the Panthers win the Big East Conference tournament. They also earned a high seed in the NCAA tournament.

The Panthers won their first game in the NCAA tournament. But they lost in the second round to Michigan State. Blair was named the Big East Co-Rookie of the Year. He also received other honors and was Big East Rookie of the Week three times. He set new records for freshmen at Pitt. He had the most starts (36), rebounds (337), and field goals made (168). He was the first freshman at Pitt to get over 400 points and 300 rebounds.

Sophomore Year (2008–09)

In the 2008–09 season, Blair helped Pittsburgh get a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. Blair and another player shared the Big East Player of the Year award. He was also chosen as a first-team All-American.

In April 2009, Blair decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would not play his last two years of college basketball.

College Statistics

Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the San Antonio Spurs (2009–2013)

Blair with the Spurs in 2010

On June 25, 2009, the San Antonio Spurs picked Blair in the 2009 NBA draft. He was the 37th player chosen overall. Some teams were worried about his knees and past surgeries. On July 17, he signed a four-year contract with the Spurs.

In his first NBA game, he played great. He scored 14 points and got 11 rebounds in 23 minutes. This made him one of only three Spurs rookies to have a "double-double" in their first game. Later, he had 28 points and 21 rebounds in a game. This was the first time an NBA rookie had a "20–20 game" since Tim Duncan in 1997–98.

In the last game of the season, he had 27 points and 23 rebounds. He was the first rookie since 1995–96 to have two "20–20 games" in one season. Blair also played in the 2010 Rookie Challenge. He scored 22 points and had 23 rebounds in that game.

At the end of the season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He was the only Spurs player to play in all 82 regular season games. He started 23 games and averaged 7.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. He was also the best rookie in shooting percentage.

In the 2010–11 season, Blair played in 81 games and started 65 of them. He averaged 8.3 points and 7.0 rebounds. He scored in double figures 28 times.

In September 2011, Blair played for a team in Russia during an NBA lockout. He returned to the Spurs in December. In the 2011–12 season, he averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Later, other players joined the Spurs, and Blair's playing time went down. He was not happy about this. He played a smaller role in the team. The Spurs made it to the NBA Finals in 2013. But they lost to the Miami Heat.

Dallas Mavericks (2013–2014)

On August 7, 2013, Blair signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks. In the 2013–14 season, he averaged 6.4 points and 4.7 rebounds. He played in 78 games for the Mavericks.

Washington Wizards (2014–2016)

On July 16, 2014, Blair joined the Washington Wizards. In the 2014–15 season, he played in only 29 games. This was the fewest games he had played in his career. He also did not start any games. He did not play in any of the Wizards' playoff games.

In February 2016, Blair was traded to the Phoenix Suns. Four days later, the Suns released him.

Playing Overseas and in the G League

After leaving the NBA, Blair played for teams in other countries. In September 2016, he signed with Jiangsu Monkey King in China. He played 10 games there, averaging 24.1 points and 13.6 rebounds. He was released in November 2016.

In 2017, Blair played in the NBA Development League. He joined the Texas Legends and then the Los Angeles D-Fenders. In December 2017, he signed with San Lorenzo de Almagro in Argentina.

In October 2018, Blair was picked by the Austin Spurs in the 2018 NBA G League draft. He was part of their training camp team.

Overseas Elite (2017)

In the summer of 2017, Blair joined a team called Overseas Elite. This team had won "The Basketball Tournament" twice before. On August 3, 2017, Blair's team won their third straight championship. They beat Team Challenge ALS in a close game.

Blair averaged 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in the tournament. He shot 50% from the field.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: DeJuan Blair para niños

• 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans