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Jason Maxiell
Maxiell warmup.jpg
Maxiell during his tenure with the Detroit Pistons
Personal information
Born (1983-02-18) February 18, 1983 (age 42)
Chicago, Illinois
Nationality American
High school Newman Smith (Carrollton, Texas)
Listed height 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight 260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
College Cincinnati (2001–2005)
NBA Draft 2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 26th overall
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Pro career 2005–2017
Career history
2005–2013 Detroit Pistons
2013–2014 Orlando Magic
2014–2015 Charlotte Hornets
2015–2016 Tianjin Ronggang
2016–2017 Acıbadem Üniversitesi
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× Second-team All-Conference USA (2004, 2005)
  • Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year (2002)
  • Conference USA All-Freshmen Team (2002)

Jason Dior Maxiell (born February 18, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He is best known for playing with the Detroit Pistons from 2005 to 2013. Jason played college basketball for the University of Cincinnati. He also played professionally in the NBA, China, and Turkey. He officially retired from basketball on August 4, 2017.

Jason Maxiell's College Basketball Journey

After finishing high school at Newman Smith High School in 2001, Jason Maxiell went on to play college basketball. He played for the University of Cincinnati from 2001 to 2005. His coach there was Bob Huggins.

Early Success in College

As a freshman, Jason earned special awards. He was named the Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year. This award goes to a player who often comes off the bench but makes a big impact. He also made the All-Freshmen team, which means he was one of the best new players in the conference.

Becoming a Star Player

In his junior and senior years, Jason continued to shine. He was named to the All-Conference USA second team twice. During his senior year in 2004–05, he was a top player for blocking shots. He led Conference USA in blocks, stopping 2.8 shots per game. He was also ranked 18th in the entire nation for blocks. His 91 blocks that season were the second-highest total ever for a University of Cincinnati player in a single season.

Jason finished his college career as one of Cincinnati's top scorers. He scored 1,566 points, which placed him 13th on the school's all-time scoring list. He was also second in career blocked shots for Cincinnati with 252 blocks. He played in 129 games in a row, which was almost a record for the Bearcats. He started the last 77 of those games.

Jason Maxiell's Professional Basketball Career

Jason Maxiell had a long and successful career playing professional basketball. He played in the NBA, then in China, and finally in Turkey.

Playing in the NBA

Jason Maxiell dunk Pistons vs Warriors 2009
Maxiell slam dunking against the Golden State Warriors

The Detroit Pistons chose Jason Maxiell as the 26th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. He signed his first contract with the Pistons on July 5, 2005. He stayed with the team for many years. On October 31, 2008, he signed a new four-year contract with the Pistons. This kept him with the team until the end of the 2012–13 season. He decided to stay with the Pistons for the 2012–13 season by using a player option in his contract.

After his time with the Pistons, Jason moved to the Orlando Magic. He signed with them on July 18, 2013, for a two-year deal. However, the Magic decided to release him on July 4, 2014. Later that year, on September 28, 2014, Jason signed with the Charlotte Hornets.

Playing Overseas

Jason Maxiell also played basketball outside of the United States. On August 10, 2015, he signed with Tianjin Ronggang. This team plays in the Chinese Basketball Association.

In June 2016, Jason was going to play for Tropang TNT in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was meant to be their "import" player for the 2016 PBA Governors' Cup. However, he was found to be too tall for the league's height limit for import players. He was measured at 6 feet 5.6875 inches, which was just over the 6 feet 5 inches limit. So, he could not play for them.

On January 30, 2017, Jason signed with a team in Turkey called Acıbadem Üniversitesi. This team played in the second-tier Turkish league.

Retiring from Basketball

Jason Maxiell officially retired from professional basketball on August 4, 2017. He signed a special contract with the Detroit Pistons that day. This allowed him to retire as a member of the team where he spent most of his NBA career.

Career Highlights and Statistics

Jason Maxiell was known for his strong play and defense. He was a valuable player throughout his career, especially for his rebounding and shot-blocking abilities.

During his NBA career, Jason played in 618 regular season games. He averaged 5.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game. He was a consistent player who brought energy and toughness to every team he played for.

See also

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