Juan Carlos Navarro (basketball) facts for kids
Navarro with the Spain national team in 2011
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| FC Barcelona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| General Manager | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | June 13, 1980 Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Spain |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 201 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2002 / Round: 2 / Pick: 40th overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Washington Wizards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1997–2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Liga ACB EuroLeague |
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| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2007 | FC Barcelona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Memphis Grizzlies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2018 | FC Barcelona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As a player:
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Medals
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Juan Carlos Navarro Feijoo, often called Juan Carlos Navarro or J. C. Navarro, is a famous Spanish basketball player who is now retired. He was born on June 13, 1980. He used to play as a shooting guard, standing 6 feet 4 inches tall. Today, he works as the general manager for the EuroLeague club FC Barcelona Bàsquet.
During his playing days, Navarro was known as "La Bomba" (which means "The Bomb" in English). This nickname also describes his special basketball move, the "tear drop" shot. He was really good at this shot and it became his trademark.
Many people think Navarro is one of the best European basketball players ever. He won the Eurobasket News All-Europe Player of the Year award three times in a row (2009, 2010, and 2011). He was also named Mr. Europa in 2010. In 2014, he became a EuroLeague Basketball Legend, which is like being in their Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was chosen as one of the "101 Greats of European Basketball."
Navarro won the EuroLeague championship twice with FC Barcelona, in 2003 and 2010. He was also named the EuroLeague MVP in 2009 and the EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 2010. He was even picked for the EuroLeague 2000–2010 All-Decade Team and the EuroLeague 2010–2020 All-Decade Team. As the captain of the Spanish national team, he won many medals. These include a gold medal at the FIBA World Cup in 2006, two silver medals at the Summer Olympics (2008 and 2012), and two gold medals at the FIBA EuroBasket (2009 and 2011). He was also named the FIBA EuroBasket MVP in 2011.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Basketball
Juan Carlos Navarro Feijoo was born in Sant Feliu de Llobregat, a city in Barcelona, Spain. He started playing basketball at a young age. When he was 8, he joined a local club called Club Bàsquet Santfeliuenc. At 12, he moved to the youth teams of the famous club FC Barcelona.
Professional Career Highlights
Playing for FC Barcelona (1997–2007)
Navarro began playing for the main FC Barcelona team when he was just 17 years old. His first game in the Spanish ACB League was on November 23, 1997. He chose to stay in Europe and play for Barcelona instead of going to the Nike Hoop Summit in the US.
In 2003, FC Barcelona had an amazing year. They won every competition they played in, including their first-ever EuroLeague championship. By winning the Spanish ACB League, the Spanish King's Cup, and the EuroLeague all in the same year, Barcelona achieved the special "Triple Crown" championship.
With Barcelona, Navarro won the Spanish League championship eight times. He also won the Spanish King's Cup seven times and the Spanish Supercup five times. He helped Barcelona reach the EuroLeague Final Four seven times. Navarro was recognized as one of the best players, being selected for the All-EuroLeague Team seven times. In 2006, he was named the MVP of the Spanish Liga ACB. He also won the Spanish Liga ACB Finals MVP award in 2009 and 2011.
Time with the Memphis Grizzlies (2007–2008)
Navarro was seen as a very promising young player in Europe. In 2002, the Washington Wizards picked him in the NBA draft. However, Navarro decided to stay with FC Barcelona instead of joining the NBA right away.
In 2007, the Washington Wizards traded Navarro's draft rights to the Memphis Grizzlies. This meant he could join his former Barcelona and Spanish national teammate Pau Gasol on the Grizzlies. After buying out his contract with Barcelona, Navarro signed a one-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2007–08 NBA season.
In his first NBA season, Navarro was a strong three-point shooter for the Grizzlies. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 10.9 points per game. After one season, Navarro decided to leave the NBA and return to Spain. He signed a big contract to play for Barcelona again.
Return to FC Barcelona (2008–2018)
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After playing one season in the NBA, Navarro came back to FC Barcelona in 2008. He signed a long-term contract with his old team. In 2012, Barcelona extended his contract even further.
During the 2014–15 season, Navarro had some problems with injuries to his right leg. These injuries affected how well he played that season.
On August 17, 2018, Juan Carlos Navarro officially retired from playing professional basketball. He then joined the FC Barcelona club's main office, as planned in a contract he signed in 2017.
When he retired, Navarro was the EuroLeague's all-time leader in total points scored in the modern era (since 2000). His number 11 jersey was retired by FC Barcelona in March 2019, meaning no other player on the team will wear that number.
National Team Career
Navarro was a key player for the Spanish national basketball teams. In 1998, he won a gold medal with the Spanish under-18 team. He was also part of Spain's "Golden Generation" that won the 1999 FIBA Under-19 World Cup, beating the United States.
He played for the senior Spanish national team at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics. He helped Spain win a bronze medal at the 2001 EuroBasket. In 2003, he won a silver medal with Spain at the 2003 EuroBasket.
In 2006, Navarro was part of the Spanish team that won the gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. This was a huge achievement for Spain. In 2007, Spain won a silver medal at the 2007 EuroBasket.
Navarro also won two silver medals with Spain at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Summer Olympics. He helped Spain win gold medals at the 2009 EuroBasket and 2011 EuroBasket. In 2011, he was named the EuroBasket MVP for his outstanding performance. He also won bronze medals at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics and the 2017 EuroBasket.
After Playing Basketball
After retiring from playing in August 2018, Juan Carlos Navarro started working in the office for FC Barcelona. In April 2021, he was named the general manager of the club. He took over this role from Nacho Rodríguez.
Awards and Accomplishments
Team Wins
- EuroLeague: 2003, 2010
- Spanish League: 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014
- FIBA Korać Cup: 1999
- Spanish King's Cup: 2001, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2018
- Spanish Supercup: 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015
Spanish National Team Medals
- 1998 FIBA Under-18 EuroBasket:
Gold
- 1999 FIBA Under-19 World Cup: Gold
- 2001 EuroBasket:
Bronze - 2003 EuroBasket:
Silver
- 2006 FIBA World Cup: Gold
- 2007 EuroBasket: Silver
- 2008 Summer Olympics: Silver
- 2009 EuroBasket: Gold
- 2011 EuroBasket : Gold
- 2012 Summer Olympics: Silver
- 2016 Summer Olympics: Bronze
- 2017 EuroBasket: Bronze
Individual Awards
- Spanish League MVP: 2006
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 2008
- EuroLeague MVP: 2009
- Spanish League Finals MVP: 2009, 2011, 2014
- Spanish Supercup MVP: 2009, 2010, 2011
- Mr. Europa: 2010
- EuroLeague 2000–2010 All-Decade Team: 2010
- EuroLeague 2010–2020 All-Decade Team: 2020
- EuroLeague Legend: 2014
- EuroLeague Final Four MVP: 2010
- EuroBasket MVP: 2011
- Number 11 jersey retired by FC Barcelona: 2019
Images for kids
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Navarro with the Spain national team in 2011
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Navarro with FC Barcelona, getting past Joventut's Pau Ribas, after a screen performed by Daniel Santiago (2009).
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Navarro with FC Barcelona (2017).
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Navarro with Spain's national team, attacking the paint against Macedonia, in 2011.
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Navarro, receiving the 2011 EuroBasket's MVP award trophy.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Carlos Navarro para niños
- Basketball in Spain
- List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games
