Leon Powe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Leon Powe

Powe with the Boston Celtics in 2007
Boston Celtics
Community ambassador
Personal information
Born	(1984-01-22) January 22, 1984 (age 41) Oakland, California, U.S.
High school	Oakland Tech (Oakland, California)
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
College	California (2003–2006)
NBA Draft	2006 / Round: 2 / Pick: 49th overall
Selected by the Denver Nuggets
Pro career	2006–2012
League	NBA
Career history
2006–2009	Boston Celtics
2009–2011	Cleveland Cavaliers
2011	Memphis Grizzlies
2012	Atléticos de San Germán
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2008) Consensus second-team All-American (2006) 2× First-team All-Pac-10 (2004, 2006) Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (2004) Pac-10 tournament MVP (2006) First-team Parade All-American (2003) Third-team Parade All-American (2002) McDonald's All-American (2003)
Career NBA statistics
Points	5,273 (6.2 ppg)
Rebounds	911 (3.8 rpg)
Blocks	82 (0.3 bpg)

Leon Powe Jr. (born January 22, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played as a power forward. Leon grew up in Oakland, California.

He was picked in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets. Powe played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley. He spent his first three years in the NBA with the Boston Celtics. With the Celtics, he won an NBA championship in 2008. Later, he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Memphis Grizzlies. Leon Powe retired from basketball in 2014 due to injuries. He then decided to become a businessman.

Early Life and Challenges

Leon Powe grew up in Oakland, California. His family faced many difficulties when he was young. When he was seven, their house burned down. This meant his family did not have a permanent home for several years. They moved more than twenty times in six years.

Later, Leon and his siblings were placed in foster care by the state. This happened because his mother could not care for them. Tragically, his mother passed away just before he played in a state championship game.

High School Basketball Career

Powe attended Oakland Technical High School. He played basketball there with future NFL star Marshawn Lynch. In his senior year, Leon averaged 27.4 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game.

With Leon on the team, Oakland Tech won the CIF Oakland Section Championship. They also reached the CIF State Championships in both 2002 and 2003. He was named a first-team Parade All-American. He also earned the Gatorade California Player of the Year award in his senior year. Leon was a highly-rated high school player. He was chosen to play in the McDonald's All-American game. He was the first athlete from Oakland Tech to have his jersey number retired by the school.

College Basketball Career

Leon Powe played college basketball for the California Golden Bears from 2003 to 2006. He missed his second year (2004–05) due to a serious knee injury.

In his first year, he was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. He led the conference in rebounding that season. After his knee surgery, many wondered if he would play as well again. However, he worked very hard to recover. He became a strong player inside the paint.

In his junior year, he averaged 20.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He helped Cal achieve a 20–11 record. They also earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. Leon was named California's most valuable player (MVP) in 2006. He was the sixth player ever to lead the Pac-10 Conference in both points and rebounds. He was also chosen for the All-Pac-10 First Team for the second time.

Professional Basketball Career

After his junior year of college, Powe decided to enter the 2006 NBA draft. The Denver Nuggets selected him as the 49th overall pick in the second round. The Nuggets then traded him to the Boston Celtics. After playing for the Celtics' summer league team, Powe signed a 3-year contract with the team.

2006–07 NBA Season

In his first NBA season, Powe was a fourth-string center. He played behind Kendrick Perkins, Brian Scalabrine, and Michael Olowokandi. The Celtics had many injuries, which gave Powe a chance to show his skills. He proved to be a good defender. He could change shots and get rebounds inside.

On January 12, 2007, Powe had 12 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors. This was a career high for him. On April 10, 2007, he scored 19 points against the Atlanta Hawks. He finished the 2006–07 season averaging 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

2007–08 NBA Season

Powe shoots a free throw in Game 4 of the 2008 NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks.

Powe at an event during the 2007–08 season

On January 29, 2008, Powe had a great game against the Miami Heat. Key players Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were absent. Powe stepped up, scoring 25 points and getting 11 rebounds. The Celtics won 117–87. He also scored a career-high 27 points in the last game of the season against the New Jersey Nets.

One of his most memorable performances was in Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals. This was against the Los Angeles Lakers on June 8, 2008. He scored 21 points in only 15 minutes of play. This included several dunks and 13 free throw attempts. The crowd chanted his name as the Celtics won 108–102.

Powe during the 2008 Boston Celtics championship parade.

2008–09 NBA Season

On March 13, 2009, Powe started a game because Kevin Garnett was injured. He had a career-high 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 blocks. The Celtics won 102–92 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Powe tried to recover from a knee injury at the end of the season. He returned for the playoffs. However, he tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee in Game 2 against the Chicago Bulls. He kept playing for three minutes on the injured knee before leaving the game. His season ended due to this injury. He had surgery on May 5, 2009. On August 12, 2009, he officially signed a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

2010–11 NBA Season

On February 24, 2011, the Cleveland Cavaliers released Powe. This happened after he recovered from another knee surgery. A week later, Powe signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for the rest of the season.

Basketball Post-Career

In 2014, the Celtics hired Leon Powe. He became a community ambassador for the team.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Leon Powe para niños