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-12 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 a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played as a power forward. Powe was chosen in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets. He grew up in Oakland, California, and played college basketball for the California Golden Bears. Leon played his first three years in the NBA with the Boston Celtics. He helped the team win a championship in 2008. From 2009 to 2011, Powe played for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also played briefly for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2011. After playing in Puerto Rico, Powe announced he was retiring in 2014. He decided to retire because of several injuries and his wish to become a businessman.

Early Life and Challenges

Leon Powe grew up in Oakland, California. His family faced tough times, including losing their home in a fire. This meant they were without a home for several years. They moved more than twenty times in six years. For a period, Leon and his siblings were cared for by the state of California.

High School Basketball Star

Powe went to Oakland Technical High School. He played alongside Marshawn Lynch, who later became a famous football player. In his senior year, Powe was amazing on the court. He 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 won 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 Career Highlights

Leon Powe played college basketball for the University of California, Berkeley's Golden Bears. He was there from 2003 to 2006. He missed his second year (2004–05) because of a serious knee injury.

In his first year, he was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. He led the conference in getting rebounds. People wondered if Powe would play as well after his knee surgery. But he worked very hard to get better. He became a strong player inside the paint. He scored 20.5 points and grabbed 10.1 rebounds per game. He helped Cal achieve a 20–11 record. They also earned a spot in the NCAA tournament.

In April 2006, Powe was named California's most valuable player. He had also been MVP as a freshman in 2004. He was one of only six players to lead the Pac-10 Conference in both points and rebounds. He was chosen for the All-Pac-10 First Team for the second time in 2006.

Professional Basketball Journey

After his junior year, Powe decided to enter the 2006 NBA draft. The Denver Nuggets picked him in the second round as the 49th overall player. 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.

First NBA Season (2006–07)

In his first season, Powe played as a fourth-string center. He was behind Kendrick Perkins, Brian Scalabrine, and Michael Olowokandi. When many players got injured, Powe got more chances to show his skills. He proved he was a good defender. He could change shots and get rebounds inside. On January 12, 2007, Powe played 25 minutes. He got a career-high 12 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors. 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 in about 11 minutes per game.

Championship Season (2007–08)

Powe shoots a free throw in a 2008 playoff game.

Powe at an event during the 2007–08 season

On January 29, 2008, Powe had a fantastic game against the Heat in Miami. He stepped up when main players Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were out. He scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The Celtics won 117–87. He also scored his career-high 27 points in the last game of the season against the New Jersey Nets on April 16, 2008.

One of his most memorable games 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 cheered his name as the Celtics won 108–102.

Powe during the 2008 Boston Celtics championship parade.

Final Celtics Season (2008–09)

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

Playing for Cleveland and Memphis (2010–11)

On February 24, 2011, Powe left the Cleveland Cavaliers. This happened because the Cavaliers needed to make space on their team after two trades. He had just recovered from surgery on his right knee. This surgery had kept him out of games for six weeks. A little over a week later, Powe signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for the rest of the season.

After Basketball

In 2014, Leon Powe was hired by the Celtics. He now works as a community ambassador for the team.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Leon Powe para niños