Marcin Gortat facts for kids

"Gortat" redirects here. For his father, see Janusz Gortat.

Quick facts for kids
Marcin Gortat
Washington Wizards
Gortat at the Washington Wizards Open Practice in 2022
Player development and assistant coach
Personal information
Born	(1984-02-17) February 17, 1984 (age 41) Łódź, Poland
Nationality	Polish, American (since 2021)
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2005 / Round: 2 / Pick: 57th overall
Selected by the Phoenix Suns
Pro career	2002–2020
League	NBA
Career history
As player:
2002–2003	ŁKS Łódź
2003–2007	RheinEnergie Cologne
2007–2010	Orlando Magic
2007–2008	→Anaheim Arsenal
2010–2013	Phoenix Suns
2013–2018	Washington Wizards
2018–2019	Los Angeles Clippers
As coach:
2022–present	Washington Wizards (player development and assistant coach)

Career highlights and awards
EuroBasket rebounding leader (2009) German League champion (2006) 3× German Cup champion (2004, 2005, 2007) German Champions Cup champion (2006)

Career NBA statistics
Points	7,951 (9.9 ppg)
Rebounds	6,407 (7.9 rpg)
Assists	915 (1.1 apg)

Marcin Janusz Gortat (born February 17, 1984) is a Polish former professional basketball player. He is also known as "The Polish Hammer". Today, he works as a player development and assistant coach for the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Marcin Gortat is a very tall player, standing at 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 meters). He played as a center, which is a position close to the basket. He was chosen by the Phoenix Suns in the 2005 NBA draft. During his career, he played for the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards, and Los Angeles Clippers. He stopped playing professional basketball in 2020.

Early Life and Sports Beginnings
Personal Beliefs
NBA Career Highlights
Career Statistics
- NBA
  - Regular season
  - Playoffs
- Euroleague
See also

Early Life and Sports Beginnings

As a child, Marcin Gortat loved sports. He played soccer and competed in track and field, especially the high jump. Sports run in his family! His father, Janusz Gortat, was a famous Polish boxer. He won bronze medals in the Olympics in 1972 and 1976. Marcin's mother, Alicja Gortat, was also an athlete. She played for the Poland national team in volleyball. Marcin also has an older brother, Robert Gortat, who is a boxer too.

Marcin grew up in Łódź, Poland, with his brother Filip Gortat. He learned to speak Polish, English, German, and Serbian. He is also a big fan of Motorcycle Speedway, a type of motorcycle racing. He often supports the Polish club Motor Lublin and his friend, four-time World Champion Bartosz Zmarzlik.

Marcin started his basketball journey with ŁKS Łódź in Poland. Then, he played for three seasons in Germany for RheinEnergie Cologne. With this team, he won the German championship in 2006. He also won the national cup three times. In 2006–07, he played in the 2006–07 Euroleague for the first time. Even after being drafted by the NBA in 2005, Gortat chose to stay and play in Germany until 2007.

Personal Beliefs

Marcin Gortat is a Catholic. He has shared that his faith gives him hope and helps him feel inspired.

NBA Career Highlights

Orlando Magic (2007–2010)

On August 2, 2007, Marcin Gortat joined the Orlando Magic. To gain more experience, he was sent to the Anaheim Arsenal in the NBA Development League for a short time. He was called back to the Magic team on December 2. He played his first NBA game on March 1, 2008, against the New York Knicks.

In the last game of the 2007–08 season, Gortat played well. He scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Later, in December 2008, he started a game because Dwight Howard was injured. Gortat scored 16 points and had 13 rebounds. In April 2009, he had a career-high 18 rebounds. He also made his first playoff start. This made him the first Polish-born player to ever play in the NBA Finals.

In July 2009, Gortat signed a contract offer with the Dallas Mavericks. However, the Orlando Magic decided to keep him by matching the offer. Marcin was disappointed because he wanted more playing time. He continued to be a backup player for Dwight Howard.

Phoenix Suns (2010–2013)

Gortat battling for a rebound during his time with the Suns

On December 18, 2010, Gortat was traded to the Phoenix Suns. He moved with Vince Carter and Mickaël Piétrus. In Phoenix, he chose to wear jersey number 4 because number 13 was already taken. When he joined the Suns, his playing time and statistics improved. He started as a backup but soon became the starting center. During his time in Phoenix, he was still known as "The Polish Hammer."

During the 2011–12 season, Gortat had a great year. He averaged 15.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. This means he scored a "double-double" on average. He was the only Suns player to start every game that season. After the season, he played for the Polish national basketball team. He helped Poland qualify for the 2013 FIBA Eurobasket tournament. In one game, he scored 27 points and grabbed 21 rebounds.

In November 2012, he had 23 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-best 7 blocks in a game. Later, he had a knee injury and missed the rest of the season.

Washington Wizards (2013–2018)

Gortat playing for the Wizards in 2013

On October 25, 2013, Gortat was traded to the Washington Wizards. On February 27, 2014, he had a career-high 31 points and 12 rebounds in a long game against the Toronto Raptors. In the playoffs, he scored 31 points and had 16 rebounds in a game. He was the first Wizards player since 1987 to have at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a playoff game.

On July 10, 2014, Gortat signed a new five-year contract with the Wizards. In December 2015, he was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. This was the first time he received this honor. In February 2016, he scored 18 points and grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds in a win against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Los Angeles Clippers (2018–2019)

On June 26, 2018, Gortat was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. In January 2019, he had another double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. On February 7, he was released by the Clippers.

On February 16, 2020, Marcin Gortat officially announced that he was retiring from basketball.

Back to Washington Wizards as Assistant Coach

In October 2022, Marcin Gortat returned to the Wizards. This time, he joined them as a temporary assistant coach.

Thanks to the Wizards, Gortat is bringing back "Polish Heritage Night" (Polska Noc w NBA) to the NBA. This special event celebrates Polish culture. The 9th Polish Heritage Night will happen on March 24, 2023. The Washington Wizards will play against the San Antonio Spurs, who have another Polish player, Jeremy Sochan, on their team.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2007–08	Orlando	6	0	6.8	.471	—	.667	2.7	.3	.2	.2	3.0
2008–09	Orlando	63	3	12.6	.569	1.000	.578	4.6	.2	.3	.8	3.8
2009–10	Orlando	81	0	13.4	.533	.000	.680	4.2	.2	.2	.9	3.6
2010–11	Orlando	25	2	15.8	.543	—	.667	4.7	.7	.3	.8	4.0
2010–11	Phoenix	55	12	29.7	.563	.250	.731	9.3	1.0	.5	1.3	13.0
2011–12	Phoenix	66*	66*	32.0	.555	.000	.649	10.0	.9	.7	1.5	15.4
2012–13	Phoenix	61	61	30.8	.521	.000	.652	8.5	1.2	.7	1.6	11.1
2013–14	Washington	81	80	32.8	.542	1.000	.686	9.5	1.7	.5	1.5	13.2
2014–15	Washington	82	82*	29.9	.566	.000	.703	8.7	1.2	.6	1.3	12.2
2015–16	Washington	75	74	30.1	.567	.000	.705	9.9	1.4	.6	1.3	13.5
2016–17	Washington	82*	82*	31.2	.579	.000	.648	10.3	1.5	.5	.7	10.8
2017–18	Washington	82*	82*	25.3	.518	—	.675	7.6	1.8	.5	.7	8.4
2018–19	L.A. Clippers	47	43	16.0	.532	—	.729	5.6	1.4	.1	.5	5.0
Career		806	587	25.7	.551	.150	.680	8.0	1.1	.5	1.1	9.9

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2008	Orlando	8	0	6.0	.833	—	.000	1.0	.0	.0	.5	1.3
2009	Orlando	24	1	11.3	.654	—	.625	3.2	.1	.4	.6	3.3
2010	Orlando	14	0	15.1	.654	—	.727	4.4	.6	.2	.3	3.0
2014	Washington	11	11	34.7	.429	—	.659	9.9	1.5	.5	1.4	13.0
2015	Washington	10	10	30.7	.628	—	.667	8.8	2.2	.6	1.1	12.4
2017	Washington	13	13	31.5	.505	—	.611	11.0	1.8	.4	1.5	8.1
2018	Washington	6	6	26.7	.558	—	.571	6.3	1.0	.0	.3	8.7
Career		86	41	20.8	.564	—	.650	6.1	.9	.3	.8	6.4

Euroleague

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG	PIR
2006–07	RheinEnergie Cologne	14	14	27.7	.594	.500	.667	5.6	1.2	1.1	1.1	10.4	12.6
Career		14	14	27.7	.594	.500	.667	5.6	1.2	1.1	1.1	10.4	12.6