Nazr Mohammed facts for kids
Mohammed during his first tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder
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| Oklahoma City Blue | |
|---|---|
| General manager | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 5, 1977 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| High school | Kenwood Academy (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Kentucky (1995–1998) |
| NBA Draft | 1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 29th overall |
| Selected by the Utah Jazz | |
| Pro career | 1998–2015, 2016 |
| Career history | |
| 1998–2001 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2001–2004 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2004–2005 | New York Knicks |
| 2005–2006 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2006–2007 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2007–2011 | Charlotte Bobcats |
| 2011–2012 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2012–2015 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2016 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 5,827 (5.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,708 (4.7 rpg) |
| Blocks | 639 (0.6 bpg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
Nazr Tahiru Mohammed (born September 5, 1977) is an American who used to play professional basketball. He was a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 18 seasons. He played for eight different teams during his career. Today, he is the general manager for the Oklahoma City Blue team. He also works as a scout for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Before playing professionally, he played college basketball for the University of Kentucky.
Contents
- Early Life and College Basketball
- Professional Basketball Career
- Playing for the Philadelphia 76ers (1998–2001)
- Time with the Atlanta Hawks (2001–2004)
- Joining the New York Knicks (2004–2005)
- Winning a Championship with the San Antonio Spurs (2005–2006)
- Playing for the Detroit Pistons (2006–2007)
- Moving to the Charlotte Bobcats (2007–2011)
- First Time with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2011–2012)
- Playing for His Hometown Team, the Chicago Bulls (2012–2015)
- Returning to the Oklahoma City Thunder (2016)
- Life After Basketball
- See also
Early Life and College Basketball
Nazr Mohammed grew up in Chicago, Illinois. His father was an entrepreneur from Ghana. Nazr went to Kenwood Academy for high school and graduated in 1995.
He started at the University of Kentucky in the fall of 1995. In his first year, he didn't play much. But after losing some weight, he became a key player. He shared the starting center position with Jamaal Magloire. In 1997, his team, the Kentucky Wildcats, made it to the championship game. They finished as runners-up.
In 1998, Nazr and Jamaal Magloire again shared the starting spot. They helped the Wildcats win the NCAA Championship. This was Kentucky's second championship in three years.
Professional Basketball Career
After his junior year of college, Nazr Mohammed decided to join the NBA. He was picked by the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA draft. He was the 29th player chosen overall.
Playing for the Philadelphia 76ers (1998–2001)
The Utah Jazz traded Nazr's rights to the Philadelphia 76ers. He played for the 76ers for two and a half seasons. In February 2001, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
Time with the Atlanta Hawks (2001–2004)
Nazr played for the Hawks until the middle of the 2003–04 season. On November 5, 2001, he scored a career-high 30 points in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He was then traded to the New York Knicks.
Joining the New York Knicks (2004–2005)
Nazr Mohammed spent half of the 2004–05 season playing for the New York Knicks.
Winning a Championship with the San Antonio Spurs (2005–2006)
He then joined the San Antonio Spurs in the second half of the 2004–05 season. He played 77 games that season for both the Knicks and Spurs. He averaged 9.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
In 2005, Nazr won his first and only NBA championship with the Spurs. He was a starting player on that championship team. During his second season with the Spurs, he continued to play an important role. On March 17, 2006, he scored 30 points again, matching his career high.
Playing for the Detroit Pistons (2006–2007)
In July 2006, Nazr signed with the Detroit Pistons. He started as their center. However, after another player, Chris Webber, joined the team, Nazr's playing time decreased.
Moving to the Charlotte Bobcats (2007–2011)
On December 14, 2007, Nazr Mohammed was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats.
First Time with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2011–2012)
On February 24, 2011, Nazr was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He helped the Thunder reach the 2012 NBA Finals in 2012. However, his team lost to the Miami Heat.
Playing for His Hometown Team, the Chicago Bulls (2012–2015)
On July 27, 2012, Nazr Mohammed signed with his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls. In a playoff game on May 10, 2013, he had an interaction with LeBron James. Mohammed reacted by pushing James, which led to a technical foul.
He re-signed with the Bulls in 2013 and again in 2014. On August 1, 2015, Nazr played in an exhibition game called the 2015 NBA Africa exhibition game. He officially retired from the NBA on October 9, 2015.
Returning to the Oklahoma City Thunder (2016)
In March 2016, Nazr Mohammed decided to come out of retirement. He signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder again for a second time. He played his first game back on March 9, 2016.
Life After Basketball
Nazr Mohammed is a practicing Muslim and observes fasting during Ramadan. He is married to Mandi, and they have two daughters and a son. Their son, Sir, plays college basketball for Notre Dame.
Nazr created The Nazr Mohammed Foundation. This foundation helps many good causes through donations, fundraisers, camps, and scholarships. In August 2012, his foundation hosted a fundraiser for his old high school, Kenwood Academy.
Nazr studied Business Management at Kentucky. He graduated in May 2020 with a Bachelor’s of Arts and Sciences degree.
See also
In Spanish: Nazr Mohammed para niños
