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 (/ˈnɑːzi/ NAH-zee; 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, playing for eight different teams. Today, he is the general manager for the Oklahoma City Blue and a scout for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played college basketball at the University of Kentucky.
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Early Life and College Basketball
Nazr Mohammed grew up in Chicago. His father, Alhaji Muhammad, 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 1995. He was quite heavy then, so he didn't play much in his first year. But his team, the Kentucky Wildcats, won the NCAA Championship that season!
For his second year, Nazr lost weight. He shared the starting center position with Jamaal Magloire. In 1997, the Wildcats made it to the championship game again but lost to Arizona. In 1998, Nazr and Jamaal again helped Kentucky win the NCAA Championship. This was Nazr's second college championship in three years.
Nazr Mohammed's NBA Journey
After his junior year of college, Nazr decided to join the NBA.
Starting with the Philadelphia 76ers
In the 1998 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz picked Nazr as the 29th player. However, they traded his rights to the Philadelphia 76ers. Nazr played for the 76ers for two and a half seasons. In February 2001, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
Playing for the Atlanta Hawks
Nazr played for the Atlanta Hawks until the middle of the 2003–04 season. On November 5, 2001, he scored a personal best of 30 points in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He was then traded to the New York Knicks.
Time with the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs
Nazr spent part of the 2004–05 season with the New York Knicks. Then, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. With the Spurs, he won his first and only NBA championship in 2005! He was even a starter for the team during that championship season.
In his second season with the Spurs, Nazr continued to play an important role. He tied his career-high score of 30 points against the Phoenix Suns on March 17, 2006.
Moving to Detroit and Charlotte
In July 2006, Nazr signed with the Detroit Pistons. He started as their main center. Later, in December 2007, he was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats.
Returning to Oklahoma City Thunder
On February 24, 2011, Nazr was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He helped the Thunder reach the 2012 NBA Finals, but they lost to the Miami Heat.
Playing for His Hometown Team: Chicago Bulls
On July 27, 2012, Nazr signed with his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls. During the 2013 NBA Playoffs, he had an on-court moment with LeBron James. Nazr was called for a foul after pushing James. He re-signed with the Bulls for two more seasons.
On October 9, 2015, Nazr announced his retirement from the NBA. However, he came out of retirement briefly in March 2016 to play for the Oklahoma City Thunder again for a short time.
Life After Playing Basketball
Nazr Mohammed is a Muslim and observes Ramadan by fasting. He even lost weight during one season because of his fasting.
He is married to Mandi, and they have two daughters and a son. Their son, Sir, plays college basketball for Notre Dame.
Nazr also created The Nazr Mohammed Foundation. This foundation helps many good causes through donations, fundraisers, camps, and scholarships. In 2012, his foundation helped raise money for improvements at his old high school, Kenwood Academy.
He studied Business Management at Kentucky and earned his Bachelor's degree in May 2020.
See also
In Spanish: Nazr Mohammed para niños
