Przemek Karnowski facts for kids
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Karnowski during EuroBasket 2017
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | November 8, 1993 Bydgoszcz, Poland |
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| Nationality | Polish | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 285 lb (129 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Gonzaga (2012–2017) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2017 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2009–2022 | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2023–present | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Toruń | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Wladyslawowo | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Siarka Tarnobrzeg | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Andorra | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | →Fuenlabrada | |||||||||||||
| 2020 | Toruń | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | Zielona Góra | |||||||||||||
| 2021-2022 | Toruń | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 2023-current | Arizona Wildcats (Graduate Assistant) | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Przemysław Marcin "Przemek" Karnowski (born November 8, 1993) is a former professional basketball player from Poland. He is now a graduate assistant coach for the Arizona men’s basketball team.
Przemek played college basketball in the United States for Gonzaga University. After college, he played professionally in Spain and Poland. He also proudly represented his home country on the Polish national team.
Contents
College Basketball Journey
Przemek chose to play college basketball at Gonzaga University in 2012. In his first year, he played behind a talented Canadian player named Kelly Olynyk.
Playing for the Gonzaga Bulldogs
During the 2013–14 season, Przemek became the starting center for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He averaged 10.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. In his junior year, he continued to play well, averaging 11 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Overcoming Injury Challenges
In his senior season, Przemek faced a tough challenge. He had severe back problems and needed surgery after playing only five games. The pain was so bad that it took him a long time just to get out of bed. He even needed crutches to walk.
After the surgery, he got an infection and lost about 60 pounds. Even though doctors said he wouldn't be able to do tough activities for ten months, he was running again in just seven months! To protect his back, the team's staff created a special training plan for him. He only played in games and practiced with the team.
Record-Breaking Final Season
On May 24, 2016, Gonzaga announced that Przemek would get to play one more college season. This was great news for him and the team! In his final season (2016–17), he helped Gonzaga have their best start ever, winning 29 games in a row. He also had his best offensive and defensive stats.
Przemek became the player with the most wins in Gonzaga history, passing other great players. He also became the active leader in Division I basketball games played. After the 2017 West Coast Conference tournament, he set a new NCAA record with 132 career wins.
He was nominated for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award for being one of the best centers in college basketball. Przemek graduated with degrees in Sport Management and Business Administration. He helped his team reach the NCAA March Madness Final for the first time ever!
A Fan Favorite Player
Przemek became a huge fan favorite at Gonzaga. People loved his skills, his friendly personality, and his famous beard! Some fans even wore fake beards to games to look like him.
Because his name was hard for some US fans to say, they gave him fun nicknames. These included "Shem" (short for Przemysław), "Big Shem," and "Mount Karnowski" because of his large size. Back in Poland, thousands of fans would stay up late to watch his March Madness games because of the time difference.
Professional Basketball Career
Before college, Przemek played for Siarka Jezioro Tarnobrzeg in the Polish Basketball League (PLK) during the 2011–12 season. He averaged 10.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. After that season, he won the PLK Rookie of the Year Award, which is given to the best new player.
After college, Przemek was not chosen in the 2017 NBA draft. However, he joined the Charlotte Hornets for the 2017 NBA Summer League to show off his skills.
In July 2017, he signed with a Spanish team called MoraBanc Andorra. He later returned to Poland and signed with Twarde Pierniki Toruń in August 2018. In 2020, he joined Stelmet Zielona Góra, another Polish team.
Playing for His Country
Przemek played for the Polish junior national team. He helped them reach the championship game of the 2010 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Germany. He was named to the All-Tournament Team, which means he was one of the best players in the whole tournament. He was also named the Best Center of the tournament.
He also played for the senior Polish national basketball team at EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia.
Coaching Career
In January 2023, Przemek Karnowski joined the Arizona men’s basketball staff. He works as a graduate assistant coach, helping the team. He is also studying for a master's degree in Marketing at Arizona.
See also
In Spanish: Przemysław Karnowski para niños
