Zydrunas Ilgauskas facts for kids
Ilgauskas with the Cleveland Cavaliers in November 2009
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 5, 1975 Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Nationality | Lithuanian / American |
| Listed height | 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) |
| Listed weight | 260 lb (118 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20th overall |
| Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Pro career | 1993–2011 |
| Career history | |
| 1993–1996 | Atletas Kaunas |
| 1996–2010 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2010–2011 | Miami Heat |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Points | 10,976 (13.0 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 6,191 (7.3 rpg) |
| Blocks | 1,327 (1.6 bpg) |
Zydrunas Ilgauskas (born June 5, 1975) is a former professional basketball player. He was born in Lithuania and later became an American citizen. Standing at 7 feet 3 inches tall, Ilgauskas played as a center.
He spent most of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1997 to 2010. He also played for the Miami Heat during the 2010–11 season. Ilgauskas was chosen for the All-Rookie First Team in 1997–98. He was also selected as an NBA All-Star twice.
Ilgauskas played in the 2007 NBA Finals with the Cavaliers. He was known for his accurate jump shot and his ability to grab rebounds. He also bravely overcame many injuries during his career. Fans called him Big Z. He is the Cavaliers' all-time leader in blocked shots. His jersey number 11 was retired by the team, which is a big honor. After retiring from playing, Ilgauskas worked for the Cavaliers as a special advisor.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas's Basketball Journey
Early Career in Lithuania
Zydrunas Ilgauskas started his professional basketball career in his hometown of Kaunas, Lithuania. He joined a local club called Atletas in 1993. During the 1994–95 season, he played very well. He averaged 20.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game.
Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers picked Ilgauskas as the 20th player in the 1996 NBA draft. He signed a contract with them in August 1996. Early in his career, he had many foot and ankle injuries. He missed his entire first season (1996–97) because of a broken bone in his right foot.
Despite his injuries, he was named the most valuable player of the Rookie Challenge during the NBA All-Star Weekend. He was also chosen for the All-Rookie First Team in 1997–98. He signed a big contract extension in 1998. However, he played in only five games over the next two seasons due to more foot injuries.
He became the Cavaliers' starting center again in the 2000–01 season. But he got injured again in December 2000 and missed the rest of that season. His injuries were tough for the team.
Ilgauskas returned in December 2001. He mostly played as a backup player for the rest of that season.
Becoming an All-Star
In the 2002–03 season, Ilgauskas played great. He averaged 17.2 points and 7.5 rebounds. He was selected as an All-Star for the first time. Even with his strong play, the Cavaliers had a tough season. They finished with one of the worst records in team history. This bad record helped them get the number one pick in the next draft.
The Cavaliers used that pick to draft LeBron James in 2003. LeBron James, Ilgauskas, and Drew Gooden became the main players for the team. Ilgauskas stayed healthy for the next three seasons, missing only nine games. He was chosen as an All-Star again in 2005.
In July 2005, Ilgauskas signed another contract extension with the Cavaliers. For the next four seasons, he was the team's starting center. The Cavaliers became a very strong team. They reached the NBA Finals in 2007 and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009.
In 2009, the Cavaliers got Shaquille O'Neal. Ilgauskas knew this meant he would likely come off the bench. On December 2, 2009, Ilgauskas played a game against the Phoenix Suns. In that game, he broke the team record for most career games played. He passed the team's general manager, Danny Ferry.
Leaving and Returning to Cleveland
On February 17, 2010, Ilgauskas was traded from the Cavaliers to the Washington Wizards. This was part of a big trade involving three teams and six players. A few days later, on February 25, 2010, the Wizards released him from his contract. This made him a free agent. Ilgauskas did not play any games for the Wizards.
After a waiting period, Ilgauskas was able to return to the Cavaliers. On March 23, 2010, he signed a one-year deal to finish the season with Cleveland. He played his first game back the next day. In his first home game back, the crowd cheered loudly for him. The arena was even playfully called "The Z" for the day, in his honor.
The 2010 NBA playoffs were different for Ilgauskas. He did not play as much as before. The Cavaliers were eliminated by the Boston Celtics.
On March 8, 2014, the Cleveland Cavaliers retired Ilgauskas' number 11 jersey. This means no other player on the team will ever wear that number again. He was only the third European player to receive this honor from an NBA team.
Joining the Miami Heat
On July 17, 2010, Ilgauskas signed with the Miami Heat. He decided to join the Heat because his long-time teammate LeBron James and Chris Bosh also signed with them. On December 2, during the Heat's first game in Cleveland, fans cheered Ilgauskas. But they booed the other starters, including James. The Heat made it to the 2011 NBA Finals. However, they lost to the Dallas Mavericks.
In September 2011, Ilgauskas announced he was retiring from basketball. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family. He also mentioned being tired from years of playing and the wear and tear on his body.
Playing for Lithuania
Ilgauskas played for the Lithuania national team in 1994. He helped the team try to qualify for the EuroBasket 1995 tournament. He averaged 7.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. He wanted to play for Lithuania in the 2008 Summer Olympics. However, the Cavaliers did not let him play because of his past injuries.
Life After Basketball
Working in the Front Office
On January 11, 2012, Zydrunas Ilgauskas returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was hired as an assistant to the team's general manager, Chris Grant. His job was to help find new talented players for the team.
Coaching High School Basketball
On September 18, 2015, Ilgauskas joined Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland. He became an assistant coach for the boys' basketball team.
Personal Life
Ilgauskas married his wife in the summer of 2004. In the summer of 2009, they adopted two brothers from his hometown of Kaunas, Lithuania. The boys were five and four years old at the time. Ilgauskas became a United States citizen in 2013.
He loves to read, especially about military history. During his playing career, he often read in the locker room before games.
Images for kids
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Ilgauskas with the Cleveland Cavaliers in November 2009
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Ilgauskas with the Cavaliers in 2007
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Ilgauskas attempting a free throw in 2009
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Ilgauskas with the Heat
