PLAYERS 06-07 PRIMARY 2006-07 ROSTER No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate College NBA Exp. 11 Esteban Batista F/C 6-10 270 9-02-83 Uruguay 1 1 Josh Childress G 6-8 210 6-20-83 Stanford 2 12 Speedy Claxton G 5-11 170 5-08-78 Hofstra 5 36 Royal Ivey G 6-4 215 12-20-81 Texas 2 2 Joe Johnson G 6-7 230 6-29-81 Arkansas 5 44 Solomon Jones F 6-10 230 7-16-84 South Florida R 10 Tyronn Lue G 6-0 178 5-03-77 Nebraska 8 27 Zaza Pachulia F/C 6-11 265 2-10-84 Georgia (Europe) 3 5 Josh Smith F 6-9 225 12-05-85 Oak Hill Academy 2 20 Salim Stoudamire G 6-1 186 10-11-82 Arizona 1 24 Marvin Williams F 6-9 228 6-19-86 North Carolina 1 33 Shelden Williams F 6-9 250 10-21-83 Duke R 42 Lorenzen Wright F/C 6-11 240 11-04-75 Memphis 10 HEAD COACH: Mike Woodson (Indiana) ASSISTANT COACHES: Larry Drew (Missouri), Herb Brown (Vermont), Bob Bender (Duke), Greg Ballard (Oregon), David Fizdale (San Diego) ASSISTANT COACH / PLAYER PERFORMANCE: Pete Radulovic (Loyola Marymount) ATHLETIC TRAINER: Wally Blase (Winona State) STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COORDINATOR: Chattin Hill (Central Washington) 2006-07 NUMERICAL ROSTER 1 Josh Childress 2 Joe Johnson 5 Josh Smith 10 Tyronn Lue 11 Esteban Batista 12 Speedy Claxton 20 Salim Stoudamire 24 Marvin Williams 27 Zaza Pachulia 33 Shelden Williams 36 Royal Ivey 42 Lorenzen Wright 44 Solomon Jones PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Royal Ivey roy-al Tyronn Lue Tir-ron Zaza Pachulia Za-Za Pa-CHUL-e-ya 28 HAWKS.COM
PLAYERS 06-07 PRIMARY 2006-07 SCHEDULE PRESEASON (** - HAWKS HOME PRESEASON GAMES) SECONDARY October 11 Atlanta at Memphis @ Memphis, Tennessee (FedEx Forum) 8:00 Eastern October 13 Atlanta at Houston @ Little Rock, Arkansas (Alltel Arena) 8:30 Eastern October 14 (**) Atlanta vs. Miami @ Atlanta, Georgia (Philips Arena) 7:00 Eastern October 17 Atlanta at Orlando @ Orlando, Florida (TD Waterhouse Centre) 7:00 Eastern October 19 (**) Atlanta vs. Orlando @ Birmingham, Alabama (BJCC Arena) 8:00 Eastern October 21 Atlanta at Cleveland @ Columbus, Ohio (Nationwide Arena) 7:30 Eastern October 23 (**) Atlanta vs. Washington @ Atlanta, Georgia (Philips Arena) 7:00 Eastern October 27 (**) Atlanta vs. Charlotte @ Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Dean Smith Center) 8:00 Eastern 2006-07 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE NOVEMBER (13) Wed 1 @Philadelphia (FSN) 7:00 Fri 3 NEW YORK (FSN) 7:30 Sun 5 ORLANDO 2:00 Tue 7 @Cleveland (FSN) 7:00 Fri 10 @Toronto (FSN) 7:00 Sat 11 SEATTLE 7:00 Tue 14 MILWAUKEE (SSO) 7:00 Sat 18 MIAMI (SSO) 7:00 Wed 22 @Detroit (FSN) 7:30 Fri 24 TORONTO (FSN) 7:30 Sat 25 @Orlando (SSO) 7:00 Tue 28 @Washington (FSN) 7:00 Wed 29 CHARLOTTE (SSO) 7:00 DECEMBER (16) Fri 1 CLEVELAND (SSO) 7:30 Sun 3 @Portland (SSO) 9:00 Tue 5 @Seattle (SSO) 10:00 Wed 6 @Denver (SSO) 9:00 Fri 8 @LA Lakers (SSO) 10:30 Sun 10 @Sacramento (SSO) 9:00 Tue 12 DENVER (FSN) 7:00 Wed 13 @New York (SSO) 7:30 Fri 15 @Memphis (FSN) 8:00 Sat 16 CHICAGO (FSN) 7:00 Wed 20 UTAH (SSO) 7:00 Fri 22 INDIANA (SSO) 7:30 Sat 23 @Detroit (SSO) 7:30 Wed 27 CLEVELAND (FSN, NBATV) 7:00 Fri 29 @Houston (SSO) 8:30 Sun 31 @San Antonio (SSO) 3:30 FEBRUARY (14) Fri 2 TORONTO (SSO) 7:30 Sun 4 @New Jersey (SSO) 12:00 Mon 5 LA LAKERS (SSO) 7:00 Wed 7 NEW JERSEY (SSO) 7:00 Fri 9 @Phoenix (SSO) 9:00 Sun 11 @Golden State (FSN) 9:00 Mon 12 @Utah (SSO) 9:00 Wed 14 @LA Clippers (SSO) 10:30 Tue 20 @Chicago (FSN) 8:30 Wed 21 SAN ANTONIO (SSO) 7:00 Fri 23 HOUSTON (SSO) 7:30 Sun 25 PHOENIX 6:00 Mon 26 @Dallas (FSN) 8:30 Wed 28 @N.Orleans/Okla. City (OKC) (SSO) 8:00 MARCH (15) Fri 2 @Washington (SSO) 7:00 Sat 3 NEW YORK 7:00 Mon 5 @Miami (SSO) 7:30 Wed 7 WASHINGTON (SSO) 7:00 Fri 9 MEMPHIS (SSO) 7:30 Sat 10 MINNESOTA (SSO) 7:00 Tue 13 PHILADELPHIA (FSN) 7:00 Wed 14 @Boston (FSN) 7:30 Sat 17 @Indiana (FSN) 7:00 Mon 19 SACRAMENTO (FSN, NBATV) 7:00 Wed 21 MIAMI (FSN) 7:00 Fri 23 PORTLAND (SSO) 7:30 Sun 25 DALLAS (SSO) 1:00 Mon 26 @Miami (FSN) 7:30 Wed 28 @Charlotte (FSN) 7:00 PLAYERS JANUARY (15) Fri 5 @Toronto (SSO) 7:00 Sat 6 LA CLIPPERS 7:00 Tue 9 @Indiana (SSO) 7:00 Wed 10 N.ORLEANS/OKLA. CITY (SSO) 7:00 Fri 12 DETROIT (FSN) 7:30 Mon 15 BOSTON (%) (FSN) 2:00 Wed 17 @Minnesota (SSO) 8:00 Fri 19 CHARLOTTE (SSO) 7:30 Sat 20 @Charlotte (SSO) 7:00 Tue 23 @Chicago (SSO) 8:30 Wed 24 @Boston (SSO) 7:30 Fri 26 @Orlando (FSN) 7:00 Sat 27 PHILADELPHIA (SSO) 7:00 Mon 29 ORLANDO (SSO) 7:00 Wed 31 GOLDEN STATE (SSO) 7:00 (% MLK Holiday) APRIL (9) Sun 1 CHICAGO 2:00 Wed 4 @New Jersey 7:30 Fri 6 MILWAUKEE (FSN) 7:30 Sun 8 @Philadelphia (SSO) 7:30 Tue 10 BOSTON (FSN) 7:00 Fri 13 WASHINGTON (FSN) 7:30 Sat 14 @Cleveland (FSN) 7:30 Mon 16 @Milwaukee (FSN) 8:00 Tue 17 INDIANA (FSN) 7:00 (FSN) (SSO) FSN South (cable) SportSouth (cable) (NBATV) NBA TV (digital cable) (OKC) Game played in Oklahoma City, OK 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 29
06-07 FORWARD/CENTER 11 ESTEBAN BATISTA HEIGHT: 6-10 NBA EXPERIENCE: 1 year WEIGHT: 270 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 2nd HOME COUNTRY: Uruguay BIRTHDATE: September 2, 1983 AGE: 23 BIRTHPLACE: Montevideo, Uruguay HOW ESTEBAN BECAME A HAWK: Signed by the Hawks as a free agent on September 12, 2005. SUMMER 2006: Batista led Uruguay to a runner-up finish in the 2006 FIBA South American championships (in Caracas, Venezuela), after leading all players in total points (85, 21.3 ppg), free throws made (37), rebounding (offensive, defensive and total - 10.8 rpg), and he was 2nd in blocks (1.0) and 4th in steals (3.0) After earning first-team All-Tournament honors, Batista joined the Hawks' summer league team and played in three games at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City, averaging 6.0 ppg and 3.0 rpg in 13.3 mpg (.667 FG%,.833 FT%). LAST SEASON (2005-06): Batista became the first native of Uruguay to play in the NBA, and the 6-10 center provided a physical presence off the Hawks' bench Appeared in 57 games (three starts) as a rookie, and posted 1.8 ppg and 2.5 rpg in 8.7 mpg (.425 FG%,.623 FT%) He ranked 17th among all rookies in rebounding Finished the season strong, averaging 3.5 ppg and 4.9 rpg (including 1.7 off. rpg) in 15.4 mpg in April Batista recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds @Orl on 4/10 He totaled 12 pts (3-7 FGs, 6-7 FTs), 5 rebs, 1 stl and 1 blk in 15 mins of action @Phoe on 12/4 In his first NBA start on 11/5 @Port, Batista posted 3 rebs and 1 stl in 15 mins Hit his first field goal of his career @LAC (11/4) As a starter, he averaged 1.3 ppg and 2.7 rpg (0-4 FGs, 4-4 FTs) SEASON HIGHS: 12 pts @Phoe (12/4/05), 12 rebs @NJ (4/4/06), 2 assts @LAL (2/15/06), 2 stls (2x), 2 blks (2x), 32 mins @NJ (4/4/06), 4 FGM @Orl (4/10/06), 6 FTM @Phoe (12/4/05). INTERNATIONAL CAREER: In 2004-05, Batista played in eight games with Aguas de Calpe (in the LEB Division in Spain), where he averaged 10.6 ppg and 5.5 rpg In August and September 2005, he represented Uruguay in the FIBA Americas Tournament 2005, and grabbed a tournament-best 15.6 rpg, adding 18.0 ppg (t8th) in eight contests Spent most of 2003-04 with Trouville (Montevideo, Uruguay), playing 40 games and averaging 20.1 ppg and 15.0 rpg during the regular season Also played in two games with Liceo Mixto Los Andes (Chile) and with the Uruguayan National Team in the South American Tournament in Brazil Played for Salto Uruguay in 2002-03, and averaged 16.4 ppg in 28 contests Played 23 games for Pozuelo (Spain), where he posted 8.9 ppg and 7.4 rpg Also played in four games at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan Played in 2001-02 with Welcome in the National League (Uruguay), and put up 6.2 ppg and 4.5 rpg in 22 games. PERSONAL INFO: Esteban Damian Batista Hernandez was born September 2, 1983 in Montevideo, Uruguay He was raised in Playa Pascual, a suburb of Montevideo Favorite sport outside of basketball is soccer, which he watches religiously on South American sports television Roots for the Nacional soccer club in Uruguay Enjoys going online to check out the news in his native country, and emailing friends and family Likes all styles of music, but prefers hip-hop Enjoyed the movie Click Toughest player he's faced is Shaquille O'Neal In 2004, he was nominated as the best basketball player in the country by the Uruguayan Olympic Committee His mentor is Oscar "Osky" Moglia, a former national team player and international star from Uruguay Off the court, Batista led the Hawks' first-ever Spanish Reading Timeout for children last season (at STAR House in Roswell), as part of the NBA and team's Read to Achieve program. 30 HAWKS.COM
11 BATISTA PLAYERS 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 31
GUARD 1 JOSH CHILDRESS HEIGHT: 6-8 NBA EXPERIENCE: 2 years WEIGHT: 210 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 3rd COLLEGE: Stanford HIGH SCHOOL: Mayfair HS, Lakewood, CA BIRTHDATE: June 20, 1983 AGE: 23 BIRTHPLACE: Harbor City, CA HOW JOSH BECAME A HAWK: Selected by the Hawks in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft, Childress was the sixth choice overall. LAST SEASON (2005-06): Childress stood out as one of the NBA's most efficient players He ranked tied for 13th in the league in steals/to ratio (0.85), 39th in steals (1.2), and would have led the league in three-point percentage (.492) and been 3rd in field-goal percentage (.552) had he qualified in those categories Finished the season averaging 10.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.2 spg and 0.5 bpg in 30.4 mpg (.552 FG%,.492 3FG%,.766 FT%) He was first on the team in FG% and 3FG%, second in steals and blocks, fourth in rebounding and sixth in scoring Compiled six double-doubles on the season As a starter (10 games), Childress put up 5.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.4 apg and 1.1 spg (.417 FG%,.600 3FG%,.500 FT%) In Hawks wins, he averaged 10.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg, hitting.541 FGs,.643 3FGs and.823 FTs On Jan. 20 v/milw, Childress dished out career-best 8 assts He made a career-high 3 3FGs on 2/15 @LAL He tied his career-high of 9 FGM twice His 1000th career point came Dec. 20 @Mia A sprained left ankle cost him five games (3/4-3/15) and he sat out another with a sprained right ankle (4/4) Childress also missed two games (4/14-15) because of a league suspension SEASON HIGHS: 21 pts @LAL (2/15/06), 13 rebs @Ind (11/25/05), 8 assts v/milw (1/20/06), 4 stls (4x), 2 blks (7x), 44 mins v/nj (2/27/06), 9 FGM (2x), 3 3FGM @LAL (2/15/06), 10 FTM @Char (3/28/06). PROFESSIONAL CAREER: Childress has played in 154 career contests (54 starting assignments), and has averaged 10.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.8 apg and 1.0 spg in 30.0 mpg (.506 FG%,.372 3FG%,.796 FT%) CAREER HIGHS: 26 pts v/bos (4/1/05), 15 rebs @GS (2/23/05), 8 assts v/milw (1/20/06), 5 stls @NY (11/23/04), 3 blks @Den (3/1/05), 49 mins @Tor (3/11/05), 9 FGM (3x), 3 3FGM @LAL (2/15/06), 11 FTM v/bos (4/1/05) He has missed eight career games due to injury or illness, and two because of a league-imposed suspension 2004-05: He capped off a solid rookie season by being named to the NBA All-Rookie second team With that honor, Childress (along with teammate Josh Smith) became the first Hawk to receive that honor since Jason Terry in 1999-2000 He averaged 10.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29.7 minutes (.470 FG%,.232 3FG%,.823 FT%) The team's leader in field goal percentage, Childress was second in free throw percentage, third in rebounding and fourth in scoring He ranked highly among NBA rookies in virtually every category - sixth in points per game, fourth in rebounds (third in offensive rpg), tied for eighth in assists, seventh in steals, tied for 10th in blocks, eighth in field goal percentage, second in free throw percentage and fourth in efficiency rating Had 12 double-doubles (third among rookies) He tied for 25th in the NBA in offensive rebounds per game (2.4) As a starter (44 games), Childress averaged 13.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals (.483 FG%,.854 FT%) Over his final 35 games, he notched 12 doubledoubles, and posted 14.9 points and 7.9 rebounds. 06-07 COLLEGIATE CAREER: An early entry candidate for the 2004 NBA Draft, Childress played three seasons at Stanford for coach Mike Montgomery He was named the 2003-04 Pac-10 Player of the Year, the first in school history, and was a finalist for Rupp, Naismith and Wooden Player of the Year Awards Led the school to a 74-21 record, the 2003-04 Pac-10 Title and three NCAA Tournament appearances during his career Childress' name appears 17 times in the Stanford record book He finished his three-year career totaling 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 86 games Named First Team All-America as a junior (2003-04) by a number of media outlets, including the AP, Sports Illustrated and Basketball Times, despite missing the first nine games of the season with a stress reaction in his left foot Childress led the Cardinal and ranked ninth in the Pac-10 in scoring (15.7 ppg) Paced the team in rebounding (7.5 rpg), which ranked fifth in the conference, and blocked shots with 37 (third) Finished fifth in the Pac-10 in free throw percentage (.821) Scored in double-figures in 22 of 23 games, while also averaging 2.7 assists Shot.488 from the field and.395 from three-point range Tallied a career-high 36 against USC Named MVP of the Pac-10 Tournament after scoring 49 points over three games Honorable Mention All-Pac 10 as a sophomore (2002-03), with averages of 14.1 points (14th in the conference), a team-leading 8.1 rebounds (second in Pac-10) and 1.4 blocks Also posted 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals, while shooting.427 from the floor,.333 from beyond the arc and.719 from the foul line Notched a season-best 22 points, to go along with 11 rebounds, five assists and four blocks versus San Diego in the first round of the NCAA Tournament As a freshman (2001-02), averaged 7.8 points and was the team's second-leading rebounder (4.8 rpg) Scored a season-high 21 points against Purdue Became only the second freshman to start his first game (former Hawk Brevin Knight was the other) in Montgomery's 18-year tenure at the school Named Honorable Mention All-Pac 10 Freshman. 32 HAWKS.COM
1 CHILDRESS PLAYERS PERSONAL INFO: Joshua Malik Childress was born June 20, 1983 in Harbor City, California He is the son of Dave and Teri Childress Was honored at the end of last season as the recipient of the inaugural Jason Collier memorial trophy, awarded annually to the individual who best exemplifies the characteristics Collier displayed off the court as a community ambassador Extremely active in the Hawks' Read to Achieve program Childress will co-host a weekly segment during the season on Sports Radio 790 The Zone with Chris Dimino Hosts the Josh Childress Basketball Camp each summer in Northern California At Stanford, he volunteered with the Young Black Scholars, a mentoring and tutoring student group which also performed community service projects Majored in Sociology Selected to play for the United States team at the 2003 Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic Earned a silver medal as a member of the 2000 USA Basketball Men's Youth Development West Team Attended Mayfair High School in Lakewood, where he was a McDonald's High School All-American Was also an all-league volleyball selection as a prep Was an AAU teammate of NBA players Tyson Chandler and Jamal Sampson Has two older brothers (Jamal and Onye) and one younger brother (Chris) Names Scottie Pippen as his favorite player growing up Enjoys playing tennis and bowling Likes listening to hip-hop and R&B Favorite movies are the entire Matrix series, and Man on Fire Favorite actor/actress are Denzel Washington and Halle Berry A big fan of "Family Guy" Lists Tracy McGrady as his toughest opponent to match up with Roots for the Oakland Raiders Childress wears a size 15 basketball shoe In 2004, was featured on the cover of ESPN's College Basketball video game. 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 33
GUARD 12 SPEEDY CLAXTON HEIGHT: 5-11 NBA EXPERIENCE: 5 years WEIGHT: 170 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 6th COLLEGE: Hofstra HIGH SCHOOL: Christ the King HS, Queens, NY BIRTHDATE: May 8, 1978 AGE: 28 BIRTHPLACE: Hempstead, NY HOW SPEEDY BECAME A HAWK (career transactions): Signed by the Hawks as a free agent on July 12, 2006 Acquired by New Orleans/Oklahoma City from Golden State on February 24, 2005, along with Dale Davis and cash considerations, in exchange for Baron Davis Signed as a free agent with the Warriors on July 23, 2003 Traded by Philadelphia to San Antonio in exchange for Mark Bryant and the rights to John Salmons and Randy Holcomb on June 26, 2002 Drafted by the Sixers in the first round (20th overall) of the 2000 NBA Draft. LAST SEASON (2005-06 with New Orleans/Oklahoma City): The free-agent signee gives the Hawks roster a proven winner and leader at the point guard spot for perhaps the first time since the departure of Mookie Blaylock Runner-up for the NBA Sixth Man award, after averaging 12.3 ppg, 4.8 apg, 2.7 rpg and 1.5 spg (logging 28.4 mpg in 71 contests Claxton ranked sixth in the NBA in steals per 48 minutes (2.57), 18th in steals per game (1.52), 19th in assists per 48 minutes (8.1) and 19th in total steals (108) He was third on the Hornets in scoring, second in assists and second in steals In addition to leading the team in scoring seven times and assists 14 times, he also recorded three double-doubles In his three starts (all wins), averaged 20.7 ppg, 9.3 apg and 3.0 rpg Missed 11 games on the season - two due to a sprained right ankle, five due to a sprained left ankle, one with a bruised right big toe, and three as a result of sore knees SEASON HIGHS: 29 @Atl (1/7/06), 7 rebs @Hou (1/14/06), 12 assts @Tor (4/2/06), 5 stls (2x), 1 blk (6x), 42 mins @Minn (2/11/06), 11 FGM @Minn (2/11/06), 2 3FGM (2x), 11 FTM @Atl (1/7/06). 06-07 PROFESSIONAL CAREER: Claxton has played in 290 career games (97 starts) over his career, and has averaged 9.9 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.6 rpg and 1.5 spg in 25.8 mpg (.419 FG%,.189 3G%,.775 FT%) CAREER HIGHS: 29 pts @Atl (1/7/06), 9 rebs v/milw (3/25/03), 13 assts v/phoe (2/11/04), 7 stls (2x), 1 blk (36x), 44 mins (2x), 11 FGM (3x), 2 3FGM (3x), 16 FTM @Mem (2/25/04) He has missed 189 games as a pro due to injury or illness (which includes all 82 games in 2000-01) 2004-05 (with Golden State and New Orleans): Averaged 6.8 ppg, 5.5 apg and 1.4 spg in 16 games with the Hornets, after being acquired from Golden State Led or tied for the team lead in assists five times Scored in double figures three times and reached double figures in assists once Averaged 9.0 ppg and 4.7 apg in three starts Missed the final nine games of the season with a strained right groin Averaged 13.1 ppg, 6.2 apg, 3.3 rpg and 1.9 spg in 46 games (44 starts) with the Warriors Led team in points five times, assists 31 times and steals 22 times Recorded seven double-doubles Missed eight games (seven due to right thigh contusion and one with a strained left groin) 2003-04 (with Golden State): Appeared in 60 games (29 starts), averaging careerhighs in points (10.6), assists (4.5) and minutes (26.6) In his 29 starts (team went 15-14), he put up 13.6 ppg, 5.3 apg and 2.0 spg Compiled career-high 28 pts on 2/25 @Mem, staying in the contest after fracturing the second metacarpal in his right hand On 2/6 v/den had 25 points, including 17 in the fourth period (including 13-13 FTs, one shy of Rick Barry's NBA record) Had a career-high 7 steals on 2/11 v/phoe, one night after swiping 6 on 2/10 @Sea Missed one game with lower back spasms, one contest with a strained right groin and 20 with a fractured second metacarpal in his right hand 2002-03 (with San Antonio): Appeared in 30 regular season games with the Spurs, averaging 5.8 ppg, 2.5 apg and 1.9 rpg Averaged 9.6 ppg when he played 20 minutes or more Missed 48 games due to a dislocated right shoulder Underwent successful surgery to repair a labral tear in his right shoulder on 11/18 2001-02: Classified as a rookie after missing the entire 2000-01 campaign with a torn left ACL Appeared in 67 games (18 starts) for Philly, averaging 7.2 ppg, 3.0 apg, 2.4 rpg and 1.4 spg As a starter, averaged 12.4 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.8 rpg and 1.9 spg Among rookies, placed 12th in scoring, fourth in assists, fourth in steals and eighth in free throw percentage Missed one game due to back spasms, five with a mild concussion and eight because of a sprained left ankle 2000-01 (with Philadelphia): Missed the entire season after suffering a torn left ACL in a preseason game 10/22 v/utah. COLLEGIATE CAREER: Claxton played four seasons at Hofstra, averaging 16.9 ppg, 5.5 apg, 4.8 rpg and 2.4 spg in 119 contests He ranks as the school's all-time leader in assists (660) and steals (288) and is fourth in scoring (2,015) One of only four players in school history to reach 2,000 points, he was selected the America East Player of the Year after both his junior and senior seasons Averaged 22.8 ppg, 6.0 apg, 5.4 rpg and 3.3 spg as a senior to earn Honorable Mention All-America honors Ranked ninth nationally in scoring and seventh in steals as a senior (1999-2000) Scored a career-high 40 points in back-to-back contests. 34 HAWKS.COM
12 CLAXTON PLAYERS PLAYOFF HISTORY: He has played in 29 career playoff games, averaging 4.7 ppg, 2.0 apg, 1.6 rpg (.427 FG%,.740 FT%) A member of San Antonio's NBA Champions in 2003, Claxton appeared in all 24 playoff games with the Spurs during their run, averaging 5.2 ppg, 1.9 apg and 1.9 rpg in 13.6 mpg Hit.438 FGs and.750 FTs He also saw postseason action with Philadelphia in 2001-02, playing in five contests Averaged 2.4 ppg, 2.8 apg and 1.0 spg in 9.8 mpg (.333 FG%,.667 FT%) PLAYOFF CAREER HIGHS: 15 pts v/lal (5/7/03), 7 rebs @Dall (5/29/03), 7 assts v/phoe (4/21/03), 4 stls @Bos (4/25/02), 2 blks @NJ (6/13/03), 30 mins v/phoe (4/21/03), 6 FGM v/lal (5/7/03), 4 FTM v/bos (4/28/02). PERSONAL INFO: Craig Claxton was born May 8, 1978 in Hempstead, New York He and his wife, Khameka, have a daughter, Aniya He earned his degree in liberal arts from Hofstra A member of one of New York City's best high school teams ever (playing with Lamar Odom and Erick Barkley), Claxton committed to Hofstra prior to his senior season After receiving late interest from several big-name schools, Claxton honored his commitment to attend Hofstra, where he later donated money to help build the 5,000-seat Hofstra Arena One of seven children Three of his siblings are also basketball players - Lisa plays for St. John's (NY), Michael was a guard at Villanova and Stacey played collegiately at Hofstra Teamed with Wizards forward Caron Butler to participate in a basketball camp, a Read to Achieve event and a fundraising dinner in Antigua (where his parents are from) that helped raise nearly $10,000 for the Antiguan Basketball Association Once treated 30 children from his hometown to a holiday shopping spree at the NBA Store in New York Likes to bowl, playing at least two to three times a week during the offseason (holds a personal best of 224) Claxton wears a size 10 1 /2 basketball shoe. 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 35
GUARD 36 ROYAL IVEY HEIGHT: 6-4 NBA EXPERIENCE: 2 years WEIGHT: 215 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 3rd COLLEGE: Texas HIGH SCHOOL: Blair Academy, Blairstown, NJ BIRTHDATE: December 20, 1981 AGE: 24 BIRTHPLACE: Harlem, NY HOW ROYAL BECAME A HAWK: Contract option exercised by the Hawks on June 30, 2006 Selected by Atlanta in the second round (37th pick overall) of the 2004 NBA Draft. LAST SEASON (2005-06): A steady point guard who started 66 games (played in 73 total), Ivey led all NBA guards in fewest turnovers per 48 minutes (1.1) He committed only 16 miscues in the final 64 games (897 minutes of playing time), and had just 23 turnovers the entire season Averaged 3.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg and 1.0 apg in 13.4 mpg (.439 FG%,.400 3FG%,.727 FT%) In his starting assignments, recorded 3.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg and 1.1 apg (.437 FG%,.500 3FG%,.760 FT%) Ivey achieved his career-best game in a Dec. 6 contest at Denver, when he scored 14 pts on seven made FGs He tied his career-high with 5 FTM @Wash (1/11) Ivey missed the final game of the 2005-06 season (at Cleveland) with bronchitis SEASON HIGHS: 14 pts @Den (12/6/05), 4 rebs (4x), 4 assts @Det (2/21/06), 2 stls (2x), 1 blk (7x), 30 mins @Phil (3/22/06), 7 FGM @Den (12/6/05), 2 3FGM @Utah (12/7/05), 5 FTM @Wash (1/11/06). PROFESSIONAL CAREER: Entering his third NBA season, Ivey has averaged 3.6 ppg, 1.3 apg and 1.3 rpg in 13.2 mpg over 135 games (71 starts) CAREER HIGHS: 14 pts @Den (12/6/05), 5 rebs @Phil (2/4/05), 5 assts (4x), 3 stls v/bos (4/1/05), 1 blk (14x), 30 mins @Phil (3/22/06), 7 FGM @Den (12/6/05), 2 3FGM @Utah (12/7/05), 5 FTM (2x) He has missed 18 games over his two pro seasons because of illness or injury 2004-05: Ivey posted averages of 3.5 points, 1.7 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 13.0 minutes (.429 FG%,.333 3FG%,.701 FT%) in 62 games (5 starts) as a rookie He ranked tied for 12th among all NBA rookies in assists and 16th in steals In his five starts, Ivey tallied 3.6 points, 2.4 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals (.412 FG%,.667 FT%) He missed 10 games due to a sprained right medial collateral ligament, six contests due to right knee tendinitis and one game due to a mild concussion During the month of November, Ivey averaged 5.3 points, hitting 51.3% FGs He notched 6.2 points in Hawks wins, and averaged 3.1 points in losses. 06-07 COLLEGIATE CAREER: He was a four-year starter at Texas, who saw time at both guard positions Ivey helped lead the team to four NCAA Tourney appearances, including three consecutive "Sweet 16" berths, and one Final Four appearance A two-time Big 12 Conference All-Defensive team selection He capped his career as the 24th all-time leading scorer on the Longhorns' career scoring list (1,036), and finished as the school's career leader in games started (126), tying for third on the school's games played list (133) Ivey completed his collegiate career with averages of 7.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists (.454 FG%,.338 3FG%,.709 FT%) As a senior (2003-04), the team captain was a third-team All-Big 12 selection by the media He was the only Longhorn to start all 33 games Ivey ranked third on the club in scoring (9.4 ppg), led the team in steals (41) and was second in minutes (29.7 mpg) He scored in double figures 12 times, and led the Longhorns in scoring six times and assists on 22 occasions Put up an impressive 2.76 assist-to-turnover mark (141 assists vs. 51 miscues), the second-best single season mark in UT history Managed a 3.58 ratio vs. Top 25 opposition (60 assists, 21 turnovers) In NCAA Tournament play he averaged 13.7 ppg (second on the team), adding 5.7 rpg and 5.0 apg As a junior (2002-03), Ivey was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by the Houston Chronicle He started all 33 games, averaging 7.9 ppg, and finished third on the squad in assists (54) and steals (31), while ranking second in free throw percentage (.774) Reached double digits in scoring 11 times, and had at least three steals on four occasions Had several efficient NCAA Tournament efforts in helping lead the Longhorns to the Final Four (held at the Georgia Dome) Posted 14 points in 36 minutes while holding Willie Deane to 4-17 shooting in a second-round win over Purdue Followed it up with a 10-point, 6-rebound effort in a Sweet 16 win over Connecticut Started all 34 games as a sophomore (2001-02), when he saw his scoring average increase from 2.8 ppg as a freshman to 10.9 (+8.1 ppg) Shared the team's Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors with Freddie Williams Was the top free throw shooter on the team (.780), ranked second in scoring and third in assists, minutes and field goal percentage Came up big in postseason once again, sinking 4-of-4 free throws in the final 24 seconds to lead the Horns past No. 17 Mississippi State in the second round Named UT's male student-athlete of the month in November, 2001 Played in 33 games (26 starting assignments) as a freshman (2000-01), and played significant minutes at the point (despite never having played the position before coming to Austin) Ranked third on the club in assists (57). 36 HAWKS.COM
36 IVEY PLAYERS PERSONAL INFO: Name is pronounced Roy-AL Royal Terence Ivey was born December 20, 1981 in Harlem, New York Named after the combined first and last names of his grandfather, Roy Allen Son of Rodney and Jennifer Ivey Brother's name is Sterling Majored in education at Texas Best college memory was the team's Final Four run in 2003 A fan of baseball and track & field Off the court, enjoys bowling and swimming Some of his top movies are Reservoir Dogs, Waiting, Wedding Crashers and Napoleon Dynamite Favorite actor/actress are Morgan Freeman and Meagan Good Roots for a couple of his hometown teams - the Mets and football Giants On TV, enjoys "The Boondocks," "Family Guy," "American Dad" and "The Wire" Toughest opponent is the Bulls' Ben Gordon Favorite player growing up was Dominique Wilkins, while his favorite team was the Nets, with Derrick Coleman, Drazen Petrovic and Kevin Edwards Has increased his uniform number by 12 at each level he's played - wore #12 in high school, #24 at Texas and chose #36 with the Hawks College teammate and close friend of Toronto Raptors guard T.J. Ford Attended one year of prep school at Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ, (where he teamed with future Duke product and current Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng) after attending Cardozo High School in Queens, NY Earned a spot on the five-person All-Queens team by the New York Daily News Guided Cardozo to a 24-5 mark and the school's first-ever Public Schools Athletic League crown, garnering MVP honors in the championship game at Madison Square Garden Ivey wears a size 14 basketball shoe. 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 37
GUARD 2 JOE JOHNSON 06-07 HEIGHT: 6-7 NBA EXPERIENCE: 5 years WEIGHT: 230 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 6th COLLEGE: Arkansas HIGH SCHOOL: Little Rock Central, Little Rock, AR BIRTHDATE: June 29, 1981 AGE: 25 BIRTHPLACE: Little Rock, AR HOW JOE BECAME A HAWK (career transactions): Obtained in a sign-and-trade transaction from the Phoenix Suns, in exchange for Boris Diaw and two conditional draft picks, on August 19, 2005 Acquired by the Suns from the Boston Celtics, along with Randy Brown, Milt Palacio and a first-round pick, in exchange for Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk on February 20, 2002 Originally selected by Boston in the first round (10th overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft. LAST SEASON (2005-06): Johnson had an outstanding campaign in his first as a Hawk, perhaps the best all-around season by an Atlanta player since the days of Dominique Wilkins He led the team in six statistical categories - points, assists, steals, games and minutes played and three-point FG% - and ranked third in FG% Among NBA leaders, JJ ranked 21st in the NBA in scoring, 14th in assists, 31st in steals and 6th in minutes A tireless worker, Johnson set the Hawks' franchise record for minutes played in a season (3,340), shattering Bob Pettit's record that had stood for 42 years Finished with averages of 20.2 ppg, 6.5 apg, 4.1 rpg and 1.3 spg in 40.7 mpg (.453 FG%,.356 3FG%,.791 FT%) He recorded 12 doubledoubles, and his first career triple-double (the 19th in Atlanta history) on Feb. 1 at Charlotte (15 pts/11 assts/10 rebs) One of just three NBA players on the season (Philadelphia's Allen Iverson five times, Cleveland's LeBron James three times) to compile 40+ points and 10+ assists in the same game on multiple occasions (40 and 13 on 2/24 @Ind, 40 and 11 on 3/19 v/orl) One of only five active NBA players to total 40+ points and 13+ assists in the same game - and the only player to accomplish that in 2005-06 (joining Antoine Walker (Jan. 2001), Tracy McGrady (Feb. 2003), James (Mar. 2004) and Baron Davis (Apr. 2005)) By virtue of a 25.2-point, 7.0-assist, 6.2-rebound and 1.0-steal week in December (12th-18th), Johnson took home his first Eastern Conference Player of the Week award He scored 30-plus points on 11 occasions, including 40- plus four times In his first season as the team's leader, Johnson set or tied single-game career-highs in points, assists, blocks, field goals made, three-pointers made, free throws made and minutes He enters the upcoming season having played in 358 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in the NBA behind Toronto's Morris Peterson (361) Johnson played in all 82 games, the first Hawks player to accomplish that since Alan Henderson did in 2002-03 SEASON HIGHS: 42 pts v/gs (3/7/06), 10 rebs (2x), 17 assts @Milw (3/13/06), 4 stls (2x), 4 blks v/sea (2/22/06), 57 mins @NY (3/15/06), 17 FGM v/orl (3/19/06), 6 3FGM (2x), 10 FTM v/gs (3/7/06). PROFESSIONAL CAREER: Through five pro seasons, Johnson is averaging 14.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.9 apg and 1.0 spg in 34.8 mpg (.438 FG%,.375 3FG%,.769 FT%) CAREER HIGHS: 42 pts v/gs (3/7/06), 12 rebs (2x), 17 assts @Milw (3/13/06), 5 stls (2x), 4 blks v/sea (2/22/06), 57 mins @NY (3/15/06), 17 FGM v/orl (3/19/06), 6 3FGM (4x), 10 FTM v/gs (3/7/06) Has never missed a game due to injury or illness 2004-05 (with Phoenix): In his fourth NBA season, Johnson averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists in a team-high 39.5 minutes played (7th in NBA) with Phoenix He ranked second in the league with a franchise record.478 three-point percentage and eighth with a career-high 177 three-point field goals made Became only the fourth player in NBA history to make at least 150 three-point field goals and shoot over 45 percent from behind the arc in the same season (others - Glen Rice in 1996-97, Dana Barros in 1994-95 and Dale Ellis in 1988-89) He scored 20-plus points 30 times, including a season-best 30 three times In an April 11 game at the LA Lakers, Johnson connected on six of the team's franchise record 19 three-point field goals He shot 50 percent or better from the field 40 times 2003-04 (with Phoenix): Finished ninth in voting for the 2003-04 NBA Most Improved Player Award and averaged 16.7 points (37th in NBA), 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists (29th) and 1.1 steals in 40.6 minutes (3rd) Was one of only 11 NBA players to average more than 16 points, four rebounds and four assists and eight of those players were 2004 All-Stars (Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Baron Davis, Paul Pierce, Steve Francis) Led the NBA with 3,331 minutes in 2003-04, the third-highest single season total in Suns franchise history Ended the season having logged at least 40 minutes in 35 consecutive games, the longest streak in the NBA since Nate Thurmond recorded 37 straight from Dec. 30, 1968-March 7, 1969 One of only nine players in league history to have such a streak over 30 and seven are in the Hall of Fame (Nate Archibald, Wilt Chamberlain, John Havlicek, Neil Johnston, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell and Thurmond) Tallied a career-high 31 points twice (Jan. 31, 2004 at New York and March 23, 2004 at Cleveland) Scored in double digits in personal-best 42 consecutive games (Jan. 30 - April 11, 2004) and also recorded personal-best eight consecutive games with 20 or more points (Jan. 25 - Feb. 6) 2002-03 (with Phoenix): Appeared in all 82 contests, and averaged 9.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 2.6 apg (.397 FG%,.366 3FG%,.774 FT%) Started 34 games Over the final six games, put up 20.7 ppg, 4.3 apg and 4.0 rpg in 32.8 mpg, hitting.542 FG% Made 41.4 percent of his three-point attempts over the final 29 games Scored 10-plus points 35 times 2001-02 (with Boston, then Phoenix): Named NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2001-02, the first Sun so honored since Shawn Marion in 1999-00 Averaged 9.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 31.5 minutes in 29 games (27 starts) with Phoenix, higher than his averages with Boston in 2001-02 (6.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists in 20.9 minutes in 48 games) Participated in Rookie Challenge at the 2002 All-Star Weekend in Philadelphia and had 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists as Rookies posted a 103-97 win over Sophomores. 38 HAWKS.COM
2 JOHNSON PLAYERS PLAYOFF HISTORY: Johnson has appeared in 15 career playoff contests, averaging 13.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 2.5 apg (.438 FG%,.449 3FG%,.658 FT%) in 34.6 mpg In one of the 2004-05 postseason's most horrific spills, he suffered a displaced fracture of the orbital bone and a mild concussion with 19.7 seconds left in the second quarter vs. Dallas in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals on May 11, and missed six games before returning for Games 3-5 of the Conference Finals vs. San Antonio with the aid of a face mask He missed his first game ever since joining the Suns in a trade from Boston on 2/20/02 Johnson averaged 20.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and shot 53.7 percent from the field (29-54 FG) in the Suns' first ever four-game playoff sweep, in the first round over Memphis PLAYOFF CAREER HIGHS: 26 pts @SA (5/30/05), 9 rebs v/sa (4/25/03), 6 assts v/mem (4/24/05), 4 stls v/dall (5/9/05), 2 blks @SA (4/21/03), 45 mins v/mem (4/27/05), 10 FGM @SA (5/30/05), 6 3FGM @SA (5/30/05), 9 FTM @Mem (5/1/05). INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: A member of the bronze medal-winning, 2006 USA Men's World Championship team, Johnson averaged 7.3 points and 1.3 assists in nine games (.393 FG%,.308 3FG%) He started in two games and tallied a series high of 18 points in a 113-73 win over Australia. COLLEGIATE CAREER: Johnson played two seasons at University of Arkansas (1999-01) and earned All-America honors as a sophomore and Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year honors He took home All-SEC accolades as a sophomore and freshman Johnson achieved quite a distinction as a freshman player at Arkansas when you consider the school's history - he was the first freshman in school history to lead team in scoring (16.0) and rebounding (5.7) After two seasons there, he averaged 15.0 points and 6.1 rebounds Grabbed career-high 14 rebounds and added 20 points in a win over eighth-ranked Tennessee as a sophomore Averaged 16.0 points and 5.7 rebounds as a freshman Scored career-high 30 points vs. Mississippi State to become the first freshman to score 30 points in SEC play in six years Was the first Razorback freshman to earn All-SEC honors since Scotty Thurman in 1993. PERSONAL INFO: Joe Marcus Johnson was born June 29, 1981 in Little Rock, Arkansas Is the only child of Diane Johnson, the most influential person in his life A player really committed to giving back, Johnson hosted the first "JJ's Santa- Lanta for Kids" last season, a holiday event for children from the Boys & Girls Club of metro Atlanta In addition to that charitable event, he will donate $10,000 each of the next three seasons to provide letter jackets to male and female athletes in the Little Rock and North Little Rock public schools He also footed the bill for air conditioning this past summer in the gymnasium of his former high school This past summer, Johnson held his first "All-Star Weekend in Little Rock", which featured games of softball, bowling and basketball Also holds a golf tournament in Little Rock, benefiting the William E. Thrasher Boys & Girls Club in his hometown, where he began playing basketball at the age of nine, and spent much of his youth He also enjoys bowling and going to movies Football is his favorite sport outside of basketball Magic Johnson was his biggest basketball influence growing up as a youth and considers lining up against Michael Jordan during his rookie season his most memorable basketball moment Wears a size 16 sneaker. 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 39
06-07 FORWARD 44 SOLOMON JONES HEIGHT: 6-10 NBA EXPERIENCE: ROOKIE WEIGHT: 230 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 1ST COLLEGE: South Florida HIGH SCHOOL: Mount Dora HS, Mount Dora, FL BIRTHDATE: July 16, 1984 AGE: 22 BIRTHPLACE: Eustis, FL HOW SOLOMON BECAME A HAWK: Drafted by the Hawks in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft Signed to a contract on July 12, 2006. 2006 SUMMER LEAGUE: Appeared in all six games of the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City, and averaged 2.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 0.7 bpg in 17.0 mpg (.400 FG%,.500 FT%) Tied for 6th among all players in blocks, and tied for 16th in rebounding. COLLEGIATE CAREER: Jones was named Honorable Mention All-Big East as a senior at South Florida (2005-06), after averaging 13.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg (2nd in the Big East) and 3.1 bpg (third in the conference), making.484 FGs and.778 FTs Quick off his feet, he is considered a tremendous shot blocker Jones also finished 12th in the Big East in free throw percentage Recorded 13 double-doubles, and scored in double figures 21 times As a junior (2004-05), Jones led the team in field goal percentage (.546) and blocks (64) Fourth all-time for the Bulls in blocks, despite playing there only two seasons He was also a three-time member of the Big East's weekly honor roll as a senior As a sophomore (2003-04) at Daytona Beach Community College, put up 11.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg In his freshman campaign (2002-03), compiled 8.0 ppg and 6.4 rpg, hitting.580 FGs Also blocked 38 shots. PERSONAL INFO: Solomon Jones III was born July 16, 1984 in Eustis, Florida Son of Solomon and Uzeria Jones Has two sisters, Carmella and Nakia Enjoys bowling, fishing and playing video games in his spare time Favorite movie is Friday, while his top actor and actress are Chris Tucker and Halle Berry Lists the Miami Dolphins as his favorite sports team outside of basketball A fan of "The Jamie Foxx Show" Likes to listen to the music of Lil' Wayne, T.I. and Jay-Z Jones wears a size 15 basketball shoe. 40 HAWKS.COM
44 JONES PLAYERS 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 41
GUARD 10 TYRONN LUE HEIGHT: 6-0 NBA EXPERIENCE: 8 years WEIGHT: 178 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 9th COLLEGE: Nebraska HIGH SCHOOL: Raytown, Raytown, MO BIRTHDATE: May 3, 1977 AGE: 29 BIRTHPLACE: Mexico, MO HOW TYRONN BECAME A HAWK: Re-signed with the Hawks on August 23, 2005 Acquired by Atlanta on 12/23/04 from Houston in exchange for Jon Barry Traded by the Magic to the Rockets along with Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard and Reece Gaines in exchange for in Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato on 6/29/04 Signed as a free agent by Orlando on 7/23/03 Signed as a free agent by the Washington Wizards on 7/18/01 Draft rights traded by Denver with Tony Battie to L.A. Lakers in exchange for Nick Van Exel on 6/24/98 Selected by the Denver Nuggets in the first round (23rd overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft. LAST SEASON (2005-06): Lue saw action in 51 games (10 starting assignments), averaging 11.0 points, 3.1 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 24.2 minutes (.459 FG%,.457 3FG%,.855 FT%) A key reserve for Atlanta, Lue is considered an extension of coach Mike Woodson on the floor In addition to newcomer Speedy Claxton, he also brings veteran leadership and championship experience to the Hawks backcourt He set career-highs in FG% and 3FG% Missed 27 games due to injury, including 21 with a sprained right MCL Among league leaders, he ranked second in the NBA in 3FG%, and would have placed 14th in FT% but he did not have enough attempts to qualify Finished second on the Hawks in assists (tied), FG% and FT%, and fifth in scoring His five three-pointers v/den (12/18) tied a career-best Tallied 16 points and season-best eight assists @Den (12/6) Scored in double-figures 29 times, including a season-high 21 points on two occasions Had his best stretch of the year in final nine games, putting in 14.0 points and 3.8 assists, while making all 21 of his free throws SEASON HIGHS: 21 pts (2x), 5 rebs @Char (2/1/06), 8 assts @Den (12/6/05), 3 stls (4x), 1 blk (3x), 34 mins (2x), 9 FGM @Phil (12/14/05), 5 3FGM v/den (12/18/05), 9 FTM @Tor (12/28/05). PROFESSIONAL CAREER: Entering his ninth NBA season, Lue has appeared in 404 career regular season contests (153 starting assignments), averaging 8.9 ppg, 3.4 apg and 1.8 rpg in 24.3 mpg (.440 FG%,.390 3FG%,.821 FT%) He has missed 201 games due to illness or injury CAREER HIGHS: 32 pts (2x), 8 rebs v/sac (4/2/03), 14 assts v/char (4/11/05), 5 stls @NY (1/14/04), 1 blk (9x), 46 mins @LAL (3/28/03), 13 FGM v/ind (3/26/04), 5 3FGM (2x), 10 FTM @NY (4/17/05) 2004-05 (with Houston and Atlanta): Acquired from Houston on 12/23/04 in exchange for Jon Barry, Lue saw action in 49 contests (46 starts) with Atlanta and 70 games (49 starts) overall He averaged 13.5 points, 5.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 31.2 minutes (.464 FG%,.364 3FG%,.871 FT%) as a member of the Hawks Combined for 11.2 points, 4.6 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 28.7 minutes (.451 FG%,.355 3FG%,.861 FT%) between the two clubs, setting career-highs for scoring and assists He ranked 19th in the NBA free throw shooting and 30th in assists His 3.1-1.0 overall A/TO ratio was tied for 16th in the league The Hawks' leader in assists, free throw shooting and 3-point percentage, Lue finished second on the club in scoring and field goal percentage Scored 20 or more points on eight occasions, including a career-high-tying 32 @NY (4/17/05) He also dished out a career-best 14 assists on 4/11/05 v/cha Notched four point/assist double-doubles Missed a total of seven games due to injury 2003-04 (with Orlando): Put in 10.5 ppg, 4.2 apg, a career-best 2.5 rpg and 0.8 spg in 76 games, starting a career-high 69 contests Ranked third on the team in steals, minutes and games played Led the team in three-point percentage 2002-03 (with Washington): Averaged 8.6 ppg, 3.5 apg and 2.0 rpg in 75 games Started 24 times, averaging 11.6 ppg and 5.0 apg in those contests Ranked fifth in the NBA with a 3.42 assist-to-turnover ratio Hit a career-best.875 from the foul line, while shooting.433 from the field 2001-02: Tallied 7.8 ppg, 3.5 apg and 1.7 rpg in 71 contests Was seventh in the league, hitting.447 of his three-point attempts 2000-01 (with LA Lakers): Put up 3.4 ppg and 1.2 apg in his final season with the Lakers, appearing in 38 games (one start) 1999-2000: Limited to eight games played due to torn cartilage in his right knee, and averaged 6.0 ppg, 2.1 apg and 1.5 rpg 1998-99: In 15 games as a rookie, totaled 5.0 ppg and 1.7 apg, as a back injury limited his playing time. 06-07 PLAYOFF HISTORY: Helped the Lakers win an NBA championship in 2000 and 2001, coming up big on the defensive end, especially in the Finals Has participated in the playoffs twice (18 games), and has averaged 2.4 ppg and 0.9 apg Recorded 5 steals vs. Philadelphia on June 6, 2001 in a Finals contest In 1999, posted 4.7 ppg and 2.0 apg in three contests Lue has recorded 2.4 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists in two playoff series (.370 FG%,.800 FT%) PLAYOFF CAREER HIGHS (all with Lakers): 12 pts v/sa (5/23/99), 3 rebs (2x), 6 assts v/sa (5/23/99), 5 stls v/phila (6/06/01), 1 blk v/phila (6/06/01), 29 mins v/sa (5/23/99), 6 FGM v/sa (5/23/99), 2 3FGM @Phila (6/13/01), 3 FTM v/sa (5/27/01). 42 HAWKS.COM
10 LUE PLAYERS COLLEGIATE CAREER: Averaged 15.9 ppg and 4.4 apg in 99 games in an outstanding three-year career at Nebraska Left the school ranked third on the Cornhuskers' all-time list with 432 assists, fourth with 145 three-pointers, fifth with 154 steals and seventh with 1,577 points Led the club in assists in each of his three seasons Earned First Team All-Big 12 honors and Big 12 All-Tournament Team recognition after tallying 21.2 ppg and 4.8 apg as a junior Was Second Team All-Big 12 as a sophomore. PERSONAL INFO: Tyronn (pronounced Tir-ron) Jamar Lue was born May 3, 1977 in Mexico, Missouri Names his mother, Kim Miller, as the person he most admires Has four siblings Enjoys bowling Likes to watch football, and his favorite non-nba sports team is the Detroit Lions Favorite movie is Coming to America, while his top actor/actress are Chris Tucker, Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry Listens to Lil Wayne and Jay-Z Says his toughest opponent is Allen Iverson Pasta is his favorite dish Studied sociology at Nebraska One of the team's popular players, Lue keeps his teammates loose with his quick wit and engaging personality He wears a size 12 basketball shoe. 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 43
FORWARD/CENTER 27 ZAZA PACHULIA HEIGHT: 6-11 NBA EXPERIENCE: 3 years WEIGHT: 265 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 4th HOME COUNTRY: Georgia (Europe) BIRTHDATE: February 10, 1984 AGE: 22 BIRTHPLACE: Tbilisi, Georgia HOW ZAZA BECAME A HAWK: Signed as free agent on August 11, 2005 Traded by the Charlotte Bobcats to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for a 2004 second round draft pick on June 23, 2004 Selected by Charlotte in the 2004 NBA Expansion Draft on June 22, 2004 Originally selected in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. LAST SEASON (2005-06): Pachulia had the best season of his young career, averaging 11.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 31.4 minutes (.451 FG%,.735 FT%) in 78 games Ranked third in the NBA with 3.4 offensive rebounds per game and fifth in total offensive rebounds (264) He led the Hawks in rebounding (20th in the league), while finishing third in scoring, steals, and blocks (0.5 bpg) In a Mar. 19 game against his former team - Orlando - Pachulia pulled down a NBA season-high 12 offensive rebounds, finishing the game with 13 points and career-best 18 total boards He was Atlanta's team leader in double-doubles with 21 Finished second among all NBA centers with 1.14 steals (trailing only Ben Wallace) Paced the club in rebounding 38 times Was presented with the Hawks' inaugural Bob Pettit Award (for the heart and hustle he displayed on the court) after the final regular season game Posted double-figure outings in points 51 times and rebounds on 25 occasions He set or tied career-highs in points (26), made field goals (nine) and minutes (50) @NY on 3/15 Averaged 13.0 points and 9.8 rebounds in the month of November Tallied 13.8 points, 6.6 boards, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals (.515 FG%) in April Averaged 17.3 points and 13.3 rebounds, with three double-doubles, over a four-game stretch in March (3/15-3/20) Missed four games due to injury or illness SEASON HIGHS: 26 pts @NY (3/15/06), 18 rebs v/orl (3/19/06), 6 assts (3x), 4 stls (3x), 2 blks (6x), 50 mins @NY (3/15/06), 9 FGM (2x), 12 FTM v/tor (1/3/06). PROFESSIONAL CAREER: Pachulia is entering his fourth NBA season and has appeared in 211 career games, averaging 7.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists (.442 FG%,.726 FT%) CAREER HIGHS: 26 pts @NY (3/15/06), 18 rebs v/orl (3/19/06), 6 assts (4x), 4 stls (3x), 3 blks v/atl (2/12/05), 50 mins @NY (3/15/06), 9 FGM (2x), 12 FTM v/tor (1/3/06) He has missed 10 games due to illness or injury 2004-05 (with Milwaukee): Averaged 6.2 points and 5.1 rebounds and 18.9 minutes (.452 FG%,.746 FT%) in 74 games (four starts) for the Bucks Ranked third on the team in rebounding and sixth in scoring Scored a season-high 15 points against Golden State on 3/30 Notched his first career double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds) on 2/23 against New Jersey Grabbed a season-best 13 boards on 12/8 against the Heat Averaged 6.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals in four starting assignments Also posted career-highs during the season with six assists (at Orlando 12/29) and three blocks (vs. Atlanta 2/12) Missed five games with a right foot injury 2003-04 (with Orlando): Saw action in 59 games (two starts) for the Magic, averaging 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds (.389 FG%,.644 FT%) in 11.3 minutes Scored a season-high 14 points at Toronto on 2/4 Tallied seven points, six rebounds, one assist and two steals in 16 minutes in his NBA debut vs. Chicago (11/5). INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: Appeared in 73 games during parts of four seasons for Ulker of Istanbul at the top level in Turkey, averaging 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game (1999-2003) Helped capture the 2001 and 2002 Turkish President's Cup Also helped Ulker to the 2001 Turkish National Championship 2002-03: Averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in nearly 16 minutes per game for Ulker In Euroleague play, started against Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, where he produced 26 points (10-13 FG) and eight rebounds in 36 minutes In the following game, played all 40 minutes vs. Skipper Bologna, tallying 13 points and 17 rebounds 2001-02: Averaged 5.8 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field for Ulker In Euroleague play, averaged 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in limited playing time 2000-01: Played in 17 games for Ulker, averaging 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds (.521 FG%) 1999-00: In his first professional season, averaged 3.1 points and 2.4 boards over 10 games for Ulker. 06-07 PERSONAL INFO: Given name is Zaur Pachulia Legally changed his first name to Zaza (pronounced Za-Za Pa-CHUL-eya) Born in Tbilisi, Georgia Nickame is "Z" In conjunction with the U.S. Department of State, along with the NBA and Vladimir Stepania and Nikoloz Tskitishvili, has donated basketball products to former basketball academies in his native Georgia A participant in NBA's Basketball Without Borders initiative, Pachulia spent a portion of the summer assisting in Sarunas Marciulionis Basketball Academy in Vilnius, Lithuania Began playing for Ulker when he was just 15 years old in 1999 Left his native Georgia in 1998 to go to Turkey and pursue his basketball career Has been a member of the Georgian Junior National Team and the Georgian Cadets National Team Names Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro as his favorite actors, and Scarface as is top movie Enjoys the TV show Punk d Favorite sports outside of basketball include tennis and soccer A big soccer fan, and his teams are AC Milan and FC Barcelona Lists Jay-Z and 50 Cent as his favorite musical artists, and also likes R&B and house music His toughest opponents are Shaquille O Neal and Yao Ming Hobbies include traveling and fashion Pachulia wears a size 17 basketball shoe. 44 HAWKS.COM
27 PACHULIA PLAYERS 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 45
FORWARD 5 JOSH SMITH HEIGHT: 6-9 NBA EXPERIENCE: 2 years WEIGHT: 225 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 3rd HIGH SCHOOL: Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, VA BIRTHDATE: December 5, 1985 AGE: 20 BIRTHPLACE: College Park, GA HOW JOSH BECAME A HAWK: Selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 17th overall pick (first round) in the 2004 NBA Draft. LAST SEASON (2005-06): Elevated his game tremendously from the flashy slam-dunker that brought him the most attention as a rookie, Smith expanded his talents on both ends of the floor and is ready to assume more responsibility in his third season with the departure of Al Harrington Smith averaged 11.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 2.4 assists and 32.0 minutes (.425 FG%,.309 3FG%,.719 FT%) in 80 games (73 starts) during his second NBA season He led the Hawks in blocked shots, finishing second in the NBA in total rejections (208) and fourth in blocks per game Smith became only the fourth Hawk - and first non-center - to post 200 blocks in one year, joining Dikembe Mutombo, Theo Ratliff and Tree Rollins Among team leaders, Smith ranked third on the club in rebounds (t37th in NBA), fourth in scoring and fourth in assists He tallied 15.9 points and 7.4 boards over the last 25 contests In the month of April (11 games), put up 17.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 3.4 blocks and 1.5 steals After falling short in three-pointers made over the first 49 games, Smith knocked down 34 three-pointers over the final 31 games He notched 11 double-doubles on the season He was simply amazing in an Apr. 15 game at Milwaukee, scoring a career-high 28 points, and posting seven rebounds, seven assists and three blocks Tied a career-best with 15 rebounds, to go along with 17 points, seven assists, three blocks and two steals v/minn (4/5) Reached double-figures in points 41 times and rebounds on 17 occasions Posted team-high rebounding honors 16 times Presented with the Hawks' inaugural Lou Hudson Award (for being considered the Most Improved player a year ago) after the final regular season game Missed two games in December as a result of a league-imposed suspension SEASON HIGHS: 28 pts @Milw (4/15/06), 15 rebs (3x), 8 assts (3x), 4 stls (2x), 8 blks v/ny (12/16/05), 45 mins (2x), 10 FGM (2x), 4 3FGM v/utah (3/17/06), 9 FTM @LAL (2/15/06). PROFESSIONAL CAREER: Heading into his third year in the NBA, Smith has averages of 10.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 2.1 assists (.438 FG%,.705 FT%) in 154 career games Already ranks ninth on Atlanta's all-time blocked shots list with 352 Became the youngest player in NBA history (20 years, 107 days) to reach 300 career blocked shots (at Philadelphia on 3/22/06) He has missed five career games because of injury or illness, and two for a league suspension (flagrant foul) CAREER HIGHS: 28 pts @Milw (4/15/06), 15 rebs (4x), 8 assts (3x), 4 stls (3x), 10 blks @Dall (12/18/04), 45 mins (2x), 10 FGM (2x), 4 3FGM v/utah (3/17/06), 10 FTM @Char (4/13/05) Named to the NBA All-Rookie second team (2004-05) after averaging 9.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.7 assists and 27.7 minutes (.455 FG%,.688 FT%) in 74 games Led the Hawks in blocked shots, was 12th in the NBA and first among all rookies He finished fifth on the club in points and second in rebounding Among rookies, finished eighth in scoring, third in rebounding, tied for 12th in assists, 10th in steals, tied for ninth in field goal percentage and fifth in efficiency rating Posted 10 double-doubles (fourth among rookies) In his 59 starts, Smith put up 10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.2 blocks (.450 FG%,.686 FT%) During a December (18th) game at Dallas, he rejected an NBA season-high 10 shots -- becoming the youngest player in league history to achieve that feat In addition, he was the third NBA player to ever block 10 or more without committing a personal foul Won the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk contest on All-Star weekend in Denver - joining former Hawks high-flyers Dominique Wilkins (1985 and 1990) and Anthony "Spud" Webb (1986) as Slam Dunk champs Smith also participated in the got milk? Rookie Challenge that weekend, totalling 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block in 24 minutes (4-8 FGs, 4-4 FTs). 06-07 HIGH SCHOOL CAREER: Smith transferred to Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA) for his senior season, after attending McEachern High School in Powder Springs, GA for three years Originally committed to play at Indiana University before declaring for the draft Named a 2004 McDonald's All-American and played in the McDonald's High School All-America game Named to the PARADE All-America Team, and was selected to the 2004 USA Men's Junior National Select Team Excelled in several postseason all-star games, including the EA Sports Roundball Classic (15 points) and the Nike Hoop Summit (27 points), where he was named the MVP after leading the USA Select Team to a 99-79 win over the World Select squad As a senior (2003-04) at Oak Hill, Smith set a single-season school record for most points scored with 980 He was a finalist for the 2004 Naismith Award, leading the team to a 38-0 mark and a No. 1 national ranking Averaged 25.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 6.0 bpg and 3.0 spg, shooting 61 percent from the field and 70 percent from the charity stripe In his junior season (2002-03), put in 20.6 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 6.0 bpg and 4.0 apg Was named MVP of the ABCD Camp in the summer of 2003 Tallied 19.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg and 3.5 apg as a sophomore (2001-02) Smith was a two-time All-State selection at McEachern. 46 HAWKS.COM
5 SMITH PLAYERS PERSONAL INFO: Son of Paulette and Pete Smith Has a brother, Walter and three sisters: Phebe, Kasola and Shanti Nickname is "J-Smoove" Enjoys watching pro and college football Other activities he enjoys are billiards and swimming Favors R&B music Some of his top movies include Lord of the Rings, Four Brothers, The Longest Yard, Wedding Crashers, Inside Man and Love & Basketball A fan of Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie "Family Guy" is his favorite TV show Lists Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony as his toughest opponents Favorite current NBA player is Tracy McGrady Also enjoyed watching Michael Jordan Roots for the Indianapolis Colts Received the Academic Award at Oak Hill for the highest grade point average maintained during the 2003-04 season Interested in getting into sports broadcasting when his playing days are over, Smith took a step in that direction during last season's Playoffs when he was selected by NBA TV to serve as a correspondent during the first round of the New Jersey-Indiana series Smith wears a size 14 basketball shoe. 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 47
GUARD 20 SALIM STOUDAMIRE HEIGHT: 6-1 NBA EXPERIENCE: 1 year WEIGHT: 186 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 2nd COLLEGE: Arizona HIGH SCHOOL: Lake Oswego, Lake Oswego, OR BIRTHDATE: October 11, 1982 AGE: 24 BIRTHPLACE: Portland, OR HOW SALIM BECAME A HAWK: Selected by the Hawks with the 31st overall pick (second round) of the 2005 NBA Draft. 2006 SUMMER LEAGUE: Saw action in three games in the Rocky Mountain Revue Missed the final three contests with a mild sprain of his right elbow Averaged 20.3 points, 2.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds (.550 FG%,.500 3FG%,.800 FT%). LAST SEASON (2005-06): Played a key role off the bench for the Hawks as a rookie, averaging 9.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 20.3 minutes (.415 FG%,.380 3FG%,.900 FT%) in 61 games (one start) Missed the final 18 games of the season after suffering a sprained right elbow against Orlando on 3/19 Led the Hawks in FT% and finished third in 3FG% A crowd favorite in Atlanta for his spectacular long range bombs, Stoudamire was second on the club in threepointers (82) while ranking seventh in scoring Among NBA rookies, Stoudamire ranked sixth in scoring, t14th in assists, second in FT%, third in 3FG% and fifth in made three-pointers In one of the Hawks' best shooting quarters in recent memory, he erupted for 24 points in the fourth quarter @NOK on 11/18 (9-12 FGs, 4-7 3FGs, 2-2 FTs), finishing with career-best 30 on the night Made his only start of the year @Hou (11/29) and produced 14 points, five rebounds, two blocks and one assist Missed only 11 free throws on the year, finishing 99-of-110 from the charity stripe Scored in double-figures 31 times, leading the team on three occasions Went for 23 points, hitting a career-high five three-pointers v/milw on 1/20 Averaged 10.9 points and shot 41.7 percent from behind the arc in the month of November Had his best shooting month in December, hitting 49.5 percent of his field goals, 41.7 percent from three-point range and 95.2 percent from the foul line Averaged 18.0 points over a four-game stretch (1/14-1/20), topping the 20-point plateau twice SEASON HIGHS: 30 pts @NOK (11/18/05), 7 rebs @Ind (11/25/05), 5 assts @NY (3/15/06), 3 stls v/mia (11/30/05), 2 blks @Hou (11/29/05), 34 mins @Phoe (12/4/05), 11 FGM @NOK (11/18/05), 5 3FGM v/milw (1/20/06), 7 FTM v/ny (12/16/05). COLLEGIATE CAREER: Named a Second Team All-American by AP and USBWA as a senior, Stoudamire also earned First Team John R. Wooden Award All-American mention and First Team All-Pac-10 honors He finished his career in ninth place in NCAA history in career three-point field goal percentage (.458) and tied for 18th in career three-point field goals made (342) Ranks as Arizona's fourth all-time leading scorer with 1,960 career points As a senior (2004-05), he ranked fourth in the league in scoring (18.4 ppg) Scored over 20 points 15 times and surpassed the 30-point mark in three games Stoudamire led the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.504) Paced the Pac-10, ranked fourth nationally, and broke his own school single-season record in free throw percentage (.910) Exploded for a career-high tying 37 points, hitting seven three's vs. Washington in the Pac-10 Tournament Final In his junior season (2003-04), he averaged 16.3 points and 3.0 assists Erupted for career-high 37 points at Oregon Sank 7-for-9 three's on his way to 34 points vs. UCLA Hit seven three's in scoring 27 points vs. Marquette Named Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 In his sophomore campaign (2002-03), Stoudamire ranked fourth in the Pac-10 in free throw percentage (.864) and three-point field goal percentage (.444) Scored 20 of his season-high 32 points in the second half at Kansas Posted 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting at Washington Earned Honorable Mention All-Pac 10 honors As a freshman in 2001-02, he led the Pac-10 and ranked fourth nationally in free throw percentage (.904), also setting a school record with 39 consecutive free throws made Scored in double figures 22 times Set a season-high with 29 points on 9-for-10 shooting vs. USC in the Pac-10 Tournament Finals Earned Pac-10 All- Tournament honors and was named league Freshman of the Year. 06-07 PERSONAL INFO: Charles Salim Stoudamire was born October 11, 1982 in Portland, Oregon Son of Charles Stoudamire and Theresa Williams-Stoudamire He says his mother is the person he admires the most Nicknamed "Slim" Salim has two brothers and one sister Cousin Damon plays for the Memphis Grizzlies College teammate of current NBA players Channing Frye (Knicks), Andre Iguodala (Sixers) and Luke Walton (Lakers) Enjoys listening to hip-hop, reggae and R&B His brother, Madgesdiq, is a reggae/hip-hop artist He considers Bob Marley to be a person he would most like to meet (or have met) Also plays tennis and writes in his spare time A fan of the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees Martin Lawrence and Jada Pinkett Smith are his top actor/actress, and The Mack is his all-time favorite movie Majored in Interdisciplinary Studies at Arizona, and says he'd be in graduate school if not playing pro ball Stoudamire spent some of his summer at UA continuing his progress towards getting his degree Macaroni & cheese is his favorite food He wears a size 12 basketball shoe. 48 HAWKS.COM
20 STOUDAMIRE PLAYERS 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 49
06-07 FORWARD 24 MARVIN WILLIAMS HEIGHT: 6-9 NBA EXPERIENCE: 1 year WEIGHT: 228 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 2nd COLLEGE: North Carolina HIGH SCHOOL: Bremerton, Bremerton, WA BIRTHDATE: June 19, 1986 AGE: 20 BIRTHPLACE: Bremerton, WA HOW MARVIN BECAME A HAWK: Selected by the Hawks with the 2nd overall pick (first round) of the 2005 NBA Draft. 2006 SUMMER LEAGUE: Named MVP of the Rocky Mountain Review after averaging a Revue-best 23.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists (.549 FG%, 2-2 3FGs,.879 FT%), Williams delivered a team-best 30 points and 10 rebounds against Dallas In addition to leading the Revue in scoring, free throws made and attempted, he also placed second in minutes, third in free throw percentage, tied for fourth in assists, fifth in field goal percentage and sixth in rebounding. LAST SEASON (2005-06): Williams earned 2005-06 NBA All-Rookie second team honors after averaging 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 24.7 minutes (.443 FG%,.747 FT%) in 79 games He finished fifth on the team in rebounding and eighth in scoring The then-19-year-old rookie saw his scoring average increase in each month of the season - 5.5 ppg (Nov.), 6.2 ppg (Dec.), 8.5 ppg (Jan.), 9.3 ppg (Feb.), 10.4 ppg (Mar.) and 12.3 ppg (Apr.) Among NBA rookies, Williams ranked 10th in scoring, seventh in rebounding, 10th in FG% and seventh in minutes In seven starting assignments, he averaged 9.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists (.415 FG%,.333 3FG%,.778 FT%) Notched four double-doubles on the year Scored in double-figures 30 times, including three 20-point outings Averaged 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds, while shooting 47.9 percent from the field, over the final six games of the season Overall in the month of April, Williams averaged 12.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists He put in a career-high 26 points (@Mia 12/20) on 9-14 FGs, 1-3 3FGs and 7-9 FTs in 26 minutes Filled up the boxscore @Milw (4/15), finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block Tallied 17 points and 11 boards @Phoe (12/4) Missed one game due to a sore left Achilles and two contests because of family reasons SEASON HIGHS: 26 pts @Mia (12/20/05), 11 rebs (2x), 3 assts (3x), 3 stls (5x), 2 blks (3x), 41 mins @Milw (4/15/06), 9 FGM (2x), 2 3FGM v/nok (1/7/06), 9 FTM v/sea (2/22/06). COLLEGIATE CAREER: In his freshman season at North Carolina (2004-05), Williams provided key frontcourt depth off the bench in helping the Tar Heels claim the 2005 NCAA title His tip-in with 1:26 remaining in the NCAA final vs. Illinois broke a 70-70 tie, propelling UNC to a 75-70 victory Williams earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors and was a unanimous selection to the ACC All-Freshman Team In addition, he also earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors On the season, Williams averaged 11.3 points and was second on the team with 6.6 rebounds per game, and among conference leaders, he finished fourth in free throw percentage (.847) and 10th in rebounding A five-time Rookie of the Week selection, he was also named defensive player of the game four times Williams shot.506 from the field and.432 from three-point range During UNC's tournament wins (six games), he averaged 12.0 points and 7.3 rebounds, including 20 points vs. Oakland, and 20 points and a career-high 15 rebounds vs. Iowa State. PERSONAL INFO: Marvin Gaye Williams, Jr. was born June 19, 1986 in Bremerton, Washington Son of Andrea Gittens and Marvin Williams, Sr. Has two brothers, Demetrius and J'Tonn Returned to the North Carolina campus this past summer to continue working towards his degree College teammate of Charlotte's Sean May and Raymond Felton, and Minnesota's Rashad McCants Listens to rap (especially Jay-Z), gospel and alternative music Roots for the Oakland Raiders Is a fan of Coming to America and Coach Carter, while Chris Tucker and Eva Mendes are his favorite actor and actress Wears size 17 basketball shoes During his year at UNC, Williams was actively involved with the Special Olympics His favorite TV show is "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" Chicken and rice is his favorite dish Williams appeared on the cover of 2K Sports "College Hoops" basketball video game last year. 50 HAWKS.COM
24 M. WILLIAMS PLAYERS 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 51
06-07 FORWARD 33 SHELDEN WILLIAMS HEIGHT: 6-9 NBA EXPERIENCE: ROOKIE WEIGHT: 250 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 1ST COLLEGE: Duke HIGH SCHOOL: Midwest City, Forest Park, OK BIRTHDATE: October 21, 1983 AGE: 23 BIRTHPLACE: Oklahoma City, OK HOW SHELDEN BECAME A HAWK: Selected by the Hawks with the 5th overall pick (first round) of the 2006 NBA Draft. 2006 SUMMER LEAGUE: Averaged 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks (.333 FG%,.686 FT%) in six games at the Rocky Mountain Revue. COLLEGIATE CAREER: A four-year starter at Duke, Williams finished his career as only third player in NCAA history to record 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 350 blocks and 150 steals (along with David Robinson and Pervis Ellison) Duke's career leader in blocked shots (422, 5th in Atlantic Coast Conference history), blocks per game (3.04, 6th), and rebounds (1,262, 6th) Fifth in school history in career field-goal percentage (.572), and 12th with 1,928 career points Owns career averages of 13.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 1.2 steals (.578 FG%,.691 FT%), starting 128 of 139 games Named First Team All-America by AP as a senior (2005-06), the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, as well as to the All-ACC and ACC All-Tournament First Teams Averaged 18.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, 1.7 steals and 1.1 assists (.578 FG%,.744 FT%) in 36 games Set the single-season school record for blocked shots with 137 Led the conference in rebounding and blocks, while finishing third in scoring, third in FG%, and 10th in steals Recorded the third triple-double in Duke history with 19 points, 11 rebounds and career-high 10 blocks v/maryland (1/11) Tied his career-high with 30 points v/memphis (11/25) and set a new career-best with 19 boards v/virginia Tech (12/4) As a junior (2004-05), named NABC National Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year Second Team All-America by SI.com and Third Team All-America by AP after averaging 15.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 1.3 steals (.582 FG%,.662 FT%) Also First Team All-ACC and First Team ACC All-Tournament Led the conference in rebounding and blocked shots, was second in FG%, and 11th in scoring Became the first player under Mike Krzyzewski to average a double-double over the course of a season Tallied 12.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks (.586 FG%,.690 FT%) as sophomore (2003-04) helping the Blue Devils to the NCAA Final Four A third team Basketball Times All-America and honorable mention All-America by AP Garnered second team All-ACC honors, and was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team and ACC All-Tournament Team Led Duke in blocked shots (first in ACC) and rebounding (third) Started 23 of 33 games as a freshman (2002-03), averaging 8.2 points, a team-best 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks (.516 FG%,.625 FT%) An ACC All-Freshman honorable mention Finished fourth in the league in blocks and 10th in rebounding. PERSONAL INFO: Nicknamed "The Landlord" Majored in sociology with a markets and management studies certificate Member of the National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes in high school While growing up, loved to go fishing, and hopes to pick up the rod and reel again soon Prefers to listen to hip-hop (Jay-Z) and R&B Lists favorite movie as Love and Basketball, and favorite TV shows are "Martin" and "My Wife and Kids" Favorite actor/actresses are Denzel Washington, Sanaa Lathan and Halle Berry A fan of University of Oklahoma football and the Dallas Cowboys Favorite athletes are Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett Son of Bob and Jeannette Williams, and his dad played basketball at Oklahoma Christian University His brother Quincy plays basketball at North Texas Born Shelden DeMar Williams on October 21, 1983, in Oklahoma City, Okla. 52 HAWKS.COM
33 S. WILLIAMS PLAYERS 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 53
FORWARD/CENTER 42 LORENZEN WRIGHT 06-07 HEIGHT: 6-11 NBA EXPERIENCE: 10 YEARS WEIGHT: 240 CURRENT NBA SEASON: 11TH COLLEGE: Memphis HIGH SCHOOL: Booker T. Washington, Memphis, TN BIRTHDATE: November 4, 1975 AGE: 30 BIRTHPLACE: Memphis, TN HOW LORENZEN BECAME A HAWK: Signed with the Hawks, re-joining the club after five seasons in Memphis on August 30, 2006 Traded by Atlanta to the Grizzlies, along with Brevin Knight and draft rights to Pau Gasol, in exchange for Shareef Abdur-Rahim on June 27, 2001 Acquired by Atlanta from the L.A. Clippers, in exchange for two future first-round draft picks, on August 8, 1999 Originally selected by the Clippers in the first round (seventh overall) of the 1996 NBA Draft. LAST SEASON (2005-06): Wright appeared in 78 games with Memphis, including 58 starting assignments, averaging 5.8 ppg and 5.1 rpg in 21.7 mpg (.478 FG%,.564 FT%) Put in 10-plus points 18 times, 10 or more rebounds eight times, and recorded three double-doubles He led the Grizzlies in rebounding 12 times, steals 12 times and blocks seven times Wright had his best offensive month of the season in April, when he put in 9.2 ppg, hitting.625 FGs He finished fourth on the team in rebounding and blocks (0.59) SEASON HIGHS: 17 pts v/lac (4/18/06), 14 rebs v/sea (3/28/06), 5 assts v/clev (11/5/05), 4 stls @NY (3/24/06), 5 blks v/milw (4/7/06), 40 mins (2x), 7 FGM (2x), 6 FTM @NY (3/24/06). PROFESSIONAL CAREER: Going into his 11th NBA season, Wright carries career averages of 8.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.7 bpg and 0.6 spg in 25.5 mpg of 676 games (413 starts), hitting.460 FGs and.654 FTs CAREER HIGHS: 33 pts v/dall (11/4/01), 26 rebs v/dall (11/4/01), 5 assts (5x), 4 stls (6x), 5 blks (2x), 55 mins v/chi (11/21/97), 12 FGM (2x), 1 3FGM (2x), 13 FTM v/dall (11/4/01) He has missed 103 games due to injury, illness or personal reasons 2004-05: Recorded 10+ points 36 times, 20+ points four times, 10+ rebounds 25 times and 17 double-doubles Led the team in scoring 10 times, rebounds 36 times and blocks 25 times Tied for 25th in the NBA in rebounding with 7.7 rebounds per game Averaged a monthly season-high 14.3 ppg during March, on 59.3% shooting from the field Scored in double figures in a season-high 11 straight games from Mar. 4-29, averaging 16.5 ppg Averaged a double-double over the month of February with 11.6 ppg and 10.4 rpg 2003-04: Ranked second on the team in rebounding (7.1 rpg) Started 45 games, and the team went 29-16 in those games Scored in double figures 33 times, with two games with 20+ points Had 10+ rebounds 14 times, amassing 10 double-doubles Led the team in rebounding 18 times and in scoring three times Placed on injured list on Mar. 6 with a second degree sprain to the right knee 2002-03: Averaged 7.5 rebounds (second on team) and 11.4 points per game in 49 starts and 70 games played Scored 10+ points 42 times, 20+ points 5 times, and had 13 double-doubles Led the Grizzlies in rebounds for 23 games and in scoring six times Averaged 13.5 ppg and 9.9 rpg in January Missed seven games for personal family reasons In his first game back after his absence, he scored 21 points in 24 minutes, and added eight rebounds 2001-02: Finished his first season in Memphis averaging 12.0 ppg, 9.4 rpg and 1.0 apg Had a career game in Dallas on Nov. 4, setting career-highs with 33 points and 26 rebounds The 26 rebounds were a Grizzlies single game record Scored in double figures in 28 of 43 games, including four games with 20+ points Pulled down 10+ rebounds 18 times, and notched 15 double-doubles Missed 33 games due to a fractured lower left leg 2000-01 (with Atlanta): Put in career-high 12.4 ppg, along with 7.5 rpg and 1.2 apg in 71 games (46 starts) Had a season-high 31 points against Detroit on Apr. 14 Had a season-best 18 rebounds against Boston on Mar. 27 Missed two contests (on Mar. 22 and Mar. 23) with sprained right thumb Missed four games (Mar. 10-17) while on injured list with sprained right thumb As a starter averaged 13.6 ppg and 8.7 rpg Missed first three contests of season with sprained right knee 1999-2000: In first year with the Hawks, averaged 6.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg in 75 outings (.499 FG%) Over the season's final seven games, tallied 10.4 ppg and 6.3 rpg in 25.6 mpg Scored 20 points or more once, and 10 or more on 14 occasions 1998-99 (with LA Clippers): Compiled 6.6 ppg and 7.5 rpg over 48 games (15 starting assignments) Recorded nine points and a game-high 14 rebounds against the Denver Nuggets on Apr. 18 Matched a Clippers' franchise record with 13 rebounds in the first quarter, totaling 12 points (5-9 FG, 2-2 FT) and a career-high 25 rebounds, in a 106-92 win over the Sacramento Kings on Mar. 11 1997-98: Improved numbers from rookie season, to the tune of 9.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg and 1.3 bpg in 69 games (38 starts), knocking down.445 FGs On the injured list from Mar. 3-13 due to a sprained left ankle Scored 12 points and matched his career-high with 22 rebounds against Washington on Feb. 11 Recorded a career-high 32 points and a game-high 15 rebounds against the L.A. Lakers on Dec. 26 1996-97: As a rookie, played in 77 games, making 51 starts, and averaged 7.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 0.78 blocked shots per game, ranking second on the team in rebounding and third in blocks Scored 20 points or more three times, all in his final 13 games Competed in the Schick Rookie Game during All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, scoring seven points and grabbing four rebounds. PLAYOFF HISTORY: He has seen action in 15 postseason contests in his career, starting 11, and averaging 7.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 1.1 apg in 24.2 mpg (.495 FG%,.652 FT%) In the 2006 playoffs, played in four games for the Grizzlies against Dallas, and posted 7.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 1.0 bpg in 21.5 mpg (.611 FG%,.700 F%%) In 2005, averaged 8.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 2.3 apg in four game playoff series vs. Phoenix Had a team-high 14 points in Game 3, along with eight rebounds Tallied 5.5 ppg and 4.3 rpg in 2004 playoff series vs. San Antonio As a rookie in 1997, started all three playoff games for the Clippers against Utah, averaging 10.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg PLAYOFF CAREER HIGHS: 17 pts @Utah (4/26/97), 10 rebs v/dall (4/29/06), 3 assts (2x), 2 (2x), 3 blks v/dall (4/29/06), 40 mins v/dall (4/29/06), 7 FGM v/phoe (4/29/05), 5 FTM @Utah (4/26/97). 54 HAWKS.COM
42 WRIGHT PLAYERS COLLEGIATE CAREER: Wright was selected a Third Team All-America by the Associated Press as a sophomore Recorded 31 double-doubles in 64 games at Memphis and became just the third sophomore in school history to score 1,000 career points As a sophomore, Wright averaging 17.4 ppg and 10.4 rpg in 1995-96, posting a conference-high 16 double-doubles and ranking 16th in the nation in rebounding He was a starter for the 1995 USA World University Games and a McDonald's High School All-American. PERSONAL INFO: He and his wife, Sherra, have five children: Lorenzen Jr., Loren, twins Lamar and Shamar, and son Lawson Established the Sierra Simone Wright Scholarship Fund following the tragic death of his infant daughter in March 2003 Hosted a free week-long summer basketball camp for Memphis youth in the summer Served as a member of the All-Star Reading Team for the last three years Provided tickets to the youth of Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Memphis through the Tickets for Kids program Names The Color Purple and Gone With the Wind as his favorite books Re-enrolled at the University of Memphis in the summer of 2003 to complete his degree Would like to pursue a coaching career upon retiring from basketball While at the University of Memphis, he was nicknamed "The Howl" because of his tendency to yell after an exciting play His father, Herb Wright, played professional basketball in Finland Wears size 16 1 /2 basketball shoes During his previous stint in Atlanta, Wright and three other Memphis-native NBA stars (Todd Day, Penny Hardaway and Elliot Perry) provided financial assistance to Travis Butler, a Memphis orphan whose tragic story garnered national attention. 2006-07 ATLANTA HAWKS MEDIA GUIDE 55