Joel Przybilla

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Joel Przybilla

| image = Joel Przybilla (cropped).jpg

| width =

| caption = Przybilla with the Trail Blazers in 2011

| height_ft = 7

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 245

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|10|10}}

| birth_place = Monticello, Minnesota, U.S.

| high_school = Monticello (Monticello, Minnesota)

| college = Minnesota (1998–2000)

| draft_year = 2000

| draft_round = 1

| draft_pick = 9

| draft_team = Houston Rockets

| career_position = Center

| career_number = 6, 10

| career_start = 2000

| career_end = 2013

| years1 = {{nbay|2000|start}}–{{nbay|2003|end}}

| team1 = Milwaukee Bucks

| years2 = {{nbay|2003|end}}

| team2 = Atlanta Hawks

| years3 = {{nbay|2004|start}}–{{nbay|2010|end}}

| team3 = Portland Trail Blazers

| years4 = {{nbay|2010|end}}

| team4 = Charlotte Bobcats

| years5 = {{nbay|2011|end}}

| team5 = Portland Trail Blazers

| years6 = {{nbay|2012|full=y}}

| team6 = Milwaukee Bucks

| highlights =

First-team Parade All-American (1998)
Minnesota Mr. Basketball (1998)

| stat1label = Points

| stat1value = 2,293 (3.9 ppg)

| stat2label = Rebounds

| stat2value = 3,665 (6.2 rpg)

| stat3label = Blocks

| stat3value = 836 (1.4 bpg)

| bbr = przybjo01

| profile = joel_przybilla

}}

Joel Przybilla ({{IPAc-en|p|r|ᵻ|z|ˈ|b|ɪ|l|ə}};{{Cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/global/intl_player_pronunciation_070426.html|title=International NBA Players - Pronunciation Guide|date=July 10, 2007|website=NBA.com|access-date=2016-07-30}} born October 10, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who played the center position for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

High school career

Przybilla was born in Monticello, Minnesota, and attended Monticello High School, where he was coached by Max LaVelle of the Monticello Magic. He was named 1998 Minnesota Mr. Basketball, along with Darius Lane.{{cite news|last=Wicker|first=Brian|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-62423903.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104160544/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-62423903.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 4, 2012|title=Separate agendas; Joel Przybilla and Darius Lane, rivals in high school, have chosen their own routes|work=HighBeam.com|publisher=Star Tribune|date=February 23, 2000|access-date=August 18, 2010}} He was also named to USA Today's All-USA second team and earned Parade All-American honors, and was a two-time Associated Press Minnesota Player of the Year honoree.

College career

Przybilla spent two years at the University of Minnesota and left as second on the Golden Gophers' all-time single-season list with 84 blocks. He finished his sophomore season first in the Big Ten in field goal percentage, second in blocks and third in rebounding.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/chat_and_mailboxes/answers_przybilla_020205.html|title=Answers from Joel Przybilla|date=February 2, 2005|website=NBA.com|access-date=2016-07-30}}

=College statistics=

| style="text-align:left;"| 1998–99

| style="text-align:left;"| Minnesota

| 28 || || 25.5 || .560 || .000 || .577 || 5.8 || 1.5 || .0 || .0 || 6.7

| style="text-align:left;"| 1999–2000

| style="text-align:left;"| Minnesota

| 21 || || 30.4 || .613 || .000 || .495 || 8.4 || 2.4 || .8 || 3.9 || 14.2

NBA career

Przybilla was selected with the 9th overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, but was later traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for their first-round pick, Jason Collier, and a future first-round pick on draft night. After playing for the Bucks for over three seasons, on February 15, 2004, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade.{{cite web|title=Hawks Acquire Doleac, Przybilla, Pick |url=http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/trade_040215.html |work=NBA.com |date=February 15, 2004 |access-date=January 7, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725145706/http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/trade_040215.html |archive-date=July 25, 2008 }}

On August 25, 2004, Przybilla signed a two-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.[https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=nba&id=1867751 Blazers sign Przybilla] He made an immediate impact averaging 7.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in the 2004–05 NBA season. On July 17, 2006, he re-signed with the Trail Blazers to a reported five-year, $32 million contract.[http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/Trail_Blazers_ReSign_Center_J-184836-1177.html TRAIL BLAZERS RE-SIGN CENTER JOEL PRZYBILLA]{{cite web |title=Pistons Quickly Plug a Hole in the Middle With Mohammed (Published 2006) |website=The New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112132739/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/05/sports/basketball/05nba.html |archive-date=2016-01-12 |url-status=live |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/05/sports/basketball/05nba.html}} Bill Duffy, Przybilla's agent, explained his reasons for re-signing with the Blazers this way: "He's extremely loyal, and they gave him an opportunity two years ago when no one else did."

On March 22, 2008, Przybilla recorded a career-high 25 rebounds, two shy of the franchise record overall and one shy of the franchise record in a regulation game.{{cite news|url=http://www.bettingexpress.com/news/sports_betting/424897.html |title=Przybilla powers Blazers over Clippers |work=BettingExpress.com |date=March 23, 2008 |access-date=January 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903055636/http://www.bettingexpress.com/news/sports_betting/424897.html |archive-date=September 3, 2014 }} On January 2, 2009, he was fined $7,500 and assessed a flagrant foul for striking Tyson Chandler.[https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=3808012 Chandler given one-game suspension]

In a game against the Dallas Mavericks on December 22, 2009, he suffered a ruptured patella tendon as well as a dislocated patella after landing awkwardly on his right knee. Two days later, he had surgery to repair the tear in the tendon and missed the rest of the 2009–10 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=4771214|title=Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla out for season after surgery|access-date=December 25, 2009|date=December 25, 2009|work=ESPN.com}}

On February 24, 2011, Przybilla was traded, along with Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks and two future first-round draft picks, to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Gerald Wallace.{{cite web | url = http://www.nba.com/hornets/release_portland_trade_110224.html | title = Przybilla, Cunningham, Marks, 2 First Round Picks Acquired from Portland | work = NBA.com | date = February 24, 2011 | access-date = February 24, 2011}}

On February 27, 2012, Przybilla re-signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.{{cite web | url = http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com/PressReleaseDisplay/tabid/297/ItemID/2955/Default.aspx | title = TRAIL BLAZERS SIGN JOEL PRZYBILLA | work = NBA.com | date = February 27, 2012 | access-date = February 27, 2012 | url-status = usurped | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120301073422/http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com/PressReleaseDisplay/tabid/297/ItemID/2955/Default.aspx | archive-date = March 1, 2012 }}

On August 9, 2012, Przybilla signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, with whom he began his NBA career.[http://www.nba.com/bucks/bucks-sign-free-agent-center-joel-przybilla Bucks Sign Free-Agent Center Joel Przybilla] His final NBA game was played on February 11, 2013, in a 90 - 102 loss to the Washington Wizards where he recorded only 3 rebounds in under 5 minutes of playing time.

On August 25, 2014, Przybilla officially retired from the NBA after sitting out the entire 2013–14 season.{{cite web|title=Joel Przybilla Retires|url=http://www.nba.com/blazers/przybilla-retires|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.|date=August 25, 2014|access-date=August 27, 2014}}

NBA career statistics

=Regular season=

| align="left" | {{nbay|2000}}

| align="left" | Milwaukee

| 33 || 13 || 8.2 || .343 || – || .273 || 2.2 || .1 || .1 || .9 || .8

| align="left" | {{nbay|2001}}

| align="left" | Milwaukee

| 71 || 62 || 15.9 || .535 || .000 || .422 || 4.0 || .3 || .3 || 1.7 || 2.7

| align="left" | {{nbay|2002}}

| align="left" | Milwaukee

| 32 || 17 || 17.1 || .391 || – || .500 || 4.5 || .4 || .3 || 1.4 || 1.5

| align="left" | {{nbay|2003}}

| align="left" | Milwaukee

| 5 || 0 || 6.6 || .000 || – || .500 || 2.0 || .6 || .0 || .0 || .2

| align="left" | {{nbay|2003}}

| align="left" | Atlanta

| 12 || 12 || 26.2 || .360 || – || .414 || 8.4 || .3 || .4 || 1.4 || 4.0

| align="left" | {{nbay|2004}}

| align="left" | Portland

| 76 || 50 || 24.4 || .598 || – || .517 || 7.7 || 1.0 || .3 || 2.1 || 6.4

| align="left" | {{nbay|2005}}

| align="left" | Portland

| 56 || 52 || 24.9 || .548 || – || .532 || 7.0 || .8 || .4 || 2.3 || 6.1

| align="left" | {{nbay|2006}}

| align="left" | Portland

| 43 || 43 || 16.3 || .474 || – || .370 || 3.9 || .3 || .2 || 1.6 || 2.0

| align="left" | {{nbay|2007}}

| align="left" | Portland

| 77 || 67 || 23.6 || .576 || .000 || .680 || 8.4 || .4 || .2 || 1.2 || 4.8

| align="left" | {{nbay|2008}}

| align="left" | Portland

| style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || 43 || 23.8 || .625 || .000 || .663 || 8.7 || .3 || .4 || 1.2 || 5.5

| align="left" | {{nbay|2009}}

| align="left" | Portland

| 30 || 9 || 22.7 || .523 || – || .647 || 7.9 || .3 || .3 || 1.4 || 4.1

| align="left" | {{nbay|2010}}

| align="left" | Portland

| 31 || 9 || 14.4 || .618 || – || .565 || 3.9 || .4 || .2 || .5 || 1.8

| align="left" | {{nbay|2010}}

| align="left" | Charlotte

| 5 || 0 || 14.8 || .400 || – || .250 || 4.8 || .0 || .0 || .2 || 1.8

| align="left" | {{nbay|2011}}

| align="left" | Portland

| 27 || 19 || 16.6 || .458 || – || .611 || 5.1 || .2 || .2 || .6 || 2.0

| align="left" | {{nbay|2012}}

| align="left" | Milwaukee

| 12 || 1 || 5.7 || .250 || – || .000 || 1.8 || .3 || .1 || .2 || .2

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career

| 592 || 397 || 19.8 || .552 || .000 || .557 || 6.2 || .4 || .3 || 1.4 || 3.9

=Playoffs=

| align="left" | 2001

| align="left" | Milwaukee

| 1 || 0 || 2.0 || .000 || – || – || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0

| align="left" | 2003

| align="left" | Milwaukee

| 4 || 3 || 8.3 || 1.000 || – || – || 2.5 || .3 || .0 || .5 || .5

| align="left" | 2009

| align="left" | Portland

| 6 || 6 || 27.0 || .556 || – || .500 || 7.3 || 1.3 || .7 || 2.0 || 3.8

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career

| 11 || 9 || 17.9 || .579 || – || .500 || 4.9 || .8 || .4 || 1.3 || 2.3

Personal life

Przybilla was born the third of four children of Doug, an American Express employee, and Linda Przybilla, a middle school teacher's assistant.{{cite news | url = http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/print_story.php?story_id=120639645572259000 | title = Star on home court | first = Kerry | last = Eggers | work = PortlandTribune.com | date = March 25, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110608171316/http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/print_story.php?story_id=120639645572259000 | archive-date = June 8, 2011 | url-status = dead }} He is of German (maternally) and Polish descent.{{cite news | url = http://www.basket.de/news_details.html?id=8 | title = Weiterer NBA-Star für Deutschland? | language = de | first = Jonas | last = Falk | date = February 11, 2009 | work = Basket.de | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101214080804/http://basket.de/news_details.html?id=8 | archive-date = December 14, 2010 | url-status = dead }} He and his wife, Noelle, have two sons, Anthony and Jayden.{{cite news | url = http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2012/02/joel_przybilla_on_rejoining_blazers_my_heart_was_i.html | title = Joel Przybilla on rejoining Blazers: 'My heart was in Portland' | first = Jason | last = Quick | work = OregonLive.com | date = February 22, 2012 | access-date = February 22, 2012}}