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Leonpowe
Leon Powe
Position  Power forward/Center
Height  6ft. 8in.
Weight  240lb.
Jersey #  0
Birthdate  Jan. 22, 1984

Leon Powe, Jr. (pronounced |ˈpou(-ə)|) (born January 22 1984 in Oakland, California) is a power forward/center with the Boston Celtics.

Latest News[]

  • Recent quotes by Doc Rivers have indicated Powe is going to be integral in the team's success in the '08-'09 season: "Last year at times I thought we went jump-shot happy... I told them that last year we got away with it. That’s why we’re making a concerted effort to get the ball to the post, period. Leon is a part of that." This won't, however, come at the cost of teamwork, as Powe has recieved comparisons to Kevin McHale, nicknamed "The Black Hole" due to his tendency to take his own shots at the cost of the team.[1]

Background[]

Statistics[]

College: Cal
Years pro: 2
Acquired: Drafted No. 49 overall by Denver in 2006 (rights traded to Celtics)
2008/2009 salary: $797,581
Signed through: 2008-2009
Last year's numbers: 7.9 ppg, 0.3 apg, 4.1 rpg in 14.4 minutes

Personal life[]

Powe grew up poor in Oakland, California. His father left him when he was two years old. When he was seven years old, the family's house burned down and they were homeless for years. He was taken away from his mother by the state of California and put into Foster care. In high school, Powe's mother died four days before he played in the state championship. His life was featured by ESPN in a segment during the 2008.

High school career[]

Powe attended Oakland Technical High School, where he averaged 27.4 ppg, 14.2 rpg and 3.1 Block (basketball) as a senior. With Powe in the roster, Oakland Tech was able to win the CIF Oakland Section Championship and also reach the CIF State Championships in 2002 and 2003. He was named a first-team Parade All-American and the Gatorade California Player of the Year during his senior year. A highly rated prep star, Powe was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American game and became the first Oakland Tech athlete to have his number retired by the school.

College career[]

Powe played his college basketball for the California from 2003-2006. Although he was part of Cal men's hoops for 3 seasons, he did not play in his sophomore year due to a serious knee injury. During his freshman season, he earned the PAC-10 freshman of the year, leading the conference in rebounding.

Questions abounded about whether Powe would be able to return to form following his knee surgery but he worked hard and rehabilitated to become a dominant force on the interior as he continued to improve his game. He produced 20.5 PPG and 10.1 RPG while leading Cal to a 20-11 record and a berth in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship.

Powe was named California's most valuable player during a banquet in April 2006. Powe, who also was selected Cal's MVP as a Freshman in 2004, averaged 20.5 ppg and 10.1 rpg to become just the sixth player ever to pace the conference in both categories. Named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press, the U.S. Basketball Writers and ESPN, he was chosen to the All-Pac-10 team for a second time in 2006.

Professional career[]

After his junior year, Powe decided to enter his name in the 2006 NBA Draft. Powe was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round as the 49th overall pick. The Nuggets subsequently traded him to the Boston Celtics. After playing for the Celtics summer league team, Powe was signed by the team to a 3 year contract. Although Powe did not reach the sum of 14 in his per game points, rebounds, and assists necessary to guarantee the second year of his contract, that second year became guaranteed by Boston not waiving him by July 1, 2007. Powe has a similar hurdle of 16 for the sum of the three statistics to guarantee the third year of his contract (2008–09).

2006–07 NBA season[]

Powe played as a fourth string center behind Kendrick Perkins, Brian Scalabrine, and Michael Olowokandi in his rookie season. After a rash of injuries submarined Boston's playoff chances, Powe received a limited opportunity to showcase his skills. He proved himself a capable defender who can alter shots and provide interior rebounding. On January 12, 2007, Powe made the most out of his 25 minutes and registered a career-high 12 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors. On April 10, 2007, he scored 19 points against the Atlanta Hawks. Powe finished the 2006-07 campaign averaging 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in just over 11 minutes per game.

2007–08 NBA season[]

Leon Powe Free Throw

Powe shoots a Free throw in Game 4 of the 2008 against the Atlanta Hawks

On January 29, 2008, Powe had a breakout performance that took place in Miami against the struggling Heat, as he effectively filled in the blank of the absent main contributors Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, scoring 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds en route to a 117-87 blowout victory. He also scored his career-high 27 points in the last game of the season against the New Jersey Nets on April 16, 2008.

One of his most notable performances of the season came in 2008 of the 2008 against the Los Angeles Lakers on June 8, 2008, as he scored 21 points, which included several dunks, in only 15 minutes of play in front of a crowd chanting his name en route to a 108–102 Celtics victory.

Sources[]

  1. "[1]", The Boston Herald, Mark Murphy. November 7, 2008.

External links[]


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