Peja
Stojakovic | 16
Career Highlights
• Selected to the 2003 and 2002 NBA All-Star Game
• Finished second in voting for the 2001 NBA 's Most Improved Player
Award
• Had his best season in 2000-2001, starting 75 games and averaging
20.4 points
• Totaled 17 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against the Orlando
Magic on 1/20/00
• Competed for Yugoslavia in the 1998 FIBA Men's World Championship
of Basketball in Athens, Greece
• Has averaged 20.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg and 1.7 apg in 71 career games
in the Greek League
• Named MVP of the Greek League in 1997-98 after averaging 23.9
ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.5 apg and 1.20 spg in 24 games for PAOK
Position: F
Born: 06/09/77
Height: 6-10 / 2,08
Weight: 229 lbs. / 103,9 kg.
From: Serbia-Montenegro
2003-04
Statistics
PPG 24.2
RPG 6.30
APG 2.1
EFF + 22.99
BACKGROUND
A native of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Predrag "Peja" Stojakovic
played professionally for three seasons in Greece before signing with
the Sacramento Kings on June 15, 1998. The 6-9 forward was Sacramento's
first-round draft choice at the age of 19 in 1996, the 14th overall selection,
but he continued to play in Europe until joing the Kings for the 1998-99
season. His sweet stroke from the perimeter has helped establish the Kings
as a Western Conference power and he was recognized prior to the 2002-03
season by the league's general managers as the third-best international
player in the NBA.
2001-02:
Averaged a career-high 21.2 ppg (.484 FG%, .416 3pt%, .876 FT%) along
with 5.3 rpg, a career-high 2.5 apg, 1.14 spg, and 37.3 mpg in starting
all 71 games in which he played...Ranked among the NBA leaders in scoring
(tied for 16th), field goal percentage (tied for 22nd), three-point field
goal percentage (16th), free throw percentage (tied for 9th), and minutes
(tied for 34th)…Scored in double figures 66 times with 20-plus points
in 51 of those contests, including seven games with 30 or more points…Twice
grabbed 10-plus rebounds...Recorded two double-doubles...Led the team
in scoring 32 times, in rebounding four times, and in assists four times...Missed
nine games with a strained right hamstring (3/17-4/3) and two games with
a lower back strain (12/14-16)…Dished out five or more assists eight
times…Registered three-plus steals five times…Played 40 or
more minutes 32 times…Top Single-Game Performances: Scored a season-hightying
36 points (11-16 FG, 5-6 3pt, 9-10 FT) with seven rebounds, two assists,
and one block in 44 minutes at Indiana on 11/7/01...Tallied a season-high-tying
36 points (12-21 FG, 4-6 3pt, 8-8 FT) with four rebounds, four assists,
and two steals in 44 minutes versus Cleveland on 1/15/02...Recorded 20
points (8-16 FG, 4-7 3pt, 0-0 FT), a season-high 12 rebounds, three assists,
and one steal versus Philadelphia on 12/4/01…Totaled 26 points (11-15
FG, 4-4 3pt, 0-0 FT), five rebounds, a career-high-tying seven assists,
one steal, and two blocks in 42 minutes at Golden State on 3/1/02...Posted
32 points (13-23 FG, 4-8 3pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, and three assists
in 42 minutes at Cleveland on 11/6/01…Made a career-high seven three-point
field goals (in 10 attempts) en route to 29 points (11-18 FG) versus Milwaukee
on 1/16/01.
2000-01:
Earned consideration for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award after averaging
20.4 ppg (47 FG%, 40 3pt%, 85.6 FT%), 5.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.21 spg and 38.7
mpg in starting 75 games...DNP bruised right shoulder in seven games (12/8-12/19)...Ranked
among the NBA's top 40 in scoring (23rd), field goal percentage (34th),
three-point field goal percentrage (23rd), free throw percentage (16th)
and minutes played (25th)...Scored 10+ points in 68 games...Scored 20+
points in 41 games...Scored 30+ points in seven games...Grabbed 10+ rebounds
in seven games...Led team in scoring in 22 games (including 4 ties)...Led
team in rebounding in eight games (including six ties)...Led team in assists
in four games (including two ties)...Recorded five double-doubles...Seventh
place on franchise career leaders list for three-point field goals made,
passing Danny Ainge (166 three-pointers made)...Now sixth place on the
franchise career list for three-pointers attemped after passing Jim Les
(457 attempts)...At NBA All-Star weekend, captured America Online 2ball
title with Monarchs' Ruthie Bolton-Holifield (62 points)...Finished second
behind Ray Allen in the 1 800 CALL ATT Shootout...Recorded a career-high
39 points (14-29 FG, 6-10 3pt, 5-6 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists, two
steals and one block in 56 minutes on 2/23 at Toronto...Scored 29 points
(10-26 FG, 2-8 3pt, 7-8 FT) and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds on 11/16
vs. LA Lakers...Scored 33 points (13-22 FG, 5-7 3pt, 2-2 FT) and grabbed
nine rebounds on 1/2 vs. Phoenix...Recorded a career-high seven assists
on 2/25 at New York and 3/16 at Philadelphia...Scored 12 of 29 points
in overtime on 3/27 vs. New York, setting a Sacramento-era and a new Arco
Arena record for points scored in overtime; also tied the Sacramento-era
and Arco Arena record for most field-goals made in overtime (4)
1999-2000:
Poured in 23 points (4-4 3-FG) in a 123-108 loss to Seattle on 3/31...Netted
22 points in a 109-106 loss at the L.A. Lakers on 3/12...Registered a
career-high 30 points in a 123-117 OT loss in Denver on 2/21...Logged
25 points in a 108-103 loss to Portland on 2/20...Recorded a game-high
21 points (4-8 3-FG) in a 118-85 win over Seattle on 2/18...Netted 20
points in a 119-108 loss in Philadelphia on 2/6...Totaled 17 points and
10 rebounds in a 111-103 win over Orlando on 1/20...Scored exactly 19
points for the fourth time in seven games, and fifth time in 11 games,
in a 114-101 win over Boston on 12/28...Posted 19 points (7-9 FG) in a
103-91 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on 12/8...Tallied 15 points and
8 rebounds in a 103-94 victory in Dallas on 11/19...Totaled 20 points
(8-13 FG, 3-6 3 FG) and 5 rebounds in a 128-110 victory in Houston on
11/18
1998-99:
Played in 48 games as a rookie, all but one off the bench. He contributed
8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.85 steals in 21.4 minutes
per game, ranking third on the team with 57 three-pointers....Totaled
17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in a 112-104 victory over
the Denver Nuggets on 5/3...Recorded a team-high 17 points and 6 rebounds
against the Golden State Warriors on 4/26...Registered 16 points (6-9
FG, 2-4 3FG, 2-2 FT) and 3 steals in a 112-106 overtime victory over the
Seattle SuperSonics on 4/6...Scored 17 of his career-high 26 points (5-8
3FG) in the 3rd quarter, adding 4 steals and 3 assists, in a 104-101 overtime
win over the Utah Jazz on 3/30...Posted 17 points (7-11 FG), 6 rebounds
and 3 assists in a 105-101 victory over the L.A. Lakers on 3/14...Made
his NBA debut against the San Antonio Spurs on 2/5
PRE-NBA:
Stojakovic played three seasons with PAOK in the Greek Professional League,
averaging 20.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 73 regular-season games
and shooting .395 in three-pointers...The league's MVP in 1997-98, averaging
23.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.20 steals in 24 games, shooting
.462 from the field, .406 on three-pointers and .891 on free throws...Averaged
18.2 ppg in the 1998 Greek Championship Series, where PAOK lost to Panathinaikos
in five games...One of his opponents was former NBA guard Byron Scott,
who soon after took a job as an assistant coach with Sacramento.
PERSONAL
• Name is pornounced PRAY-drog STOY-ak-O-vich
• Became a Greek citizen in 1993 because teams from his native Yugoslavia
were not permitted to play in the European Cup
• Co-hosted a Christmas Toy Drive with Vlade Divc which resulted
in the shipping of 10,000 toys to Serbia
• Filmed a commercial in his native Serbian an Greek languages for
the NBA last season, speaking out against violence and warning children
of the dangers of smoking
• His nickname is "Peja"
• Son of Miodrag and Branka Stojakovic
• Enjoys listening to music and watching movies
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