Chris Andersen
Encyclopedia
Chris Andersen is an American
professional basketball
player for the Denver Nuggets
of the National Basketball Association
. Nicknamed "Birdman", the , 228 lb (103.4 kg; 16.3 st) center
/power forward
received a two year ban from the NBA in 2006 for violating the league's drug policy, but was reinstated on March 4, 2008, and re-signed by the Hornets the next day.
Andersen was born in Long Beach
, California
, grew up in Iola
, Texas
, and played one year at Blinn College
. He went undrafted in the 1999 NBA Draft
and began his professional career in the Chinese Basketball League
, and has played in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets
and the New Orleans Hornets.
and played one season with the Fayetteville Patriots
.
Slam Dunk Contest
during NBA All-Star Weekend
in 2004
and 2005
, finishing 2nd and 4th (out of 4), respectively.
, but the arbitrator ruled to uphold his dismissal in March 2006. He was eligible for reinstatement effective January 25, 2008.
On March 4, 2008, the NBA
and NBA Players Association
granted Andersen's request to be reinstated as an NBA player. The reinstatement was effective immediately, and the rights to his services belonged to his former team, the New Orleans Hornets, who signed him to a contract on March 5, 2008. On March 25, 2008, in a game against the Indiana Pacers
, he played for the first time in an NBA game since being banned.
On July 8, 2009, Andersen and the Nuggets agreed on a five-year contract that could be worth up to $26 million. In order to help the Nuggets financially, the deal is backloaded and will pay Andersen $3.7 million in 2010–11
.
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Denver
| 24 || 1 || 10.9 || .338 || .000 || .786 || 3.2 || .3 || .3 || 1.2 || 3.0
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Denver
| 59 || 3 || 15.4 || .400 || .000 || .550 || 4.6 || .5 || .5 || 1.0 || 5.2
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Denver
| 71 || 0 || 14.5 || .443 || .000 || .589 || 4.2 || .5 || .5 || 1.6 || 3.4
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | New Orleans
| 67 || 2 || 21.3 || .534 || .000 || .689 || 6.1 || 1.1 || .2 || 1.5 || 7.7
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | NO/Oklahoma City
| 32 || 2 || 17.8 || .571 || .000 || .476 || 4.8 || .2 || .2 || 1.3 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | New Orleans
| 5 || 0 || 6.8 || .286 || .000 || .500 || 1.8 || .0 || .0 || .8 || 1.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Denver
| 71 || 1 || 20.6 || .548 || .200 || .718 || 6.2 || .4 || .6 || 2.5 || 6.4
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Denver
| 76 || 0 || 22.3 || .566 || .000 || .695 || 6.4 || .4 || .6 || 1.9 || 5.9
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Denver
| 45 || 0 || 16.3 || .599 || .000 || .637 || 4.9 || .4 || .5 || 1.3 || 5.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 450 || 9 || 18.0 || .506 || .087 || .644 || 5.3 || .5 || .4 || 1.6 || 5.4
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Denver
| 5 || 0 || 6.8 || .333 || .000 || .000 || 2.8 || .4 || .2 || .4 || 1.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Denver
| 15 || 0 || 21.9 || .630 || .000 || .659 || 6.3 || .6 || .3 || 2.1 || 6.5
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Denver
| 6 || 0 || 19.3 || .529 || .000 || .643 || 4.5 || .2 || .2 || 1.0 || 4.5
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Denver
| 5 || 0 || 14.6 || .636 || .000 || .714 || 2.8 || .6 || .6 || 1.4 || 4.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 31 || 0 || 17.8 || .582 || .000 || .667 || 4.8 || .5 || .3 || 1.5 || 5.0
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player for the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Nicknamed "Birdman", the , 228 lb (103.4 kg; 16.3 st) center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
/power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
received a two year ban from the NBA in 2006 for violating the league's drug policy, but was reinstated on March 4, 2008, and re-signed by the Hornets the next day.
Andersen was born in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, grew up in Iola
Iola, Texas
Iola is a city Grimes County, Texas, United States on Farm Road 39 and the Burlington-Rock Island Railway, at the headwaters of Ragan Creek in northwest Grimes County. A July 1, 2009 U.S...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and played one year at Blinn College
Blinn College
Blinn College is a two-year academic institution based in Brenham, Texas with campuses in Brenham, Bryan, Schulenburg, and Sealy. While the Brenham campus is Blinn's main campus, more than 70% of students attend the Bryan campus....
. He went undrafted in the 1999 NBA Draft
1999 NBA Draft
The 1999 NBA Draft was held on June 30, 1999 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. It was the first draft in which four players from the same college were picked in the first round, with Elton Brand , Trajan Langdon , Corey Maggette and William Avery being selected out of Duke University...
and began his professional career in the Chinese Basketball League
Chinese Basketball League
The National Basketball League is a semi-professional basketball minor league in China, called Chinese Basketball League before 2005...
, and has played in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
and the New Orleans Hornets.
NBA Development League
Andersen was the first overall pick in the 2001 NBDL Draft2001 NBDL Draft
The 2001 NBDL Draft was the inaugural draft of the National Basketball Development League , which was later renamed the NBA Development League . The draft was held on November 1, 2001 before the 2001–02 season...
and played one season with the Fayetteville Patriots
Fayetteville Patriots
The Fayetteville Patriots were a NBA Development League team based in Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States. Its logo design features a bald eagle's head and a basketball in the middle of a capital letter "P" with stars and stripes filling the rest of it.-Season By Season:- Franchise history...
.
Slam Dunk Contest
Andersen appeared in the NBANational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
Slam Dunk Contest
Slam Dunk Contest
The Slam Dunk Contest is an annual National Basketball Association competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was inaugurated by the American Basketball Association at its All-Star Game in 1976 in Denver, the same year the slam dunk was legalized in the NCAA...
during NBA All-Star Weekend
NBA All-Star Weekend
The National Basketball Association holds an All-Star Weekend every February, the festival has a variety of basketball-related events, exhibitions, and performances culminating in the NBA All-Star Game held on Sunday night.-The All-Star Game:...
in 2004
2004 NBA All-Star Game
The 2004 National Basketball Association All-Star Game was played on February 15, 2004 in front of an attendance of 19,662 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home of the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers...
and 2005
2005 NBA All-Star Game
The 2005 NBA All-Star Game was a major basketball game played on February 20, 2005 at Pepsi Center home of Denver Nuggets featuring the best players in the National Basketball Association as selected by fans and coaches....
, finishing 2nd and 4th (out of 4), respectively.
Expulsion and reinstatement
On January 25, 2006, Andersen was disqualified from the NBA for violating the league's anti-drug policy by testing positive for a banned substance. Andersen's suspension fell under the league's category of "drugs of abuse," violation of which is possible grounds for expulsion from the NBA under the league's collective bargaining agreement. Andersen attempted to appeal the ruling through arbitrationArbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
, but the arbitrator ruled to uphold his dismissal in March 2006. He was eligible for reinstatement effective January 25, 2008.
On March 4, 2008, the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and NBA Players Association
National Basketball Players Association
The National Basketball Players Association is a trade association that represents basketball players in the National Basketball Association . It was previously a labor union before dissolving during the 2011 NBA lockout. It was founded in 1954, making it the oldest trade union of the four major...
granted Andersen's request to be reinstated as an NBA player. The reinstatement was effective immediately, and the rights to his services belonged to his former team, the New Orleans Hornets, who signed him to a contract on March 5, 2008. On March 25, 2008, in a game against the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, he played for the first time in an NBA game since being banned.
Return to Denver
Following the 2007–08 NBA season, Andersen was released by the Hornets. Andersen signed a one-year contract with the Nuggets on July 24, 2008. Andersen finished the season 2nd in the league in blocks per game at 2.42 per contest, despite a mere 20.5 minutes of playtime per game. His 5.68 blocks per 48 minutes played was the best in the NBA.On July 8, 2009, Andersen and the Nuggets agreed on a five-year contract that could be worth up to $26 million. In order to help the Nuggets financially, the deal is backloaded and will pay Andersen $3.7 million in 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
.
Personal
His trademark has been his "Birdman" celebration, wherein he would cross his arms and flap his hands like the wings of a bird after scoring on an emphatic dunk or blocking a shot. He is known for brightly colored tattoos on his arms, chest, neck, back, hands and legs.Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 24 || 1 || 10.9 || .338 || .000 || .786 || 3.2 || .3 || .3 || 1.2 || 3.0
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 59 || 3 || 15.4 || .400 || .000 || .550 || 4.6 || .5 || .5 || 1.0 || 5.2
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 71 || 0 || 14.5 || .443 || .000 || .589 || 4.2 || .5 || .5 || 1.6 || 3.4
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | New Orleans
| 67 || 2 || 21.3 || .534 || .000 || .689 || 6.1 || 1.1 || .2 || 1.5 || 7.7
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | NO/Oklahoma City
| 32 || 2 || 17.8 || .571 || .000 || .476 || 4.8 || .2 || .2 || 1.3 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | New Orleans
| 5 || 0 || 6.8 || .286 || .000 || .500 || 1.8 || .0 || .0 || .8 || 1.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 71 || 1 || 20.6 || .548 || .200 || .718 || 6.2 || .4 || .6 || 2.5 || 6.4
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 76 || 0 || 22.3 || .566 || .000 || .695 || 6.4 || .4 || .6 || 1.9 || 5.9
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 45 || 0 || 16.3 || .599 || .000 || .637 || 4.9 || .4 || .5 || 1.3 || 5.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 450 || 9 || 18.0 || .506 || .087 || .644 || 5.3 || .5 || .4 || 1.6 || 5.4
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2003–04
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 5 || 0 || 6.8 || .333 || .000 || .000 || 2.8 || .4 || .2 || .4 || 1.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 15 || 0 || 21.9 || .630 || .000 || .659 || 6.3 || .6 || .3 || 2.1 || 6.5
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 6 || 0 || 19.3 || .529 || .000 || .643 || 4.5 || .2 || .2 || 1.0 || 4.5
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 5 || 0 || 14.6 || .636 || .000 || .714 || 2.8 || .6 || .6 || 1.4 || 4.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 31 || 0 || 17.8 || .582 || .000 || .667 || 4.8 || .5 || .3 || 1.5 || 5.0
External links
- Chris Andersen's Career Story – ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
- Chris Andersen's Birdman Basketball Camp