Roy Hibbert
Encyclopedia
Roy Denzil Hibbert is an American
professional basketball
player for the Indiana Pacers
of the NBA
. He plays at the center
position, and graduated from Georgetown University
in 2008. He was drafted 17th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft
by the Toronto Raptors
and was immediately traded to the Pacers on draft night. He has represented the Jamaican national team
in international competition; he is eligible because his father was originally from Jamaica.
, New York
to Roy, Sr. and Patty Hibbert. The family moved to Adelphi, Maryland
when Roy was 2. Around that time, the New York Post
states that his parents introduced him to basketball after they had "tried to get him to play tennis
, then golf
, then the piano
."
Hibbert attended Georgetown Prep
in North Bethesda
, Maryland
. The team was coached by Dwayne Bryant, who had attended Georgetown University
as a varsity basketball player. Bryant introduced the still-awkward Hibbert to the GU campus. Hibbert helped make Georgetown Prep
's Little Hoyas co-champions of the Interstate Athletic Conference
in 2004. Since Roy is an avid Pokémon fan, his teammates would often say, "Power up, big fella," to help him play harder.
Hibbert was successfully recruited by Georgetown University
coach Craig Esherick
in 2003. However, Esherick
was fired before Hibbert arrived on campus (Esherick
's last season as coach went 13–15). John Thompson III
was hired as the new coach. Hibbert joined the Hoyas as a "project," a player who had potential but was not yet ready for varsity.
. In 2007, he and Green
were unanimous selections to the All-Big East First Team, with Green earning Big East player of the year honors. The two led the Hoyas to victory in the 2007 Big East Conference Championship for the first time since 1989 against the Pittsburgh Panthers; Hibbert contributed a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Before the 2007–2008 season he was named Big East's preseason player of the year. He was also named a pre-season All-American along with the likes of Tyler Hansbrough
, whose Tar Heels were upset by Hibbert's Hoyas in the Elite Eight of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
Hibbert had repeatedly said that he planned to play all four years and graduate from Georgetown, continuing the tradition of graduating Hoya centers such as Patrick Ewing
, Alonzo Mourning
and Dikembe Mutombo
. However, his performance in helping to lead the Hoyas to the 2007 Final Four catapulted him into lottery pick status. Hibbert declared his eligibility for the 2007 NBA Draft
, but did not sign with an agent. On May 23, 2007, Hibbert announced he would return to school for his senior season. Hibbert said of Georgetown, "My heart was here. ... I feel like I have unfinished business here."
In the summer of 2007, Hibbert was the starting center on the U.S. squad at the Pan-American Games. Hibbert is also eligible to represent Jamaica because he has ancestors from the island and will represent Jamaica in the Centro Basketball Tournament being played in Santo Domingo. Following the Hoyas' upset loss to Davidson in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Hibbert's collegiate career came to a close. Hibbert was drafted 17th overall by the Toronto Raptors
in the 2008 NBA Draft
, and was then acquired by the Indiana Pacers
in a multi-player deal for Jermaine O'Neal
. Hibbert signed his rookie deal for about $1.2 million.
, in which he was employed by Aziz Ansari's character Tom Haverford to play one-on-one basketball with Detlef Schrempf
for 75% of his NBA salary during the 2011 lockout. He later appeared in another episode of the show, in which Tom Haverford hired him at his company's farewell party to distribute shrimp.
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Indiana
| 70 || 42 || 14.4 || .471 || .000 || .667 || 3.5 || .7 || .3 || 1.1 || 7.1
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Indiana
| 81 || 69 || 25.1 || .495 || .500 || .754 || 5.7 || 2.0 || .4 || 1.6 || 11.7
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Indiana
| 81 || 80 || 27.7 || .461 || .000 || .745 || 7.5 || 2.0 || .4 || 1.8 || 12.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 232 || 191 || 22.8 || .476 || .300 || .731 || 5.7 || 1.6 || .4 || 1.5 || 10.6
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Indiana
| 5 || 5 || 26.4 || .444 || .000 || .706 || 6.8 || .6 || .4 || 1.8 || 10.4
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 5 || 5 || 26.4 || .444 || .000 || .706 || 6.8 || .6 || .4 || 1.8 || 10.4
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 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...
of 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...
. He plays at the 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...
position, and graduated from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in 2008. He was drafted 17th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
by the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
and was immediately traded to the Pacers on draft night. He has represented the Jamaican national team
Jamaica national basketball team
Jamaica national basketball team is the basketball team that represents Jamaica in international competitions. The team finished in seventh place in the 2006 Centrobasket with a record of 0-3. They did however win the 7th place game against costa rica 100-57. In the 2010 Centrobasket, led by Roy...
in international competition; he is eligible because his father was originally from Jamaica.
Background
Roy Hibbert was born in QueensQueens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Roy, Sr. and Patty Hibbert. The family moved to Adelphi, Maryland
Adelphi, Maryland
Adelphi is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 14,998 at the 2000 census...
when Roy was 2. Around that time, the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
states that his parents introduced him to basketball after they had "tried to get him to play tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, then golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, then the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
."
Hibbert attended Georgetown Prep
Georgetown Preparatory School
Georgetown Preparatory School is an American Jesuit college preparatory school for grades 9 through 12. It is the oldest all boys school in the United States, and the only Jesuit boarding school in the country...
in North Bethesda
North Bethesda, Maryland
North Bethesda is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It borders the city of Rockville, and is closely associated with the city.-Geography:...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The team was coached by Dwayne Bryant, who had attended Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
as a varsity basketball player. Bryant introduced the still-awkward Hibbert to the GU campus. Hibbert helped make Georgetown Prep
Georgetown Preparatory School
Georgetown Preparatory School is an American Jesuit college preparatory school for grades 9 through 12. It is the oldest all boys school in the United States, and the only Jesuit boarding school in the country...
's Little Hoyas co-champions of the Interstate Athletic Conference
Interstate Athletic Conference
The Interstate Athletic Conference is an all-boys high school sports league made up of six private high schools in the Washington, D.C., area, competing in twelve varsity sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track...
in 2004. Since Roy is an avid Pokémon fan, his teammates would often say, "Power up, big fella," to help him play harder.
Hibbert was successfully recruited by Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
coach Craig Esherick
Craig Esherick
Craig Esherick is an assistant professor of sport management for George Mason University and color commentator for college basketball games. He was formerly the head coach of the Georgetown University men's basketball team and assistant basketball coach and scout for the 1988 U.S...
in 2003. However, Esherick
Craig Esherick
Craig Esherick is an assistant professor of sport management for George Mason University and color commentator for college basketball games. He was formerly the head coach of the Georgetown University men's basketball team and assistant basketball coach and scout for the 1988 U.S...
was fired before Hibbert arrived on campus (Esherick
Craig Esherick
Craig Esherick is an assistant professor of sport management for George Mason University and color commentator for college basketball games. He was formerly the head coach of the Georgetown University men's basketball team and assistant basketball coach and scout for the 1988 U.S...
's last season as coach went 13–15). John Thompson III
John Thompson III
John Thompson III is the current head coach of the men's basketball team at Georgetown University. He grew up in Washington, D.C. and was named first team All-Metro by The Washington Post while playing for Gonzaga College High School in 1984. Thompson was hired on April 20, 2004 to replace Craig...
was hired as the new coach. Hibbert joined the Hoyas as a "project," a player who had potential but was not yet ready for varsity.
College career
Hibbert was named to the All-Big East Second Team in 2006 along with teammate Jeff GreenJeff Green (basketball)
Jeffrey Lynn Green is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. Green attended Georgetown University until following his junior year, when he entered the 2007 NBA Draft...
. In 2007, he and Green
Jeff Green (basketball)
Jeffrey Lynn Green is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. Green attended Georgetown University until following his junior year, when he entered the 2007 NBA Draft...
were unanimous selections to the All-Big East First Team, with Green earning Big East player of the year honors. The two led the Hoyas to victory in the 2007 Big East Conference Championship for the first time since 1989 against the Pittsburgh Panthers; Hibbert contributed a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Before the 2007–2008 season he was named Big East's preseason player of the year. He was also named a pre-season All-American along with the likes of Tyler Hansbrough
Tyler Hansbrough
Andrew Tyler Hansbrough is an American basketball player for the Indiana Pacers. Hansbrough completed a college basketball career with the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 2009, and was drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th pick of the 1st round of the 2009 NBA...
, whose Tar Heels were upset by Hibbert's Hoyas in the Elite Eight of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
Hibbert had repeatedly said that he planned to play all four years and graduate from Georgetown, continuing the tradition of graduating Hoya centers such as Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...
, Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat....
and Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo , commonly referred to as Dikembe Mutombo, is a retired Congolese American professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the NBA...
. However, his performance in helping to lead the Hoyas to the 2007 Final Four catapulted him into lottery pick status. Hibbert declared his eligibility for the 2007 NBA Draft
2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
, but did not sign with an agent. On May 23, 2007, Hibbert announced he would return to school for his senior season. Hibbert said of Georgetown, "My heart was here. ... I feel like I have unfinished business here."
In the summer of 2007, Hibbert was the starting center on the U.S. squad at the Pan-American Games. Hibbert is also eligible to represent Jamaica because he has ancestors from the island and will represent Jamaica in the Centro Basketball Tournament being played in Santo Domingo. Following the Hoyas' upset loss to Davidson in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Hibbert's collegiate career came to a close. Hibbert was drafted 17th overall by the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
in the 2008 NBA Draft
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
, and was then acquired by 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...
in a multi-player deal for Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine Lee O'Neal is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics. The 6 ft 11 in , 255 lb forward-center had a successful high school career and declared his eligibility for the 1996 NBA Draft straight out of high school...
. Hibbert signed his rookie deal for about $1.2 million.
In popular culture
Hibbert appeared as himself on the September 29, 2011 episode of Parks and RecreationParks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on NBC that focuses on Leslie Knope , a mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series debuted on April 9, 2009; it has run for three seasons and...
, in which he was employed by Aziz Ansari's character Tom Haverford to play one-on-one basketball with Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf is a retired German NBA basketball player.-High school and college career:...
for 75% of his NBA salary during the 2011 lockout. He later appeared in another episode of the show, in which Tom Haverford hired him at his company's farewell party to distribute shrimp.
Regular season
|-| 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" | Indiana
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...
| 70 || 42 || 14.4 || .471 || .000 || .667 || 3.5 || .7 || .3 || 1.1 || 7.1
|-
| 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" | Indiana
| 81 || 69 || 25.1 || .495 || .500 || .754 || 5.7 || 2.0 || .4 || 1.6 || 11.7
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Indiana
| 81 || 80 || 27.7 || .461 || .000 || .745 || 7.5 || 2.0 || .4 || 1.8 || 12.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 232 || 191 || 22.8 || .476 || .300 || .731 || 5.7 || 1.6 || .4 || 1.5 || 10.6
Playoffs
|-| 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" | Indiana
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...
| 5 || 5 || 26.4 || .444 || .000 || .706 || 6.8 || .6 || .4 || 1.8 || 10.4
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 5 || 5 || 26.4 || .444 || .000 || .706 || 6.8 || .6 || .4 || 1.8 || 10.4
External links
- Player Profile guhoyas.com