Peja Stojaković
Predrag Stojaković was born on the 9th of June 1977 in Požega, SR Croatia. His family belonged to an ethnic Serb community within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The region known as Papuk mountain served as their ancestral home before conflict erupted across the Balkans. War forced the Stojaković family to flee their hometown and move to Belgrade, Serbia at the start of the Yugoslav wars. A young boy named Predrag watched his father stay behind while the rest of the household escaped.
In 1993, when he turned sixteen years old, Stojaković moved to Thessaloniki, Greece. He left his homeland alone for a time while his father fought in the Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina against the Croatian Army. The separation lasted two years until 1995 when his father finally joined him in Greece. Many relatives remained in Serbia while others settled elsewhere. This displacement shaped his early life more than any basketball court could have.
At fifteen years of age, Stojaković joined Crvena zvezda, also known as Red Star Belgrade. He played senior men's level seasons during 1992, 93 and 1993, 94. With that club, he won a FR Yugoslav national championship in the 1992, 93 season. His scoring average reached just 2.9 points per game over thirty-nine total games. He scored one hundred thirteen points across those matches.
Stojaković moved to PAOK Thessaloniki in 1993 at age sixteen but did not join them immediately. He arrived there one year later to play in the Greek League. During the 1994, 95 season, he helped win the Greek Cup tournament. He competed in the FIBA European Cup Final during 1995, 96. A memorable last-second three-pointer against Olympiacos in Piraeus secured a fifty-eight to fifty-five victory for PAOK. That shot ended five years of dominance by Olympiacos as Greek League champions. The team ultimately lost their finals series to Panathinaikos three games to two.
The Sacramento Kings selected Stojaković fourteenth overall in the 1996 NBA draft while he still played in Greece. He continued playing there until the Kings signed him before the 1998, 99 lockout season began. Two seasons on the bench preceded his breakthrough performance in 2000, 01. He averaged twenty point four points and 5.8 rebounds that year. His shooting percentage from beyond the arc reached .400 during his first season as a starter.
Stojaković finished second in voting for the 2001 Most Improved Player Award. He appeared in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time during 2001, 02. His scoring average rose to 21.2 points per game with career highs in shooting percentages. He won the Three-Point Contest twice during All-Star Weekend competitions. In 2003, 04, he finished fourth in MVP voting after leading the league in free throw percentage at .933. That same season he made 240 three-pointers, more than any other player. His number sixteen was retired by the Sacramento Kings on the 16th of December 2014.
On the 25th of January 2006, Stojaković was traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for forward Ron Artest. This move ended his eight-year tenure with the Kings. He missed four games of their playoff series against New Jersey Nets, all losses. During the 2006 offseason, he agreed to a deal worth sixty-four million dollars over five years with the New Orleans Hornets. On the 14th of November 2006, he scored forty-two points against Charlotte Bobcats.
That performance made him the first player in NBA history to open a game with twenty straight points for his team. Injuries halted his strong start that season as he missed most of 2006, 07. The following year he started all seventy-seven games played and helped the Hornets win fifty-six victories. They claimed their first division title before losing to San Antonio Spurs in seven games. On the 20th of November 2010, he was traded to Toronto Raptors along with Jerryd Bayless. After appearing in only two games, he was released on the 20th of January 2011 due to knee injury. He signed with Dallas Mavericks on the 24th of January 2011 and won an NBA championship that year.
Stojaković earned a bronze medal at the 1999 FIBA EuroBasket held in France while playing for senior FR Yugoslavia national team. He competed at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Athens. Gold medals followed at the 2001 FIBA EuroBasket in Turkey and the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana. He received MVP honors during the 2001 tournament and joined Manu Ginóbili, Dirk Nowitzki, Yao Ming, and Pero Cameron on the All-Tournament Team in 2002.
His final international appearance came at EuroBasket 2003 where Serbia and Montenegro finished sixth place. Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport named him Euroscar Basketball Player of the Year twice. Superbasket magazine awarded him Mister Europa Player of the Year in both 2001 and 2002. HoopsHype later included him among the 75 Greatest International Players Ever in 2021. These achievements cemented his status as one of Europe's greatest basketball players throughout history.
On the 19th of December 2011, Stojaković announced his retirement from professional basketball due to ongoing back and neck problems. His physical condition hindered play during the final years of his career. The Sacramento Kings retired his number sixteen jersey on the 16th of December 2014. In August 2015, he was appointed director of player personnel and development for the franchise. By May 2018, he became assistant general manager while serving as general manager for Stockton Kings affiliate team.
Stojaković stepped down from assistant general manager position on the 15th of August 2020. He acquired full Greek citizenship at age seventeen while playing with PAOK. His name appears in Greek transliteration as Prentragk Petza Kinis Stogiakovits. He speaks fluent Greek and married model Aleka Kamila. Their son Andrej born in 2004 plays basketball for University of Illinois Fighting Illini. The family lived in Glyfada, Greece during 2014. He serves in Hellenic Army mandatory service and runs a children's foundation helping Balkan countries.
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Common questions
When and where was Predrag Stojaković born?
Predrag Stojaković was born on the 9th of June 1977 in Požega, SR Croatia. His family belonged to an ethnic Serb community within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia before conflict forced them to flee to Belgrade.
What teams did Predrag Stojaković play for during his NBA career?
Predrag Stojaković played for the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors, and Dallas Mavericks. He won an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks after signing with them on the 24th of January 2011.
How many points per game did Predrag Stojaković average during his first season as a starter?
Predrag Stojaković averaged twenty point four points per game during his breakthrough 2000, 01 season. His shooting percentage from beyond the arc reached .400 during that same year.
Which international tournaments did Predrag Stojaković win gold medals at?
Predrag Stojaković won gold medals at the 2001 FIBA EuroBasket in Turkey and the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana. He received MVP honors during the 2001 tournament and joined Manu Ginóbili, Dirk Nowitzki, Yao Ming, and Pero Cameron on the All-Tournament Team in 2002.
When was Predrag Stojaković's number sixteen jersey retired by the Sacramento Kings?
The Sacramento Kings retired Predrag Stojaković's number sixteen jersey on the 16th of December 2014. This honor recognized his eight-year tenure with the franchise before he moved to other teams.