Nenê with the Wizards in 2012
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No. 42 – Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||||||||
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Position | Center / Power forward | ||||||||||||||||||
League | NBA | ||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
Born |
São Carlos, Brazil |
September 13, 1982 ||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | Brazilian | ||||||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
NBA draft | 2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall | ||||||||||||||||||
Selected by the New York Knicks | |||||||||||||||||||
Playing career | 1999–present | ||||||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
1999–2002 | Vasco da Gama | ||||||||||||||||||
2002–2012 | Denver Nuggets | ||||||||||||||||||
2012–2016 | Washington Wizards | ||||||||||||||||||
2016–present | Houston Rockets | ||||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com | |||||||||||||||||||
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Nenê (Portuguese pronunciation: [neˈne]; born September 13, 1982) is a Brazilian professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His birth name was Maybyner Rodney Hilário, but he legally changed it to Nenê in 2003.
Born Maybyner Rodney Hilário in São Carlos, Brazil, he was nicknamed "Nenê" (a variation of Brazilian Portuguese for baby) because he was the youngest in both his family and his group of childhood friends. Like most Brazilian children, he played soccer from an early age; due to his skills, he was invited to train with pro clubs. In the mid-1990s, he started playing basketball at Escola de Basquete Meneghelli in his hometown. He later played professionally for Vasco da Gama from 1999 to 2002. In 2001, he joined the Brazilian national team and participated in the Goodwill Games.
Nenê's successful three-year stint playing in Brazil earned him an NBA pre-draft camp invitation in Chicago in 2002. He was later selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft by the New York Knicks, who traded him to the Denver Nuggets. He was the first Brazilian ever to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft.
Nenê began the 2002–03 season as a bench player, but ended it as a starter, averaging 10.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals. He ranked sixth in the NBA in field goal percentage (.519) and 20th in steals. He subsequently earned NBA All-Rookie first team honors.
In his second season, Nenê played and started in 77 games, averaging 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 32.5 minutes per games. He ranked fourth in the NBA in field goal percentage (.530).