Juan Dixon
Encyclopedia
Juan Dixon is an American 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. Dixon led the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...

 Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...

 to their first NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 championship in 2002 and earned Most Outstanding Player
NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player
At the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball championships , the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player. The MOP need not be, but almost always is a member of the Championship team, especially since the third place game was eliminated after 1981...

 honors at the 2002 Final Four
2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 2002, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Atlanta, Georgia...

.

Early life

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Dixon played high school basketball at Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School is a Catholic college preparatory high school for boys located in Towson, Maryland, United States...

 in Baltimore and scored 1,590 career points under the tutelage of head coach Mark Amatucci. Both his mother, Juanita, and father, Phil, were heroin addicts, and died of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

-related illnesses before Dixon was 17 years old. He was then raised by his grandparents Roberta and Warnick Graves in Baltimore, Maryland.

College career

He attended the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...

 and became Maryland's all-time scoring leader when he scored 29 points against Wisconsin to help Maryland advance to the Sweet Sixteen, passing Len Bias
Len Bias
Leonard Kevin "Len" Bias was a first team All-American college basketball player at the University of Maryland. He was selected by the Boston Celtics as the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft on June 17, but died two days later from cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose...

 (2,149 points). He also became the only player in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 history to accumulate 2,000 points, 300 steals and 200 three-point field goal
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...

s. He led the Maryland Terrapins
University of Maryland athletics
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 27 men's and women's athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...

 to their first NCAA Men's Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...

 in his senior year in 2002. Playing under coach Gary Williams
Gary Williams
Gary B. Williams is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University. In 2002, he led Maryland to the NCAA Tournament Championship...

, the 6' 3", 164 lb Dixon was able to overcome adversity and his small frame and became recognized as one of the nation's best college players and was honored as the 2002 ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year
ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the men's basketball player in the Atlantic Coast Conference voted by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association as the most outstanding player...

 and ACC Athlete of the Year
ACC Athlete of the Year
The Atlantic Coast Conference Athlete of the Year award is given to the male and female athlete who show extraordinary talent throughout the entire season. The award is decided by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association....

. Coach Williams stated that "Juan just has the heart of a tiger, which separates him from the rest of the players in the country". After his senior season, Dixon was featured on the cover of a video game, NCAA Final Four
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...

.
In addition to leaving Maryland as the school's all-time scoring leader, Dixon also left as the Terrapins' all-time leader in three-pointers made (239) and attempted (615). He is second on Maryland's all-time steals list with 333 and third in free-throw percentage (.850). Dixon also stands as Maryland's all-time NCAA Tournament scoring leader with 294. Upon completion of his career, Dixon's #3 jersey was honored and now hangs in the Comcast Center
Comcast Center (arena)
Comcast Center is the arena for the University of Maryland Terrapins men’s and women's basketball teams. The Comcast Center, dubbed "The House Gary Built", was ranked the 7th toughest venue to play in by EA Sports. The on-campus facility is named for the Comcast Corporation, which purchased a...

. In 2002, Juan Dixon was honored as a part of the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team
ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team
In 2002 the Atlantic Coast Conference selected 50th anniversary teams for most of its sports. The 50-member men's basketball team was voted on by a 120-member blue-ribbon committee that was selected by the league's 50th Anniversary Committee....

, one of only 8 Terrapins selected to the 50-man team.

NBA

Dixon was drafted 17th overall by the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...

 in the 2002 NBA Draft
2002 NBA Draft
The 2002 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2002 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting 57 amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from non-North...

. He spent the first three years of his NBA career with the Wizards. In his final season in Washington (2004–2005), he averaged eight points per game, including a career-high 35 points in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

. Dixon signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

 with the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...

 during the summer of 2005. Soon after, his Wizards and Terrapins teammate and friend Steve Blake
Steve Blake
Steven Hanson "Steve" Blake is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. Previously, he played for the Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers.-High school:Blake spent his freshman and sophomore year...

 signed with Portland as well. In his first game back in D.C., Dixon was given a standing ovation from the Verizon Center
Verizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...

 crowd upon coming off the bench towards the end of the first quarter. In Dixon's first year with the Blazers, he started 42 times and played in 76 games. In his last year with the Wizards, he only started four games and played in 63. He also increased his scoring, assists, and shooting percentage considerably in Portland. However, he was later traded at the 2007 NBA trade deadline to Toronto for Fred Jones
Fred Jones
Frederick Terrell Jones is an American professional basketball player who plays at the shooting guard position.-Early career:...

 and future considerations.

On the 2008 NBA trade deadline, February 21, 2008, Dixon was traded from 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...

 to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...

 in exchange for 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...

 Primož Brezec
Primož Brezec
Primož Brezec is a Slovenian professional basketball player with Lokomotiv Kuban of the Russian Super League. He is a 7 ft 1 in tall center. Brezec has played seven seasons in the NBA.-Europe:...

 and cash considerations.

On September 24, 2008, the Washington Wizards signed Dixon to a partially guaranteed one-year deal for $1.03 million, the veterans' minimum for a player with Dixon's experience.

Europe

On November 1, 2009, Dixon signed with Aris Thessaloniki
Aris BC
Aris Basketball Club is the professional basketball team of the Thessaloniki-based Greek sport club Aris Thessaloniki. Aris BC was founded in 1922, eight years after the founding of Aris Thessaloniki....

 of the Greek A1 League
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...

. The next season, he joined Unicaja Málaga of Spain. In February 2010, he was suspended indefinitely by FIBA after testing positive for steroids. In March 2011 he signed with Bandırma Banvit
Bandirma Banvit
-Notable players: Barış Hersek Bekir Yarangüme Can Akın Ersin Görkem Onur Aydın Yunus Çankaya Mickael Mokongo Pero Cameron Paul Henare Vladimir Golubović...

 in Turkey.

Family

Dixon's aunt is Sheila Dixon
Sheila Dixon
Sheila Ann Dixon served as the forty-eighth Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. When former Mayor Martin O'Malley was sworn in as Governor on January 17, 2007, Dixon, a Democrat, became mayor and served out the remaining year of O'Malley's term. In November 2007, she was elected mayor...

, who was the mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. Dixon's half brother is Jermaine Dixon, who played shooting guard for the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...

 Panthers basketball team. His second cousin Brandon Driver plays cornerback for the San Jose State
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...

 Spartans
San José State Spartans Football
The San Jose State Spartans represent San Jose State University and the Silicon Valley in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The Spartans play all home games in Spartan Stadium, which offers a seating capacity of over 30,000...

 football team.

College

Season Averages
Season Team G MIN PPG PTS RPG REB APG AST STL BLK FG% 3P% FT%
1998–99 Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...

34 14.9 7.4 250 2.6 88 1.4 47 47 1 .443 .371 .830
1999–00 Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...

35 34.0 18.0 630 5.5 192 3.6 127 96 11 .462 .363 .865
2000–01 Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...

36 30.5 18.2 654 4.3 153 2.6 93 95 8 .483 .411 .865
2001–02 Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...

36 33.6 20.4 735 4.6 166 2.9 104 89 7 .469 .397 .898
Totals: 141 28.4 16.1 2269 4.2 599 2.6 371 327 27 .468 .389 .850

Regular season

|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2002–03
| style="text-align:left;"| Washington
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...


| 42 || 3 || 15.4 || .384 || .298 || .804 || 1.7 || 1.0 || .6 || .1 || 6.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2003–04
| style="text-align:left;"| Washington
| 71 || 16 || 20.8 || .388 || .298 || .799 || 2.1 || 1.9 || 1.1 || .1 || 9.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2004–05
| style="text-align:left;"| Washington
| 63 || 4 || 16.7 || .416 || .327 || .897 || 1.9 || 1.8 || .7 || .1 || 8.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2005–06
| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...


| 76 || 42 || 25.3 || .435 || .382 || .804 || 2.3 || 2.0 || .8 || .1 || 12.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07
| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| 55 || 1 || 22.6 || .426 || .364 || .833 || 1.5 || 1.5 || .9 || .1 || 8.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07
| style="text-align:left;"| Toronto
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...


| 26 || 5 || 26.3 || .425 || .325 || .932 || 2.8 || 1.6 || 1.0 || .1 || 11.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2007–08
| style="text-align:left;"| Toronto
| 36 || 0 || 11.8 || .369 || .436 || .947 || 1.3 || 1.8 || .6 || .1 || 4.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2007–08
| style="text-align:left;"| Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...


| 17 || 0 || 14.4 || .480 || .394 || .429 || 1.6 || 1.9 || .0 || .0 || 6.5
|-
| style="text-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...


| style="text-align:left;"| Washington
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...


| 50 || 6 || 16.3 || .395 || .333 || .872 || 1.3 || 2.4 || .7 || .1 || 5.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 436 || 77 || 19.5 || .413 || .341 || .833 || 1.9 || 1.8 || .8 || .0 || 8.4

Playoffs

|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2004–05
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...


| style="text-align:left;"| Washington
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...


| 10 || 0 || 21.9 || .406 || .324 || .840 || 2.6 || 1.3 || .7 || .0 || 11.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...


| style="text-align:left;"| Toronto
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...


| 6 || 0 || 10.5 || .381 || .250 || .000 || .7 || .5 || 1.2 || .0 || 3.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2007–08
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....


| style="text-align:left;"| Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...


| 2 || 0 || 3.5 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 18 || 0 || 16.1 || .395 || .310 || .840 || 1.7 || .9 || .8 || .0 || 7.3

External links

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