Eduardo Najera
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Eduardo Najera (born July 11, 1976 in Meoqui, Chihuahua, Mexico) is a basketball player in the National Basketball Association, currently playing forward for the Denver Nuggets. He is known for his rebounding and his tenacity on defense. He saw significant action as a member of the Dallas Mavericks in 2000-01 and 2001-02, but recurrent knee injuries have limited his action in the past two years.
Najera is only the second Mexican-born player to join the NBA, and is hugely popular among both native Mexicans and Mexican-Americans.
Najera played college basketball at the University of Oklahoma from 1997-2000, becoming a major star there. He helped the team to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances during his college career, as well as finishing in the school's all-time top ten in nine statistical categories.
Najera helped Mexico achieve fourth place finishes in the 1999 World Games and World University Games. Eduardo received the Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame, an award given to a player who has demonstrated personal character both on and off the court, and has served as a United Nations Drug Control Program Goodwill Ambassador for Sports Against Drugs.
Najera established the Eduardo Najera Foundation for Latino Achievement in 2004, which provides college scholarships for outstanding Latino students facing barriers to their educations.
External link
- NBA.com: Eduardo Najera (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/eduardo_najera/?nav=page)