For 90 days, get to know more about the international faces of the NBA. Day 16 brings…
José Manuel Calderón (PG, New York Knicks), Spain
Height: 1.91 m, 6-foot-3 | Weight: 95.7 kg, 211 pounds | Born: 28 September, 1981
José Calderón doesn't waste time.
At 13, he left his hometown of Villanueva de la Serana to play in Vitoria. Before he turned 20, his basketball resume boasted a championship in Spain's nationwide competition and a gold medal in FIBA's Under-18 Championship. And by 24, he had worked his way into the NBA, and in two years onto the starting lineup of the Toronto Raptors.
Calderón is a point guard in the truest sense. He has superb ball handling, acute court vision, and one of the best assist/turnover ratios in the league -- ranked first in 2011-12 (4.50), second in 2012-13 (4.11) and fourth in 2013-14 (3.66). And during the 2013-14 season, Calderón was dynamite from the three-point line, hitting a career-high 191 (seventh in the NBA) in 81 starts.
The Spanish star left the Mavericks and joins the Knicks this upcoming season. With his high court-conductor IQ, passing rate and leadership, he'll waste no time making Madison Square Garden his new home and helping the Knicks become real contenders.
Key Stats:
2013-14 Season: GP: 81 | MPG: 30.5 | PTS: 11.4 | REB: 2.4 | AST: 4.7
Season Highlights:
He hit a career-high 191 three pointers (seventh in NBA) over 30.5 minutes in 81 games (all starts). On 20 December 2013, he scored 23 points with 9 assists against the Toronto Raptors.
Awards:
*He won the Copa del Rey (His Majesty's Cup) while playing with TAU Vitoria in Spain
*He won the gold medal at the 1998 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, as well as the Bronze medal in the Under-20 Championship with Spain's national youth team
* He won two silver medals (2003, 2007) and one gold medal in the 2011 European Basketball Championship
*He won the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan
* He won silver medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics
5 Things to Know:
1. He has two dogs, Curro and Homer (after Homer Simpson).
2. He is the co-owner of an organic pig farm.
3. He holds the highest free throw percentage (98.1%) in a season (2008-09) record. He shot 154 free throws and missed three.
4. He had lasik surgery to correct his vision.
5. He has several nicknames: The Ocho, The Ocho Special, Mr. Catering.
Check out Calderón's photos and video in the LEAGUE section of NBA Game Time.
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