Pape Sow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Power forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Weight | 250 lb (114 kg) |
| Team | Toronto Raptors |
| Nationality | |
| Born | November 22, 1981 Dakar, Senegal |
| College | Cal State Fullerton |
| Draft | 2nd round, 47th overall, 2004 Miami Heat |
| Pro career | 2004–present |
Pape Sow (pronounced Pop So) (born November 22, 1981, in Dakar, Senegal) is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Toronto Raptors of the NBA.
Sow was drafted by the Miami Heat in the second round, 47th selection, of the 2004 NBA Draft. The draft rights to Sow were acquired by the Toronto Raptors (along with a 2005 second round pick from the Heat) for the draft rights to center Albert Miralles, the 39th overall pick.
Sow played his NBA rookie season for the Raptors and showed considerable promise with his athleticism and aggressiveness in the paint although only netting 2.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game.
After missing the entire 2005-06 pre-season play with a groin injury and playing one game with Toronto in the regular season, he was assigned to the Arkansas RimRockers of the D-League, where he wowed fans by posting a 40-point performance against the Fort Worth Flyers. In a game against the Austin Toros, Sow scored an outstanding double-double of 27 points and a D-League season-high 24 rebounds.
On January 18, 2006, Sow was called up to the Raptors by then-general manager Rob Babcock. Initially, head coach Sam Mitchell said in a radio interview that "I have no minutes for Pape Sow. We have no injuries. He's going to practice with us, he's going to be with the team. But I have no minutes for (Sow)." [1] However, due to a shoulder injury to center Rafael Araujo (who also suffered from poor play prior to the injury), Sow was able to get regular playing time.
Sow is fluent in three languages, English, French, and his native Wolof. Sow attended college at California State University, Fullerton, where he was named 2nd Team All-Big West Conference in 2002. He is also a fan favorite, with fans being magnified to his blue collar effort and endearing smile.
On the first day of the 2006 Summer League season, Sow broke his vertebra during practice after driving to the hoop and falling to the ground while colliding with a teammate. Sow returned to action on January 22, 2007, playing the final 3 minutes and scoring 3 points in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats. [2]
- Pape Sow's bio from NBA.com
- Sow in action as the RimRockers defeated the Austin Toros on December 23 2005 [3]
- Sow commented on by the RimRockers teammate Clay Tucker during his interview on January 6 2006 [4]
- Sow and Andre Barrett interviewed on April 6 2006 [5]
- "Broken neck, intact spirit" (Toronto Star article)
| 2004 NBA Draft | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Round Dwight Howard | Emeka Okafor | Ben Gordon | Shaun Livingston | Devin Harris | Josh Childress | Luol Deng | Rafael Araújo | Andre Iguodala | Luke Jackson | Andris Biedriņš | Robert Swift | Sebastian Telfair | Kris Humphries | Al Jefferson | Kirk Snyder | Josh Smith | J.R. Smith | Dorell Wright | Jameer Nelson | Pavel Podkolzin | Viktor Khryapa | Sergei Monia | Delonte West | Tony Allen | Kevin Martin | Sasha Vujačić | Beno Udrih | David Harrison |
||
| Second Round Anderson Varejão | Jackson Vroman | Peter John Ramos | Lionel Chalmers | Donta Smith | Andre Emmett | Antonio Burks | Royal Ivey | Chris Duhon | Albert Miralles | Justin Reed | David Young | Viktor Sanikidze | Trevor Ariza | Tim Pickett | Bernard Robinson | Ha Seung-Jin | Pape Sow | Ricky Minard | Sergei Lishouk | Vassilis Spanoulis | Christian Drejer | Romain Sato | Matt Freije | Rickey Paulding | Luis Flores | Marcus Douthit | Sergei Karaulov | Blake Stepp | Rashad Wright |
||