Ian Mahinmi

From Hoopedia

Ian Mahinmi (pronounced [jan ˌmaˈhɪnmi]; born November 5, 1986 in Rouen, France) is a French basketball player. At 6'10" and 225 lbs, he plays the position of power forward.

Mahinmi was born to a Beninese father and Jamaican mother. After playing with the French National Team he signed his first contract with the club STB Le Havre (France). He played two seasons with Le Havre, averaging 9.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 2005-06.[1] For 2006-07, he signed a contract with Pau Orthez in France's top professional league.

When Ian Mahinmi was selected 28th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, other teams and league officials were surprised because he wasn't among the 128 players listed in the league's draft guide. Mahinmi has yet to be brought over to the NBA by the Spurs organization and is generally considered a "project" that is a couple of years from competing in the NBA. The Spurs' interest in Mahinmi relates to their need for an athletic big man since David Robinson retired. Playing for the Spurs' 2006 summer-league team at Rocky Mountain Revue, Mahinmi demonstrated his athleticism, but the Spurs' coaching staff is concerned that he is not yet sufficiently "big." He is good at establishing position near the basket, but he has difficulty maintaining position without fouling. The strength and nutrition program at Pau is considered more developed than at Le Havre, and the Spurs intend to have a strength coach monitor his progress. In 2007, he won the French Cup.