Jose Calderon
From Hoopedia
José Manuel Calderón (born September 28, 1981, in Villanueva de la Serena, Badajoz) is a Spanish professional basketball player with the NBA's Toronto Raptors. He plays as point guard.
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European Career
The 6'3", 210 lb guard spent the previous six seasons playing in Europe, where he led the Spanish team TAU Cerámica to an appearance in the 2005 Euroleague Final Four where they finished second.
NBA
Rookie Season
Calderón signed with the Toronto Raptors on August 3, 2005. Known as a talented playmaker, Calderón struggled with his shooting in his first year in the NBA. Many basketball analysts considered the shooting problems a mental issue, as Calderón was a top shooter in the Spanish League. By the end of the 2005-06 NBA season, he was ranked third among all rookies in assists with 4.5 per game. He finished the season with 64 played games, having started in 11 of them. He averaged 5.5 points, 4.5 assists, 2.2 rebounds and an assists-per-turnover ratio of 2.85.
2006-07 Season
Throughout the 2006-07 season, Calderón played primarily as backup to T.J. Ford, turning in solid numbers from the bench. As acknowledged by coach Sam Mitchell as well as his team mates, Calderón's form was instrumental to the Raptors' push for a playoff spot, and later, the Atlantic Division title. On December 17, 2006, Calderón suffered a back injury during a play with 32 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors. He was taken off the court on a stretcher. However, tests revealed he sustained a contusion to his left lower back, the team said in a statement. The tests suggested a soft tissue injury with no significant underlying bone, neurological or major organ damage. He returned to play in the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on December 22. He scored a career-high 24 points on January 31 2007 against the Washington Wizards. Calderón ended his 2006-07 regular season with improved averages of 8.8 points and 5.1 assists per game and .525 in field goal percentage, even though he had less playing time compared to his rookie season.
International Career
Calderón has enjoyed a successful international career. When he played for Spain's national youth team, he won the gold medal at the 1998 European Junior Championship, as well as the bronze medal at the 2000 European Under-20 Championship. As his career advanced, Calderón began appearing for the Spanish national senior team. Calderón was part of the Spanish national team which finished fifth at the 2002 World Championships and second at the 2003 European Championships. He was later named the team captain during the 2004 Summer Olympics, and on September 3, 2006, Calderón and his Spanish squad defeated Greece, and won the 2006 FIBA World Championship along with future Raptors teammate, Jorge Garbajosa.
Off the Court
On March 2, 2007, the Raptors announced that Calderón was named as a Right To Play Athlete Ambassador. Right To Play is an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play as a tool for the development of children and youth in the most disadvantaged areas of the world.
