Francisco Elson
Francisco Marinho Robby Elson (born 28 February 1976) is a Dutch former professional basketball player. Elson was the seventh Dutch player to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Elson served as the captain of the Netherlands national basketball team in international basketball, as he led the team in several EuroBasket qualifying rounds. He was the first Dutch player to become NBA champion, with the San Antonio Spurs in 2007. Youth and college career Elson started his career at AMVJ Rotterdam at the age of twelve. After a couple of years playing, he stopped after his older brother Patrick died of a heart attack while playing basketball at the age of 21. His gym teacher at the Maria School asked him to return to the club at the age of sixteen. He played one game in the Eredivisie, the highest level Dutch league, in the 1994–95 season for Rotterdam. Elson was a member of the Dutch Under-20 National Team. He played two seasons at Kilgore Junior College in Texas before completing his college at the University of California, Berkeley. As a senior, he helped lead the Bears to the NIT Championship. Elson was inducted into Kilgore College's Hall of Fame in 2016. Professional career Elson was drafted in the second round of the 1999 NBA draft from Cal by the Denver Nuggets, but did not commence play with them until the 2003–04 campaign. He played four years in Spain: 1999–2001 with FC Barcelona averaging 3.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 32 games for his first season and 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in 34 games for the second. 2001–02 with Pamesa Valencia averaging 4.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 34 games. 2002–03 with Caja San Fernando averaging 9.7 point and 8.2 rebounds in 34 games. Over his first two seasons with Denver, Elson was mostly a reserve. He averaged 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. In 2005–06, his third season with the Nuggets, Elson played in 72 games and started in 54 of them. He averaged 21.9 minutes, 4.9 points (on 53.2% shooting) and 4.7 rebounds per game. Elson gained notoriety during Denver's 2004 playoff series with Minnesota through his physical attempts to contain Kevin Garnett. Elson knocked Garnett into the seats behind the basket with a hard foul early in a game and later in the game was hit in the groin by Garnett. Elson caused controversy when he described Garnett as "gay" for the groin shot. Elson later apologized to the gay and lesbian community for his comments. In July 2006 Elson signed a 2-year, $6 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs. This was to help provide depth at center by replacing Nazr Mohammed and Rasho Nesterovic. Elson split time at center with Fabricio Oberto, with Elson providing rebounding and defense. Elson won his first NBA Championship in 2007 after the Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers. On 21 February 2008 Elson was traded by the San Antonio Spurs along with Brent Barry to the Sonics in