Al Jefferson

Al Jefferson was born on January 4, 1985, in Monticello, Mississippi. He attended Prentiss High School in Prentiss, Mississippi, where he became a highly regarded high school All-American. He averaged 42.6 points, 18 rebounds, and seven blocks per game in his senior year (2004). Instead of attending college, Jefferson declared for the NBA Draft, where he was selected 15th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2004 NBA Draft. He was the first high school player drafted by the Celtics.

Jefferson played 14 seasons in the NBA, beginning his professional career with the Boston Celtics (2004–2007). He later played for the Minnesota Timberwolves (2007–2010), Utah Jazz (2010–2013), Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets (2013–2016), and Indiana Pacers (2016–2018). Consistently a strong performer, Jefferson built a reputation as a dominant low-post scorer and rebounder. A significant milestone in his career was earning Third-Team All-NBA honors in 2014 while playing for the Charlotte Hornets. He also received NBA All-Rookie Second Team recognition in 2005. Throughout his career, Jefferson averaged 15.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists across 915 games.

Key achievements include his career-high 40 points, achieved twice (2008, 2013), and a career-high 26 rebounds (2010). He consistently ranked among the league leaders in rebounding and scoring for big men, including ranking 5th in NBA rebounding (2007-08 season) and 2nd in offensive rebounds (2007-08 season). Jefferson was named NBA Player of the Week multiple times (March 2007, January 2008, January 2009, April 2012, March 2013, March 2014, April 2014) and Player of the Month twice (March 2014, April 2014). After his NBA career, he joined the BIG3 league in 2019, announcing his retirement from the NBA on March 23, 2019.