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Revision as of 01:25, 24 November 2006
Ian Mahinmi (born November 5 1986 in Rouen, France) is a French basketball player. At 6'10" and 210 to 230 lbs, he plays the position of power forward and has been compared to the likes of Emeka Okafor.
Mahinmi was born to a Beninese father and Jamaican mother. After playing with the French National Team he signed his first contract 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. For 2006-07, he has signed a contract with Pau Orthez in France's top professional league.
When Ian Mahinmi (pronounced YAHN mah-IN-mee) was selected 28th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, other teams and league officials were surprised as 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 are concerned that he is not yet sufficiently "big." He is good at establishing position near the basket, but 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.
Trivia
- One NBA draft expert compared Mahinmi to a young Dennis Rodman without the hair and earrings and eccentric nature.
- Mahinmi is a former volleyball player and the champion Spurs held a volleyball game during the championship celebration in Texas.
References
- nbadraft.net Player Profile
- basketballinfo.com Player Stats
- http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA073006.01C.BKNspurs.mahinmi.1759f2a.html Spurs' 2005 draft pick Mahinmi remains intriguing work in progress, San Antonio Express/New, July 29, 2006