# Mavs cut loose former first-round big man Podkolzin



## edwardcyh (Dec 13, 2005)

*Mavs cut loose former first-round big man Podkolzin*
Associated Press

DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks on Friday released 7-foot-5 Russian center Pavel Podkolzin, a former first-round pick who played just six games in two seasons.

The move came a day after the Mavericks signed undrafted free agent Pops Mensah-Bonsu, a 6-foot-9 forward from George Washington who got the team's attention with solid summer league play.

Podkolzin, who was acquired from Utah after being picked 21st in the 2004 draft, missed the first 59 games of last season with a broken right foot. He averaged 0.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 4.7 minutes in his six games. He spent some time with Fort Worth of the NBDL but was no longer eligible to play there.

"Pavel has made big strides and had a very bright future, but at 21 years of age, playing experience is imperative to his development," said Donnie Nelson, Dallas' president of basketball operations.


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## edwardcyh (Dec 13, 2005)

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2539808 

Forgot the link


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## Saint Baller (May 3, 2006)

:banana:

YES


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## xray (Feb 21, 2005)

Q: What do you call the act of a balloon deflating rapidly?

A: *BUST*


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## xray (Feb 21, 2005)

I do feel kinda sorry for the guy; remember he had to have brain surgery before he could suit up.

Which begs the question: Shouldn't it throw up a red flag when a guy has to have brain surgery before he plays for you? :curse:


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## edwardcyh (Dec 13, 2005)

bray1967 said:


> Q: What do you call the act of a balloon deflating rapidly?
> 
> A: *BUST*


But according to dictionary.com, a bust is a:

1. A sculpture representing a person's head, shoulders, and upper chest. 

2. A woman's bosom. The human chest.


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## edwardcyh (Dec 13, 2005)

bray1967 said:


> I do feel kinda sorry for the guy; remember he had to have brain surgery before he could suit up.
> 
> Which begs the question: Shouldn't it throw up a red flag when a guy has to have brain surgery before he plays for you? :curse:


He had a brain surgery? Do you know what it was for? I remember there is a 7-8 giant coming out of China who wanted to play basketball here in the U.S., but he had to have a brain surgery to remove a tumor that caused his abnormally large size...

Was that a similar case?


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## xray (Feb 21, 2005)

edwardcyh said:


> He had a brain surgery? Do you know what it was for? I remember there is a 7-8 giant coming out of China who wanted to play basketball here in the U.S., but he had to have a brain surgery to remove a tumor that caused his abnormally large size...
> 
> Was that a similar case?


Correct. His pituitary gland was going crazy, as some of these giants' tend to do. Apparantly, it's a bad deal if you don't get it taken care of.


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## xray (Feb 21, 2005)

http://nbadraft.net/jaberstory.asp

Pretty good read about a dude with the same disorder.

"Jaber was born with the same pituitary gland disorder as fellow draft prospect *Pavel Podkolzine*. Also known as “giantism”, it is a disorder related to the pituitary gland which is involved in growth. Left untreated people with this disorder often die from it in their 30‘s or 40‘s as their body cannot sustain the growth."


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

I don't know if it was exactly the same thing, but isn't that what killed Andre The Giant?


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## Saint Baller (May 3, 2006)

Yeah pretty much, he grew to much and his body couldnt handle it or somthing


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## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

Bad move cutting Pavel. He was gonna own the league.


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

_Dre_ said:


> I don't know if it was exactly the same thing, but isn't that what killed Andre The Giant?



He had a heart attack at his father's funeral, I believe.


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## L (Sep 20, 2005)

:banana:
YAY!!!!!!
HES GONE!!!!!


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## Chalie Boy (Aug 26, 2002)

:banana: :banana: :banana: 

Why didn't we just draft somebody else?!


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## StackAttack (Mar 15, 2006)

Chalie Boy said:


> :banana: :banana: :banana:
> 
> Why didn't we just draft somebody else?!


Weak draft, the only person I would've liked would be Sideshow Bob aka Anderson Varejao.


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## Chalie Boy (Aug 26, 2002)

StackAttack said:


> Weak draft, the only person I would've liked would be Sideshow Bob aka Anderson Varejao.


Yeah or Harrison would also have been a decent pick up


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## StackAttack (Mar 15, 2006)

Nocioni was in that draft too, went undrafted...


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## Chalie Boy (Aug 26, 2002)

StackAttack said:


> Nocioni was in that draft too, went undrafted...


You are right, he would be great to have on this team...I just hated the pick of Pokashjahdjksnjkzn from day one and it just never really made ANY sense to me.


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## Gambino (Feb 11, 2004)

Great News.The projects was not going to work here. :banana:


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

Dissonance19 said:


> He had a heart attack at his father's funeral, I believe.





> Sadly, over the years the effects of acromegaly had continued to wear down his body. Eventually his immense size was just too much for his heart, and Andre the Giant died in Paris, France in his hotel room on January 27, 1993. His ashes were later taken home and spread over his North Carolina ranch.


Maybe he was at a funeral, but I doubt it. 

http://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/


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