Alexis Ajinca

Alexis Ajinca is a French professional basketball player. Born in Saint-Etienne, France Ajinca has played in the National Basketball Association for over nine (9) seasons. Prior to joining NBA, his early years of playing basketball started in 2006. While playing for Pau-Orthez and Hyeres-Toulon, Ajinca attended the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (INSEP). INSEP is a French training institute known for being a center of excellence when it comes to sports that train elite athletes.

During the French Cup, Ajinca played a major role for his team in reaching the semifinals. With his great offense strategy, notwithstanding the seven (7) blocks and redirected passes, Ajinca manages to prevent other teams from shooting scores. Despite being a seven (7) footer player, Ajinca has great athleticism that can make solid passes along the way. His accurate awareness of the other players makes him a good shot blocker. Quick on his feet, his rebounding skill is also good.

In 2008, Alexis Ajinca was then drafted in the 2008 NBA Draft. He was selected as the 20th overall pick and played for Charlotte Bobcats. His rookie years were spent under the NBA Development League, particularly with Sioux Falls Skyforce. On his second season, he spent it with Maine Red Claws. Both teams are professional basketball team of America that plays under the NBA G League.

From 2010 - 2011, Ajinca was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Along with Tyson Chandler, the two players were traded in exchange for Erick Dampier, Eduardo Najera, and Matt Carroll. Ajinca ranked 43 in the overall NBA Draft in 2011. He was then traded to the Toronto Raptors.

From 2011 until 2013, Alexis Ajinca returned to France and joined Paris-Levallois. After trying out the team for one week, he left the team and joined Hyeres-Toulon. He only played two games with Hyeres-Toulon before parting ways with them.

From 2013 to 2018, Ajinca signed with New Orleans Pelicans. One of his record career highs while playing for the team is scoring 28 points with 15 rebounds winning against Los Angeles Lakers in a 110-102. Ajinca then missed out on playing for the 2017 to 2018 season due to undergoing surgery on his right patellar tendon.