Athletes - Erick Dampier

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	Athletes - Erick Dampier

Erick Trevez Dampier (born July 14, 1975) is a 6'11"/ 265 lbs. center who currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. His nickname is "Damp".

Dampier played college basketball at Mississippi State University for four years. He lead that school to the 1996 Southeastern Conference tournament championship, and the NCAA Final Four before being drafted in the first round by the Indiana Pacers.

He played 72 games in his rookie year with the Pacers, starting 21 of them and finishing with averages of 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. On August 12 1997 he and Duane Ferrell were traded to the Golden State Warriors for likely future Hall of Famer Chris Mullin.

He spent the next seven years, primarily as the starting center, for the Warriors, hitting his peak production in 2003-04 with averages of 12.3 points, 12 rebounds and 1.85 blocks per game. However, some criticized that he stepped up his production because he was in a contract year, and indeed he was considered a top free-agent commodity in the 2004 offseason.

Eventually he signed with the Mavericks, and in his first season in Dallas he played in 59 games (starting 56), averaging 9.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.85 blocks per game. However, in the 2005 playoffs, he played against elite centers Yao Ming and Amare Stoudemire and was criticized as inconsistent and foul-prone.

In his second Mavs season, Dampier acquired a decent backup in DeSagana Diop. Together, they form one of the strongest defensive center rotations in the NBA.

Player profile

Dampier is a big and powerful player who possesses good footwork for a center. Dampier's offensive input is limited, but he is a decent defender. He is also rarely injured, having played 229 of 246 possible team games in his last three years.

Trivia

Dampier once proclaimed that he was the second-best center in the NBA (behind Shaquille O'Neal). Although Dampier is an above average center, he became the target of jokes by Shaquille O'Neal, who said while being injured he "played like Erick Dampier".

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