Who Is The Birdman?

Title:
Who Is The Birdman?

Description:
ESPN.com video Chris Andersen (born July 7, 1978 in Long Beach, California), nicknamed Birdman is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association, currently of the Denver Nuggets. The 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), 228 lb (103 kg; 16.3 st) center/power forward received a two year ban from the NBA in 2006 for violating the league's drug policy, but was reinstated on March 4, 2008 and re-signed by the Hornets the next day. Andersen grew up in Iola, Texas and played one year at Blinn College. He went undrafted in the 1999 NBA Draft and began his professional career in the Chinese Basketball League, and has played in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets and the New Orleans Hornets. On January 25, 2006, Andersen was disqualified from the NBA for violating the league's anti-drug policy by testing positive for a banned substance. Andersen's suspension fell under the league's category of "drugs of abuse," violation of which is possible grounds for expulsion from the NBA under the league's collective bargaining agreement. Andersen attempted to appeal the ruling through arbitration, but the arbitrator ruled to uphold his dismissal in March 2006.[3] He was eligible for reinstatement effective January 25, 2008. On March 4, 2008, the NBA and NBA Players Association granted Andersen's request to be reinstated as an NBA player. The reinstatement was effective immediately, and the rights to his services belonged to his former team, the New Orleans Hornets, who signed him to a contract on March 5, 2008. On March 25, 2008, in a game against the Indiana Pacers, he played for the first time in an NBA game since being banned. Following the 2007-08 NBA season, Chris Andersen was released from the Hornets to free agency. Andersen agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Nuggets on July 24, 2008[6]. Andersen is currently second in the league in blocks per game at 2.42 per contest, despite a mere 20.5 minutes of playtime per game. His 5.68 blocks per 48 minutes played is the best in the NBA.

Author:
cubanofrv

Tags:
1978 in Long Beach, California),