PHOTO GALLERY
Frederic Weis

Career: INSEP (France-N1, 1992-95), Limoges (France-Pro A, 1995-2000), PAOK Thessaloniki (Greece-ESAKE, 2000-01), Unicaja Malaga (Spain-ACB, 2000-04), Bilbao (Spain-ACB, 2004-07). Selected in the first round of the 2000 NBA draft (#15) by the New York Knicks.

Once considered lost to the National Team and basketball forever, Weis made an unexpected comeback at EuroBasket 2005. Called back at the very end of the training phase because of an injury to Vincent Masingue, Weis was coming off a steady fall from grace with Malaga, but he had an impact right from the start and his influence grew steadily. Long after most had forgotten about his amazing potential, Weis became the intimidating defensive post player France needed, a status he confirmed last summer during the World Championships. He would later say that he was finally playing freely after so many years of second guessing his every move.  It showed for the past two seasons at Bilbao, where he had his best Spanish year so far averaging 6.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest in 2006-07. Drafted by the New York Knicks with the #15 pick of the first round in the 1999 NBA Draft, Weis played poorly during the summer league and was given the unflattering nickname "French Toast" by the ferocious New York City press. He is also remembered worldwide as "the guy Vince Carter jumped over" at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Bad luck, injuries and unfairness have always followed Weis. Few remember that after Carter's dunk, Weis was the main reason France beat Canada and Australia on its way to winning the Olympic silver medal. Whatever your opinion of Weis, he is always around when France wins a medal.


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