After starting in Crvena zvezda and while playing for PAOK, Stojaković was drafted 14th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 1996 NBA draft. In the NBA, he had a breakthrough season in 2000–01 following two seasons on the bench, averaging 20.4 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting .400 from three-point range in his first season as a starter. He finished second in voting for the 2001 Most Improved Player Award. A three-time All-star and a member of the 2004 All-NBA Second Team, Stojaković enjoyed success with the Kings reaching the 2002 Western Conference Finals. He also played for the Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets and Toronto Raptors. Stojaković won an NBA Championship in 2011 as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.
On 19 December 2011 he announced his retirement from playing professional basketball.[5] On 16 December 2014 the Sacramento Kings retired his number.[6]
In 1993, at the age of 16, Stojaković moved to Thessaloniki, Greece. Stojaković's father stayed behind in his homeland, and fought in the Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, against the Croatian Army, until the fall of western Slavonia, in 1995, when he joined his son in Thessaloniki.[7] Many of Stojaković's relatives now live in Serbia.[7]
Professional career
Red Star Belgrade (1992–1993)
At 15 years of age, Stojaković joined the Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) basketball club. With Red Star, he played in 2 senior men's level seasons (1992–93 and 1993–94 seasons). With the club, he also won a FR Yugoslav national championship, in the 1992–93 season. In the 1993–94 season, he only played in the FR Yugoslav national cup tournament. With Red Star, he played in a total of 39 games, in which he scored a total of 113 points, for a scoring average of 2.9 points per game.[9]
Stojaković scored a memorable last-second three-pointer against Olympiacos, in Piraeus, in a 1998 Greek League playoff semifinals series, which won the game for PAOK, by a score of 58–55.[11] That victory, which ended the five-year reign of Olympiacos as Greek League champions, allowed PAOK to face Panathinaikos in the league's finals series, although the club had a disadvantage in home games, and ultimately lost the five-game series (and the league's championship) 3–2. Stojaković, who was closely guarded throughout the series by his future head coach in New Orleans, Byron Scott, who was wrapping up his basketball playing career, as one of Panathinaikos' key players, did not play at his normal level.
In his final season with PAOK, Stojaković averaged 23.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in the Greek League, and 20.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game in the European-wide top level EuroLeague's 1997–98 season.[12]
Sacramento Kings (1998–2006)
Stojaković was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the first round (14th overall pick) of the 1996 NBA draft while playing in Greece. He continued to play there until the Kings signed him prior to the 1998–99 NBA lockout season. After two seasons on the bench with Sacramento, he had a breakthrough season in 2000–01, averaging 20.4 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting .400 from three-point range in his first season as a starter. He finished second in voting for the 2001 Most Improved Player Award.
In 2001–02, he played in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time. His scoring average went up to 21.2 ppg, and he reached career highs in shooting percentage (.484) and three-point percentage (.416). His scoring average dropped slightly to 19.2 ppg in 2002–03, but he played again in the All-Star Game. In both seasons, he won the Three-Point Contest conducted during All-Star Weekend.
In 2003–04, Stojaković was again selected as an All-Star, and finished second in the league in scoring with a career-high 24.2 ppg. He finished fourth in MVP voting and was voted on to the All-NBA 2nd Team. He also led the NBA in free-throw percentage (.933) and three-pointers made for the season (240). In 2004–05, he missed 16 games to injury, and was somewhat hampered in several games, but still averaged 20.1 ppg. Stojaković's number 16 was retired by the Sacramento Kings on 16 December 2014.[13]
Indiana Pacers (2006)
On 25 January 2006 Stojaković was traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for forward Ron Artest, ending his eight-year tenure with the Kings.[14] However, he missed four games of their first round playoff series with the New Jersey Nets, all losses.
New Orleans Hornets (2006–2010)
During the 2006 offseason, he agreed to a deal with the then-New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets worth $64 million over five years.[15] On 14 November 2006 Stojaković scored a career-high 42 points against the Charlotte Bobcats, and became the first player in NBA history to open the game with 20 straight points for his team.[16] His strong start to the season was halted by injuries, as a result missing all but the first 13 games of the 2006–07 season.
Stojaković bounced back the following season, starting all 77 games he played in, and was a key contributor in helping the Hornets win a franchise-record 56 games, and their first ever division title. In the first two games of their second round match-up against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, both wins, Stojaković averaged 23.5 points per game while shooting 63.7% from the three-point line.[17] The Hornets ultimately lost to the Spurs in seven games, ending their run.
The Hornets core of Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, David West and Stojaković would keep the Hornets in contention the following year, but injuries and the trade of Chandler forced New Orleans into a team rebuild, making the veteran Stojaković expendable.
After appearing in only two games, on 20 January 2011, Stojaković was released by the Raptors. He had missed 26 games due to a left knee injury.[19]
Dallas Mavericks (2011)
On 24 January 2011 Stojaković signed a deal with the Dallas Mavericks.[20] The Mavericks won the NBA championship that year,[21] with Stojaković averaging 7.1 points per game during the Mavericks' playoff run.[22] He scored more than 20 points in two different playoff games for the Mavericks.[22]
On 19 December 2011 Stojaković announced his retirement, citing ongoing back and neck problems that hindered his play later in his career.[5]
Post-playing career
In August 2015, Stojaković was appointed director of player personnel and development for the Sacramento Kings.[23] In May 2018, Stojaković was announced as Assistant General Manager.[24] In this role, he is serving as General Manager for the Stockton Kings, the Kings' NBA Development League affiliate.[25] On 15 August 2020 the Sacramento Kings announced that Stojaković had stepped down from his position of assistant general manager.[26]
Stojaković acquired full Greek citizenship at the age of 17, while he was playing with PAOK in Greece.[28][29] His name, in Greek transliteration, is Prentragk "Petza" Kinis Stogiakovits (Greek: Πρέντραγκ "Πέτζα" Κίνης Στογιάκοβιτς). Stojaković also speaks Greek.[30][31]
He is married to Greek model Aleka Kamila. The couple has three children, including Andrej (born 2004), who currently plays basketball for the California Golden Bears.[32][33] In 2014, the family lived in Glyfada, Greece.[34]
Stojaković served in the Hellenic Army, a mandatory service for each male Greek citizen.[35][36] He also runs the Peja Stojaković Children's Foundation, which is a charity that is designed to help improve the lives of children in the Balkan countries of Serbia, Montenegro, and Greece.
4th in NBA history in career free-throw percentage at .895[37]
23rd in NBA history in 3-pointers made with 1,760[38]
9th in NBA playoff history in free-throw percentage at .900[39]
28th in NBA history in 3-pointers attempted with 4,392[40]
First player in NBA history to start a game off by scoring 20 consecutive points for his team.[16]
He and Steve Nash of Phoenix were the only players to rank in the top 25 in both free-throw and 3-point percentage during the '04–'05 and '05–'06 seasons.[41]
