- Mario Kasun
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Mario Kasun Position Center Height 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) Weight 260 lb (120 kg) League Adriatic League
Krešimir Ćosić Cup
A1 Liga
FIBA EuroChallengeTeam KK Zagreb Born April 5, 1980
Vinkovci, SR Croatia, SFR YugoslaviaNationality Croatian Draft 41st overall, 2002
Los Angeles ClippersPro career 1998–present Career history KK Velika Gorica (1996–97)
KK Zrinjevac (1997–00)
Gonzaga University (2000–02)
RheinEnergie Köln (2002)
Frankfurt Opel Skyliners (2002–04)
Orlando Magic (2004–06)
AXA FC Barcelona (2006–08)
Efes Pilsen (2008–10)Mario Kasun (born April 5, 1980, in Vinkovci, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Croatian professional basketball player. Currently he is a member of Croatian club KK Zagreb.
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Pro career
Kasun started playing basketball at a local club in Delnice when he was 14, before he started playing professionally with BC Zrinjevac in Zagreb. He was part of the 1998-99 Croatian junior team and the Croatian under-21 team in 2000.
After two seasons in the Zagreb club, and winning the Croatian Cup, in 2000 he moved to the Gonzaga University in the NCAA, but was subsequently suspended by the Croatian Basketball Federation for this abrupt move, and spent two seasons on the bench.
Kasun played at 2002 NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago, being one of the tallest players, and showing some center skills. During 50 minutes over three games, he totalled 20 points and had 14 rebounds and six blocked shots, converting nine of 17 shots (52.9%).[1] In 2002, he was initially selected by the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Los Angeles Clippers in the second round (41st overall) of the 2002 NBA Draft. On June 26, he was traded by the Clippers to the Orlando Magic in exchange for future considerations. Regardless of this, he then moved to Germany to play for the Deutsche Bank Skyliners, based in Frankfurt. With them he won the German championship and also appeared in the 2003-2004 ULEB Cup.
In 2004, he returned to the US to play for the Orlando Magic. In the 2004–05 season he played in 45 games for Orlando and averaged 7.9 minutes per game. In 2005–06, he appeared in 28 games.
In July 2006 he returned to Europe again, signing with FC Barcelona and later in 2008 with Efes Pilsen.
In August 2010 he returned to Croatia and signed a one-year contract with KK Zagreb.[2]
In a March 2005 interview with Inside Hoops, Kasun referred Dražen Petrović as one of his favorite players and number one idol.[3]
Croatian national team
Kasun was part of the Croatian national basketball team at Eurobasket 2005, Eurobasket 2007 and Eurobasket 2009. After a disappointing result for Croatia in the Eurobasket 2009, Mario Kasun announced his retirement from the national team with this words: "This was my last game for the national team. Every time I gave everything on the court, but it seems that is not enough. I need the summer to rest and not be injured. Obviously I am not stable in the head anymore."[4]
Tattoos
Kasun is famous for his tattoos, of which he has 30. He got his first when he was only 15.
His tattoos are mostly related with faith and his family. On his right forearm and wrist he has an angel and four letters: E, D, M and A. Those represent the first letter on the name of every member in his family: E for his sister "Eva", D for his father, "Drago" (angels, inner side of right biceps), M is meant for his own name, "Mario" and A for mother "Ankica" (right rib). On his back he has a big tattoo of another angel, which he describes as “watching my back”.[5]
Notes
External links
2002 NBA Draft First round Yao Ming · Jay Williams · Mike Dunleavy, Jr. · Drew Gooden · Nikoloz Tskitishvili · Dajuan Wagner · Maybyner "Nenê" Hilario · Chris Wilcox · Amar'e Stoudemire · Caron Butler · Jared Jeffries · Melvin Ely · Marcus Haislip · Fred Jones · Boštjan Nachbar · Jiří Welsch · Juan Dixon · Curtis Borchardt · Ryan Humphrey · Kareem Rush · Qyntel Woods · Casey Jacobsen · Tayshaun Prince · Nenad Krstić · Frank Williams · John Salmons · Chris Jefferies · Dan Dickau
Second round Steve Logan · Roger Mason · Robert Archibald · Vincent Yarbrough · Dan Gadzuric · Carlos Boozer · Miloš Vujanić · David Andersen · Tito Maddox · Rod Grizzard · Juan Carlos Navarro · Mario Kasun · Ronald Murray · Jason Jennings · Lonny Baxter · Sam Clancy · Matt Barnes · Jamal Sampson · Chris Owens · Peter Fehse · Darius Songaila · Federico Kammerichs · Marcus Taylor · Rasual Butler · Tamar Slay · Mladen Šekularac · Luis Scola · Randy Holcomb · Corsley Edwards
Croatia squad – EuroBasket 2005 – 7th place Croatia squad – EuroBasket 2007 – 6th place Croatia squad – EuroBasket 2009 – 6th place Efes Pilsen 2008–09 TBL Champions 4 Akyol | 5 Atsür | 6 Kasun | 7 Smith | 9 Shumpert | 10 Tunçeri | 11 Thornton | 12 Gönlüm | 13 Arslan | 14 Peker | 15 Kakiouzis | 18 Vujanić | 32 Güler
Finals MVP: Bootsy Thornton
Head Coach: Ergin AtamanCategories:- 1980 births
- Living people
- Croatian basketball players
- Croatian expatriates in Germany
- Croatian expatriate basketball people in the United States
- Expatriate basketball people in Germany
- Expatriates in Spain
- Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball players
- Los Angeles Clippers draft picks
- Skyliners Frankfurt players
- Orlando Magic players
- Liga ACB players
- FC Barcelona Bàsquet players
- KK Cibona players
- Centers (basketball)
- People from Vinkovci
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