1. Petteri Johannes Koponen was born on 13 April 1988 and is a Finnish professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian National Basketball League.
22 Facts About Petteri Koponen
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Petteri Koponen was drafted as the 30th pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2007 NBA draft.
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Petteri Koponen played in the World All-Star team at the Nike Hoop Summit in 2007.
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Petteri Koponen recorded 7 points and 6 assists with only one turnover, playing against future NBA super star, MVP Derrick Rose.
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Petteri Koponen began his mandatory military service in the Lahti Military Academy in October 2007, participating in a special military service built for professional athletes such as Finnish tennis player Jarkko Nieminen.
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On 14 July 2008, in the NBA Summer League game against the Washington Wizards, Petteri Koponen scored 19 points, shooting 4-for-6 on three-point attempts.
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On 31 May 2012, Petteri Koponen signed a three-year contract with the Russian team Khimki.
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On 16 August 2016, Petteri Koponen signed a three-year contract with Spanish powerhouse Barcelona.
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Petteri Koponen parted ways with Barcelona on 29 June 2018.
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On 24 July 2018, Petteri Koponen signed a three-year contract with Bayern Munich of the German Basketball Bundesliga.
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On 13 August 2021, Petteri Koponen returned to Finland in the Korisliiga, signing for Helsinki Seagulls.
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On 28 June 2007, Petteri Koponen was taken 30th overall in the 2007 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Petteri Koponen was the final first-round pick in the draft.
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On 23 June 2011, Petteri Koponen's rights were traded to the Dallas Mavericks for the Mavericks' second round pick in the 2011 draft.
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On 27 June 2024, Petteri Koponen's rights were traded to the New York Knicks.
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Petteri Koponen played for the Finnish national youth teams in 2004,2005 and 2006.
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Petteri Koponen debuted for the Finnish senior men's team in 2007.
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Petteri Koponen played for Finland at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
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Petteri Koponen represented his country at the EuroBasket 2011, EuroBasket 2013, EuroBasket 2015, EuroBasket 2017, and retired along with Shawn Huff after the EuroBasket 2022 tournament, where Finland historically advanced to the quarter-finals.
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Between 2022 and 2024, Petteri Koponen worked as a junior coach in the EuroLeague Next Generation invitational tournament and was with the coaching staff of Helsinki Basketball Academy team HBA-Marsky in Finland.
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Petteri Koponen joined the coaching staff of the San Antonio Spurs for the 2024 NBA Summer League.
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On 4 July 2024, Petteri Koponen was named the head coach of the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian National Basketball League on a two-year deal.