Bryan Colangelo 4154509 225121704 2008-07-12T00:01:38Z LOL 162210 Add diacritics, Replaced: Nesterovic → Nesterovič using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Unreferenced|date=November 2006}} {{Infobox Person | name = Bryan Colangelo | image = TFC Home Opener 035.jpg | image_size = | caption = Bryan Colangelo at a [[Toronto FC]] home game | nickname = BC | nationality = {{flagicon|USA}} [[United States|American]] | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|6|1}} | birth_place = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] | residence = [[Toronto]] | education = [[Cornell University]] | employer = [[Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment]] }} '''Bryan Colangelo''' (born [[June 1]], [[1965]] in [[Chicago, Illinois]]), also known as '''BC''', is the [[President]] and [[General manager#Sports teams|General Manager]] of the [[Toronto Raptors]] of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]. He is the son of [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] sports [[mogul]], [[Jerry Colangelo]]. He attended [[Cornell University]] and earned a bachelor of science degree in Applied Economics and Management and became a member of the [[Sigma Chi]] Fraternity. He was the [[2004-05 NBA season|2005]] and [[2006-07 NBA season|2007]] recipient of the [[NBA Executive of the Year Award]]. ==Career with Phoenix== Colangelo began his NBA front-office career with the [[Phoenix Suns]], a franchise then owned by his father. He was a part of that organization for 15 years, the last 11 as [[General Manager#Sports teams|General Manager]]. During his tenure in Phoenix, Colangelo made a number of transactions that have received wide praise across the NBA,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} including the drafting of would-be superstars [[Shawn Marion]] and [[Amare Stoudemire]]. Colangelo was roundly criticized for his trade of [[Jason Kidd]] to the [[New Jersey Nets]] for [[Stephon Marbury]], but corrected this mistake by trading Marbury and oft-injured [[Penny Hardaway]] to the [[New York Knicks]] for several expiring contracts, including that of [[Antonio McDyess]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The additional salary cap space created by this trade allowed Colangelo to sign [[Steve Nash]] back from the [[Dallas Mavericks]] in the summer of [[2004 in basketball|2004]]. Nash would go on to be the [[2004-05 NBA season|2004-05]] and [[2005-06 NBA season|2005-06]] [[National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award|NBA Most Valuable Player]], and the Suns would go 62–20 and claim the top playoff seed in the [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]] in the 2004-05 season. As a result, Colangelo was awarded the [[2005 in basketball|2005]] [[NBA Executive of the Year Award]]. In the summer of 2005, Colangelo traded disgruntled [[shooting guard]] [[Joe Johnson (basketball)|Joe Johnson]] to the [[Atlanta Hawks]] for two future first-round picks and [[Boris Diaw]], who then won the [[2005-06 NBA season|2006]] [[NBA Most Improved Player Award]]. Colangelo also dealt [[Quentin Richardson]] to the [[New York Knicks]]. Despite the loss of these two players and the loss of Stoudemire for virtually the entire season (only playing in 3 regular season games), the Suns once again led the [[Pacific Division (NBA)|Pacific Division]], prompting many to speculate that Colangelo could win the NBA Executive of the Year Award for the second straight year.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} In addition to his work with the Suns, he served as president of Phoenix Arena Sports (PAS), the owning entity of the [[Arizona Rattlers]] ([[Arena Football League]]) and the operating entity of the [[Phoenix Mercury]] ([[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]]) from June 1991 through June 2002. The Rattlers won the championship in 1994 and 1997 and the Mercury played in the WNBA finals in 1998. He won the AFL Executive of the Year award in 1993 for his work with the Rattlers. ==Departure to Toronto== In [[2004-05 NBA season|2004]], the Suns were sold to a group of investors led by [[Robert Sarver]], although Colangelo stayed on as President and [[General Manager#Sports teams|GM]]. Shortly after the [[Toronto Raptors|Raptors]] fired [[Rob Babcock]] in January [[2006 in basketball|2006]], rumors began swirling that the team was pursuing Colangelo despite the Raptors' claims that they were initiating an "exhaustive" search for a new [[General Manager#Sports teams|GM]]. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} On [[February 27]], 2006, Colangelo resigned from his position with the Suns, and on [[February 28]], 2006, the Raptors announced him as their new President and GM. On [[May 23]], 2006, Colangelo and the Raptors were awarded the first overall pick in the [[2006 NBA Draft]]. On [[June 8]], 2006, Colangelo pulled his first trade since he joined the Raptors by swapping the much-criticized first-rounder [[Rafael Paulo de Lara Araújo|Rafael Araújo]] for [[Robert Whaley]] and [[Kris Humphries]] with the [[Utah Jazz]]. He completed his second trade by sending forward [[Eric Williams (basketball)|Eric Williams]], fan favourite [[Matt Bonner]] and a [[2009 NBA Draft|2009 second-round pick]] to the [[San Antonio Spurs]] for center [[Radoslav Nesterovič|Rasho Nesterovič]] on [[June 21]], 2006. The Raptors also announced that they had waived Robert Whaley. His first major trade as GM of the Raptors occurred when he traded [[Charlie Villanueva]], who was runner-up for the [[NBA Rookie of the Year Award]], for [[Milwaukee Bucks]] point guard [[T. J. Ford]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2506311 |title=Raptors deal Villanueva to Bucks for Ford |date=2006-07-01 |publisher=ESPN.com |accessdate=2007-03-21}}</ref> Some believed that Villanueva's presence hindered the development of [[Chris Bosh]], who is considered to be the new franchise player of the Toronto Raptors following the departure of [[Vince Carter]].{{Fact|date=July 2007}} But Colangelo specified that the team was in need of a true point guard, and in order to receive a quality point guard in T.J. Ford, one must also give up a lot in return, hence the trade took place the way it did. Colangelo picked the 20-year-old Italian [[Andrea Bargnani]] with the first overall selection in the [[2006 NBA Draft]] which was held in [[New York City]] on [[June 28]], 2006. This made Bargnani the first European selected first overall in the history of the [[NBA Draft]]. He also signed several free agents from European teams, including [[Jorge Garbajosa]] and [[Anthony Parker]]. On July 16, 2006, Colangelo signed Bosh to a contract extension which will be in effect starting from the 2007-08 season. The contract is for three years plus a player option for the fourth year, and could pay Bosh up to US$65 million over the four-year span. In 2007 the Raptors clinched the Atlantic Division for the first time in franchise history. Many have credited their significant turnaround from a 27-55 2005-06 season to the changes made by Colangelo, in which he brought in nine new players to the Toronto Raptors' roster. Another transaction made by Colangelo which should be noted is the acquisition of [[Luke Jackson (basketball)|Luke Jackson]] from Idaho of the D-League. He stated that he did it to compensate for the losses of Bargnani and Parker to injury. Colangelo then cleared the 35th overall pick in the 2006 draft, [[P.J. Tucker]], an undersized power forward. Another of Colangelo's notable transactions came at the trade deadline when he sent seldom used G/F Fred Jones to Portland for guard [[Juan Dixon]].Colangelo was awarded the 2007 Executive of the Year Award in the weeks following the Raptors' series loss to the Nets in the first round of the playoffs. During the offseason, Colangelo gave the 2009 and 2011 second-round draft picks to the [[Detroit Pistons]] in exchange for [[Carlos Delfino]]. He also signed [[Jason Kapono]] to a multi-year contract with the Raptors. Colangelo held a free agent training camp during the off-season where he found [[Jamario Moon]] and signed for a 2 year contract. His latest trade was on trade deadline day, February 21, 2008 when he sent Juan Dixon to the Detroit Pistons for [[Primoz Brezec]] and cash considerations. Colangelo's next big blockbuster will happen anytime soon. It would be the bringing of 6 time All-Star [[Jermaine O'Neal]] into a Raptors uniform. The trade is expected to be officially announced by Draft Night. The trade would include O'Neal coming to Toronto for [[T. J. Ford]], [[Rasho Nesterovič]], the Raptors 17th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and a role player to be named later, who is known to be Maceo Baston, to match O'Neal's salary. {{start box}} {{succession box | before = [[Rob Babcock]] | title = General Manager, Toronto Raptors | years = 2006–present | after = Incumbent}} {{end box}} ==References== <references/> ==External links== * [http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/bryancolangelo_bio.html Raptors.com bio] * [http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1482 Bryan Colangelo on The Hour] {{NBA Executive of the Year Award}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Colangelo, Bryan}} [[Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Canada]] [[Category:National Basketball Association executives]] [[Category:Phoenix Suns]] [[Category:Toronto Raptors]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1965 births]] [[Category:Italian-Americans]] [[Category:Cornell University alumni]] [[Category:People from Chicago, Illinois]] [[es:Bryan Colangelo]] [[mk:Брајан Коланџело]]