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Background

2005-06 REGULAR SEASON:
Averaged 1.1 ppg (5-7 FG) in 3.6 mpg in nine games with Sacramento after being acquired on February 23rd … DNP-CD in 22 games … On the inactive list for 27 contests … Played in 24 games (started 12) with the Seattle Sonics, posting 3.1 ppg (.500 FG%, .588 FT%), 2.6 rpg, and 13.4 mpg … Corralled five or more rebounds five times … Shot 50% or better from the field on 16 occasions … Top Single-Game Performances: Tallied a season-high eight points (4-4 FG) and added five rebounds in 13 minutes at Portland (12/16) … Pulled down a season-high eight rebounds vs. Washington (12/19).

2006 NBA PLAYOFFS:
Totaled four points (2-5 FG), one rebound, one steal, and nine minutes in four games played off the bench vs. San Antonio.

2003-04:
Scored a season-high 21 points vs. Orlando on 3/20/04...Pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds at Portland on 3/27/04... Played a season-high 42 minutes (OT) at Portland on 3/27/04...Scored in double figures 22 times...Led or co-led the team in rebounds 11 times...Shot 49% from the field...Started 39 games...Averaged 9.3 points and 5.9 rebounds as a starter...Grabbed double-figures rebounds four times...Recorded three double-doubles (14 points, 10 rebounds at New Orleans on 3/19/04; 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Denver on 3/26; 14 points, 11 rebounds at Portland on 3/27/04.

2002-03:
Scored a season-high 13 points at Portland on 2/15/03…Grabbed a season-high nine rebounds vs. San Antonio on 1/8/03…Scored in double-figures in two games…Led the team in rebounding in one game (nine vs. San Antonio on 1/8/03)…Activated on 12/16/02…Placed on the injured list (rehabilitating from left ACL knee surgery) on 10/28/02 and missed the first 24 games of the season…DNP-CD in 32 games.

2001-02:
Averaged 4.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 17.0 mpg...Registered 11 games with 10-plus points and six games with more than 10 rebounds...Grabbed a season-high 15 boards to go with 10 points from his fourth double-double vs. Memphis on 3/15/02...Logged his first double-double of the season (11 points and 10 boards) vs. Toronto on 12/2/01...DNP-CD vs. Washington on 11/7/01, San Antonio on 3/16/02 and Milwaukee on 3/31/02.

2000-01:
One of only two Celtics (with Pierce) to play in all 82 games ... Started seven games ... Played 20-plus minutes 59 times ... Played 30-plus minutes 14 times ... Scored in double digits in 24 contests ... Grabbed 10-plus rebounds 12 times ... Led the team in rebounds 21 times ... Logged a career-high six double-doubles ... Scored 16 points and grabbed a team-high 10 boards versus Charlotte on 4/1/01...Tied his season-high by grabbing 12 boards versus Denver on 3/16/01... Grabbed a team-high seven boards to go with a career-high five steals versus Philadelphia on 3/11/01... Scored a season-high 16 points versus Dallas on 2/22/01 ... Recorded second straight double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes versus Detroit 2/2/01 ... In first start of the season, notched season-highs in points (15) and rebounds (10) versus New York on 11/10/00 ... Tied a team-high with seven rebounds, while scoring 10 points in 26 minutes versus Toronto on 11/7/00.

1999-00:
Snared 18 boards in a 117-115 2OT loss at Philadelphia on 3/24/00 ... Registered 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 113-104 loss to Indiana on 2/9/00 ... Recorded 16 points (8-10 FG) and 8 rebounds in a 100-95 win over New Jersey on 2/4/00 ... Logged 18 points and 11 rebounds in a 110-96 loss in Charlotte on 1/22/00 ... Notched 19 points and 8 rebounds in a 112-103 loss to Vancouver on 1/10/00 ... Tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 101-93 win over Sacramento on 1/7/00...Posted 21 points and 8 rebounds in a 99-97 loss in New York on 12/12/99 ... Totaled 22 points (9-11 FG) and 11 rebounds in a 114-112 loss to Milwaukee on 11/26/99 ... Scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in a 112-101 victory over Washington on 11/3/99.

1998-99:
Totaled career-highs of 26 points and 16 rebounds, and added 3 assists, against the Indiana Pacers on 4/19/99 ... Posted 19 points (7-9 FG) and 7 rebounds in a 103-89 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on 4/12/99 ... Registered 14 points and a team-high 11 rebounds against the New York Knicks on 3/20/99...Recorded 14 points (7-9 FG) and a game-high 11 rebounds in a 118-84 victory over the L.A. Clippers on 3/17/99 ... Traded by the Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics for Andrew Declercq and a conditional first-round draft pick in 1999, 2000 or 2001 on 3/11/99 ... Totaled 17 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in a 98-74 victory over the New York Knicks on 2/18/99... Posted 16 points (8-12 FG), 4 rebounds and 3 assists, in his first start of the season, in a 90-78 win over the Orlando Magic on 2/16/99...Scored 14 points on perfect shooting (5-5 FG, 4-4 FT), in 18 minutes, in a 99-89 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on 2/11/99.

1997-98:
Registered 18 points and 7 rebounds in a 96-82 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on 3/17/98...Recorded 12 points and a team-high 11 rebounds in a 95-83 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on 3/1/98...Posted 18 points and 4 rebounds in a 94-93 victory over the Miami Heat on 1/26 ... Totaled 14 points and 6 rebounds, in 13 minutes, in a 112-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings on 1/22/98 ... Registered 13 points (6-11 FG) and 8 rebounds in a 95-67 victory over the Golden State Warriors on 12/3/97...Recorded 18 points (7-12 FG) and 4 rebounds in a 103-80 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on 11/21/97...Scored 16 points and grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks on 11/8/98.

1996-97:
Appeared in 80 games as a rookie, all but three of them off the bench.. Averaged 5.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game, playing both center and forward ... Grabbed 105 of his 217 total rebounds off the offensive glass to rank third on the team...Blocked 34 shots, his average of 0.43 blocks per game also ranking third on the Cavaliers ... Scored a career-high 22 points in a 98-96 overtime win at Washington on 11/2/96, getting 18 consecutive Cavs points during a span of 5:28 of the second half ... Although scored in double figures 15 times, did not reach the 20-point mark again until 4/7/97, when he scored 20 on 8-for-11 shooting in a 110-105 overtime loss to Charlotte ... Set career marks by grabbing eight rebounds, including five offensive, in 36 minutes an 88-87 overtime loss to Denver on 1/16/97 ... He played in the Schick Rookie Game on All-Star Saturday, getting six points and one steal in 12 minutes.

COLLEGE
Averaged 20.2 ppg (.600 FG%, .720 FT%), 6.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, and 1.00 bpg in 56 games over two seasons at Wright State University … Led the conference in field goal percentage and was named All-Midwestern Conference (MCC) in each of his two collegiate seasons … Ranks 14th on the Raiders’ all-time scoring list … Was the second-fastest player in school history to reach 500 and 1,000 points … Finished the 1995-96 season ranked 11th nationally in field goal percentage and 38th in scoring at 21.4 ppg … Scored a career-high 33 points vs. Illinois-Chicago … Averaged 19.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg as a freshman (1994-95), leading the team in scoring 20 of his 30 games.


Personal

  • Full name is Vitaly Nikolaevich Potapenko
  • Name is pronounced vee-TAH-lee poe-TAH-pen-koe
  • Nickname is the “Ukraine Train”
  • Age 31
  • Greatest influences growing up were his parents, Nicolay and Anna
  • Enjoys Chinese food and sushi
  • Majored in sociology at Wright State
  • Favorite sport other than basketball is soccer
  • Lists Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro as his favorite actors
  • Shoe size 16 (Nike)