Eduardo Enrique Cota (born May 19, 1976) is a Panamanian-American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player.

High school career

Cota played his freshman and sophomore years at

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York's

Samuel J. Tilden High School Samuel J. Tilden High School is a New York City public high school in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York City. It was named for Samuel J. Tilden, the former governor of New York State and presidential candidate who, although carryin ...

. As a sophomore, he averaged 31.5 points, 11 assists and six steals per game and led his team to the semifinals of the New York Public School Athletic League. Cota underwent a devastating family tragedy in the ninth grade when his parents were in a car accident in Panama that would hospitalize them for several years. His mother spent a year in the hospital, his stepfather spent two and left in a wheelchair, never to regain use of his legs. He struggled to stay on track in school but was helped by the return of his mother and help from his high school coach Eric Eisenberg to get him counseling and find a prep school to attend to get a fresh start. He then enrolled in St. Thomas More School in

Oakdale, Connecticut Montville is a New England town, town in New London County, Connecticut in the United States. The population was 18,387 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of t ...

, where he led his team to the New England private school title his junior year as he averaged 21 points and nine assists a game. He was selected for the United States Junior National Select Team and played in the 1996

McDonald's All-American McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hamburger ...

Game, which featured future stars

Jermaine O'Neal Jermaine Lee O'Neal Sr. (born October 13, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. The center–power forward had a successful high school career and declared his eligibility for the 1996 NBA draft straight out of high sch ...

Stephen Jackson Stephen Jesse Jackson (born April 5, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Mi ...

Mike Bibby Michael Bibby (born May 13, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. He played professionally for 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He last served as the head coach for Hillcrest Prep Academy in Phoenix, ...

and

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...

. The one-time truant high school student also excelled in the classroom, eventually finishing his high school career as an honor-roll student.

Collegiate career

Cota is probably best known to basketball fans for his play at

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...

for the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

(UNC) from 1996 to 2000. At UNC, Cota led the Tar Heels to three Final Fours in his four years as a starter. During the 1997–1998 season, Cota was a member of new coach

Bill Guthridge William Wallace Guthridge (July 27, 1937 – May 12, 2015) was an American college basketball coach. Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for thirty years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina and summing ...

's successful "Six Starters" rotation with

Antawn Jamison Antawn Cortez Jamison (; born June 12, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He serves as director of pro personnel for the Washington Wizards. Jamison playe ...

Vince Carter Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. (born January 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who serves as a basketball analyst for ESPN. He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, but occasionally played Powe ...

Shammond Williams Shammond Omar Williams (born April 5, 1975) is a retired American-born naturalized Georgian professional basketball player. Standing at , he played at both point guard and shooting guard positions. During his career he played in the NBA and in ...

Ademola Okulaja Ademola Okulaja (10 July 1975 – 17 May 2022) was a German professional basketball player. The last team he played for were the Brose Baskets of the Basketball Bundesliga. After his playing career, he became an agent for NBA player Dennis Schrö ...

, and

Makhtar N'Diaye Amadou Makhtar N'Diayé (born 31 December 1981) is a Senegalese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made fourteen appearances for his country at international level in 2002, notably participating in the 2002 FIFA Wor ...

. Cota garnered many accolades during his college career. He was named the 1997

ACC ACC most often refers to: * Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US *American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...

Rookie of the Year and a 1997 Freshman

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

. Cota was the leading vote-getter on the 1997 All-ACC Freshman Team. He earned 2nd-Team All-Conference honors three years in a row, as a sophomore (1998), junior (1999) and senior (2000). As a sophomore, he broke the ACC record for most assists in a single season. He was named a 1999 AP All-America Team Honorable Mention. He earned three

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

All-Regional Team selections as a senior while leading UNC to another Final Four. By the time his college career concluded, he had become the first player in NCAA basketball history to score 1,000 points, and have 1,000 assists and 500 rebounds in a career. Additionally, he finished with the third highest assist total in NCAA history, and owns the record for most assists in a career at Carolina. Remarkably, Cota also played an NCAA record 138 games without ever fouling out.

Professional career

Cota was not drafted by the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

after graduating from North Carolina. His lack of height (6' 0") and jump shot were cited as a major impediments to success as a pro. Instead, he was drafted by the

Gary Steelheads The Gary Steelheads were a professional basketball team. They played in the International Basketball League, Continental Basketball Association, and the United States Basketball League. They were based in Gary, Indiana, United States, and played ...

of the minor league

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...

, where he spent the 2000–2001 season. That season Cota proved his doubters wrong, leading the league in 3-point shooting with a 48.5% mark. After that season, Cota left the CBA and began what would become a very successful basketball career in Europe. He signed with the

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

pro team Telindus BC Oostende for the 2001–2002 season. They went on to win the 2001–2002 Belgian National Championship. Cota joined Žalgiris Kaunas, a

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

n team, for the 2002–2003 and 2003–2004 seasons, during which he consecutively led the Euroleague in assists. Cota's team won the Lithuanian National Championship both season. Cota also played in the 2004 Lithuanian All-Star Game. Cota joined

BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg was a Russian professional basketball club based in Saint Petersburg, that existed for two seasons. The club was founded in 2004 and dissolved in 2006. In the 2004–05 season, the club won the FIBA Europe League. Hist ...

, a member of the

Russian Basketball Super League The Russian Basketball Super League 1, or Super Liga 1, (russian: Баскетбольная Cуперлига 1), formerly known as the Russian Basketball Super League A or the Russian Basketball Super Liga A, is a men's professional basketball ...

that competes as a member of

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its na ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, in 2004–2005. It was the club's first year of existence. The Dynamo went undefeated in the

FIBA Europe League FIBA EuroChallenge (called the FIBA Europe League in 2003–05, and FIBA EuroCup in 2005–08) was the 3rd-tier level transnational men's professional continental club basketball competition in Europe, from 2003 to 2015. It was organized and run ...

that season and won the championship. Cota played in the 2005 FIBA Europe League All-Star Game. After his stint in St. Petersburg, Cota returned to Lithuania and Žalgiris Kaunas to start the 2005–2006 season, but moved to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

to play for

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Founded ...

before the season ended. Despite his success overseas, Cota continued to work toward the goal of playing in the NBA. Over the years, he has played on the NBA Summer League squads of the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

, and

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...

. Cota competed internationally with the

Panama men's national basketball team The Panama men's national basketball team (Spanish: Selección nacional de baloncesto de Panamá) represents Panama in men's international basketball competitions, The team represents both FIBA and FIBA Americas. With four qualifications to the ...

(his parents were from Panama and he maintains

dual citizenship Multiple/dual citizenship (or multiple/dual nationality) is a legal status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a national or citizen of more than one country under the laws of those countries. Conceptually, citizenship is focused on ...

status) at the

2006 FIBA World Championship The 2006 FIBA World Championship was the 15th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. The tournament was hosted by Japan and held from 19 August to 3 September 2006. It was co-organised by ...

tournament. Cota signed with Israeli side

Hapoel Jerusalem Hapoel Jerusalem is a sport organization in Jerusalem as a local branch of the Hapoel movement. The branch was established in the 1920s and represents the city in more sports than any other sport organization in Jerusalem. Today, the club's leadi ...

for the 2006–7 season. In January 2008 he joined Atlas Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski playing in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

Dominet Bank Ekstraliga Polska Liga Koszykówki (PLK) (English: Polish Basketball League) is a professional men's club basketball league in Poland. It constitutes the first and highest-tier level of the Polish league pyramid. The winning team of the final round are crow ...

Career statistics

Euroleague

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2001–02 , style="text-align:left;",

Telindus Oostende Basketball Club Oostende, for sponsorship reasons Filou Oostende, is a Belgian professional basketball team. The club is based in Ostend and was founded in 1970. The club competes domestically in the BNXT League and internationally in the Baske ...

, 8 , , 7 , , 32.0 , , .550 , , .281 , , .649 , , 2.9 , , 5.1 , , 1.5 , , .1 , , 14.6 , , 14.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2002–03 , style="text-align:left;", Zalgiris , 14 , , 14 , , 35.5 , , .508 , , .208 , , .784 , , 4.6 , , style="background:#CFECEC;", 6.5 , , 1.2 , , .1 , , 12.1 , , 16.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2003–04 , style="text-align:left;", Zalgiris , 20 , , 19 , , 36.2 , , .513 , , .465 , , .754 , , 3.6 , , style="background:#CFECEC;", 5.7 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , 13.4 , , 16.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2005–06 , style="text-align:left;",

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, 20 , , 10 , , 20.0 , , .423 , , .211 , , .667 , , 2.8 , , 2.6 , , .7 , , .1 , , 3.3 , , 5.0

References

External links

Euroleague.net profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cota, Ed 1976 births Living people American men's basketball players American sportspeople of Panamanian descent Basketball players from Los Angeles Basketball players from New York (state) BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg players BC Oostende players BC Žalgiris players FC Barcelona Bàsquet players Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. players Israeli Basketball Premier League players Liga ACB players McDonald's High School All-Americans North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players Panamanian expatriate basketball people in Spain Panamanian men's basketball players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People with acquired Panamanian citizenship Point guards Samuel J. Tilden High School alumni Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski players 2006 FIBA World Championship players