Dexter Jerome Pittman (born March 2, 1988) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for Al-Qurain SC of the Kuwaiti Division I Basketball League. He played college basketball for the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

High school career

Pittman was a three-year starter at B. F. Terry High School, where he averaged 15 points and 8.5 rebounds per game over his career. In his senior season, he was named the Most Valuable Player for District 24-4A. Considered a three-star recruit by

Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...

, Pittman was listed as the No. 16 center and the No. 150 player in the nation in 2006.

College career

Pittman was used sparingly in his first two seasons at Texas, averaging less than 3 points per game with just one start. As a junior, he started 24 games–averaging 10 points and 5.5 rebounds per game–and became one of the most dominant centers in the

Big 12 conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...

Weight loss

Pittman weighed 388 lbs as a senior at Terry High School. After receiving weight loss tips from Texas' Strength and Conditioning coach Todd Wright, he was able to drop his weight to 366 lbs before enrolling at Texas. His weight still prevented him from doing basic drills in practice, which caused various back and knee aches. Pittman then dedicated himself to a workout program with Wright, which included 5:30 AM workouts and a complete revamp of his diet. Pittman agreed to call Todd Wright before every meal to evaluate his choices. He later characterized the workout regimen as so tough that "I wanted to cry and say, 'Man, I want to give up'". Since losing almost 100 pounds, he has become an icon for admirers, like

Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on NBA on TNT, TNT. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "Chuck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley played 16 seasons ...

, who heard about his weight loss.

College statistics

, - , align="left" , 2006–07 , align="left" ,

Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...

, 29 , , 0 , , 5.3 , , .604 , , .000 , , .471 , , 1.8 , , .1 , , .2 , , .3 , , 2.6 , - , align="left" , 2007–08 , style="text-align:left;",

, 36 , , 1 , , 6.8 , , .559 , , .000 , , .561 , , 2.4 , , .2 , , .1 , , .5 , , 2.8 , - , align="left" , 2008–09 , align="left" ,

, 35 , , 24 , , 16.6 , , .616 , , .000 , , .691 , , 5.5 , , .4 , , .4 , , .9 , , 10.1 , - , align="left" , 2009–10 , align="left" ,

, 34 , , 34 , , 19.1 , , .654 , , .000 , , .556 , , 5.9 , , .5 , , .4 , , 1.9 , , 10.4 , - , align="left" , Career , align="left" , , 134 , , 59 , , 12.2 , , .623 , , .000 , , .601 , , 3.9 , , .3 , , .2 , , .9 , , 6.6

Professional career

Pittman was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the

2010 NBA draft The 2010 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2010, at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National ...

by the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...

. On July 16, 2010, he signed a multi-year deal with the Heat. On November 26, 2010, Pittman was assigned to the

Sioux Falls Skyforce The Sioux Falls Skyforce are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and are affiliated with the Miami Heat. The team plays their home games in the Sanford Pentagon, a place they have call ...

. On December 18, 2010, he was recalled by the Heat. On January 6, 2011, he was reassigned to the Skyforce. He was later selected to the 2011 NBA D-League All-Star game. Pittman made his NBA debut on April 1, 2011, against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Heat made it to the

2011 NBA Finals The 2011 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2010–11 season. The Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in six games to win thei ...

but lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games. On April 13, 2012, Pittman scored a career high 16 points in a 105–82 win against the Charlotte Bobcats. In Game 5 of the 2012 Conference semi-finals against the Indiana Pacers, Pittman was assessed a flagrant foul after he came across the lane and used his forearm to hit Lance Stephenson of the Pacers with 19.4 seconds left in the game. Pittman was later suspended for three games due to the incident. The Heat advanced to the

2012 NBA Finals The 2012 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2011–12 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeated the Western Conference champion ...

and won the series against

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

in five games, giving Pittman his first championship. During the 2012–13 season, Pittman was assigned multiple times to the Skyforce. On February 21, 2013, the Heat traded Pittman and a second round pick to the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

for a trade exception and the rights to Ricky Sanchez. On April 14, 2013, he was waived by the Grizzlies. Pittman joined the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

for the

2013 NBA Summer League The 2013 NBA Summer League is a pro basketball league run by the NBA just after the 2013 NBA draft. It gives newly drafted players a chance to test their skills against each other, and to give them a feel for professional basketball. All 30 NBA ...

. In September 2013, he signed with the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

. However, he was later waived by the Bulls on October 26, 2013. On November 27, 2013, Pittman was acquired by the Springfield Armor. However, his contract was bought out by the Armor on December 3, before he appeared in a game for them. He subsequently signed with the Foshan Long Lions of China as an injury-replacement for Shavlik Randolph. Later that month, he left Foshan after seven games. On January 6, 2014, Pittman was acquired by the Austin Toros. On February 22, 2014, Pittman signed a 10-day contract with the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

. Pittman's final NBA game was on February 26, 2014, in a 104–115 loss to the Boston Celtics. In that game, Pittman only played 30 seconds and didn't record a single statistic. On February 27, 2014, he was waived by the Hawks. On March 2, 2014, he was reacquired by the Toros. On April 10, 2014, he signed with the Houston Rockets. A few days later, he was released by the Rockets before appearing in a game for them. On April 19, 2014, Pittman signed with

Caciques de Humacao Caciques de Humacao was a professional basketball team based in Humacao, Puerto Rico. The club competed in the National Superior Basketball (, BSN). History In 2010, Antonio "Tonin" Casillas, owner of the Grises de Humacao, decided to give the ...

for the 2014 BSN season. On September 29, 2014, Pittman signed with the Atlanta Hawks. However, he was later waived by the Hawks on October 21, 2014. On November 27, 2014, he signed with TED Ankara of Turkey for the rest of the 2014–15 season. On June 26, 2015, he signed with

Virtus Bologna Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, known for sponsorship reasons as Virtus Segafredo Bologna, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1929, which makes it the oldest club in Italy and one ...

of the Italian

Lega Basket Serie A The Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) is a professional men's club basketball league that has been organised in Italy since 1920. Serie A is organised by Lega Basket, which is regulated by the Italian Basketball Federation (FIP). It is the highest-tier ...

for the 2015–16 season. On May 12, 2016, Pittman was acquired by Santeros de Aguada of the Puerto Rican League. On December 16, 2016, Pittman signed with

Toyama Grouses The Toyama Grouses are a Japanese basketball team, playing in the Central Conference of the B.League. They are based in Toyama Prefecture. Head coaches * Masato Fukushima *Takatoshi Ishibashi * Charles Johnson (2009–10) * Kohei Eto * Kazuaki S ...

of the Japanese B.League. During the 2017-18 season he posted 11.5 points and 6 rebounds per game. He signed with B.League team

Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka The Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka are a Japanese basketball team, playing in the second division of the B.League. They are based in Fukuoka Prefecture and were coached by Joe Bryant, the father of Kobe Bryant, in 2015. Roster Notabl ...

on September 20, 2018. On October 9, 2021, Pittman signed with Al Sharjah of the

UAE National Basketball League The UAE National Basketball League is the top professional basketball league in the United Arab Emirates. It was founded in 2013.Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, 2 , , 0 , , 5.5 , , .333 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.5 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.0 , - , align="left" style="background:#afe6ba;" , † , align="left" ,

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, 35 , , 6 , , 8.6 , , .468 , , .000 , , .643 , , 2.0 , , .3 , , .2 , , .2 , , 3.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 4 , , 0 , , 3.0 , , .600 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.8 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, 7 , , 0 , , 2.9 , , .167 , , .000 , , .000 , , .7 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, 2 , , 0 , , 1.5 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.5 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 50 , , 6 , , 6.9 , , .450 , , .000 , , .545 , , 1.8 , , .2 , , .2 , , .2 , , 2.3

Playoffs

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2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

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, 3 , , 1 , , 2.7 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .0 , , .3 , , .0 , , .3 , , .0 , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 3 , , 1 , , 2.7 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .0 , , .3 , , .0 , , .3 , , .0

NBA D-League

Regular season

, - , align="left" ,

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

, align="left" , Sioux Falls , 22 , , 22 , , 27.7 , , .536 , , .000 , , .548 , , 8.2 , , 1.2 , , .4 , , 1.7 , , 14.5 , - , align="left" ,

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

, align="left" , Sioux Falls , 15 , , 12 , , 24.9 , , .470 , , .000 , , .767 , , 8.8 , , .3 , , .9 , , 1.7 , , 12.4 , - , align="left" , 2013–14 , align="left" , Austin , 28 , , 20 , , 20.5 , , .556 , , .000 , , .705 , , 6.8 , , .5 , , .5 , , 2.3 , , 11.3 , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 65 , , 54 , , 24.0 , , .527 , , .000 , , .652 , , 7.7 , , .7 , , .6 , , 1.9 , , 12.6

CBA

Regular season

, - , align="left" , 2013–14 , align="left" , Foshan , 7 , , 0 , , 18.7 , , .649 , , .000 , , .441 , , 5.5, , .4 , , .3 , , 1.0 , , 15.0 , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 7 , , 0 , , 18.7 , , .649 , , .000 , , .441 , , 5.5 , , .4 , , .3 , , 1.0 , , 15.0

B.League

Regular season

, - , align="left" , 2016-17 , align="left" , Toyama , 35 , , 19 , , 19.9 , , .538 , , .000 , , .600 , , 7.8 , , .4 , , .3 , , 1.1 , , 12.9 , - , align="left" , 2017-18 , align="left" , Toyama , 57 , , 13 , , 17.8 , , .585 , , .000 , , .608 , , 5.9 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , .6 , , 11.5 , -

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pittman, Dexter 1988 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in Italy American expatriate basketball people in Japan American expatriate basketball people in Turkey American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks players Austin Toros players Basketball players from Texas Caciques de Humacao players Centers (basketball) Guangzhou Loong Lions players Memphis Grizzlies players Miami Heat draft picks Miami Heat players People from Rosenberg, Texas Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka players Santeros de Aguada basketball players Sioux Falls Skyforce players Sportspeople from the Houston metropolitan area TED Ankara Kolejliler players Texas Longhorns men's basketball players Toyama Grouses players Virtus Bologna players