Chris Andersen

Chris Andersen (born July 7, 1978 in Long Beach, California) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association. Nicknamed "Birdman", the 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), 228 lb (103 kg; 16.3 st) center/power forward received a two year ban from the NBA in 2006 for violating the league's drug policy, but was reinstated on March 4, 2008 and re-signed by the Hornets the next day.
Andersen grew up in Iola, Texas and played one year at Blinn College. He went undrafted in the 1999 NBA Draft and began his professional career in the Chinese Basketball League, and has played in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets and the New Orleans Hornets.