Johan Petro

Johan Petro got a chance to prove his worth to the Denver Nuggets late in the 2009-10 NBA season, and on Saturday, it paid off.

No. 27 signed a three-year, $10 million deal with the New Jersey Nets, bringing his rebounding and shot-blocking skills to the East Coast.

Rod Thorn, president of the Nets, was pleased to have Johan join the team.

"We needed a backup center with some size...He did a good job with the Nuggets. We've been looking at him for a few years.''

Johan's agent, Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports Management, was equally thrilled. He was also proud of the seven-foot, 247-pound center for being ready to capitalize on a chance to play this past spring.

Goldfeder spoke well of how far Petro came after he barely played last season until getting his chance in March when [Kenyon] Martin went down with a knee injury.

"The coaching staff, with John Welch, really worked hard with him,'' Goldfeder said. "And Johan gets a lot of credit. He could have easily packed it in when he wasn't playing but he worked his butt off.''

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Johan Petro Leaves Denver, Gets Three-Year Deal With Nets (AOL Fanhouse, July 10, 2010)
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/07/10/johan-petro-leaves-denver-gets-three-...