Peja Stojaković
A Serbian sharpshooter whose feathery jump shot and limitless range made him one of the most feared offensive weapons of the NBA's early 2000s.
Born 1977 (age 49)·Serbian basketball player·Birthday: June 9·Generation X
Biography
Predrag 'Peja' Stojaković arrived in the NBA as a slender, unknown commodity from war-torn Yugoslavia and left as one of the purest shooters the game has ever seen. His tenure with the Sacramento Kings defined an era, as his seamless catch-and-release motion became a central weapon in one of the league's most exhilarating offenses. Alongside Chris Webber and Vlade Divac, Stojaković helped turn the Kings into title contenders, his scoring prowess earning him three All-Star selections. While a championship eluded him in Sacramento, his journey was one of persistence. He evolved from a spot-up specialist into a more complete scorer, eventually finding his ring as a key veteran contributor with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. His legacy extends beyond stats; he paved the way for a generation of European stars, proving that a player built around finesse and intelligence could thrive in the physical NBA.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Peja was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Peja Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Peja's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an NBA championship as a member of the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
- Selected as an NBA All-Star three times (2002, 2003, 2004) while with the Sacramento Kings.
- Finished his NBA career with 1,760 three-pointers made, which ranked 4th in league history at the time of his retirement.
- Won the NBA Three-Point Contest in 2002 and 2003.
Did You Know?
His father was a police officer and his mother was a bank clerk in their native Serbia.
He was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 1996 but didn't join the team until 1998 due to contract buyout issues in Europe.
He and fellow countryman Vlade Divac were the first two Serbian players to win an NBA championship.
After retirement, he served as the General Manager of the Serbian national basketball team and later as a player development consultant for the Sacramento Kings.
“I worked on my shot every day. It was my job, my craft.”
