This here giant is 7 foot 3", and battled through countless foot injuries early in his career to become one of the best shooting big-men in the NBA.

Zydrunas was born in Lithuania and played 2 years for his hometown club team Atletas Kaunas before he entered the 1996 draft.  He was selected as the 20th overall pick, and the 260 pound he-man was ready to prove his worth in the association.

Z's foot injuries in the early part of his NBA lifespan were a major concern to the organization.  He battled through countless foot surgeries and beat the odds to play 13 productive seasons in a blue-and-orange (and then Wine and Gold) uniform.

Zydrunas is the tallest player in Cleveland Cavaliers history.  Enough said right there.  With the exception of Yao Ming, Ilgauskas has looked down on almost every other human being he has encountered in his life.  Take a minute, and just think about how tall 7 ft. 3" is.  He's a certified man-child.  Z hardly even had to jump to dunk the basketball.  It's a wonder why he didn't dunk more often.

Big Z never backed down from anybody, and took on multiple fights to back up his teammates.  On more than one occasion, Zydrunas could be seen walking off the court with blood gushing from his head, then receiving stiches in the locker room to come back out and play in the same game. 

He never took crap from any other team especially Boston, and you could always count on him yelling in his Lithuanian-accent when he wasn't happy.  Zydrunas was also famous for calling out officials if he felt they made a bad call, consistently giving them dirty looks and looks of exasperation.  He never seemed to agree with a travel call made on him. 

His footwork was one of the best parts of his game.  He knew exactly what moves to make when he was in the post, and the statistics prove it;  Zydrunas has a career 48% field goal shooting percentage to go along with almost 14 points a game.  He was a reliable free throw shooter and he drew a ridiculous amount of fouls in his career. 

He averaged 28 minutes a game on the floor in Cleveland, but his last season he only averaged 20 due to the addition of Shaquille O' Neal.  He accepted his role but you have to wonder why he wasn't getting more minutes in Mike Clown's rotation during the playoffs.  This last season must have been a major disappointment to Ilgauskas, who gave everything he had to win a championship in this city.  Don't get me started on Mike Brown's inexplicable lineup strategies. 

Zydrunas played with the Cavaliers longer than any other player in history.  Z has left his mark on this organization, and claimed many franchise records.


Z also takes 2nd place in All-Time Points Scored.  As of right now he has just over 10,600 points in his career.  That number will rise this next season as he proves to be a valuable kick-out option for Wade and Prince James' drive-and-dish mentalities.
 
LeBrick James loved playing with this guy.  So much so that Z even made a cameo-appearance in the infamous Nike-Puppet commercials.  "I would like to buy some DVD's!"  (Insert Lithuanian accent)

James was well-aware that Ilgauskas was certainly a more consistent and reliable knock-down shooter than even he was.  Unlike LeBron, Z never quit on the team in the playoffs.  Will they put his jersey in the rafters?  The numbers would certainly warrant it, and the loyalty he showed to this franchise was unmatched.  Many in the Cavaliers organization speak highly on the character of Ilgauskas, and what he meant to the city of Cleveland.  He never wanted to leave, but he and James are good friends and Z knew the possibility of a championship was far more real in Miami this year.  
 
Although I'm saddened by the fact that Zydrunas is not finishing his career in a Cavaliers uniform, I will remember him as an excellent player in Cleveland sports history.  No other man as tall as he has ever had such a smooth jump shot.  Ilgauskas was a seasoned veteran and a solid leader that this team needed.  Zydrunas gave his heart to the franchise, and deserved to win a championship.  It's a shame that we didn't have a halfway decent team when Ilgauskas was in his prime.  I can still hear the fans at the Q yelling in unison, "Zeeeeeee!" as he swished another deep jumper. 
 
You can't blame him for taking the chance to win one this upcoming year alongside James, whom he has played with for the last 7 years.  Why do you think the Miami Heat wanted him?  He presents a legitimate presence at the center position. 

What other 7-footer do you know that can consistently drain shots from any spot on the floor?  He will likely see a lot of minutes with them this year, in an attempt to put that elusive ring on his finger with the Heat.  Big Z, farewell my friend.  Your services will be missed.  Zydrunas Ilgauskas is Underrated