Last Updated on April 14, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here is detailed information about basketballer Anderson Varejão:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Anderson Miguel Varejão
  • Nationality: Brazilian
  • Date of Birth: September 28, 1982
  • Hometown: São Paulo, Brazil
  • Height: 6 ft 9 in (206 cm)
  • Weight: 250 lbs (113 kg)
  • Wingspan: 7 ft 0 in (213 cm)
  • Shoe Size: Size 16 (US)
  • Number: Wore #17 during his career
  • Position: Power Forward / Center
  • High School: (Brazilian)
  • College: None (played professional basketball in Brazil before joining the NBA)
  • NBA Draft: 2004, 2nd round, 30th overall pick by the Orlando Magic (but traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers)
  • Teams Played For:
    • Cleveland Cavaliers (2004–2016)
    • Golden State Warriors (2016–2017)
    • Returned briefly to play with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017–2018 before retiring
  • Championship Rings: 1 (with the Golden State Warriors in 2017)
  • Kids: Anderson Varejão is married to Fernanda Varejão, and they have one child, a son.
  • Siblings: Varejão has a sister named Leila.

Player Archetype / Play Style

Anderson Varejão was an energy big in the truest sense, a hustle-driven center-forward whose value came from defense, rebounding, screening, and nonstop activity rather than polished shot creation. At 6-foot-11 and around 260 pounds, he had legitimate size, a high motor, quick reactions, and unusual mobility for a frontcourt player, which helped him play bigger than a typical complementary big. Defensively, he served as a rugged interior helper who could contest around the rim, battle on the glass, rotate hard, and bring the kind of effort that lifted a team’s physical edge. Offensively, he fit best as a support piece, creating value through offensive rebounding, dive-man finishes, put-backs, and screen-setting instead of low-post isolation or perimeter scoring. In full, Varejão’s style was all about relentless energy, toughness, and dirty-work impact, making him the sort of big man who changed possessions through effort as much as talent. (NBA)

NBA.com — Anderson Varejao | Forward | NBA.com
Basketball Reference — Anderson Varejão Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
Bleacher Report — Why Anderson Varejao Is the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Biggest X-Factor
Fear the Sword — 2014 Cleveland Cavaliers Player Preview: Anderson Varejao