Antoine Wright (basketball)

Last updated

Antoine Wright
Antoine Wright on bench 2009-05-13.jpg
Wright during the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals.
Personal information
Born (1984-02-06) February 6, 1984 (age 39)
West Covina, California
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school Lawrence Academy
(Groton, Massachusetts)
College Texas A&M (2002–2005)
NBA draft 2005: 1st round, 15th overall pick
Selected by the New Jersey Nets
Playing career2005–2016
Position Shooting guard / small forward
Career history
2005–2008 New Jersey Nets
2008–2009 Dallas Mavericks
2009–2010 Toronto Raptors
2010 Sacramento Kings
2010–2011 Jiangsu Dragons
2011–2012 Asefa Estudiantes
2012 Reno Bighorns
2012 Guaiqueríes de Margarita
2012–2013Reno Bighorns
2013 Guaiqueríes de Margarita
2013–2014 Barak Netanya
2014–2015 Halcones de Xalapa
2016 Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
2016 Tijuana Zonkeys
Career highlights and awards
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at NBA.com
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the Flag of the United States.svg  United States
FIBA Americas U18 Championship
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2002 Isla Margarita National team

Antoine Domonick Wright (born February 6, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He attended preparatory school at Lawrence Academy at Groton; in 2002, he led the Spartans to an Independent School League Basketball Championship. After his junior year at Texas A&M University, he was selected 15th overall in the 2005 NBA draft by the Nets, the highest pick from the Big 12 Conference that year and in Texas A&M University history until Acie Law was drafted 11th in the 2007 NBA Draft. Wright played his first five seasons of professional basketball in the NBA. He has since played overseas and in the NBA D-League.

Contents

Early years

Wright was born in West Covina, California to Wanda Wright. [1] He attended the Lawrence Academy prep school in Groton, Massachusetts, where in his three seasons he started 115 games and amassed 1800 points, 500 rebounds, 350 assists, 170 steals and 200 blocked shots. His career single game highs were 50 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists. [2]

As a sophomore (1999–2000), Wright averaged 20 points per game, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, helping his school to a 15–12 record and earning him All-ISL and team MVP honors. The following year, his junior season, the team improved to a 23–2 record and Number 11 state ranking behind Wright's average 23.0 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. He was named MVP of the 2001 playoffs and earned All-ISL and All-Scholastic honors. [2]

In his senior year, Wright, who averaged 26.5 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, was again named the MVP of the playoffs and earning All-ISL and All-Scholastic rankings as his team reached a Number 7 state ranking. [2] Wright was named the Number 1 prep shooting guard in the country by ESPN.com, who also ranked him the Number 4 overall prospect. He was also named third-team Parade All-American. [1] He was also dismissed from the High School months before graduating for disciplinary reasons.

Wright joined the USA Basketball Junior World Championship Qualifying Team in 2002, with the team earning a bronze medal for their 4–1 record; Wright averaged 6.8 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and a team second best 2.4 steals per game. The medal qualified the team for a berth in the 2003 FIBA Junior World Championships. He recorded tournaments bests of 10 points in the USA's preliminary round victory over the Dominican Republic and seven rebounds in their semifinal loss to Venezuela. [2]

Wright was heavily recruited, entertaining scholarship offers from schools including Arizona, Maryland, Connecticut, UNC, Texas and Arizona State University. [1] He chose to attend Texas A&M University and play under coach Melvin Watkins, primarily to show his loyalty to the coaching staff who had noticed him long before the other schools began wooing him. [3]

Texas A&M University

Freshman year (2002-2003)

Antoine Wright had a phenomenal season in his first year at Texas A&M University, becoming the consensus Big 12 Conference Freshman of the year. Leading the Aggies with 6.6 rebounds per game, .7 blocks per game, 1.3 steals per game, and 2.3 three-pointers made per game, Wright's 14.5 points per game made him the second-highest scorer on the team, and one of only five freshmen in the nation to average 14.0 points and 6 rebounds. [1] He had eight games where he scored more than 20 points, and 10 additional games where he scored 10 or more points. He scored a season-high 25 points in games against Miami and Texas. His best game, however, came against Kansas State University, in which he scored 24 points and had 11 rebounds. [4]

Sophomore year (2003-2004)

Despite a tough year for the Aggies, who lost all 16 of their conference games, [3] Wright who started in 26 of the 28 games in which he played, was named an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 player. He led the Aggies in scoring (13.5 points per game), three-point field goals (47) and blocked shots (98). [1] Against Grambling, Wright scored a career-high 32 points, including 5 3-pointers. He recorded a career-high 12 rebounds against Kansas while also scoring 24 points. In the Big 12 Tournament, he scored 22 points in a game against Missouri. [4]

After Coach Watkins was pressured to resign during the Big 12 Tournament, Wright seriously considered transferring to a different school or entering the draft early. He met with new coach Billy Gillispie, who told him that he needed one great year to become a first round draft pick, and vowed to help Wright attain that goal. [3] Wright was still not completely convinced, until, after returning late from a weekend trip to Atlanta, Georgia, Gillispie suspended him for breaking the rules. As he watched his teammates complete their off-season workouts without him, he noticed that the players were beginning to look tougher and better, and Wright decided to stay and join them. [5]

Junior year (2004-2005)

As a junior, Wright ranked fourth in the Big 12 in scoring, with 17.8 points per game, and led the league in three-point completion percentage (.447). His 36 steals were a team high, and he blocked 22 shots, second only to Joseph Jones for the Aggies. He tied his career-high 32 points in a game against Colorado, including making all 11 of his free-throw attempts. Against Texas Tech he scored 29 points, converting 7 of his 8 three-point attempts. [4] These accomplishments made him the first Aggie to be named to First Team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press.

With Wright's assistance, under new coach Gillispie the team exhibited a dramatic turnaround, earning an invitation to the NIT. The team made it to the NIT quarterfinals, their best postseason performance since 1982, when they lost in the NIT quarterfinals. [6] Wright scored 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting in their quarterfinal loss to St. Joseph's. [4]

Aggie legacy

Wright chose to leave the Aggies after his junior year to join the 2005 NBA draft. His 1,338 career points rank tenth on the Texas A&M all-time leading scorer list, [7] while his 181 three-point field goals place him second, and his 50 blocks put him in 11th place of all Aggie basketball players. [4]

Although Wright was projected before the draft as a consensus top 12 pick, the New Jersey Nets actually selected him as the 15th overall pick, [8] making him the third Aggie draft pick in 29 years. [3] This was the first time an Aggie had been taken in the first round of the NBA draft since Sonny Parker in 1976 and also set the mark for the highest an Aggie had ever been drafted, beating Parker's 17th pick. [8] That record would be broken two years later when the Atlanta Hawks drafted Acie Law with the 11th overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft

NBA career

New Jersey Nets

During his first season as a professional basketball player, Wright played in thirty-nine games for the Nets, averaging 1.8 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 9.5 minutes per game. He was forced to sit out the beginning of the season on the inactive list, but began gaining minutes as the season progressed, eventually becoming part of the rotation. Although Wright was drafted for his jump shot, he shot only 35% from the field.

Wright's 2006–07 season began much better, as he became a big part of coach Lawrence Frank's rotation. After starter Richard Jefferson injured his ankle against the Miami Heat, Wright took his place in the starting lineup. He was averaging 28.2 minutes per game and chipping in 8.5 points per game, and 4.5 rebounds per game off the bench.

An ankle injury caused Wright to miss eight games in the 2007–08 season. [9]

Dallas Mavericks

Wright was part of a trade that sent Jason Kidd, Malik Allen, and himself to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, Keith Van Horn and future draft picks. [10]

He scored a career-high of 24 points over 39 minutes in the 109–106 victory against the Indiana Pacers on November 25, 2008. [11]

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors acquired Antoine Wright and Devean George from the Dallas Mavericks and a sign and trade for Hedo Türkoğlu from the Orlando Magic on July 9, 2009. It was a four-way deal sending Jerry Stackhouse (who was bought out and released immediately) and substantial cash from Dallas to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Dallas Mavericks received Shawn Marion and Kris Humphries along with Nathan Jawai from the Toronto Raptors, and the Orlando Magic got a trade exception. [12]

Sacramento Kings

On July 23, 2010 Antoine signed by the Sacramento Kings. [13] However, after 7 games, on November 29, 2010 was waived by the Kings. [14]

Post career

In 2021, he was charged along with seventeen former players in a fraud case involving trying to bilk the NBA's Health and Welfare Benefit Plan out of nearly $4 million. [15]

International career

Jiangsu Dragons

On December 31, 2010, he signed with the Chinese team Jiangsu Dragons. [16]

Club Baloncesto Estudiantes

On August 9, 2011, he signed a one-year contract with the Spanish team Club Baloncesto Estudiantes. [17] [18]

Guaiqueries de Margarita

On April 26, 2012, Wright signed with Guaiqueries de Margarita of the LPB of Venezuela. [19]

AmeriLeague

On October 6, 2015, Wright signed with the upcoming AmeriLeague to play on the following season. [20] However, the league folded after it was discovered the founder was a con-artist. [21]

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters

On February 20, 2016, Wright was announced by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to be the team's new import for the 2016 PBA Commissioner's Cup, replacing an injured Wayne Chism. [22] However, on March 9, 2016, Wright was released by the Elasto Painters after under-performing for the team, leading the team to a 1–3 win–loss record during his 4 games with the club. [23]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2005–06 New Jersey 3909.5.358.067.500.8.3.1.11.8
2006–07 New Jersey 632318.0.438.322.6032.8.9.5.24.5
2007–08 New Jersey 411025.8.401.267.7073.01.6.6.47.3
2007–08 Dallas 15011.7.500.556.5561.5.9.1.33.5
2008–09 Dallas 655323.9.415.302.7472.11.2.7.47.3
2009–10 Toronto 671020.8.406.335.6882.81.1.4.26.5
2010–11 Sacramento 704.4.125.000.000.4.0.1.0.3
Career2979619.2.412.304.6742.31.0.5.25.4

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2006 New Jersey 502.0.250.000.667.0.0.0.0.8
2007 New Jersey 12013.6.472.500.9001.9.1.4.33.8
2008 Dallas 107.0.000.000.0001.0.0.0.0.0
2009 Dallas 10516.7.488.381.8181.31.0.3.25.9
Career28512.4.470.407.8331.3.4.3.23.9

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoine Walker</span> American basketball player (born 1976)

Antoine Devon Walker is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft out of the University of Kentucky and played in the NBA from 1996 to 2008. Walker played for the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, the BSN's Mets de Guaynabo and the NBA D-League's Idaho Stampede before retiring from basketball in 2012. Walker, a three-time NBA All-Star, won an NCAA championship with Kentucky in 1996 and an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Thomas (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1972)

Kurt Vincent Thomas is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'9", 230 lb. power forward-center, Thomas was known for his hard-nosed playing style and tough defense during his eight year tenure with the New York Knicks. Having played college basketball at Texas Christian University, he was drafted by the Miami Heat in 1995 and went on to play parts of 18 seasons in the NBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Fizer</span> American basketball player

Darnell Marcus Lamar Fizer is an American former professional basketball player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acie Law</span> American basketball player (born 1985)

Acie Law IV is an American former professional basketball player. In his four seasons at Texas A&M University, Law scored 1,653 points and was credited with 540 assists. Nicknamed "Captain Clutch" for his ability to take over the game late, Law is well known among Texas A&M Aggie basketball fans for "The Shot," his buzzer-beating 3-pointer to beat the arch-rival Texas Longhorns at Reed Arena on March 1, 2006, as well as for his play in the Aggies' 69–66 upset win against Kansas on February 3, 2007. Due to his contributions to Texas A&M, the Texas A&M athletic department hung Law's No. 1 jersey on the rafters in Reed Arena. He became the first Aggie in any sport to have the honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devin Harris</span> American basketball player (born 1983)

Devin Lamar Harris is an American former professional basketball player. Harris attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Harris was selected with the fifth pick in the 2004 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball</span> College basketball team

The Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I college basketball. The Aggies compete in the Southeastern Conference. Since 1998, the teams has played its home games at Reed Arena, a 12,989-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University. Texas A&M has appeared in the NCAA tournament 15 times, most recently in 2023. The Aggies are currently coached by Buzz Williams who was hired on April 3, 2019, prior to the start of the 2019–2020 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelby Metcalf</span>

Shelby Metcalf was the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team for 27 seasons, from 1963 to 1990. He won more games than any other coach in the former Southwest Conference. Achieving success as basketball coach at a university known more for its dedication to its football team, Metcalf endeared himself to Aggie fans for his loyalty to the school and his witticisms. Although his coaching career ended on a bitter note when he was fired in a dispute with A&M athletic director John David Crow in 1990, Metcalf remained loyal to Texas A&M University. He continued to live in the College Station community and supported the Aggie basketball coaches who succeeded him.

Joseph CostelloReshawn Jones is an American professional basketball player for Santeros de Aguada of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. He played college basketball at Texas A&M (2004–2008). Jones married his wife in 2012 and they have two children together.

Victor Bernard King Jr. is an American professional basketball player for UJAP Quimper 29 of the LNB Pro B. He played college basketball for Texas A&M University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonny Parker (basketball)</span> American basketball player

Robert S. "Sonny" Parker is an American former professional basketball player who played small forward and shooting guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted in the first round of the NBA draft after attending and playing basketball at Texas A&M University. After retiring from basketball, Parker created the Sonny Parker Youth Foundation in Chicago to help inner-city students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winston Crite</span> Retired American professional basketball player

Winston Arnel Crite is a retired American professional basketball player who currently trains young players. After a very successful career at Texas A&M University, Crite was selected with 53rd overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns and spent two following seasons in the NBA playing for Suns. Afterwards he played professionally in Europe. At 6'7" and 233 lb (106 kg), he played power forward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antanas Kavaliauskas</span> Lithuanian basketball player

Antanas Kavaliauskas is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player. He serves as the director of player development for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He played college basketball at Texas A&M University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeAndre Jordan</span> American basketball player (born 1988)

Hyland DeAndre Jordan Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Carter</span> American basketball player

Joshua Neville Carter is an American professional basketball player who last played for PAOK of the Greek Basket League and the Basketball Champions League. He played college basketball for Texas A&M. He also played for the Athletes in Action basketball team in 2006 and 2007, helping the team win the William Jones Cup in 2006. In the 2006–07 season, Carter co-led all NCAA Division I men's basketball players with his three-point accuracy of 50%. The 98–37 team record he compiled during his college career makes him the winningest men's basketball player in the program's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Sloan (basketball)</span> American professional basketball player (born 1988)

Donald Wayne Sloan is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies. Sloan played parts of five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets. He played in the NBA D-League and Chinese Basketball Association in between NBA stints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Davis (basketball)</span> Puerto Rican basketball player

Tyler Lee-Deon Davis is a Puerto Rican professional basketball for the Osos de Manatí of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies. He also represents the senior Puerto Rican national basketball team in international national team competitions. Standing at a height of 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), he plays at the center position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. J. Hogg</span> American basketball player

Dennis "D. J." Hogg Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies.

Rudy Dewayne Woods was an American professional basketball player. A tall and strong center, he was one of the top prospects in the 1978 high school class. He played 4 years of college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies, and he was a 4th-round pick in the 1982 NBA draft; however, he never played in the NBA and he had a 5-year career playing professional basketball in Europe and in the CBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desmond Bane</span> American basketball player (born 1998)

Desmond Michael Bane is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the TCU Horned Frogs. Bane was selected in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft with the 30th overall pick, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in his first year with Memphis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emanuel Miller (basketball)</span> American basketball player

Emanuel Miller is a Canadian college basketball player for the TCU Horned Frogs of the Big 12 Conference. He previously played for the Texas A&M Aggies.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "#21 Antoine Wright". Aggie Athletics. Archived from the original on March 4, 2007. Retrieved February 16, 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Antoine Wright". USA Basketball. 2002. Archived from the original on December 31, 2006. Retrieved February 16, 2007.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Pedersen, Eric (June 28, 2005). "Drafted: Wright chosen by New Jersey". The Battalion. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved February 16, 2007.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Prospect Profile: Antoine Wright". NBA. 2005. Retrieved February 16, 2007.
  5. ↑ Cohen, Rachel (March 16, 2006). "Gillispie turned moribund A&M around". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved February 16, 2007.
  6. ↑ "Carroll's big night, Lee's huge 3 carry Saint Joseph's forward". CBS Sportsline. March 23, 2005. Archived from the original on August 26, 2005. Retrieved February 16, 2007.
  7. ↑ [ permanent dead link ]
  8. 1 2 Pedersen, Eric (June 29, 2005). "Drafted: Wright chosen by New Jersey". The Battalion. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved February 16, 2007.
  9. ↑ "Antoine Wright: Returns to Action Wednesday". NBA. January 9, 2008. Archived from the original on September 16, 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Mavs Acquire Eight-Time All-Star Jason Kidd". NBA.com . February 19, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Former Aggies player helps Dallas Mavericks edge Pacers".
  12. ↑ "Raptors Acquire Turkoglu, George and Wright". NBA.com . July 9, 2009. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
  13. ↑ "NBA transactions 2010-11". Nba.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  14. ↑ "NBA Trades and Transactions - July 26, 2019 - National Basketball Association". Espn.com. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  15. ↑ "18 former NBA players arrested by federal authorities in alleged health care scam". NBC News . October 7, 2021.
  16. ↑ "江苏男篮确认签约前NBA悍将 不好管理弃死神帕克_篮球-CBA_新浪竞技风暴_新浪网". Sports.sina.com.cn. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  17. ↑ "OFICIAL: Antoine Wright, número 15 del draft NBA de 2005, nuevo fichaje de Asefa Estudiantes. En breve, toda la info en clubestudiantes.com". Twitter.com. August 9, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Asefa Estudiantes announces former NBA Antoine Wright". Sportando.net. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Guaiqueries de Margarita tab former NBA Antoine Wright". Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Terrence Williams and Antoine Wright Sign with AmeriLeague". AmeriLeague.com. October 6, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  21. ↑ "AmeriLeague Founder Revealed As Con Artist". RealGM.com. October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  22. ↑ Ramos, Gerry (February 20, 2016). "Rain or Shine bringing in new import Antoine Wright for injured Wayne Chism". Spin.ph. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  23. ↑ Ramos, Gerry (March 9, 2016). "Mo Charlo is new Rain or Shine import as Antoine Wright finally given pink slip". Spin.ph. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.