B. J. Anthony

Last updated

B. J. Anthony
Personal information
Born (1988-07-20) 20 July 1988 (age 36)
Auckland, New Zealand
NationalityNew Zealand
Listed height200 cm (6 ft 7 in)
Career information
High school Avondale College
(Auckland, New Zealand)
Playing career2008–2018
Position Power forward
Career history
2008–2010 Harbour Heat
2008–2010Herzoege Wolfenbuettel
2008–2009→SG MTV/BG 93 Wolfenbuttel
2010–2012 New Zealand Breakers
2011 Waikato Pistons
2012–2013 Otago Nuggets
2013BBC Solarto Eagles Magdeburg
2013–2015 Adelaide 36ers
2014 Wellington Saints
2015 Plymouth Raiders
2016–2018Wellington Saints
Career highlights and awards

Benny Charles "B. J." Anthony Jr. (born 20 July 1988) [1] is a New Zealand former professional basketball player who played multiple seasons in both the Australian NBL and New Zealand NBL. He also played in Germany and England, and represented the New Zealand Tall Blacks on multiple occasions.

Contents

Professional career

New Zealand NBL

Anthony made his debut in the New Zealand NBL in 2008 with the Harbour Heat. He continued on with the Heat in 2009 [2] and 2010. After a season with the Waikato Pistons in 2011, [3] Anthony signed with the Otago Nuggets for the 2012 season. [4] However, he missed the entire season due to injury. [5] He returned to the Nuggets for the 2013 season. [6] [7]

In 2014, Anthony won a championship as a member of the Wellington Saints. [8] [9] He had signed with the Super City Rangers for the 2015 season, but missed the entire season due to injury. [10] He re-joined the Saints in 2016 and won his second championship, [11] going on to win his third with the Saints in 2017. [12] He played a fourth season with the Saints in 2018, [13] but missed the second half of the season with a broken foot. [14]

Australian NBL

In the 2010–11 season, Anthony made his debut in the Australian NBL as a development player with the New Zealand Breakers. [15] He played a second season with the Breakers in 2011–12 as a full-time contracted player. He won two championships in his two seasons with the Breakers. [16]

For the 2013–14 season, Anthony played for the Adelaide 36ers. [17] He continued on with the 36ers in 2014–15, but missed the second half of the season with an Achilles tendon injury. [18]

Europe

For the 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons, Anthony played in Germany for Herzoege Wolfenbuettel of the ProB. [19] [20] During his first season, he also spent time with SG MTV/BG 93 Wolfenbuttel in the Regionalliga.

In January 2013, Anthony returned to Germany and joined BBC Solarto Eagles Magdeburg for the rest of the 2012–13 season. [21] He went on to earn Regionalliga All-Star Five honours. [22]

For the 2015–16 season, Anthony joined the Plymouth Raiders of the British Basketball League. [23] [24] He appeared in five games before being released by the club on 7 November 2015 due to poor behaviour off the court. [25]

National team career

Anthony was selected to join the Tall Blacks on 17 August 2009 for the first time as an injury replacement for Jeremiah Trueman. He participated in the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. [1]

Personal

Anthony's father, Benny Sr., is a former player and coach in the New Zealand NBL. [26] [27]

Anthony holds a British passport thanks to his English-born mother. [23]

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References

  1. 1 2 "BJ Anthony – 2010 FIBA World Championship". Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  2. ↑ BJ Anthony Called into Tall Blacks
  3. ↑ "Waikato Pistons snap up BJ Anthony". Stuff . 26 February 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  4. ↑ Nuggets sign Tall Blacks Anthony, Henry
  5. ↑ Seconi, Adrian (23 April 2012). "Basketball: Nuggets eager to land Henry". odt.co.nz. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019.
  6. ↑ Otago Nuggets open NBL season with victory
  7. ↑ Anthony earns first POW
  8. ↑ Saints lose a Tall Blacks forward, add another
  9. ↑ "Saints Sign Anthony". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  10. ↑ SuperCity Rangers sign Reuben Te Rangi for NZ NBL
  11. ↑ Shea Ili and BJ Anthony join stacked Wellington Saints team for 2016 NBL
  12. ↑ Star-studded Wellington Saints team roll into season with only one import – by choice
  13. ↑ Benny Anthony has signed with the...
  14. ↑ Wellington Saints big man Beny Anthony is...
  15. ↑ Breakers name development players
  16. ↑ Breakers release troubled forward BJ Anthony
  17. ↑ 36ERS SIGN KIWI INTERNATIONAL
  18. ↑ "BJ Anthony ruled out for the season". Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  19. ↑ Herzöge Wolfenbüttel – Saison 2008/09 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in German)
  20. ↑ Herzöge Wolfenbüttel – Saison 2009/10 Archived 2 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in German)
  21. ↑ Solarto-Eagles setzen zum Höhenflug an (in German)
  22. ↑ Basketball: Anthony chases redemption
  23. 1 2 "Plymouth Raiders sign New Zealand forward BJ Anthony". bbc.com. 3 June 2015. Archived from the original on 19 August 2015.
  24. ↑ "Plymouth Raiders sign big-man 'BJ' from New Zealand". Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  25. ↑ ANTHONY AND EDWARDS RELEASED BY RAIDERS FOR SERIOUS OFF COURT ISSUES
  26. ↑ Basketball: Star recruits have Northland links
  27. ↑ Super City Rangers name Jeff Green as coach
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