Ben Strong (basketball)

Last updated

Ben Strong
Phoenix Suns
PositionPlayer development
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1986-09-18) September 18, 1986 (age 37)
Manassas, Virginia, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school Chapel Hill
(Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
College Guilford (2004–2008)
NBA draft 2008: undrafted
Playing career2008–2016
Career history
As player:
2008–2010 Maccabi Haifa
2010 Landstede Zwolle
2010–2011 Hapoel Kiryat Tivon
2011–2013 Iowa Energy
2013–2014 Delaware 87ers
2014 Austin Toros
2014–2015 Westchester Knicks
2015 Atletico Welcome
2015Westchester Knicks
2016Native Pride
2016 Nelson Giants
As coach:
2016–2018 Huntingdon College (assistant)
2019–present Phoenix Suns (player development)
Career highlights and awards

Ben Strong (born September 18, 1986) is an American basketball coach and a retired professional basketball player. Strong is of Native American descent (Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians). [1]

Contents

Playing career

College basketball

Born in Manassas, Virginia, [2] Strong grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. [3] After graduating from Chapel Hill High School in 2004, he enrolled at Guilford College, an NCAA Division III school in Greensboro, North Carolina. He left Guilford ranked second all-time in scoring (2231) as well as in blocked shots (236) and seventh all-time in rebounding (927), [4] taking home various individual awards during his four-year college career, including NCAA Division 3 Player of the Year distinction. [5] Strong won one Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship with Guilford and led the Quakers to two appearances in the NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament. He set an NCAA Division III Tournament record by scoring 59 points in a triple-overtime win over Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) in March 2007. [6]

Professional basketball

Strong launched his professional career in 2008 with Maccabi Haifa B.C. in the Israeli Premier League. [7] After a stint in the Netherlands [8] and a return to Israel, he took his game to the NBA Development League, where he appeared in a total of 183 regular season (7.7 points, 5.5 rebounds per game) and two post season (20.5 points, 11.5 rebounds per game) contests. In the autumn of 2015, he had a brief stop in Uruguay, playing for Atletico Welcome. [9]

Rounding out his professional career, Strong played his final season in New Zealand with the Nelson Giants [10] and was named Australiabasket.com All-New Zealand NBL Center of the Year. [11]

In 2018, he played for the "We are D3" team at The Basketball Tournament. [12]

Coaching career

After ending his playing career in 2016, he was named an assistant men's basketball coach at Huntingdon College in the fall of 2016, [13] before joining the Philadelphia 76ers’ staff as a player development specialist [14] in 2018. [15] On June 26, 2019, he joined the Phoenix Suns' staff as a player development coach. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolph Schayes</span> American basketball player and coach (1928–2015)

Adolph Schayes was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A top scorer and rebounder, he was a 12-time NBA All-Star and a 12-time All-NBA selection. Schayes won an NBA championship with the Syracuse Nationals in 1955. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Robinson</span> American basketball player (born 1973)

Glenn Alan Robinson Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Dog" and "The Chosen One", he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1994 to 2005 for the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, and San Antonio Spurs. Robinson attended Purdue University and was the first overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft. He is the father of Glenn Robinson III, who played college basketball at the University of Michigan and has also played in the NBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob McAdoo</span> American basketball player (born 1951)

Robert Allen McAdoo Jr. is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a five-time NBA All-Star and named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1975. He won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s. In 2000, McAdoo was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Bogut</span> Australian basketball player (born 1984)

Andrew Michael Bogut is an Australian former professional basketball player who spent the majority of his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 7-foot (213 cm) tall center was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the first overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. He earned All-NBA Third Team honors with the Bucks in 2010. He was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 2012, and was named NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2015, when he won an NBA championship with the Warriors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Cunningham</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1943)

William John Cunningham is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid for his leaping and record-setting rebounding abilities. He spent a total of 17 seasons with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, and two seasons as a player with the Carolina Cougars of the ABA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bailey Howell</span> American basketball player (born 1937)

Bailey E. Howell is an American former professional basketball player. After playing college basketball at Mississippi State, Howell played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Howell was a six-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA champion and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997.

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

Eumarkjah Tywan "Mark" Sanford, is a retired American professional basketball player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casper Ware</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Casper Ware Jr. is an American professional basketball player for CSKA Moscow of the VTB United League. He played college basketball for the Long Beach State 49ers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Broekhoff</span> Australian basketball player

Ryan Broekhoff is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Valparaiso Crusaders, where he was named an All-American in 2012. He represented the Australian Boomers on multiple occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Ennis III</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

James Alfred Ennis III is an American professional basketball player who last played for Hebei Xianglan of the Chinese National Basketball League. He played two years of Division 1 college basketball for Long Beach State, where he became a standout as a senior, earning Big West Player of the Year honors. After being selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 2013 NBA draft, Ennis moved to Australia and joined the Perth Wildcats. There he won an NBL championship and became a Perth favorite. He returned to the United States in 2014 in pursuit of an NBA contract, and subsequently joined the Miami Heat. He went on to spend time with the Memphis Grizzlies and the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2015–16 season, as well as in the NBA Development League with the Iowa Energy. He re-joined the Grizzlies in July 2016, and was traded to the Pistons in February 2018. He then split the 2018–19 season with the Houston Rockets and the Philadelphia 76ers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Simmons</span> Australian basketball player (born 1996)

Benjamin David Simmons is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the LSU Tigers, after which he was named a consensus first-team All-American and the USBWA National Freshman of the Year. Simmons was selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. After sitting out a year due to an injured right foot, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018 and was selected three times to the NBA All-Star Game. As the result of a holdout from the 76ers following the 2020–21 season, which led him to be traded to the Nets, Simmons is the most-fined player in NBA history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamar Patterson</span> American professional basketball player

Lamar Patterson is an American professional basketball player for the South West Metro Pirates of the NBL1 North. He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chasson Randle</span> American basketball player

Chasson Randle is an American professional basketball player for AEK Athens of the Greek Basket League and the Basketball Champions League. He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal. As a senior in 2014–15, he was considered one of the top point guards in the country. Born in Rock Island, Illinois, Randle played basketball for Rock Island High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonah Bolden</span> Australian American basketball player

Jonah Anthony Bolden is an Australian-American professional basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL). He started his professional career with FMP in Serbia, where he was named the ABA League Top Prospect in 2017. He played a season-and-a-half with the Philadelphia 76ers before joining the Phoenix Suns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shawn Long</span> American basketball player

Shawn Long is an American professional basketball player for Osaka Evessa of the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and represented the United States at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jae'Sean Tate</span> American basketball player

Jae'Sean Antoine Tate is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Conference. Tate is represented by Beyond Athlete Management. Tate started his career overseas before joining the Rockets in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Hankins</span> American basketball player (born 1996)

Zach Hankins is an American professional basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the Basketball Champions League (BCL). He played college basketball for the Xavier Musketeers his senior season. As a power forward/center, Hankins was named the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year for the 2017–18 season while playing for Ferris State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Salt</span> New Zealand basketball player

Jack Matthew Cooper Salt is a New Zealand former professional basketball player. He played college basketball in the United States for the Virginia Cavaliers, where he was a member of their 2019 national championship team. He played the majority of his career in the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL) and had two seasons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He was also a member of the New Zealand national team in various FIBA competitions.

Romaro Gill is a Jamaican professional basketball player who last played for the Southland Sharks of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Vincennes Trailblazers and the Seton Hall Pirates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Travers</span> Australian basketball player

Luke Jacob Travers is an Australian professional basketball player for Melbourne United of the National Basketball League (NBL). Opting to forgo college basketball in the United States to begin his professional career in Australia, he made his debut for the Perth Wildcats in the NBL as a development player in 2019 and became an NBL champion in 2020. At state league level, he played three seasons for the Rockingham Flames in the State Basketball League (SBL) between 2017 and 2019, and then had a stint with the Cockburn Cougars in 2020 during the West Coast Classic. He was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 56th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft.

References

  1. "Three American Indians to Watch in NBA D-League This Season". Native News Online. November 22, 2013. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  2. "Ben Strong". Guilford. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  3. Etter, Dan. "Ben Strong muscles his way into the spotlight". www.guilfordian.com. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  4. "Guilford College Basketball – Career History". Guilford. Archived from the original on March 14, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  5. "Guilford's Ben Strong Named NABC NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Co-Player of the Year". Guilford. March 21, 2007. Retrieved May 5, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. "Guilford shocks Lincoln in triple-OT thriller" . Retrieved May 5, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. Halip, Matt. "Ben Strong adjusts to life and basketball in Israel". www.guilfordian.com. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  8. "Ben Strong verlaat Landstede Basketbal". sportiefzwolle.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  9. "Ben Strong llega al Parque Rodó". ovaciondigital.com.uy (in Spanish). October 12, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  10. "Nelson Giants sign D-League player Ben Strong for National Basketball League". Stuff. February 7, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  11. "NBL_2016 Basketball League NEW-ZEALAND". eurobasket.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  12. "We are D3 falls in TBT opener". D3hoops. July 15, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  13. "Huntingdon". www.huntingdonhawks.com. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  14. "Front Office Directory". Philadelphia 76ers. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  15. "Huntingdon MBB on Instagram: "Ben Strong, former Huntingdon College assistant coach, doing big things in his new role on staff with the Philadelphia 76ers @sixers ...…"". Instagram. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  16. "Phoenix Suns announce complete coaching staff". nba.com. Retrieved June 27, 2019.