James Donaldson (basketball)

Last updated

James Donaldson
James Donaldson 01A.jpg
Donaldson during his 2009 race for Mayor of Seattle.
Personal information
Born (1957-08-17) August 17, 1957 (age 66)
Heacham, England
NationalityEnglish / American
Listed height7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)
Listed weight275 lb (125 kg)
Career information
High school Luther Burbank
(Sacramento, California)
College Washington State (1975–1979)
NBA draft 1979: 4th round, 73rd overall pick
Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics
Playing career1979–1999
Position Center
Number40, 35, 54
Career history
1979–1980 3A Antonini Siena
1980–1983 Seattle SuperSonics
1983–1985 San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers
1985–1991 Dallas Mavericks
1991–1992 New York Knicks
1993 Utah Jazz
1993–1994 Iraklis Thessaloniki
1995 Utah Jazz
1996–1997 Caja San Fernando
1997 Snai Montecatini
1998 Breogán
1998–1999 Gymnastikos S. Larissas
1999Breogán
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points 8,203 (8.6 ppg)
Rebounds 7,492 (7.8 rpg)
Blocks 1,267 (1.6 bpg)
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at NBA.com
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at Basketball-Reference.com

James Lee Donaldson III (born August 16, 1957) is an English-American retired professional basketball player who grew up in California and played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association and several leagues across Europe. Born in Heacham, England, Donaldson played high school basketball for Luther Burbank High School in California before enrolling at Washington State University to play for the Cougars.

Contents

Early life

Donaldson was born as a military brat in Heacham, England, [1] to a father who was stationed in the Air Force. [2] [3]

Amateur career

Donaldson, a 7'2" center, starred at Luther Burbank High School and Washington State in the late 1970s. In his 4 seasons at WSU he averaged 8.5 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game in 84 games. [4] As of April 2015 he was the all-time leader in career blocked shots (176), blocks average (2.1), single-season blocks (82 in 1977–78), single-season blocks average (3.0 in 1977–78) and single-game blocked shots (eight versus Stanford, January 25, 1978). [5] He was inducted into the Pac-12 Hall of Honor and WSU's athletic hall of fame in 2006. [5]

Professional career

After being drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1979 NBA draft he signed a contract with 3A Antonini Siena of the Italian Serie A. [6]

Donaldson played three seasons with Seattle before moving on to the San Diego (later Los Angeles) Clippers. During the 1984–85 NBA season, he led the league in field goal percentage at 0.637—still one of the ten highest percentages in NBA history.

Donaldson cited Artis Gilmore, Darryl Dawkins, Moses Malone, Truck Robinson and Maurice Lucas as some of the strongest players he played against early in his career. [7]

Donaldson joined the Dallas Mavericks in 1985. He joked with teammates that leaving the lowly, dysfunctional Clippers for the Mavericks was like dying and going to heaven. [8] He had his finest years while playing for the Mavericks, providing rebounding and shot-blocking to complement Dallas' star-studded line-up, which included Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, Roy Tarpley, Derek Harper, Sam Perkins, and Brad Davis. Donaldson himself earned a spot on the 1988 All-Star Team during a season in which the Mavericks reached the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. [9] The NY Daily News named him the worst All-Star player ever after a fans voting. [10] Sadly, things fell apart for the Mavericks generally in the late 1980s and early 1990s as their core group was either traded away (like Aguirre) or squandered vast potential via personal problems (like Tarpley) and Donaldson became the target for many fans and even his teammates for the franchise's woes, making the end of his otherwise hugely successful tenure in Dallas inevitable.

In 1990 he was founder and CEO of a dating magazine named Eligibles. It was published for a brief period of time in Dallas-Ft. Worth before going out of business.

After brief stints with the New York Knicks (traded midway through 1991–92 for Brian Quinnett) and Utah Jazz (49 games in two seasons combined) in the early 1990s, injuries forced Donaldson into retirement from the NBA. He left the league in 1995, with 8,203 career points, 7,492 career rebounds and 1,267 career blocks. He played in 957 NBA games without ever attempting a 3-point shot, a record among players from the 3-point era.

On August 1, 1993 he signed for Greek Basket League club Iraklis. [11] He played in 30 games for Iraklis averaging 12.1 points per game, 12.2 rebounds per game and 2.2 blocks per game. [11] In the 1996–97 season he played for Caja San Fernando averaging 3.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. [12] He also had spells with Snai Montecatini (Italy, 1997–98, for only six games), Breogán Lugo (Spain, two stints, in 1998 and 1999) and Gymnastikos S. Larissas (Greek Second Division, 1998–99), retiring for good at the age of 41. [11] [12] [13]

Personal life

Upon retiring, Donaldson settled in the Seattle area, where he ran the Donaldson Clinic, a physical therapy business in Mill Creek, Washington, until February 2018. [14] He is also a motivational speaker.

In 2009, Donaldson ran for the non-partisan office of Seattle mayor and came in fourth among the candidates. [15] In 2010, Donaldson joined the College Success Foundation as the Director of the Tacoma College Success Foundation. [16]

In January 2018, Donaldson survived an aortic dissection. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas Mavericks</span> National Basketball Association team in Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at the American Airlines Center, which it shares with the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirk Nowitzki</span> German basketball player (born 1978)

Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), he is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time and is considered by many to be the greatest European player of all time. In 2021, he was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. In 2023, Nowitzki was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delonte West</span> American former basketball player (born 1983)

Delonte Maurice West is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dallas Mavericks. He also played professionally for the Fujian Xunxing and Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association and the Texas Legends of the NBA G League. Prior to playing professionally, West played college basketball at Saint Joseph's University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Aguirre</span> American basketball player (born 1959)

Mark Anthony Aguirre is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Aguirre was chosen as the first overall pick of the 1981 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks after playing three years at DePaul University. Aguirre played in the NBA from 1981 until 1994 and won two championships with the Detroit Pistons after being traded to Detroit from Dallas in exchange for Adrian Dantley. Aguirre was a three-time All-Star for Dallas. Aguirre was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dahntay Jones</span> American basketball coach and player (born 1980)

Dahntay Lavall Jones is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Duke Blue Devils. Jones played in the NBA as a small forward and shooting guard from 2003 to 2017. He won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas, USA, belonging to the NBA. In their history, the Mavericks have won one NBA championship, four division titles, and two conference championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Tarpley</span> American basketball player (1964–2015)

Roy James Tarpley was an American professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions in the National Basketball Association (NBA), earning an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1988. In 1995, Tarpley was permanently banned by the NBA due to his drug and alcohol abuse. He played in Europe for Olympiacos, Aris, and Iraklis.

Artis Wayne Cooper was an American professional basketball player who played fourteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Coop", he played for the Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Denver Nuggets from 1978 to 1992. He was the Denver Nuggets’ all-time leader in blocks when he left the franchise in 1989. After his playing career ended, he worked as an executive with the Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings.

Mamadou N'Diaye is a Senegalese former professional basketball player and the current assistant coach for UCF Knights men's basketball.

Kurt Nimphius is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Nimphius played nine seasons in the NBA after his collegiate career at Arizona State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serge Ibaka</span> Congolese-Spanish basketball player

Serge Jonás Ibaka Ngobila is a Congolese-Spanish professional basketball player for Bayern Munich of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and the EuroLeague. Ibaka was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft. Ibaka is a three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection and has twice led the league in blocks. Although born in the Republic of the Congo, Ibaka plays for the Spain national team. In 2019, he won an NBA championship as a key member of the Toronto Raptors.

<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.

The 1990–91 NBA season was the Mavericks' 11th season in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Mavericks signed free agent All-Star forward Alex English, while acquiring his teammate All-Star guard Fat Lever from the Denver Nuggets, and Rodney McCray from the Sacramento Kings. However, the Mavericks troubles would start early as Lever, and Roy Tarpley were both lost early in the season with season ending knee injuries. While on the injured list, Tarpley would again be suspended for substance abuse by the NBA. Despite winning four of their first five games, the Mavericks struggled and lost 10 of their next 13 games. Their struggles continued as they lost eight consecutive games near the end of the season, finishing sixth in the Midwest Division with a 28–54 record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988–89 Dallas Mavericks season</span> NBA professional basketball team season

The 1988–89 NBA season was the Mavericks' 9th season in the NBA. After reaching the Conference Finals last year, the Mavericks got off to a fast start winning 9 of their first 12 games, but after a 17–9 start, they went on a 7-game losing streak in January, and held a 24–21 record at the All-Star break. In January, sixth man Roy Tarpley was suspended indefinitely for violating the league's anti-drug policy; Tarpley was also out with a knee injury, only playing just 19 games.

The 1989–90 NBA season was the Mavericks' 10th season in the National Basketball Association. A year after missing the playoffs, the Mavericks received the eighth overall pick in the 1989 NBA draft, and selected Randy White out of Louisiana Tech, and later on fired head coach John MacLeod at the end of November, replacing with him Richie Adubato. However, things would not all go smoothly for the Mavericks as Roy Tarpley found himself in hot water again, as he was arrested in November for driving under the influence of drugs. The Mavericks played above .500 for the first half of the season, holding a 26–22 record at the All-Star break. As the season progressed, the team released Adrian Dantley to free agency; Dantley averaged 14.7 points per game in 45 games with the team. The Mavericks finished third in the Midwest Division with a 47–35 record.

The 1994–95 NBA season was the Mavericks' 15th season in the National Basketball Association. With the hopes of repeating history, the Mavericks brought back original head coach Dick Motta to restore a team that had compiled an awful 24–140 record over the last two years. The Mavericks had the second overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft, and selected Jason Kidd from the University of California. Meanwhile, former Sixth Man Roy Tarpley returned after being suspended by the NBA three years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxi Kleber</span> German basketball player

Maximilian Kleber is a German professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). At 2.08 m, he plays the power forward position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorian Finney-Smith</span> American basketball player

Dorian Lawrence Finney-Smith is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Virginia Tech and Florida. After spending his first seven seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, he was traded to the Nets in February 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Brown III</span> American basketball player (born 2001)

Gregory James Brown III is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Texas Legends of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns.

References

  1. ↑ Goldaper, Sam (November 27, 1990). "NOTEBOOK; At 11-0, Trail Blazers Aiming Next for Suns". The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  2. ↑ Seely, Mike (May 28, 2021). "NBA star James Donaldson stands tall and bares all in run for Seattle mayor". The Guardian. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  3. ↑ Heffter, Emily (July 24, 2009). "Seattle mayor's race: Cash fading, Seattle mayoral candidate James Donaldson adjusts his game plan". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  4. ↑ "James Donaldson stats". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  5. 1 2 "WSU Athletic Hall of Fame". Washington State University. August 16, 2013. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  6. ↑ Van Sickel, Charlie (August 20, 1979). "Citrus Canker Lawsuit Headed Back to Trial". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  7. ↑ USA Today. December 9, 1982
  8. ↑ Siegel, Alan (May 6, 2015). "What It Was Like To Play For The '80s Clippers, The Worst Team In Sports". Deadspin. Gawker Media . Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  9. ↑ "The Most Undeserving NBA All-Star Selections of All Time". complex.com. February 13, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  10. ↑ "NBA Worst All-Star Ever Tournament: We have a winner and it is James Donaldson!". NY Daily News. February 16, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 "Ξαφνικά, έπρεπε να παίξω και... επίθεση!" (in Greek). SENTRA Goal. September 21, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  12. 1 2 "Historias de (Solo)Basket: Dinosaurios NBA, última estación – Europa" (in Spanish). Solobasket.com. May 11, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  13. ↑ "NBA All-Stars who played Overseas". nba-allstar.com. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  14. ↑ Pablo S. Torre (July 4, 2011). "Larger Than Real Life". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Cash fading, Seattle mayoral candidate James Donaldson adjusts his game plan". The Seattle Times. July 24, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  16. ↑ "James Donaldson Joins College Success Foundation – as Tacoma Director". College Success Foundation. April 9, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  17. ↑ Art Thiel (May 16, 2018). "Turning the Page: After struggles, 16-year NBA vet James Donaldson wants to help young athletes shed mental health stigma". The Athletic . Retrieved August 31, 2019.
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.