Allen Durham facts for kids

Allen Isiah Jeremiah Durham (born July 9, 1988) is an American professional basketball player. He is known by his nickname, The Hulk. Allen plays for the Saga Ballooners in Japan's B.League. He also owns a basketball team called the Grand Rapids Danger. Allen runs a foundation to help young kids get involved in sports. He holds records at Grace Bible College for points, rebounds, and blocks. He has played basketball in many countries around the world.

College Basketball Journey

Allen Durham went to Grace Bible College in 2006. This school is a Division II school in the NCCAA. He left after his first year because of money problems. He went to Grand Rapids Community College but did not play basketball there. The next year, he returned to Grace Bible College.

Before his final year, bigger schools from Division I wanted him to transfer. These included Iowa State and Central Michigan. He scored 31 points in a game against Lincoln Christian University. This made him Grace's all-time leading scorer. This record had not been broken since 1966. He also became Grace's all-time leading rebounder. In 2011, he won the Pete Maravich Award for men's basketball.

Professional Basketball Career

Starting in Romania: Dinamo București (2011)

Allen Durham began his pro career in Romania. He signed with Dinamo București. In his first game, he scored 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. He averaged 23.3 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. He played 18 games for the team.

Playing in Finland: Vilpas (2011–2012)

Next, Durham played for Salon Vilpas in Finland's Korisliiga. In his first game, he had 27 points and 19 rebounds. He helped his team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

Israel's League: Hapoel Afula (2013)

Durham then joined Hapoel Afula in the Israeli National League. He averaged 21 points and 12.1 rebounds in 28 games.

French Basketball: Nantes (2013–2014)

After Israel, Durham moved to France. He played for Nantes in the French Pro B league. He averaged 18.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 44 games.

Philippine Debut: Barako Bull Energy (2014)

Durham then played for the Barako Bull Energy in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). In his first PBA game, he scored 32 points, grabbed 24 rebounds, and made 10 assists. This helped his team get their second win. He later had 28 points and 29 rebounds in a big win. His team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Back to France: Second Stint with Nantes (2014–2015)

Durham returned to Nantes for a second time. He averaged 17 points and 8.6 rebounds during this period.

NBA G League: Texas Legends (2015–16)

He then played 24 games for the Texas Legends in the NBA Development League. He averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 rebounds.

Third Time in France: Nantes (2016)

Nantes brought Durham back for a third time. He averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds. He also shot 61% from the field.

First Time in the Philippines: Meralco Bolts (2016)

After France, Durham joined the Meralco Bolts in the PBA again. He injured his nose and had to wear a mask. He was named Best Import of the Conference. The Bolts reached the finals but lost in Game 6.

Uruguay: Club Malvin (2017)

Durham then played for Club Malvín in Uruguay. His team reached the semifinals.

Meralco Bolts: Return and Big Seasons (2017–2018)

2017 Governors' Cup

Durham came back to the Bolts for the 2017 Governors' Cup. He had many strong games, often getting double-doubles (double digits in two stats). He even got a triple-double (double digits in three stats) with 25 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. The Bolts finished first in the elimination round.

In the playoffs, they reached the finals again. They faced Ginebra in a rematch. Durham won Best Import again before Game 2. The Bolts lost Game 1 and Game 2. They won Game 3 and Game 4 to tie the series. But Ginebra won Game 7, and Meralco lost the championship.

2018 Governors' Cup

Durham returned to Meralco for the 2018 Governors' Cup. He also played with Meralco in the 2018 FIBA Asia Champions Cup. Meralco had a six-game losing streak. Durham helped them end it with 36 points. Meralco made the playoffs and upset Phoenix. They lost to Alaska in the semifinals.

Japan's B.League: Shiga Lakestars (2019)

In 2019, Durham joined the Shiga Lakestars in Japan. He averaged 22.3 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 18 games.

Meralco Bolts: Another Shot at the Title (2019–2020)

Durham returned to Meralco for his fourth year. He missed some games for the birth of his child. He had a triple-double with 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Bolts beat Ginebra by 24 points, with Durham scoring 39 points.

They met TNT in the semifinals. Durham had a huge game in Game 2 with 44 points, 19 rebounds, and 11 assists. Meralco won Game 5 to reach the finals. They faced Ginebra again in the Finals. Durham had another triple-double in Game 1. Before Game 4, he won Best Import of the Conference again. This made him a player with many Best Import awards. However, Meralco lost the finals to Ginebra for the third time in four seasons.

South Korea: Busan KT Sonicboom (2020)

After Meralco, Durham played for the Busan KT Sonicboom in South Korea. He left the team early because of the COVID-19 outbreak. He was the first foreign player to leave the KBL due to the virus.

Japan: Niigata Albirex BB (2020–2021)

Durham then played for Niigata Albirex BB in Japan. He helped end Niigata's six-game losing streak. Niigata only won 16 out of 54 games that season.

Japan: Ryukyu Golden Kings (2021–2024)

Durham signed with the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Japan's B.League. He had many double-doubles. He helped his team finish as the top seed with a great record of 49 wins and 7 losses. In the semifinals, his team won. In the finals, they lost to Utsunomiya.

Meralco Bolts: Final Stint (2024)

Durham returned to Meralco for the fifth time for the 2024 Governors' Cup. On October 30, 2024, Durham announced he was retiring from the PBA.

Japan: Saga Ballooners (2025–present)

On January 10, 2025, Durham signed with the Saga Ballooners in Japan.

The Basketball Tournament

Durham first played in The Basketball Tournament in 2019. He helped his team, the Jackson TN Underdawgs, reach the Elite 8. They won three games even though they were the lowest-ranked team.

His team was supposed to play in the 2020 tournament. But they had to drop out because of COVID-19. They were able to play again in the 2021 tournament.

Career Statistics

NBA G League

Personal Life

Allen Durham owns the Grand Rapids Danger basketball team. This team used to play in the American Basketball Association. In 2018, they moved to the North American Basketball League (NABL). He also runs a foundation. This foundation helps introduce young kids to sports.

Durham has two children. He is one of 10 brothers and sisters.