Ben McDonald (basketball) facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 20, 1962 Torrance, California |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Long Beach Polytechnic (Long Beach, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | UC Irvine (1980–1984) |
| NBA Draft | 1984 / Round: 3 / Pick: 50th overall |
| Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Pro career | 1984–1994 |
| Coaching career | 1996–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1984–1985 | CB Collado Villalba |
| 1985 | Magia Huesca |
| 1985–1986 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1986–1989 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1988–1989 | Hapoel Holon |
| 1989–1990 | Real Madrid Baloncesto |
| 1990–1991 | San Jose Jammers |
| 1991 | Albany Patroons |
| 1992 | Oklahoma City Cavalry |
| 1992–1994 | Gießen 46ers |
| 1994 | FC Porto |
| As coach: | |
| 1996–1997 | Cal State Dominguez Hills (assistant) |
| 2001–2004 | Indiana (assistant) |
| 2008–2014 | Erie BayHawks (assistant) |
| 2014–2015 | Reno Bighorns (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Benjamin "Ben" McDonald (born July 20, 1962) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Reno Bighorns in the NBA Development League. Ben played college basketball for the California-Irvine Anteaters. After college, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers and later the Golden State Warriors. He played in 176 NBA games. In these games, he played for about 21 minutes and scored 6 points on average per game. After his time in the NBA, Ben played for teams in other countries and leagues.
Contents
Ben's College Basketball Journey
Ben McDonald started his basketball journey at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in California. After high school, he went to the University of California, Irvine. He played for the UC Irvine Anteaters from 1980 to 1984.
College Achievements
Ben was a standout player in college. He earned several awards during his time at UC Irvine:
- In 1981, he was named the PCAA Freshman of the Year. This award goes to the best first-year player in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) conference.
- In 1982, he was selected for the Second-team All-PCAA. This means he was one of the top players in the conference.
- He was chosen for the First-team All-PCAA twice, in both 1983 and 1984. This is a big honor, showing he was one of the very best players in the conference for those years.
Ben's Professional Playing Career
After a successful college career, Ben McDonald was drafted into the NBA. He was picked by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the third round of the 1984 NBA draft. He was the 50th player chosen overall.
Playing in the NBA
Ben played for the Cleveland Cavaliers for one season (1985). After that, he joined the Golden State Warriors. He played with the Warriors from 1986 to 1988. During his NBA career, he played as a power forward and a small forward.
Playing Around the World
After his NBA career, Ben McDonald played basketball in different countries and leagues.
- He played for teams in Spain, like CB Collado Villalba (1984–1985) and Magia Huesca (1985).
- He also played for Hapoel Holon in Israel (1988–1989).
- Ben joined one of Europe's most famous teams, Real Madrid Baloncesto, in Spain (1989–1990).
- He played in Germany for the Gießen 46ers (1992–1994).
- His international career also included playing for FC Porto in Portugal (1994).
Playing in Other American Leagues
Ben also played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) in the United States. The CBA was a league where players often tried to get back into the NBA.
- He played for the San Jose Jammers (1990–1991).
- He also played for the Albany Patroons (1991).
- His last CBA team was the Oklahoma City Cavalry (1992).
In his 70 games in the CBA, Ben averaged 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Ben McDonald became a basketball coach. He worked as an assistant coach for several teams.
- He was an assistant coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills from 1996 to 1997.
- From 2001 to 2004, he was an assistant coach for the Indiana Hoosiers.
- He then coached for the Erie BayHawks from 2008 to 2014.
- His last coaching role was with the Reno Bighorns from 2014 to 2015.
See also
In Spanish: Ben McDonald para niños
