Branden Dawson facts for kids
Dawson's debut with Hsinchu JKO Lioneers of P.League+ in Taiwan
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 1, 1993 Gary, Indiana, U.S. |
| High school | Lew Wallace (Gary, Indiana) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Michigan State (2011–2015) |
| NBA Draft | 2015 / Round: 2 / Pick: 56th overall |
| Selected by the New Orleans Pelicans | |
| Pro career | 2015–2024 |
| Career history | |
| 2015–2016 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2015 | →Bakersfield Jam |
| 2015–2016 | →Grand Rapids Drive |
| 2016 | →Erie BayHawks |
| 2016–2017 | Erie BayHawks |
| 2017 | Hapoel Tel Aviv |
| 2017–2018 | Sun Rockers Shibuya |
| 2018 | Cañeros del Este |
| 2018 | San Sebastián |
| 2018 | Las Fieras de La Villa |
| 2018–2019 | Soles de Mexicali |
| 2019 | Gigantes de Jalisco |
| 2019 | Metropolitanos de Mauricio Báez |
| 2019 | Cañeros del Este |
| 2019 | La Mattica |
| 2019 | Bnei Herzliya |
| 2020 | Plaza Fernando Valerio |
| 2020–2021 | Kaohsiung Jeoutai Technology |
| 2021–2022 | Hsinchu JKO Lioneers |
| 2022–2023 | TaiwanBeer HeroBears |
| 2023 | Spartans Distrito Capital |
| 2023 | Club Rafael Barias |
| 2024 | CDP Domingo Paulino Santiago |
| 2024 | Indios de San Francisco de Macorís |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Branden James Dawson (born February 1, 1993) is an American former professional basketball player. He grew up in Gary, Indiana. Branden played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. In his final year at Michigan State, he helped his team reach the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. He retired from professional basketball on January 27, 2025.
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High School Basketball Journey
Branden Dawson played high school basketball at Lew Wallace High School. He was chosen for the 2011 McDonald's All-American Boys Game after his senior year. This game features the best high school basketball players in the country.
As a senior, Branden helped his team win the sectional championship. He scored 13 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and made 6 steals in that game. In the regional finals, he had 28 points and 15 rebounds, but his team lost. During his senior year, he averaged 28.7 points, 18.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. Experts like Rivals.com and Scout.com rated him as a five-star recruit.
College Basketball Career
Branden Dawson received offers from many top schools. In August 2010, he decided to play for Michigan State. In his very first game for the Spartans, he scored 15 points and had 9 rebounds.
Freshman Year Highlights
Branden scored 10 points in his first official game for Michigan State. This was a game against North Carolina in the 2011 Carrier Classic. He scored a season-high 16 points twice during his freshman year. His first college season ended early when he injured his left knee. Even with the injury, he averaged 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Sophomore Season and Challenges
In his second year, Branden started strong with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the first game. He had a great game against Purdue, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Later that season, he had a disagreement with a teammate. Because of this, his coach did not let them start a game. A few days later, Branden had his best game of the season. He scored 18 points and had 13 rebounds to help Michigan State win. He improved his averages to 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Junior and Senior Year Success
In January 2014, Branden injured his right hand. He missed 9 games because of this. When he returned, he helped Michigan State win the 2014 Big Ten men's basketball tournament championship. He was even named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
In his senior year, he was recognized as one of the best players in the Big Ten Conference. He was named to the Second-team All-Big Ten and the Big Ten All-Defensive Team. He averaged 11.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Branden helped his team reach the 2015 Final Four. He said that reaching the Final Four was a main reason he chose Michigan State.
Over his four years at Michigan State, Branden played in 130 games. He averaged 10.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. When he graduated, he was Michigan State's all-time leader in blocked shots, with 142 blocks.
College Statistics Overview
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Source:
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | Michigan State | 31 | 31 | 20.6 | .577 | .000 | .594 | 4.5 | .9 | .9 | .8 | 8.4 |
| 2012–13 | Michigan State | 36 | 35 | 26.9 | .531 | .000 | .538 | 5.9 | 1.3 | 1.6 | .9 | 8.9 |
| 2013–14 | Michigan State | 28 | 23 | 28.3 | .613 | .000 | .656 | 8.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | .9 | 11.2 |
| 2014–15 | Michigan State | 35 | 32 | 30.1 | .535 | .000 | .490 | 9.1 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 11.9 |
| Career | 130 | 121 | 26.6 | .559 | .000 | .558 | 6.9 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 10.1 | |
Professional Basketball Journey
Time with the Los Angeles Clippers (2015–2016)
On June 25, 2015, the New Orleans Pelicans chose Branden Dawson in the 2015 NBA draft. He was the 56th player picked overall. Soon after, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He played well in the 2015 NBA Summer League, averaging 12.8 points and 10.3 rebounds. Because of this, he signed a two-year contract with the Clippers.
During his first year, Branden also played for other teams in the NBA Development League. These teams included the Bakersfield Jam, Grand Rapids Drive, and Erie BayHawks. He made his NBA debut on December 28, 2015. A few days later, on January 2, 2016, he scored his first two NBA points. The Clippers later waived him on July 17, 2016.
Playing for the Erie BayHawks (2016–2017)
Branden signed with the Orlando Magic in September 2016 but was waived before the season started. He then joined the Erie BayHawks in the NBA Development League. He played for the BayHawks until March 2017.
International Basketball Experiences
After his time with the BayHawks, Branden played for several teams around the world.
- In March 2017, he signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel. He averaged 8 points and 4.6 rebounds in 8 games.
- In August 2017, he joined the Sun Rockers Shibuya in Japan.
- In 2018, he played for Cañeros del Este in the Dominican Republic.
- From 2018 to 2019, he played for Soles de Mexicali in Mexico. He had a career-high game with 25 points and 18 rebounds in January 2019.
- He also played for Gigantes de Jalisco in Mexico in 2019.
- In July 2019, he joined Metropolitanos de Mauricio Báez in the Dominican Republic.
- He returned to Cañeros del Este in September 2019.
- In November 2019, he signed with Bnei Herzliya in Israel for a short time.
- In November 2020, Branden signed with Kaohsiung Jeoutai Technology in Taiwan.
- In February 2021, he joined Hsinchu JKO Lioneers in Taiwan. He had a strong debut with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
- From 2022 to 2023, he played for TaiwanBeer HeroBears in Taiwan. He was named a T1 League All-Star in 2023.
- In April 2023, he signed with Spartans Distrito Capital in Venezuela.
- In September 2023, he played for Club Rafael Barias in the Dominican Republic.
- In July 2024, he signed with Indios de San Francisco de Macorís in the Dominican Republic.
Branden Dawson officially retired from professional basketball on January 27, 2025.
NBA Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | L.A. Clippers | 6 | 0 | 4.8 | .400 | .000 | 1.000 | .7 | .0 | .0 | .2 | .8 |
| Career | 6 | 0 | 4.8 | .400 | .000 | 1.000 | .7 | .0 | .0 | .2 | .8 | |
About Branden's Life
Branden Dawson was born on February 1, 1993. His parents are Leon Albritton and Cassandra Dawson. He became a father to his son, My'Shawn, on March 30, 2010. Branden earned a degree in sociology from Michigan State University.
See also
In Spanish: Branden Dawson para niños
