Byron Wilson facts for kids
Wilson playing for Peñarol
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| Guard | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 1, 1971 Gary, Indiana, U.S. |
| Nationality | American / Argentinian |
| High school | Lew Wallace (Gary, Indiana) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Utah (1990–1993) |
| NBA Draft | 1993 / Round: 2 / Pick: 54th overall |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Pro career | 1993–2010 |
| Career history | |
| 1993–1994 | Oklahoma City Cavalry |
| 1994–1995 | Sport Club Cañadense |
| 1995–1996 | Deportivo Roca |
| 1996–1997 | Boca Juniors |
| 1997–1998 | Deportivo Roca |
| 1998 | Vaqueros de Bayamón |
| 1998–1999 | Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca |
| 1999–2000 | Quilmes de Mar del Plata |
| 2000–2001 | Estudiantes de Olavarría |
| 2001–2002 | Lucentum Alicante |
| 2002–2003 | Atenas |
| 2003–2005 | Boca Juniors |
| 2005–2006 | Quilmes de Mar del Plata |
| 2006–2007 | Obras Sanitarias |
| 2007 | Guaiqueríes de Margarita |
| 2007 | Peñarol de Mar del Plata |
| 2007–2008 | Monte Hermoso |
| 2008–2009 | Ciclista Juninense |
| 2009–2010 | Asociación Italiana de Charata |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Byron Neal Wilson (born September 1, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player. He also has Argentinian nationality. Byron was a 6-foot-3 guard. He played college basketball at the University of Utah. He spent three years there, though he had to sit out his first year due to college rules about grades.
Byron was chosen by the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA draft. He was the 54th player picked overall. However, he didn't play for the Suns. He started his professional career in the CBA. Later, he moved to Argentina. There, he had a very successful and long career. He played 570 games in the top Argentinian league. He scored over 11,000 points. He also won four national championships and three Finals MVP awards. He retired in 2010 after playing professionally for 17 years.
Contents
Early Life and High School
Byron Wilson was born and grew up in Gary, Indiana. He went to Lew Wallace High School there. In his final year of high school, he was a star player. He scored about 19 points per game. He also grabbed over 10 rebounds and made almost 4 assists per game. He was very accurate, shooting 52% from the field. He also made 80% of his free throws. By the end of high school, he was chosen for All-City, All-Conference, and All-State teams.
College Basketball Journey
After high school, Byron was recruited by several colleges. He decided to play for the University of Utah. He joined the team in 1989. This was when Rick Majerus became the new head coach. However, Byron couldn't play his first year. This was because of new NCAA rules about student grades.
He became eligible to play in 1990. He made his debut for the Utes on November 27, 1990. Coach Majerus quickly made him a starting player. In his first year, he averaged 8.7 points per game. He played in 32 games and started 30 of them.
In his second year, Byron became even better. He led the team in steals. He was also the second-highest scorer, averaging 12.1 points per game. He scored a career-high 25 points in a game in February 1991. In January 1992, he made a game-winning shot from half-court. This shot helped Utah win a close game 57–54. In February 1992, he set a new team record. He made all 5 of his three-point shots in one game. He was also named the WAC Player of the Week.
Byron's final year at Utah was his best. He played 31 games. He set new personal bests in rebounds, assists, and points. He averaged 12.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He was also named WAC Player of the Week again. At the end of the year, he was chosen for the First-team All-WAC. Byron finished his college career with 1,087 points and 449 rebounds.
Professional Career
After college, Byron Wilson was eligible for the 1993 NBA draft. The Phoenix Suns picked him as the 54th overall player. He played with the Suns in a summer league. But he was released before the 1993–94 NBA season began. He then joined the Oklahoma City Cavalry in the CBA. He played 50 games there, averaging 13.1 points.
In 1994, Byron moved to Argentina. He signed with Sport Club Cañadense. He helped the team avoid being moved to a lower league. In 1995, he played for Deportivo Roca. In 1996, he joined Boca Juniors. With Boca Juniors, he won the league title. He was also named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the Finals. In one finals game, he scored an amazing 47 points!
In 1997, he returned to Deportivo Roca. He was named the best foreign player in the Argentinian league for that season. He averaged 28.3 points per game. In 1998, he played briefly in Puerto Rico for Vaqueros de Bayamón.
In 1999, Byron went back to Argentina. He joined Quilmes de Mar del Plata. There, he won the Pan-American Club Championship. In 2000, he played for Estudiantes de Olavarría. This was one of his most successful seasons. He won another league title and another Finals MVP award. He also won the South American Basketball League title.
In 2001, Byron played in Spain for CB Lucentum Alicante. This was his only time playing in Europe. He played 30 games, averaging 13.8 points. In 2002, he returned to Argentina. He joined Atenas and won his third league title.
From 2003 to 2005, he played two more seasons with Boca Juniors. He won the 2004 league championship and another Finals MVP award. He scored a total of 2,873 points during his time with Boca Juniors. He later played for Quilmes again in 2005–06. In 2006–07, he was with Obras Sanitarias. In 2007, he had a short time playing in Venezuela for Guaiqueríes de Margarita. Then he moved to Peñarol.
In 2008, Byron made history. He became the first foreign player to score 11,000 points in the Argentinian league. He achieved this while playing for Monte Hermoso. He played his last season in 2009–10 for Asociación Italiana de Charata. He retired after scoring a total of 11,149 points in 570 games in the Argentinian league.
Achievements and Awards
Byron Wilson had a very successful basketball career. Here are some of his main achievements:
- 4-time Argentinian League champion (1997, 2001, 2003, 2004)
- 3-time Argentinian League Finals MVP (1997, 2001, 2004)
- 2-time Argentinian Cup champion (2004, 2005)
- South American Basketball League champion (2001)
- Pan-American Club Championship champion (2000)
- Argentinian League Best Import Player (1998)
- First-team All-WAC (1993)
See also
In Spanish: Byron Wilson para niños
