David Blu facts for kids
Blu in 2017
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 18, 1980 Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American / Israeli |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | USC (1998–2002) |
| NBA Draft | 2002 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2002–2014 |
| Career history | |
| 2002–2004 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 2004 | BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg |
| 2004–2005 | Benetton Treviso |
| 2005–2006 | Virtus Bologna |
| 2006–2007 | Fortitudo Bologna |
| 2007–2008 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 2008–2009 | Le Mans |
| 2009–2012, 2013-2014 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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David Blu, born David Bluthenthal on July 18, 1980, is a former professional basketball player. He is both American and Israeli. Blu played for 10 seasons in the EuroLeague, which is a top basketball league in Europe. He is 6 feet 7 inches tall. He played as a small forward and power forward. Many people think he is one of the best three-point shooters ever in the EuroLeague. In 2011, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Israeli Basketball Premier League Finals. He also played for the Israeli national team in 2010.
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Early Life and School
David Blu was born in Los Angeles, California. His mother was Jewish, and his African American father became Jewish. David is Jewish too.
He went to Palms Middle School. For high school, he attended Venice High School and Westchester High School. In 1997, he played basketball for the United States at the Maccabiah Games. He helped his team win a gold medal there.
College Basketball Career
Blu went to the University of Southern California (USC). This university was started by his great-great-granduncle, Isaias Hellman. From his second year, he was a starting player. He was always one of the best players in the Pac-10.
In his final year, 2001–02, Blu was recognized as an All-Pac 10 honorable mention. He scored about 12.1 points and grabbed 7.5 rebounds per game. He left college in 2002 to start his professional basketball career. One of his most famous games was when he scored 27 points against Kentucky. This happened in 2001 during an NCAA tournament game. His USC team won that upset game.
Professional Basketball Journey
After college, David Blu decided to play professional basketball in Europe.
First Time with Maccabi Tel Aviv
Blu signed with the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2002. This team plays in the EuroLeague. For two years, from 2002 to 2004, he helped them win big. They won the EuroLeague championship in 2004. They also won the Israeli National Cup twice. In the 2004 EuroLeague Final, Blu scored 20 points from the bench. Maccabi Tel Aviv won that game by a huge 44-point difference.
After the 2004 season, the NBA team Sacramento Kings signed Blu. But they released him in November before the season began.
Playing in Russia and Italy
After leaving Sacramento, Blu joined the Russian team BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg. This team had just signed David Blatt, who was Blu's coach at Maccabi Tel Aviv. He played 8 games in the Russian Basketball Super League A.
After two months in Russia, Blu moved to Italy. He played for Benetton Treviso. He shot very well from both two-point and three-point range in the Italian League.
In 2005, he signed with Virtus Bologna. He became one of their best players, scoring 20.2 points per game. After the 2005–06 season, he joined Fortitudo, a rival team. In the 2006–07 EuroLeague season, he averaged 16 points and 4.2 rebounds. He also made 53.3% of his three-point shots.
Second Time with Maccabi Tel Aviv
On June 15, 2007, Blu returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv. He played 25 EuroLeague games. He helped Maccabi reach the EuroLeague Finals, where they played against CSKA Moscow.
Playing for Le Mans
On July 10, 2008, Blu signed a one-year deal with Le Mans in France. In 10 EuroLeague games, he averaged 12.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Third Time with Maccabi Tel Aviv
In the summer of 2009, Blu came back to Israel again. He signed a one-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv. In the 2010–11 season, he averaged 8.9 points in the EuroLeague. He also averaged 10.9 points in the Israeli Super League. He was named the 2011 Israeli Basketball Premier League Finals MVP. In July 2011, Maccabi extended his contract for another year.
In June 2012, Blu decided to retire for the first time. He wanted to finish his college education in the USA.
After finishing college in 2013, Blu signed a new contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv. After his return, Maccabi won the 2014 EuroLeague championship. This was the sixth time the club won it, and Blu's second EuroLeague title. He averaged 10.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 30 EuroLeague games that season. In the EuroLeague Final Four, he scored 15 points against CSKA Moscow in the semifinals. He made some very important three-pointers. In the championship game against Real Madrid, he scored 14 points. After the season ended, Blu announced he was retiring from professional basketball for good.
National Team Play
In 2010, David Blu played for the Israeli national team. His first game with them was against Portugal on July 19, 2010. Blu also played for Israel at the EuroBasket 2011 tournament. He averaged 12.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game there.
Awards and Recognition
In 2006, David Blu was honored. He was added to the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Images for kids
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Blu in 2017
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Blu in 2010
