Gene Banks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gene Banks

Banks as an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards in 2012
Personal information
Born	(1959-05-15) May 15, 1959 (age 66) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
High school	West Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College	Duke (1977–1981)
NBA Draft	1981 / Round: 2 / Pick: 28th overall
Selected by the San Antonio Spurs
Pro career	1981–1993
Coaching career	2009–present
Career history
As player:
1981–1985	San Antonio Spurs
1985–1987	Chicago Bulls
1988–1989	Arimo Bologna
1989–1990	La Crosse Catbirds
1990–1992	Maccabi Rishon Lezion
1992–1993	Hapoel Herzliya
As coach:
2009–2012	Washington Wizards (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Third-team All-American – NABC (1981) Third-team All-American – UPI (1979) First-team All-ACC (1981) 3× Second-team All-ACC (1978–1980) ACC Rookie of the Year (1978) 2× First-team Parade All-American (1976, 1977) McDonald's All-American (1977)
Career NBA statistics
Points	5,305 (11.3 ppg)
Assists	1,335 (2.9 apg)

Eugene Lavon Banks (born May 15, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He was born and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Banks played as a shooting guard and small forward. He was known for his strong play in both college and the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Gene Banks' Early Life and High School Career

Gene Banks was born in Philadelphia. He went to West Philadelphia High School. There, he was a tall player, standing 6 feet 7 inches. He played as a forward for his school team.

Banks was nicknamed "Tinkerbell." He was chosen for high school All-American teams in his last three years. By his senior year, he was seen as one of the best players in the country. Other top players at that time included Albert King and Magic Johnson.

In 1977, Banks was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic. He was also part of the first-ever McDonald's All-American team. This team played in the 1977 Capital Classic, where Banks was also voted MVP.

College Basketball Career at Duke

Banks chose to attend Duke University for college basketball. He played for the Duke Blue Devils team. Many other top college teams, like UCLA and Villanova, wanted him to play for them. Banks has said that a teacher told him about Duke's great academic programs. This made him want to visit the school.

Freshman Year Success

At Duke, Banks started playing as a freshman. He played alongside other talented players like Mike Gminski and Jim Spanarkel. The year before Banks arrived, the Blue Devils finished last in their conference. But with Banks, they were ranked in the top 10 by the end of the season.

In 1978, the Blue Devils made it to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 12 years. They reached the championship game but lost to Kentucky. During his first year, Banks was the first Duke freshman to get a "triple-double." This means he had double-digit numbers in three different stats (like points, rebounds, and assists) in one game. He was also named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Year.

Later College Years

After his freshman year, Banks' teams did not reach the Final Four again. However, they did play in the NCAA tournament in two of the next three years. Over his four years at Duke, the team won 90 games and lost 37.

During his college career, Banks averaged 16.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He also shot 53% from the field. In his last three seasons, Banks was named the team's Most Valuable Player each year.

In his senior season, playing for Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Banks won the ACC scoring title. He scored more points than other famous players like James Worthy and Ralph Sampson. Banks was also named to All-American teams in two of his seasons.

Banks was a very important player for Duke. He helped the school bring in more talented players in the future. He was the sixth African American player in Duke's history. He was also the school's first Black All-American player.

Banks earned his degree in English from Duke in May 1981. He was one of two students chosen to speak at graduation.

Professional Basketball Career

Gene Banks played six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in 468 games during his NBA career. He played for the San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls. On average, he scored 11.3 points per game.

His highest scoring game was 44 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1983. He also achieved his first NBA triple-double while playing for the Chicago Bulls.

Playing Overseas

After his time in the NBA, Banks played basketball in other countries. In the 1988–89 season, he played in Italy for a team called Arimo Bologna.

From Italy, he moved to Israel. He played for the Maccabi Rishon Lezion basketball club from 1990 to 1992. In 1993, he continued playing in Israel for Hapoel Herzliya. He helped them reach the Israeli Cup Championship game.

Continental Basketball Association

Between his time in Italy and Israel, Banks also played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). This was a league in the United States. He played the 1989–90 season with the La Crosse Catbirds. He averaged 15.3 points in 40 games. The Catbirds went on to win the CBA championship that year.

Coaching Career

In 2009, Gene Banks became an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards, an NBA team. In 2012, he changed roles with the Wizards. He became a scout for the southern part of the Eastern Atlantic Coast. As a scout, he helps find new talent for the team. He is known for helping players like JaVale McGee, Andray Blatche, and Kevin Seraphin develop their skills.

Honors and Achievements

Gene Banks has received several honors for his basketball career.

• In 1994, he was inducted into the Duke Basketball Hall of Fame.
• In 1996, he was inducted into the Duke Hall of Honors.
• In 2007, he was named the "best foreign player" to ever play for Maccabi Rishon LeZion in Israel.

NBA Career Statistics

Here are some of Gene Banks' statistics from his time in the NBA.

Regular Season

Playoffs

See Also

• List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders