Joe Dawson (basketball) facts for kids
| Forward | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 16, 1960 Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
| Nationality | American-Israeli |
| High school | Druid (Tuscaloosa, Alabama) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Southern Miss (1978–1982) |
| NBA Draft | 1982 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1982–2008 |
| Career history | |
| 1982–1983 | Maine Lumberjacks |
| 1983–1985 | Bay State Bombardiers |
| 1985 | Connecticut Colonials |
| 1985–1986 | Cocodrilos de Caracas |
| 1986–1987 | Mulhouse BC |
| 1987–1988 | Hapoel Holon |
| 1988–1989 | Évreux |
| 1990–1991 | Beitar Tel Aviv |
| 1991 | Memphis Rockers |
| 1991–1994 | Hapoel Eilat |
| 1994–1996 | Maccabi Jerusalem |
| 1996–1998 | Hapoel Eilat |
| 1998–2001 | Maccabi Rishon LeZion |
| 2001–2002 | Hapoel Holon |
| 2002–2003 | Hapoel Jerusalem |
| 2003–2004 | Maccabi Ashdod |
| 2004–2005 | Ironi Ramat Gan |
| 2005–2008 | Ironi Nes Ziona |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Joe Dawson (born May 16, 1960) is an American-Israeli former professional basketball player. He was known for his amazing skills on the court. Joe played high school basketball in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He then played four years of college basketball for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. During his college years, he often led his team in scoring and rebounding.
After college, Joe started his professional career in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). He was chosen as an All-Star player three times there. He also played in Venezuela and France, where he was a top scorer. In 1987, he moved to Israel and played for 14 seasons. He was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Israeli Basketball Premier League in 1992. In 2011, he was honored by being added to the Southern Miss Hall of Fame. Joe Dawson is also the father of another professional basketball player, Shawn Dawson.
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High School Basketball Star
Joe Dawson was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He went to Druid High School there. In high school, he played both guard and forward positions. He was so good that he became a starter on the team from his second year.
In his final year of high school, Joe scored an average of 21.4 points per game. He was very accurate, making 53% of his shots. He also made 78% of his free throws. Because of his great performance, he was selected for the 4A All-State first team.
College Basketball Journey
Joe Dawson decided to play for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in April 1978. In his first year, he scored 341 points. This was one of the highest scores for a freshman at Southern Miss at that time. He also grabbed 280 rebounds, showing his strength under the basket.
Joe started 25 out of 27 games as a freshman. He was third on his team in scoring, with 12.6 points per game. He also led the team in rebounding, with 10 rebounds per game. In one game, he even got 20 rebounds!
Sophomore and Junior Years
In his second year, Joe was a key player. He played the most minutes for his team. He also led in points per game (18.2) and rebounds per game (10.6). His excellent play earned him a spot on the second-team All-South Independent list.
During his third year, Joe continued to shine. He averaged 15.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He also reached 1,000 career points on January 10, 1981. This made him one of the fastest players in Southern Miss history to reach that milestone. He was named an All-American by Sporting News and was a first-team All-Conference selection.
Senior Season and Records
In his final college season, Joe averaged 17.2 points and 8.7 rebounds. He led his team in both categories. He finished his college career with 1,695 total points. This placed him third all-time in Southern Miss history.
For the second year in a row, he was named to the All-South Independent first team. He was also again named an All-American by Sporting News. His 1,069 career rebounds rank him fourth all-time at Southern Miss. Joe Dawson truly left his mark on college basketball.
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978–79 | Southern Miss | 27 | 25 | 31.7 | .549 | – | .716 | 10.0 | 1.2 | – | – | 12.6 |
| 1979–80 | Southern Miss | 27 | 27 | 37.1 | .615 | – | .658 | 10.6 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 18.2 |
| 1980–81 | Southern Miss | 27 | 27 | 37.5 | .578 | – | .772 | 10.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 15.4 |
| 1981–82 | Southern Miss | 26 | 26 | 35.6 | .583 | – | .764 | 8.7 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 17.2 |
| Career | 107 | 105 | 35.5 | .584 | – | .731 | 9.9 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 15.8 |
Professional Basketball Career
After college, Joe Dawson was ready for the 1982 NBA draft. Even though he wasn't drafted by an NBA team, he started his professional journey. He joined the Maine Lumberjacks in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). In his first year, he averaged 14.4 points and 8.6 rebounds. He was even chosen as a CBA All-Star.
In 1983, he moved to the Bay State Bombardiers. His game got even better, averaging 22.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. This earned him another All-Star selection. He played another season with the Bombardiers, scoring a career-high 25.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. He also led the CBA in steals, with 2.5 per game.
Playing Abroad
Joe then left the United States to play for Cocodrilos de Caracas in Venezuela. There, he had 50 games where he scored double-digits in two categories (like points and rebounds). He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Venezuelan League in 1986.
In 1986, he moved to Europe and played for Mulhouse BC in France. In his only season there, he won the LNB Pro A Best Scorer award. He averaged an amazing 35.3 points per game!
Success in Israel
In 1987, Joe had his first experience playing in Israel. He joined Hapoel Holon and averaged 24.9 points per game. After a short return to France, he came back to Israel in 1990.
In 1991, Joe signed with Hapoel Eilat. The 1991–92 season was incredible for him. He led the entire league in both scoring (27.5 points per game) and rebounding (10.7 rebounds per game). He was also named the 1992 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP. He stayed with Hapoel Eilat for two more seasons, continuing to play at a high level.
Joe then played for several other teams in Israel, including Maccabi Jerusalem and Maccabi Rishon LeZion. He continued to play until he was 48 years old, ending his long career with Ironi Nes Ziona.
Personal Life
In 1992, Joe Dawson married an Israeli woman. He then became an Israeli citizen. Joe is the proud father of Shawn Dawson, who is also a professional basketball player. Shawn was born in Eilat, Israel, when Joe was playing for the local team, Hapoel Eilat.
