Joe Dawson (basketball) facts for kids
| Forward | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 16, 1961 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, 1961) is a former professional basketball player from America and Israel. He played basketball in high school and college before starting a long professional career. Joe was known for being a great scorer and rebounder. He played in many different leagues around the world, including the United States, Venezuela, France, and Israel. He became a very important player in the Israeli league. In 2011, he was honored by being added to the Southern Miss Hall of Fame. Joe is also the father of another professional basketball player, Shawn Dawson.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Joe Dawson grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He went to Druid High School where he started playing basketball. He was a talented player who could play both guard and forward positions. From his second year, he was a starter on the team. In his final year of high school, Joe scored an average of 21.4 points per game. He was also very accurate with his shots, making 53% of his field goals. His excellent performance earned him a spot on the 4A All-State first team.
College Basketball Career
Joe Dawson decided to play college basketball for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in 1978. Even as a freshman, he made a big impact. He scored 341 points and grabbed 280 rebounds, which were impressive numbers for a first-year player. He led his team in rebounding with 10 rebounds per game.
In his second year, Joe became an even stronger player. He led the team in scoring with 18.2 points per game and continued to lead in rebounding with 10.6 rebounds per game. Because of his great play, he was chosen for the second-team All-South Independent by the Associated Press.
By his junior year, Joe was still a top player, averaging 15.4 points and 10.3 rebounds. He reached 1,000 career points, which was very fast for a Southern Miss player. He was named an All-American by Sporting News. In his senior year, Joe continued to lead his team in points and rebounds. He finished his college career with 1,695 total points and 1,069 rebounds. These numbers still rank him among the top players in Southern Miss history.
Professional Basketball Journey
After college, Joe Dawson started his professional career in 1982. He first played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) for the Maine Lumberjacks. He quickly became an All-Star in the CBA, earning this honor in each of his three seasons there. He was known for his scoring and rebounding, even leading the league in steals in 1985.
Joe then played in Venezuela for Cocodrilos de Caracas. He was so good that he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Venezuelan League in 1986. After that, he moved to Europe and played for a French team, Mulhouse BC. In France, he was the top scorer in the league, averaging an amazing 35.3 points per game.
Playing in Israel
In 1987, Joe Dawson had his first experience playing in Israel with Hapoel Holon. He returned to France for a short time, but then came back to Israel in 1990. He joined Hapoel Eilat in 1991. The 1991–92 season was a huge year for him. He led the Israeli league in both scoring (27.5 points per game) and rebounding (10.7 rebounds per game). For his outstanding performance, he was named the 1992 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP.
Joe continued to play for Hapoel Eilat for several more seasons. He then played for other Israeli teams like Maccabi Jerusalem and Maccabi Rishon LeZion. He played in Israel for a total of 14 seasons, showing how much he loved the game and the country. He played for five different teams in his last seven years as a professional. Joe finally retired from playing basketball in 2008 at the age of 48.
Personal Life
In 1992, Joe Dawson married an Israeli woman and became an Israeli citizen. He has a son named Shawn Dawson, who was born in Eilat and also became a professional basketball player.
