Mario Bennett facts for kids
| Power forward | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 1, 1973 Denton, Texas, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Denton (Denton, Texas) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Arizona State (1991–1995) |
| NBA Draft | 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 27th overall |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Pro career | 1995–2011 |
| Career history | |
| 1995–1996 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1996–1997 | Grand Rapids Hoops |
| 1997 | Yakima Sun Kings |
| 1997–1998 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1999 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2000 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2000–2001 | San Diego Wildfire |
| 2001 | Unicaja Málaga |
| 2001–2002 | Montpellier Basket |
| 2002 | San Miguel Beermen |
| 2002–2003 | Sioux Falls Skyforce |
| 2003 | Paris Basket Racing |
| 2003 | Avtodor Saratov |
| 2003–2004 | Sioux Falls Skyforce |
| 2004–2005 | Fastlink Amman |
| 2005 | KB Mabetex Prishtina |
| 2005–2007 | JDA Dijon |
| 2007–2008 | Panteras de Aguascalientes |
| 2008 | Hebraica y Macabi |
| 2008 | Geofin Nový Jičín |
| 2010–2011 | CSM București |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Mario Marcell Bennett (born August 1, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. He played as a power forward.
Contents
College Basketball Star
Mario Bennett was the youngest of four children. He played college basketball for Arizona State. Even though he was in college for four years, he only played for three seasons. This was because he missed the entire 1992–93 season. He was recovering from surgery on his left knee.
Despite his injury, Mario was a top player. He holds the school record for most blocked shots (191). He also has the best field goal percentage (.587) in school history. He was eighth in rebounding with 675 rebounds.
Amazing College Records
During the 1994–95 season, Mario set a new record for blocks in the Pac-10 conference with 115. He was also one of only three players in Sun Devils history to score 600 or more points in a single season. Throughout his college career, he made an impressive 219 dunks.
Mario's college career included 87 games. On average, he played 32.3 minutes per game. He scored 15.7 points, grabbed 7.8 rebounds, and made 1.1 blocks per game.
Playing in the NBA
In 1995, Mario Bennett was chosen by the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Draft. He was the 27th player picked overall. This made him the first player from Arizona State to be drafted in 12 years.
Mario started strong in the preseason for the Suns. He was their best rebounder, getting 8.8 rebounds per game. However, he had to have knee surgery again in November. He spent four months recovering before he could play. He played in 19 games for the Suns that season.
Moving Between Teams
After his time with the Suns, Mario played for other teams. He played for the Grand Rapids Hoops and the Yakama Sun Kings in the CBA league.
In 1997, the Los Angeles Lakers signed him. He played in 45 games for them during the 1997–98 season. He then briefly played for the Chicago Bulls in 1999. Later, he played one game for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1999–2000 season.
During his NBA career, Mario averaged 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He played for about 8.9 minutes each game. His best games included scoring 21 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
Playing Around the World
After his time in the NBA, Mario Bennett played basketball in many different countries. He started making a name for himself in Europe.
European and Asian Adventures
In 2003, he played for Montpellier Basket in France. Later, he went to the Philippines to play for the San Miguel Beermen. He then returned to France to play for Paris Basket Racing, where he had a great season.
Mario also played for the Russian team Avtodor Saratov. He had many tattoos, including eyes on his back and Mario Bros characters on his arm. After Russia, he played for the Fastlink Aman team in Jordan.
Injuries and Comebacks
Knee problems continued to affect Mario's career. He had another knee operation. After recovering, he played for KB Mabetex Prishtina in Kosovo.
When he was 32, Mario joined the JDA Dijon team in France. His coach knew how talented he was. He averaged 10 points and 9 rebounds per game. This led to him being chosen for the All-Star game. However, a broken bone in his foot stopped his season in January 2007.
See also
In Spanish: Mario Bennett para niños
