Matt Bonner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Matt Bonner

Bonner with the Spurs in 2010
Personal information
Born	(1980-04-05) April 5, 1980 (age 45) Concord, New Hampshire, U.S.
High school	Concord (Concord, New Hampshire)
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
College	Florida (1999–2003)
NBA Draft	2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 45th overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career	2003–2016
Career history
2003–2004	Pallacanestro Messina
2004–2006	Toronto Raptors
2006–2016	San Antonio Spurs
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA champion (2007, 2014) 2× AP honorable mention All-American (2002, 2003) 2× Academic All-American (2002, 2003) First-team All-SEC (2003) Second-team All-SEC (2002) Third-team All-SEC (2001) Fourth-team Parade All-American (1999) Mr. New Hampshire Basketball (1999)
Career statistics
Points	4,632 (5.8 ppg)
Rebounds	1,749 (3.0 rpg)
Assists	552 (0.7 apg)

Matthew Robert Bonner (born April 5, 1980) is a former American professional basketball player. People also called him the Red Rocket or Red Mamba.

Bonner played college basketball for the University of Florida. The Chicago Bulls then picked him in the 2003 NBA draft. During his career, Bonner played for the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs. He won two NBA championships with the Spurs. He is the only NBA player ever born in New Hampshire.

Early Life and High School Success

Matt Bonner was born in Concord, New Hampshire. He went to Concord High School. There, he helped his team win three state championships. Matt was also the best student in his graduating class, known as the Valedictorian.

College Basketball Career

Bonner received a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Florida. He played for the Florida Gators men's basketball team from 1999 to 2003. During his four years, he scored 1,570 points and grabbed 778 rebounds. He also made 165 three-point shots.

In his final year (2003), he was chosen for the first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC). He also received an honorable mention as an All-American. Bonner earned a degree in business administration with high honors. He was named Academic All-American of the Year for basketball in both 2002 and 2003.

Professional Basketball Journey

Starting in Italy (2003–2004)

The Chicago Bulls picked Matt Bonner in the 2003 NBA draft. He was the 45th player chosen overall. However, the Bulls traded him to the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors did not have a spot for him right away. They asked Bonner to play overseas to improve his skills. They promised him a spot on their team the next season.

Bonner signed with Sicilia Messina in the Italian league. This team was in Messina, Sicily. The team faced financial problems and stopped paying its players. Many players left, but Bonner stayed and finished the season. He averaged 19.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

Playing for the Toronto Raptors (2004–2006)

In September 2004, Bonner signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Raptors. On December 15, 2004, he was ejected from a game. This happened after he tried to block a shot by Kevin Garnett. Raptors fans cheered him as he left the court.

In the 2004–05 season, Bonner played in all 82 regular season games. He averaged 7.2 points per game. He is the only Raptors rookie to play every game in a season. In August 2005, Bonner signed a new two-year deal with the Raptors.

Becoming a San Antonio Spur (2006–2016)

On June 21, 2006, Bonner was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. He joined the Spurs along with Eric Williams and a draft pick. In his first season with the Spurs, he averaged 4.9 points in 11.7 minutes per game. The team went on to win the NBA championship that season.

In July 2007, Bonner signed a new three-year deal with the Spurs. On December 11, 2007, he scored 25 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. This was his best game that season. On December 7, 2009, Bonner scored a career-high 28 points. He also had 8 rebounds in a game against the Utah Jazz.

In July 2010, Bonner signed another multi-year deal with the Spurs. He led the NBA in three-point shooting percentage in the 2010–11 season. He shot 45.7% from beyond the arc.

Bonner preparing to take a free throw, 2010

In 2011, Bonner appeared in a funny web series. It was called Fundamentals of the Game with Coach B. The series was on the Spurs' official website.

In 2013, Bonner took part in the NBA Three-Point Shootout. This happened during All-Star Weekend. His brother, Luke Bonner, helped him get there with a social media campaign. Bonner scored 19 points in the first round. He beat Ryan Anderson and Stephen Curry. In the final round, he lost to Kyrie Irving. Later that year, the Spurs reached the 2013 NBA Finals. They lost to the Miami Heat in seven games.

On June 15, 2014, Bonner won his second NBA championship. The Spurs defeated the Miami Heat 4–1 in the 2014 NBA Finals. On July 21, 2014, Bonner signed again with the Spurs. He signed one more time with the Spurs on July 15, 2015.

Bonner's last NBA game was on April 13, 2016. The Spurs won 96–91 against the Dallas Mavericks. He announced his retirement on January 6, 2017. On January 12, 2017, the Spurs jokingly "retired" Bonner's famous flannel shirt. They held a ceremony in the locker room.

Career Statistics

College Stats

NBA Regular Season Stats

NBA Playoff Stats

Awards and Achievements

• 2013–14 NBA champion
• 2006–07 NBA champion
• 2010–11 NBA three-point field-goal percentage leader
• 2002–03 Honorable Mention All-American
• 2001–02 Honorable Mention All-American
• 2002–03 Academic All-American of the Year
• 2001–02 Academic All-American of the Year
• 2002–03 All-SEC First Team
• 2001–02 All-SEC Second Team
• 2000–01 All-SEC Third Team
• 2002–03 SEC three-point field-goal percentage leader
• 2002–03 All-SEC Academic
• 2001–02 All-SEC Academic
• 2000–01 All-SEC Academic
• 1998–99 NHIAA Champions – Concord HS
• 1997–98 NHIAA Champions – Concord HS
• 1996–97 NHIAA Champions – Concord HS

Life After the NBA

After retiring from playing basketball, Matt Bonner joined the San Antonio Spurs TV Broadcast. He works as a studio analyst, sharing his insights on games. He also works as an analyst for Raptors games on Sportsnet.

Personal Life and Hobbies

Bonner speaking into a microphone

Matt Bonner is married to Nadia. They have a daughter named Evangeline-Vesper Lynne Bonner, born in 2009. They also have a son named August Bonner, born in 2012.

Matt has a younger brother, Luke, who also played professional basketball. Luke was Matt's best man at his wedding.

Bonner tried to become a Canadian citizen in 2009. However, he did not qualify because he spent too much time outside the country.

Matt Bonner loves sandwiches! He even has a blog called "The Sandwich Hunter: The Quest for the Hoagie Grail." On his blog, he writes about his search for the "world's best sandwich." He also enjoys the sport of curling. He discovered it while watching Canadian television when he played for the Toronto Raptors.

While playing for the Toronto Raptors, he got the nickname "Red Rocket." This was because of his red hair and his frequent use of Toronto's public transit. The transit system's slogan is "Ride the Rocket."

Kobe Bryant gave Bonner his other nickname, the "Red Mamba." This happened on Twitter in 2013. Kobe was live-tweeting during a replay of his 81-point game against Bonner and the Raptors.

Bonner was known for being the only NBA player to wear New Balance shoes. He did not have a sponsorship deal with the brand at first. A friend who worked for New Balance gave him many pairs of shoes. After wearing them all out, he signed his first shoe deal with Adidas in January 2014.

Matt and his brother Luke run a nonprofit organization called the Rock On Foundation. They work to support community involvement in arts and athletics.

In March 2016, Bonner and his wife Nadia were on the TV show Tiny House Nation. They had a custom-built house that was 276 square feet.

Images for kids

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  Bonner with the Spurs in 2010

See also

In Spanish: Matt Bonner para niños