Wayne Brabender facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wayne Brabender

Brabender (#4 in white)
Personal information
Born	(1945-10-16) October 16, 1945 (age 79) Montevideo, Minnesota, U.S.
Nationality	Spanish
High school	Milan (Milan, Minnesota)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
College	Ridgewater College (1963–1965) Minnesota–Morris (1965–1967)
NBA Draft	1967 / Round: 14 / Pick: 145th overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Pro career	1967–1985
Coaching career	1990–2004
Career history
As player:
1967–1983	Real Madrid
1983–1985	Caja Madrid
As coach:
1990–1991	Real Madrid
1991–1992	Gran Canaria
1994–1997	Valladolid
2004	CB Illescas
Career highlights and awards
As a player: 4× FIBA Intercontinental Cup champion (1976–1978, 1981) 4× EuroLeague champion (1968, 1974, 1978, 1980) 13× Spanish League champion (1968–1977, 1979, 1980, 1982) 7× Spanish Cup winner (1970–1975, 1977) 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008) EuroBasket MVP (1973) 5× FIBA European Selection (1974–1976, 1979, 1980) FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991) 101 Greats of European Basketball (2018)
Medals Representing  Spain Men's Basketball FIBA EuroBasket Silver 1973 Spain

Wayne Donald Brabender Cole was born on October 16, 1945, in Montevideo, Minnesota, U.S. He is a retired professional basketball player and coach. In 1968, he became a Spanish citizen. He gave up his U.S. citizenship to play for the Spanish national team.

Wayne was 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 meters) tall. He could play as a shooting guard or a small forward. He is considered one of the best European basketball players ever. In 1991, he was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players. In 2008, he was chosen as one of the 50 most important people in European club basketball over the past 50 years. In 2018, he was recognized as one of the 101 Greats of European Basketball.

College Basketball Career

Wayne Brabender played college basketball in Minnesota. He attended Willmar Junior College, which is now called Ridgewater College. After that, he played for the University of Minnesota Morris. Before college, he played high school basketball at Milan High School.

Professional Club Career

In 1967, the Philadelphia 76ers picked Wayne in the NBA draft. However, he never played in the NBA. Instead, he moved to Spain to gain more experience.

He joined Real Madrid, a famous Spanish basketball team. With Real Madrid, he helped them win many important titles. He won the EuroLeague championship four times (in 1968, 1974, 1978, and 1980). The EuroLeague is the top club competition in Europe.

Wayne also won 13 Spanish League championships with Real Madrid. He won the Spanish Cup 7 times. Plus, his team won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 4 times. This cup is a competition between top clubs from different continents.

Playing for the National Team

Wayne Brabender played for the senior men's Spain national basketball team. He achieved great success with them. In 1973, he won a silver medal at the EuroBasket 1973 tournament. He was also named the Most Valuable Player of that tournament.

He also played in several other major international events. These included the EuroBasket 1971, the 1972 Summer Olympic Games, and the 1974 FIBA World Championship. He continued to represent Spain in the EuroBasket 1975, the 1975 Mediterranean Games, EuroBasket 1977, and EuroBasket 1979.

In the 1980 Summer Olympic Games, Spain finished in 4th place with Wayne on the team. He also played in EuroBasket 1981 and the 1982 FIBA World Championship.

See also

In Spanish: Wayne Brabender para niños

• List of former United States citizens who relinquished their nationality