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. He is a retired professional basketball player and coach. He was born in America but became a Spanish citizen.

In 1968, he became a Spanish citizen. He gave up his U.S. citizenship to play for the Spanish national basketball team. He was about 6 feet 4 inches tall. He played as a shooting guard or a small forward.

Wayne Brabender is considered one of the greatest European basketball players. 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 last 50 years. In 2018, he was also named one of the 101 Greats of European Basketball.

Wayne Brabender's College Basketball Journey

Wayne Brabender was born in Montevideo, Minnesota. He played high school basketball at Milan High School. After high school, he continued to play college basketball. He played for Willmar Junior College, which is now called Ridgewater College. He also played for the University of Minnesota Morris.

Playing for Basketball Clubs

Wayne Brabender was chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1967 NBA draft. He was the 145th player picked overall. However, he never played in the NBA.

Instead, Brabender moved to Spain to gain more experience in basketball. He joined Real Madrid, one of the most famous basketball clubs. With Real Madrid, he helped the team win many important titles.

Major Wins with Real Madrid

• He won the EuroLeague championship four times. These wins were in 1968, 1974, 1978, and 1980.
• He also helped Real Madrid win the Spanish League championship 13 times.
• The team won the Spanish Cup 7 times during his time.
• They also won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 4 times.

Playing for the Spanish National Team

Wayne Brabender played for the senior men's Spain national basketball team. He achieved great success with the national team.

National Team Achievements

• He won a silver medal at the EuroBasket 1973 tournament.
• At that same tournament, he was named the Most Valuable Player.
• He also played in several other major tournaments. These included the EuroBasket 1971, the 1972 Summer Olympic Games, and the 1974 FIBA World Championship.
• He also played in the EuroBasket 1975, the 1975 Mediterranean Games, EuroBasket 1977, and EuroBasket 1979.
• He participated in the 1980 Summer Olympic Games, where Spain finished in 4th place.
• His national team career also included playing 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