Willie Burton (basketball, born 1962) facts for kids

Willie James Burton Jr. (born on June 24, 1962) is a former professional basketball player. He is from both America and New Zealand. Willie played for 19 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL) in New Zealand.

Burton moved to New Zealand in the mid-1980s. He played for the Palmerston North Jets and continued playing in the NBL until he was 44 years old. In 2006, he helped the Hawke's Bay Hawks win a championship. He also won six rebounding titles. Willie is the league's all-time leader in rebounds. He finished his career with an amazing 4,244 rebounds. This was nearly 1,500 more than the next best player.

Early Life and College Basketball

Willie Burton grew up in Millen, Georgia. He first played baseball in his hometown. His father, Willie James Sr., was a big baseball fan. But Willie Jr. became interested in basketball. A friend showed him the sport when he was about 12 years old.

He went on to play four years of college basketball. He played for the University of Tennessee. This was from 1980 to 1984. He played in 111 games for the team. In his final year (1983–84), he scored the most points per game for his team. He also led the team in rebounds in his junior and senior years.

After college, the Denver Nuggets picked Burton in the 1984 NBA draft. He was chosen in the sixth round. He went to training camp with the Nuggets. However, he did not make the final team roster.

Professional Career in New Zealand

In 1985, Burton moved to New Zealand. He joined the Palmerston North Jets in the NBL. In his first season, he was a star player. He averaged 28.6 points and 16.1 rebounds per game. He led the league in rebounds.

He stayed with the Jets in 1986. Then he joined the Hawke's Bay Hawks in 1987. After two seasons, he went back to Palmerston North. He played for them in 1989 and 1990. In 1991, he joined New Plymouth. He played three seasons there.

Willie returned to Hawke's Bay in 1994. He played for the Hawks for the next four years. After playing in a second-division league in 1998, he came back to Palmerston North in 1999. But after two seasons, he rejoined the Hawks again.

Burton first retired after the 2002 season. But he came back in 2005 to help the Hawks. They reached the grand final that year. They lost by just one point to the Auckland Stars. He played one more season in 2006. This time, he won his first and only championship. The Hawks beat Auckland 85–69 in the grand final. He retired for the second time after the 2006 season. He had played 19 seasons in the NBL.

Willie Burton's Achievements

Willie Burton had a very successful NBL career. He was named to the All-Star Five eight times. He was also the rebounding champion six times. In 1989, he was named the Most Outstanding Forward.

He became a New Zealand citizen in the mid-1990s. After that, he was named the Most Outstanding Kiwi Forward/Centre in 1997. He also showed his all-around skills by winning the league assist title in 1999. He averaged 5.6 assists per game that year. His 4,244 career rebounds are the most in the league's history.

After he stopped playing, Burton became an assistant coach for the Hawks. He also coached younger teams in Hawke's Bay. These included the under 15, 17, and 19 men's teams. In June 2025, the Hawke's Bay Hawks honored Willie Burton. They retired his number 14 jersey. This means no other player on the team will wear that number.

Playing for New Zealand

Burton played for the New Zealand Tall Blacks. He first played for them in 2001 at the Goodwill Games. He played two more times for the Tall Blacks. He played against Australia in 2001. He also played against Hungary in 2002.

Willie was considered for the 2002 FIBA World Championship team. However, Ed Book was chosen instead. Each team could only have one naturalized player.

Personal Life

Willie Burton is married to Suzanne, who is from New Zealand. They have two sons named Alonzo and Dominique. Alonzo followed his father's path. He joined the Hawke's Bay Hawks in 2012.