Dean Tolson

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Dean Tolson

| image = Dean_Tolson.jpg

| caption = Tolson as a sophomore at Arkansas

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 8

| weight_lb = 190

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|11|25}}

| birth_place = Kansas City, Missouri

| nationality = American

| high_school = Central (Kansas City, Missouri)

| college = Arkansas (1971–1974)

| draft_year = 1974

| draft_round = 5

| draft_pick = 80

| draft_team = Seattle SuperSonics

| career_start = 1974

| career_end = 1981

| career_number = 20

| career_position = Power forward

| years1 = {{nbay|1974|full=y}}

| team1 = Seattle SuperSonics

| years2 = 1975–1976

| team2 = Hazleton Bullets

| years3 = {{nbay|1976|start}}–{{nbay|1977|start}}

| team3 = Seattle SuperSonics

| years4 = 1977–1979

| team4 = Anchorage Northern Knights

| years5 = 1979

| team5 = Gilbey's Gin

| years6 = 1980–1981

| team6 = Rochester Zeniths

| years7 = 1981

| team7 = St. George's Whiskies

| highlights =

CBA champion (1980)
All-EBA Second Team (1976)
CBA blocks leader (1979)

| bbr = tolsode01

}}

Byron Dean Tolson (born November 25, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player. Tolson played three seasons for the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Professional career

Tolson was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 5th round (8th pick, 80th overall) of the 1974 NBA draft, after completing his career at the University of Arkansas. He played three seasons for the SuperSonics, appearing in 80 games over his career.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/tolsode01.html|title=Dean Tolson NBA stats|website=Basketball Reference|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|accessdate=March 10, 2025}}

Tolson was also selected in the 7th round of the 1974 American Basketball Association Draft by the New York Nets.{{cite web|url=http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1974&lg=A|title=1974 ABA Draft|work=basketballreference.com|accessdate=April 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130720162840/http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1974&lg=A|archive-date=July 20, 2013|url-status=dead}}

Tolson played in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) / Continental Basketball Association (CBA) for the Hazleton Bullets during the 1975–76 season, the Anchorage Northern Knights from 1977 to 1979 and Rochester Zeniths during the 1980–81 season.{{cite web |title=Dean Tolson minor league basketball statistics |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbasketball/stats/p-tolsodea001 |website=Stats Crew |access-date=February 19, 2025}} He was selected to the All-EBA Second Team in 1976.

Tolson played eleven years internationally{{citation|last=Schauffler |first=Allen |title=A new chapter in the Dean Tolson story |publisher=KING 5 News |date=October 5, 2007 |url=http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_100207WABupbeat_dean_tolson_LJ.13fdc618c.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015125700/http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_100207WABupbeat_dean_tolson_LJ.13fdc618c.html |archivedate=October 15, 2007 }} before returning to school to complete his education at the University of Arkansas.{{citation|last=Raley|first=Dan|title=Ex-Sonic Tolson makes most of second-chance education|newspaper=The Seattle Post-Intelligencer|date=July 31, 2007|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/basketball/325723_tolson31.html}}

{{citation|last=Boling|first=Dave|title= From illiterate to author, former Sonics forward Dean Tolson writes the story of his life|newspaper=The News Tribune of Tacoma, Washington|date=July 4, 2016|url= https://www.theolympian.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/dave-boling/article87640177.html}}

{{citation|last=Lieber|first=Jill|title=Never Too Old To Learn: Dean Tolson, a former basketball star at Arkansas, earned his degree at 36 |magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=May 30, 1988|url= https://vault.si.com/vault/1988/05/30/never-too-old-to-learn-dean-tolson-a-former-basketball-star-at-arkansas-earned-his-degree-at-36}}

He played for Greek club AEK B.C. in the 1983–84 FIBA Korać Cup.

In 2023, Dean Tolson's book, ‘Power Forward: My Journey from Illiterate NBA Player to a Magna Cum Laude Master's Degree,’ was published. A motivational speaker, he moved from Tacoma, Washington, and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.