Greg Buckner

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Greg Buckner

| image =

| width =

| caption =

| team = Milwaukee Bucks

| position = Assistant coach

| league = NBA

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|09|16}}

| birth_place = Hopkinsville, Kentucky, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lb = 210

| high_school = University Heights Academy
(Hopkinsville, Kentucky)

| college = Clemson (1994–1998)

| draft_year = 1998

| draft_round = 2

| draft_pick = 53

| draft_team = Dallas Mavericks

| career_start = 1998

| career_end = 2009

| career_position = Shooting guard

| career_number = 21, 7, 1

| coach_start = 2011

| coach_end =

| years1 = 1998–1999

| team1 = Grand Rapids Hoops

| years2 = {{nbay|1999|start}}–{{nbay|2001|end}}

| team2 = Dallas Mavericks

| years3 = {{nbay|2002|start}}–{{nbay|2003|end}}

| team3 = Philadelphia 76ers

| years4 = {{nbay|2004|start}}–{{nbay|2005|end}}

| team4 = Denver Nuggets

| years5 = {{nbay|2006|full=y}}

| team5 = Dallas Mavericks

| years6 = {{nbay|2007|full=y}}

| team6 = Minnesota Timberwolves

| years7 = {{nbay|2008|full=y}}

| team7 = Memphis Grizzlies

| cyears1 = {{nbay|2011|start}}-{{nbay|2016|end}}

| cteam1 = Houston Rockets (assistant)

| cyears2 = {{nbay|2017|start}}–{{nbay|2018|end}}

| cteam2 = Memphis Grizzlies (assistant)

| cyears3 = {{nbay|2020|start}}–{{nbay|2023|end}}

| cteam3 = Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant)

| highlights =

As a player:

2× Second-team All-ACC (1997, 1998)
ACC Rookie of the Year (1995)

As assistant coach:

NBA Cup champion (2024)

| stats_league = NBA

| stat1label = Points

| stat1value = 2,878 (5.0 ppg)

| stat2label = Rebounds

| stat2value = 1,593 (2.8 rpg)

| stat3label = Assists

| stat3value = 719 (1.3 apg)

| medal_templates = {{MedalSport | Men's Basketball}}

{{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}}

| cteam4 = Milwaukee Bucks (assistant)

| cyears4 = {{nbay|2024|start}}–present

}}

Gregory Derayle Buckner (born September 16, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He had previously served as an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Selected in the second round (53rd pick overall) of the 1998 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks after playing college basketball at Clemson, he played for the Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Grizzlies. Buckner's first professional experience came with the Grand Rapids Hoops of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), where he averaged 8.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in the 1998–99 season.1999–2000 Official CBA Guide and Register, page 250

Playing career

=College career=

During his time with the Clemson Tigers, he started all 122 games of his career while guiding the team to three NCAA tournaments. Buckner led the team in scoring all four years becoming the first Clemson Tiger to do so.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} In 1995, Buckner was named ACC Rookie of the Year. He was entered into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

=Professional career=

After playing with the Dallas Mavericks from 1999 to 2002, Buckner signed with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent.{{cite web |last1=Ford |first1=Chad |title=Buckner agrees to deal with 76ers |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/2002/0725/1409865.html |website=ESPN.com |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=July 25, 2002}}{{cite web |title=Philadelphia 76ers sign two free agents |url=https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2002/07/25/Philadelphia-76ers-sign-two-free-agents/80231027629128/ |website=UPI |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=July 25, 2002}} Then he signed with the Denver Nuggets. In 2006, he re-signed with the Dallas Mavericks, but after one season,{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Adam |last2=Spears |first2=Marc J. |title=Nuggets lose Buckner to Mavs |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2006/07/12/nuggets-lose-buckner-to-mavs/ |website=The Denver Post |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=July 12, 2006}}{{cite web |title=Greg Buckner Signed by the Dallas Mavericks |url=https://clemsontigers.com/greg-buckner-signed-by-the-dallas-mavericks/ |website=Clemson Tigers |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=14 July 2006}} he was traded to the Timberwolves for Trenton Hassell on September 28, 2007.{{cite web |title=Minnesota trades Hassell to Mavericks for Buckner |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story/_/id/3041680 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=September 28, 2007}} On June 27, 2008, the Timberwolves traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies with O. J. Mayo, Marko Jarić, and Antoine Walker for Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins.{{cite web |title=Grizzlies acquire Mayo and three players from Minnesota |url=https://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/grizzlies_aquire_mayo_plus_three_from_mn-080627.html |website=NBA.com |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=June 27, 2008}}{{cite web |last1=Ford |first1=Chad |title=Mayo heads to Memphis, Love to Minnesota in blockbuster trade |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/draft2008/news/story?id=3463045 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=June 27, 2008}}

On July 9, 2009, Buckner was traded to the Dallas Mavericks as a part of the four-team deal among Grizzlies, Mavericks, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors.{{cite web |title=Mavericks acquire four-time All-Star Shawn Marion |url=http://www.nba.com/mavericks/roster/shawnmarion.html |website=NBA.com |access-date=April 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712003048/http://www.nba.com/mavericks/roster/shawnmarion.html |archive-date=July 12, 2009 |date=July 9, 2009}}{{cite web |last1=Stein |first1=Marc |title=Four-team trade gets league OK |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=4316885 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=July 9, 2009}}

Coaching career

On July 29, 2011, he joined the Houston Rockets as a player development coach,{{cite web |title=Rockets Add Greg Buckner to Coaching Staff |url=https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rockets_add_greg_buckner__co_2011_07_29.html |website=NBA.com |access-date=April 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424004100/https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rockets_add_greg_buckner__co_2011_07_29.html |archive-date=April 24, 2015 |date=July 29, 2011}} serving for five seasons. Buckner reached the playoffs three times with the team as part of the coaching staff. He would later become an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies,{{cite web |title=Grizzlies hire Greg Buckner as assistant coach |url=https://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/grizzlies-hire-greg-buckner-as-assistant-coach-171207 |website=NBA.com |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=December 8, 2017}} and in November 2020, became an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.{{cite web |last1=Fedor |first1=Chris |title=Cleveland Cavaliers hire Greg Buckner as assistant coach, sources say |url=https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2020/11/cleveland-cavaliers-hire-greg-buckner-as-assistant-coach-sources-say.html |website=cleveland |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=November 30, 2020}} On April 21, 2021, Buckner got his first NBA head coaching victory when he temporarily replaced head coach J. B. Bickerstaff as the Cavaliers won 121–105 against the Chicago Bulls.{{cite web |title=Collin Sexton scores 30 points, Cavs beat Bulls 121-105 |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401307679 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=April 21, 2021}}{{cite web |last1=Fedor |first1=Chris |title=Cleveland Cavaliers get Greg Buckner first NBA head-coaching win in J.B. Bickerstaff's absence, avenge loss to Chicago Bulls 121-105 |url=https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/04/cleveland-cavaliers-get-greg-buckner-first-nba-head-coaching-win-in-jb-bickerstaffs-absence-avenge-loss-to-chicago-bulls-121-105.html |website=cleveland |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=April 21, 2021}} On June 13, 2022, the Cavaliers promoted Buckner to associate head coach position.{{cite web |title=Cleveland Cavaliers Promote Greg Buckner to Associate Head Coach |url=https://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/buckner-promotion |website=NBA.com |access-date=June 14, 2022 |date=June 13, 2022}}