James Donaldson (basketball)

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = James Donaldson

| image = James Donaldson 01A.jpg

| width =

| caption = Donaldson during his 2009 race for Mayor of Seattle

| position = Center

| height_ft = 7

| height_in = 2

| weight_lb = 275

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|08|17}}

| birth_place = Heacham, England

| nationality = British / American

| high_school = Luther Burbank
(Sacramento, California)

| college = Washington State (1975–1979)

| draft_year = 1979

| draft_round = 4

| draft_pick = 73

| draft_team = Seattle SuperSonics

| career_number = 40, 35, 54

| career_position = Center

| career_start = 1979

| career_end = 1999

| years1 = 1979–1980

| team1 = 3A Antonini Siena

| years2 = {{nbay|1980|start}}–{{nbay|1983|start}}

| team2 = Seattle SuperSonics

| years3 = {{nbay|1983|start}}–{{nbay|1985|start}}

| team3 = San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers

| years4 = {{nbay|1985|start}}–{{nbay|1991|start}}

| team4 = Dallas Mavericks

| years5 = {{nbay|1991|full=y}}

| team5 = New York Knicks

| years6 = {{nbay|1992|end}}

| team6 = Utah Jazz

| years7 = 1993–1994

| team7 = Iraklis Thessaloniki

| years8 = {{nbay|1994|end}}

| team8 = Utah Jazz

| years9 = 1996–1997

| team9 = Caja San Fernando

| years10 = 1997

| team10 = Snai Montecatini

| years11 = 1998

| team11 = Breogán

| years12 = 1998–1999

| team12 = Gymnastikos S. Larissas

| years13 = 1999

| team13 = Breogán

| highlights =

NBA All-Star ({{nasg|1988}})
Second-team All-Pac-8 (1978)

| stats_league = NBA

| stat1label = Points

| stat1value = 8,203 (8.6 ppg)

| stat2label = Rebounds

| stat2value = 7,492 (7.8 rpg)

| stat3label = Blocks

| stat3value = 1,267 (1.6 bpg)

}}

James Lee Donaldson III (born August 16, 1957) is a British-American former professional basketball player who grew up in California and played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association and several leagues across Europe. Born in Heacham, England, Donaldson played high school basketball for Luther Burbank High School in California before enrolling at Washington State University to play for the Cougars.

Early life

Donaldson was born as a military brat in Heacham, England,{{cite web |last1=Goldaper |first1=Sam |title=NOTEBOOK; At 11-0, Trail Blazers Aiming Next for Suns |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/27/sports/notebook-at-11-0-trail-blazers-aiming-next-for-suns.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=September 25, 2023 |date=November 27, 1990}} to a father who was stationed in the Air Force.{{cite web |last1=Seely |first1=Mike |title=NBA star James Donaldson stands tall and bares all in run for Seattle mayor |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/28/nba-star-james-donaldson-stands-tall-and-bares-all-in-run-for-seattle-mayor |website=The Guardian |access-date=September 25, 2023 |date=May 28, 2021}}{{cite web |last1=Heffter |first1=Emily |title=Seattle mayor's race: Cash fading, Seattle mayoral candidate James Donaldson adjusts his game plan |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-mayors-race-cash-fading-seattle-mayoral-candidate-james-donaldson-adjusts-his-game-plan/ |website=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 25, 2023 |date=July 24, 2009}}

Amateur career

Donaldson, a 7'2" center, starred at Luther Burbank High School and Washington State in the late 1970s. In his 4 seasons at WSU he averaged 8.5 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game in 84 games.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/james-donaldson-1.html |title=James Donaldson stats |publisher=sports-reference.com |accessdate=April 20, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427143336/http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/james-donaldson-1.html |archivedate=April 27, 2015 }} As of April 2015 he was the all-time leader in career blocked shots (176), blocks average (2.1), single-season blocks (82 in 1977–78), single-season blocks average (3.0 in 1977–78) and single-game blocked shots (eight versus Stanford, January 25, 1978).{{cite web|url=http://www.wsucougars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209173560|title=WSU Athletic Hall of Fame|date=August 16, 2013 |publisher=Washington State University|accessdate=April 20, 2015}} He was inducted into the Pac-12 Hall of Honor and WSU's athletic hall of fame in 2006.

Professional career

After being drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1979 NBA draft he signed a contract with 3A Antonini Siena of the Italian Serie A.{{cite news |last=Van Sickel|first=Charlie|date=August 20, 1979 |title=Citrus Canker Lawsuit Headed Back to Trial |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19790820&id=3VZOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LfkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5811,1273089&hl=en|newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |access-date=April 20, 2015}}

Donaldson played three seasons with Seattle before moving on to the San Diego (later Los Angeles) Clippers. During the 1984–85 NBA season, he led the league in field goal percentage at 0.637—still one of the ten highest percentages in NBA history.

Donaldson cited Artis Gilmore, Darryl Dawkins, Moses Malone, Truck Robinson and Maurice Lucas as some of the strongest players he played against early in his career.USA Today. December 9, 1982

Donaldson joined the Dallas Mavericks in 1985. He joked with teammates that leaving the lowly, dysfunctional Clippers for the Mavericks was like dying and going to heaven.{{cite web|last1=Siegel|first1=Alan|date=May 6, 2015|title=What It Was Like To Play For The '80s Clippers, The Worst Team In Sports|url=http://deadspin.com/what-it-was-like-to-play-for-the-80s-clippers-the-wors-1702555640|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508145100/http://deadspin.com/what-it-was-like-to-play-for-the-80s-clippers-the-wors-1702555640|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 8, 2015|website=Deadspin|publisher=Gawker Media|accessdate=May 6, 2015}} He had his finest years while playing for the Mavericks, providing rebounding and shot-blocking to complement Dallas' star-studded line-up, which included Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, Roy Tarpley, Derek Harper, Sam Perkins, and Brad Davis. Donaldson himself earned a spot on the 1988 All-Star Team during a season in which the Mavericks reached the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/sports/2014/02/most-underserving-nba-all-star-selections/james-donaldson|title=The Most Undeserving NBA All-Star Selections of All Time|publisher=complex.com|date=February 13, 2014|accessdate=April 20, 2015}} The NY Daily News named him the worst All-Star player ever after a fans voting.{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nba-worst-all-star-tournament-winner-article-1.2116791|title=NBA Worst All-Star Ever Tournament: We have a winner and it is James Donaldson!|publisher=NY Daily News|date=February 16, 2015|accessdate=April 20, 2015}} Sadly, things fell apart for the Mavericks generally in the late 1980s and early 1990s as their core group was either traded away (like Aguirre) or squandered vast potential via personal problems (like Tarpley) and Donaldson became the target for many fans and even his teammates for the franchise's woes, making the end of his otherwise hugely successful tenure in Dallas inevitable.

In 1990 he was founder and CEO of a dating magazine named Eligibles. It was published for a brief period of time in Dallas-Ft. Worth before going out of business. [https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1990/09/09/put-yourself-in-this-ad/]

After brief stints with the New York Knicks (traded midway through 1991–92 for Brian Quinnett) and Utah Jazz (49 games in two seasons combined) in the early 1990s, injuries forced Donaldson into retirement from the NBA. He left the league in 1995, with 8,203 career points, 7,492 career rebounds and 1,267 career blocks. He played in 957 NBA games without ever attempting a 3-point shot, a record among players from the 3-point era.

On August 1, 1993, he signed for Greek Basket League club Iraklis.{{cite web|url=http://www.sentragoal.gr/article.asp?catid=26638&subid=2&pubid=129157471|title=Ξαφνικά, έπρεπε να παίξω και... επίθεση!|publisher=SENTRA Goal|language=Greek|date=September 21, 2012|accessdate=April 20, 2015|archive-date=April 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427171403/http://www.sentragoal.gr/article.asp?catid=26638&subid=2&pubid=129157471|url-status=dead}} He played in 30 games for Iraklis averaging 12.1 points per game, 12.2 rebounds per game and 2.2 blocks per game. In the 1996–97 season he played for Caja San Fernando averaging 3.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.{{cite web|url=http://www.solobasket.com/liga-endesa/historias-de-solobasket-dinosaurios-nba-ultima-estacion-europa|title=Historias de (Solo)Basket: Dinosaurios NBA, última estación – Europa|publisher=Solobasket.com|language=Spanish|date=May 11, 2010|accessdate=April 20, 2015}} He also had spells with Snai Montecatini (Italy, 1997–98, for only six games), Breogán Lugo (Spain, two stints, in 1998 and 1999) and Gymnastikos S. Larissas (Greek Second Division, 1998–99), retiring for good at the age of 41.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba-allstar.com/players/lists/overseas.htm|title=NBA All-Stars who played Overseas|publisher=nba-allstar.com|accessdate=April 20, 2015}}

Personal life

Upon retiring, Donaldson settled in the Seattle area, where he ran the Donaldson Clinic, a physical therapy business in Mill Creek, Washington, until February 2018.{{cite magazine |author=Pablo S. Torre |url=https://www.si.com/vault/2011/07/04/106084744/larger-than-real-life |title=Larger Than Real Life |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=July 4, 2011 |accessdate=April 19, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427111212/http://www.si.com/vault/2011/07/04/106084744/larger-than-real-life |archivedate=April 27, 2015 }} He is also a motivational speaker.

In 2009, Donaldson ran for the non-partisan office of Seattle mayor and came in fourth among the candidates.{{cite web|url=http://www.seattletimes.com/politics/seattle-mayors-race-cash-fading-seattle-mayoral-candidate-james-donaldson-adjusts-his-game-plan/|title=Cash fading, Seattle mayoral candidate James Donaldson adjusts his game plan|publisher=The Seattle Times|date=July 24, 2009|accessdate=April 20, 2015}} In 2010, Donaldson joined the College Success Foundation as the Director of the Tacoma College Success Foundation.{{cite web|url=http://collegesuccessfoundation.org/Document.Doc?id=6|title=James Donaldson Joins College Success Foundation – as Tacoma Director|publisher=College Success Foundation|date=April 9, 2010|accessdate=April 20, 2015|archive-date=April 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427124812/http://collegesuccessfoundation.org/Document.Doc?id=6|url-status=dead}}

In January 2018, Donaldson survived an aortic dissection.{{cite news |author1=Art Thiel |title=NBA star James Donaldson stands tall and bares all in run for Seattle mayor |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/28/nba-star-james-donaldson-stands-tall-and-bares-all-in-run-for-seattle-mayor |accessdate=25 November 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=16 May 2018}}

In 2021, Donaldson ran again for Seattle mayor.{{cite news |author1=Mike Seely|title=Turning the Page: After struggles, 16-year NBA vet James Donaldson wants to help young athletes shed mental health stigma |url=https://theathletic.com/355336/2018/05/16/turning-the-page-after-struggles-16-year-nba-vet-james-donaldson-wants-to-help-young-athletes-shed-mental-health-stigma/ |accessdate=25 November 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=28 May 2021}} He placed eighth in the primary election.

References

External links

[http://www.seattlepi.com/basketball/370083_donaldson09.html Former Sonic Donaldson ready for new challenge—ex-NBA, WSU player plans to run for City Council] by Dan Raley, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 7/8/08
[https://web.archive.org/web/20090328003258/http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/politicsnorthwest/2009/03/25/donaldson_in_for_mayor.html Ex-Sonic James Donaldson in for Seattle mayor]

Category:1957 births

Category:Living people

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Greece

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Spain

Category:Basketball players from California

Category:Candidates in the 2021 United States elections

Category:CB Breogán players

Category:Real Betis Baloncesto players

Category:Centers (basketball)

Category:Dallas Mavericks players

Category:English men's basketball players