David Wesley
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| Position | Shooting guard |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 203 lb (92 kg) |
| Born | November 14, 1970 San Antonio, Texas |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Longview (Longview, Texas) |
| College | Temple JC, Baylor |
| Draft | Undrafted, 1992 |
| Pro career | 1993–2007 |
| Former teams | New Jersey Nets (1993–1994) Boston Celtics (1994–1997) Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets (1997–2004) Houston Rockets (2004–2006) Cleveland Cavaliers (2006–2007) |
David Barakau Wesley (born November 14, 1970, in San Antonio, Texas) is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He is the cousin of former NBA player Michael Dickerson.[1] Wesley is now student manager for the Baylor Bears men's basketball team, for whom he played from 1989 to 1992, while also completing his undergraduate degree in physical education.[2]
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[edit] High school and college
David graduated from Longview High School in Longview, Texas. He was classmates with former NFL player Bobby Taylor. Wesley played his freshman year at Temple Junior College, then transferred to Baylor University. Wesley averaged 17 points per game and 4.4 assists per game in 72 total games at Baylor, and left in 1992, 33 hours short of a degree in physical education.[3]
[edit] Career
When Wesley left Baylor University in 1992, many player scouts considered him too small (at 6'1") to play as a shooting guard in the NBA, and doubted his ability to make the transition to point guard. He spent the 1992-93 season in the CBA, and signed with the New Jersey Nets as a free agent in 1993.[4] He has since played for the Boston Celtics, the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets the Houston Rockets, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wesley long ago dispelled the initial doubts about his ability to succeed in the NBA; he has averaged almost 13 points and 4.6 assists per game over a 14-year career (through the 2006-07 season), including ten straight seasons with double-digit scoring averages (1995-96 through 2004-05). He has received praise as a tenacious man-to-man defender, and a reliable outside shooter. Wesley has played in 55 playoff games and has scored double figures in more than half of them.
[edit] Career downsloping
After going for a layup and hitting the bottom of the backboard in the 2006-07 season, he only played for 35 games and averaged career-lows of 2.1 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He also did not play any minutes during the playoffs. Wesley has stated after sitting on the bench that he may retire despite having a year (only partially guaranteed) left on his contract. On September 29, 2007, he was traded to the Hornets for Cedric Simmons.[5] On October 29, 2007, the New Jersey Nets reacquired guard David Wesley from the New Orleans Hornets for swingman Bernard Robinson, center Mile Ilić and cash considerations. On November 1, 2007, not even a week after the Nets signed him, the New Jersey Nets waived him. A few days later, Wesley stated he planned on finally cutting ties with his NBA career. Wesley's 11,842 career points ranks second all-time in NBA history among undrafted players, behind Moses Malone, and his 1123 three-point field goals made is 35th all-time among NBA players[2]
[edit] Personal
David Wesley was charged in 2000 with misdemeanor racing and reckless driving in the crash that killed his friend and teammate Bobby Phills. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police report said Phills and Wesley were racing at more than 100 mph (160 km/h) when Phills lost control and crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a car. The report said both Phills and Wesley were driving "in an erratic, reckless, careless, negligent and/or aggressive manner", and the men were "involved in a speed competition". Wesley was also driving with a suspended license at the time.
One of Wesley's known future goals is to become a college basketball coach.
[edit] Achievements and honors
- Southwest Conference’s Most Valuable Player
- 2007 NBA Eastern Conference Champions with the Cavaliers
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- David Wesley Profile NBA - David Wesley Player Profile
- David Wesley Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com
- ClutchFans.net David Wesley Profile - Houston Rocket Fan Site
- http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/fg3_career.html
